Has dropping the 3:1 rule made any difference to bike design?

It’s over two years since the UCI quietly scrapped its 3:1 rule for frame tube profiles. So what’s changed since?

Dolan Rebus

In 2000, the UCI implemented a series of rules governing the design parameters for bikes used in competitions sanctioned by cycling’s governing body. Amongst them were stipulations that bikes must weigh a minimum of 6.8kg, that they should not have non-structural components and that tube profiles should not exceed a ratio of 3:1 between their height and width.

The first two of these rules still stand, but the UCI quietly dropped the 3:1 rule over two years ago. Not much has changed in bike design since though. In part this reflects the lead time to develop and test new aero framesets. But are more radical road bike designs likely to appear in future?

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