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Handlebar width: Are people still going wide?

madpharma

Chimp
Oct 16, 2018
55
33
1.79 cm so around 5'10... im using 775 for DH, tried wider (800) but felt stuck and had a little shoulder pain.
 

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,420
931
coloRADo
Currently 800 that came OEM on the squishy bike, and 780 on the hardtail I don't ride very often. Both are ~20mm rise, 50mm stem on the squisher and 70mm stem on the hardtail. I'm 6'2" and getting shorter. After recently losing a fight with a narrow gap between a tree and a rock wall I'm considering cutting down the 800s to 780 for a little bit more clearance, which I used to ride on everything so it'd probably be fine.
What?! You're alive? No way :)
 

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,420
931
coloRADo
WELL, since we're all wisely considering ergonomics and stem length in this, I'm an average 5'11 build running a 45mm stem. I think the 780mm bar has a 20mm rise. Fairly slammed on the bike , reach 19.1 in.
Dude, you're like 5'8" on a good day. And like 200lbs. Just giving you shit, cuz I can :D
 
Dec 3, 2007
76
33
6’1” long arms/ wide shoulders.
800mm wide, 80mm rise, 40mm stem on a L Spitfire.
Could probably go down to 770-780, but the current setup is damn comfy
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,958
5,959
I run 770 and 780, 6', assuming perfect in regard to proportions.

Odi still have their threaded handlebars so you can mess around with length pretty easily.
1718880483531.png
 

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,376
198
Vancouver
6' 1" with a fairly wide shoulders and a substantial ape index. Was riding 800 for a couple years but now down to 780. XL Santa Cruz frames.

Interesting point about oversteer when you need to be precise. Do you mean at slower speeds and with more bar turn? Haven't really thought about (and don't usually have any oversteer issues going slow) it but conceptually I guess a wider bar could pull your outside hand further forward with more bar turn, which (theortetically anyway) could pull at least some weight further forward, moving weight off the rear and onto the front. But I suppose the opposite could also be true depending on how your upper body reacts.
Add slower speeds with nervousness AND oversteer. My thing are wooden bridges and crap like that. If it's more than a foot off the ground, that nervousness kicks in and any corrective input into the bars translate into the bigger movements at the wheel (if that makes sense) and that gets dangerous. Otherwise my 800mm feel nice and stable. At the same time, I don't think knocking off 5mm or so off each end of the bar will make much of a difference but I'll probably try it. I used to have 785mm bars and I don't remember having an issue.
 

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,420
931
coloRADo
5’10”
740 and 750 on the slalom/play bikes
760 on big travel bikes.
I am perhaps the last 50mm stem user on earth.
No you're not. I'm one too. I am preferring a smaller frame and longer stem. So for me, L vs XL. But I'm also old school.

I still have a 130mm Kooka stem as "artwork" in the bar area. Anodized purple of course. Straight from the 90's.

How am I supposed to whip around trees and rocks and switchbacks on a bike so long and wheels so big it could be a drag racer or monster truck? There are times for it, tho. I'll admit that.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,470
1,682
Warsaw :/
I think "going wide" or short. Depends on your reach but also on frame length and height. I now have a longer frame so I run narrower bars as I was compensating for a too short frame on my DH bike. Generally I'm a bit afraid to cut my bars <770 but I think I will expertiment a bit because I'm narrow so even with long limbs I think 750 might be a better fit.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,677
1,166
NORCAL is the hizzle
Add slower speeds with nervousness AND oversteer. My thing are wooden bridges and crap like that. If it's more than a foot off the ground, that nervousness kicks in and any corrective input into the bars translate into the bigger movements at the wheel (if that makes sense) and that gets dangerous. Otherwise my 800mm feel nice and stable. At the same time, I don't think knocking off 5mm or so off each end of the bar will make much of a difference but I'll probably try it. I used to have 785mm bars and I don't remember having an issue.
Huh. Oversteer usually means the rear end breaking loose and starting to come around, but it sounds like you're talking more about a floppy front wheel at slow speeds..? I've always thought that was more an issue of slack head angle and rearward weight bias but that's more in the context of climbing. Sure wider bars could contribute by exaggerating input, but I'm not one to weigh in on that, for the most part I avoid skinnies like the plague.
 

mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,217
3,964
sw ontario canada
6' 2"
Wingspan 6' 4"

DH bike = 800mm
Trailbike = 780mm

Sitting on the fence about trimming the trailbike. In some tight trails, I'm struggling at points, but then when things open up, I'm lovin it. Not sure which compromise is best. Fence sitting is not always enjoyable.
 

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
593
433
Almost (almost!) 5'7" barefoot. Asian, stocky build, longish arms. 740, 750, 760 bars paired with a 40 mm stem. Have a spare 50 mm stem and wondering if I should try that too. Bike is a 2017 Stanton Switchback with a short reach and 415 mm chainstays. 27.5 but I run it as a mullet.

Is it still safe to use old aluminum handlebars? I have a cheap Kore Torsion AL 2014 double butted bar that I've had for about 15 years and still haven't thrown away. I like its rise and sweep.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,663
5,010
Australia
Is it still safe to use old aluminum handlebars? I have a cheap Kore Torsion AL 2014 double butted bar that I've had for about 15 years and still haven't thrown away. I like its rise and sweep.
I'd use it as a point of reference for finding some new ones if you can. Old aluminium isn't the issue if they've been kicking around the garage, sustained use however is a different matter.

