Life Time Announces Ban on Drop Bars in some of its MTB Events

January 19, 2026

Two production hardtail mountain bikes with drop bar builds are from both Pivot Cycles and Pinarello. The commercial availability of these bikes is undoubtedly tied to the proliferation of drop bars on custom mountain bike builds in the pro field of iconic races like the Leadville Trail 100. In fact, Keegan Swenson raced his drop bar Santa Cruz Blur to his fifth consecutive victory in last year’s Leadville race and his fourth in 2024 on board a drop bar hardtail.

But over the weekend, Life Time, the organizers of the Leadville Trail 100 and Life Time Grand Prix (LTGP) race series, announced that it was banning drop bars from two of its three “MTB” events. This includes the Leadville Trail 100 MTB and Little Sugar MTB, which are two of the six races included in the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix. Interestingly, the drop bar ban does not include Chequemagon, which is the third race categorized as “MTB” on the LTGP calendar.

From the rules section of the Life Time Grand Prix website: “For rider safety and course compatibility, drop-style handlebars (road or gravel bars with drops) are no longer permitted for the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB and Life Time Little Sugar MTB. All competitors must use flat or riser-style handlebars at these events. This rule will be enforced during pre-race inspections and on course; violations may result in disqualification.”

Why use drop bar bikes? With relatively non-technical riding and long stretches of fast-paced dirt roads, the additional hand positions and longer, lower body position afforded by drop bars were chosen by many for comfort and aerodynamic gains, while still maintaining the performance of a mountain bike. BikeRumor