Rider's Guide to British Cycling Youth Racing Under 8 to Under 16 2026

On the road and track, youth riders are limited to a maximum gear, measured as the distance the bike travels for one full turn of the cranks (the "rollout"):

Gear checks must be done before the event on every rider who has a gear restriction, and further checks should be done afterwards. If your bike fails before the start, you can't use it. If it's found to be over the limit after the start, you should be disqualified.

Youth B and younger (road, including Scottish time trials, and track)

Wheels must have:

• a maximum rim depth of 40mm for Youth B, or 35mm for Youth C, D and E
• 16 to 40 spokes, each no more than 10mm wide (round, flattened or oval)

You also can't use tri-bars, arm extensions or arm pads. On the track, bikes must have dropped handlebars.

Youth A
There's no rim-depth limit in 2026. A 40mm maximum applies from 1 January 2027.

All road race bikes (except Scottish time trials) need:

• dropped handlebars with plugged bar ends
• a freewheel
• two independent brakes (disc brakes are allowed)

When you need a full Racing Licence

• You need one to race British National Championships, other national-level events, and Home Country and Regional Championships.
• An organiser can also require full licences for any event.

Getting one

• Racing Licences are only issued to British Cycling members.
• Youth and under-12 full licences are free for members with valid membership.
• If you're under 18, a parent or guardian must give consent before the licence is issued.
• Your licence expires on 31 December of the year it's issued, or when your membership expires if that's sooner.
• Members who don't request a Racing Licence get a Provisional Licence.

Without a full licence
For road, track and cyclo-cross events, you can ride on a single day licence:

• Youth non-members pay £1.50.
• A day licence doesn't earn ranking points.
• You don't need a day licence for MTB events.

If you're under 18, your parent or guardian is responsible for making sure you follow the Technical Regulations. You are liable for any sanction.

Circuit and closed circuit races (under 16s), maximum distances:

Cyclo-cross: the race should last as close as possible to these times for the lead rider:

• Youth riders: 30 minutes
• Under 12s: 10 to 15 minutes

Go Race events are no more than 30 minutes, off the open road.

Helmet
In every event you must wear a properly fitting hard-shell helmet with the strap securely fastened. British Cycling advises a helmet that meets a recognised standard, such as EN 1078, Snell B95, AS/NZS 2063:96, DIN 33-954 or CPSC.

Clothing (road and track)

• Cover your body from neck to at least mid-thigh. Jerseys must have sleeves beyond the shoulder.
• Except at British National events, youth riders can wear any suitable clothing. You don't need registered club kit.
• Wear your race numbers as the organiser tells you, unfolded and not covered. Road and circuit races use two numbers; time trials use one.
• Take off anything not needed for racing, and don't carry glass or other non-shatterproof bottles.

Officials can inspect your bike, wheels, gears, helmet and clothing before or after a race. Kit that doesn't comply can't be used, and if it's found after the start you may be disqualified.

Road and closed circuit

• A Youth B rider who earns 50 licence points in a year (at least 30 from closed road circuit events) can apply for authorisation to ride Youth A closed circuit events for the rest of their time as a Youth B. This doesn't extend to British National events, or to Home Country and Regional Championships.
• A Youth A rider who meets the same 50/30 points test can apply to race any older category in closed road circuit events for the rest of their time as a Youth A. This doesn't apply to British National A events, or to British National, Home Country and Regional Championships.
• If you're authorised, you get a card from British Cycling to show at sign-on.
• Go Race events (30 minutes maximum, off the open road) are open to Youth A and B riders with no licence points that year.

Track

• The Chief Commissaire can let a Youth A or B rider ride track events open to Juniors.
• Youth B riders must not race Elite or 1st Category senior riders on the track.
• If you have dispensation to ride an older category, you can use that category's gearing, but only in those races.

Cyclo-cross
Youth riders only race their own category, unless there are too few entries. Then they can be combined with the next category up, keeping the youth race duration.

Road and circuit points (Youth A and Youth B events)

For example, a Band 5 win scores 10 points, and the points go down to 1 point for 9th and 10th. Events with fewer than 10 riders award only 3, 2 and 1 points. If an event mixes open and female riders, or Youth A and Youth B, points are awarded as if each group raced separately. Go Race events and club-only events don't earn points, and points don't carry over from one year to the next.

Rankings
There are British National Youth A and Youth B rankings. Only points from events in your own category count. There are no national rankings for Youth C or younger.

Moving up to Junior

• No youth licence points in the previous year: you start as a 4th Category Junior.
• Any youth points: you start as 3rd Category.
• Top Youth A results the previous year can earn 2nd Category:
  • Open riders: top 15 in the Youth A National Circuit Race Series, top 3 in a Youth A British National Road Championship, or top 10 in the Youth A national rankings.
  • Female riders: top 5 in the series, top 3 in a Road or Track Youth A British National Championship, or top 5 in the rankings.

Not as a youth rider. In road events, cameras are only allowed for full Licence Holders in the year of their 17th birthday or older. Riders on a Day Licence can't use one at any age.

Where cameras are allowed, they must be fitted with a mount designed for bicycles. The Chief Executive, the organiser or the venue can also ban them.