New Uci Locations and Half link chain

Newsletter Volume 1.1

August 8, 2025

Good morning, race fans,

Firstly, and arguably the most important news, UCI just announced not one but two new locations to the 2026 UCI season. The first location that they announced is PyeongChang, which is a ski town in the north of South Korea. This is a big deal because it is the first time in 25 years that the UCI circus has been brought to Asia. PyeongChang will host all of the amazing sects of mountain biking that are to offer, downhill, XC, and enduro, so be ready for some action on new tracks. The second location that was announced is Soldier Hollow, Utah. Soldier Hollow is also a ski resort, however, not a normal ski resort, a world-class Olympic ski resort. Meaning that we will be seeing some gnarly tracks on all downhill, enduro, and xc tracks.

Big news from SRAM as well, they just patented a half-link chain design that is supposed to speed up shifting by up to two times. Unfortunately, SRAM didn’t wrap us up into some specific transmission or derailleur, or even brand. This chain is designed to fit nearly every large cassette manufacturer. For example, names like Shimano, SRAM, rotor, and Micro Shift all fit the chain. Unlike traditional chains, which alternate inner and outer links, this design uses symmetrical links for finer length adjustments and better chainring alignment, which makes it especially ideal for single-speed bikes.

Thank you for reading,

Dutch Bell