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Bike Trials Governing Bodies: UCI & BIU

Competitive bike trials is run internationally by two separate federations — the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Biketrial International Union (BIU) — supported by continental and national bodies. Because the two world federations are independent, the sport has two parallel world-championship lineages.

UCI Trials

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is cycling's global governing body, and trials is one of its mountain-bike disciplines. The UCI Trials World Championships have been held since 1986 — making trials one of the UCI's oldest off-road world titles, predating the cross-country and downhill world championships, which began in 1990. Belgium's Daniel Crosset was the first Elite world champion; until 1992 the title was decided over a series of rounds rather than a single event.

Modern UCI trials is contested in two wheel classes — 20-inch and 26-inch — for Elite and Junior, men and women. The 20-inch class dates back to 1986, while the men's 26-inch world title was added in 1995. Alongside the World Championships, the UCI Trials World Cup series has run since 2000, and since 2017 the trials Worlds have been staged as part of the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, together with BMX Freestyle and cross-country eliminator.

• Browse UCI trials competitions and results in the archive.

Biketrial International Union (BIU)

The Biketrial International Union (BIU) is a separate, trials-only world body. It was founded in Prague on 25 June 1992 and governs a single sport — biketrial — rather than every cycling discipline. National federations join the BIU to promote biketrial in their countries.

BIU competition is organised into a ladder of age and skill categories — among them Poussin, Benjamin, Minime, Cadet, Junior, Senior, Master and Expert — across the 20-inch and 26-inch wheel sizes. A BIU course runs 6 to 10 sections, ridden in numerical order and scored on penalty points, with the lowest total winning. Nations such as Spain, the Czech Republic, Japan, France and Great Britain have been central to the BIU World Championship.

• Browse BIU competitions and results in the archive.

Continental and national federations

Below the two world bodies, continental federations run their own titles — most prominently the UEC Trials European Championships under the UCI umbrella — and dozens of national federations run domestic championships and cup series. Most riders who reach the world stage come up through these national calendars. Browse all results in the competition results archive.

Why there are two world champions

Because the UCI and BIU are independent, a rider can hold a UCI world title, a BIU world title, or both — so the sport has two world-championship lineages. Our archive records results from both federations, so a rider's full record — UCI and BIU — appears together on their profile. See the sport's most decorated riders among the all-time champions, or read how bike trials grew from trialsin to a world sport.

Frequently asked questions

Which federations govern bike trials?

Two international bodies run the sport: the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), for which trials is a mountain-bike discipline, and the Biketrial International Union (BIU), a trials-only world federation. Below them, continental bodies such as the UEC (Europe) and dozens of national federations run their own championships.

What is the Biketrial International Union (BIU)?

The BIU is a trials-only international federation founded in Prague on 25 June 1992. Unlike the UCI, which governs every cycling discipline, the BIU governs only biketrial. It runs the BIU World Championship across a ladder of age and skill categories in the 20-inch and 26-inch wheel classes.

What is the difference between UCI Trials and the BIU?

The UCI is cycling's overall world body and runs trials as one of its mountain-bike disciplines (the UCI Trials World Championships since 1986 and a World Cup since 2000). The BIU is an independent, trials-only federation (founded 1992) with its own world championship and its own age-category system. Because they are separate, the sport has two parallel world-championship lineages.

When were the first Trials World Championships held?

The first Trials World Championship was held in 1986, under the UCI — earlier than the UCI cross-country and downhill world championships, which began in 1990. Belgium's Daniel Crosset was the first Elite world champion.