Handlebars aren't cheap, but dental reconstructions are waaaaaay more expensive. Very few bar or stem failures go well.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,958
5,959
I'd use it as a point of reference for finding some new ones if you can. Old aluminium isn't the issue if they've been kicking around the garage, sustained use however is a different matter.

Handlebars aren't cheap, but dental reconstructions are waaaaaay more expensive. Very few bar or stem failures go well.
The only ones I can recall snapping a bit were some old Burgtec bars, from memory the internet blamed the series of Aluminium.......?
I've only ever had issues with 4130 and carbon bars.
 

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
593
433
I'd use it as a point of reference for finding some new ones if you can. Old aluminium isn't the issue if they've been kicking around the garage, sustained use however is a different matter.

Handlebars aren't cheap, but dental reconstructions are waaaaaay more expensive. Very few bar or stem failures go well.
Gotcha. Haven't used these bars in years, just kept them in storage.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,962
5,868
UK
, from memory the internet blamed the series of Aluminium
Grade of bong shed material more like! Burgtec's carbon bars don't even have the bar roll positioning markings put on straight and I once received a set of penthouse flats with two LEFT axles installed. :rofl:

They are really sound guys though.
 

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
Grade of bong shed material more like! Burgtec's carbon bars don't even have the bar roll positioning markings put on straight and I once received a set of penthouse flats with two LEFT axles installed. :rofl:

They are really sound guys though.
I still don't understand the hassle around burgtec. Their design is mid pack at best and their prices are well above the quality they deliver.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,257
6,258
borcester rhymes
I'm at 750-760mm with a *gasp* 60mm stem on my trail bike. DH was 800/30mm back when I had it. I found that 800s were too wide on the trails, so I hacked a little off. I liked it, so a little more. Now those bars feel great.
 

Gary

"S" is for "neo-luddite"
Aug 27, 2002
7,962
5,868
UK
I still don't understand the hassle around burgtec. Their design is mid pack at best and their prices are well above the quality they deliver.
They're a bro brand. Their MK1 pedals were strong, worked well and timed well on release. Took until Mk3 to get them actually good. And the composites are the best components period.
Everything else. I 100% agree with you.
decent logo tho.

Remember Goldtec? Same Welsh manufacturer. Less cool owner (Manon's Dad) less Broey. Shit logo. eventually failed.
It's kinda how this industry works.
 

ChrisRobin

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
3,376
198
Vancouver
Huh. Oversteer usually means the rear end breaking loose and starting to come around, but it sounds like you're talking more about a floppy front wheel at slow speeds..? I've always thought that was more an issue of slack head angle and rearward weight bias but that's more in the context of climbing. Sure wider bars could contribute by exaggerating input, but I'm not one to weigh in on that, for the most part I avoid skinnies like the plague.
Ah I guess when I say 'oversteer' I'm referring to a small input translating into a larger movement at the wheel. But I see what you mean.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,663
5,010
Australia
The only ones I can recall snapping a bit were some old Burgtec bars, from memory the internet blamed the series of Aluminium.......?
I've only ever had issues with 4130 and carbon bars.
The only bars I've ever broken or snapped apart myself were a set of Kore back in the day. I've bent a couple of others in crashes - Azonic and Easton ones. I've got Chromag on both bikes now because I like the feel (although I'll die on this hill - I swear the 31.8 clamp ones have nicer sweep than the 35mm even they they claim they're the same). Normally replace them about every three years if I';m using them for DH or Enduro.

I've seen stacks of broken Renthals but they're so popular that's probably just small percentage of a very big number. By far the majority of snapped bars I've seen in the past few years have been carbon and where people have either over tightened a clamp on the bar, or ridden them when they should have been replaced after a crash or impact. A couple of those times the handlebar stabbed the rider in the resulting crash and we've had to Celox them and get them to hospital. Really gnarly one in Trans Madeira where we were ages from a road for getting the dude out.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,958
5,959
They're a bro brand. Their MK1 pedals were strong, worked well and timed well on release. Took until Mk3 to get them actually good. And the composites are the best components period.
Everything else. I 100% agree with you.
decent logo tho.

Remember Goldtec? Same Welsh manufacturer. Less cool owner (Manon's Dad) less Broey. Shit logo. eventually failed.
It's kinda how this industry works.
I have a Goldtec Draco hub, it was so awesome, you had to put your little finger through the fork to hold the loose spacer between the bearings so you could get the axle through. It was probably better than the Middleburn where the end caps fell off every time you removed the wheel from the fork, oh and the 9mm rear axle, that was weird.
 
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Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
593
433
I have a Godtec Draco hub, it was so awesome, you had to put your little finger through the fork to hold the loose spacer between the bearings so you could get the axle through. It was probably better than the Middleburn where the end caps fell off every time you removed the wheel from the fork, oh and the 9mm rear axle, that was weird.
I'm still using an Easy Do 142x12 hub on my hardtail! Probably 6 or 7 years old now. But I think I'm not hard on components like you guys and there was a time when I barely rode. Biggest impact was a 5 foot nose dive to flat.
 

trib

not worthy of a Rux.
Jun 22, 2009
1,522
477
I had Goldtec Draco and Sam DH hubs back in the day, I lived in wales, they were a Welsh brand, I wouldn’t hear a bad word about them.

They sorted me out with a free spacer for the front hub so I could get a hope mini to work, plus they sent me a milled dial to replace the crappy plasticy lever for the “climb switch” on my marzocchi drop off. I forget what the actual term Marz used for it was, but it progressively locked your fork travel down, giving you a lower AtoC measurement and a god awful rebound speed and top out clunk. A truly awful innovation that I loved at the time.

Pace, Marzocchi, Goldtec, X-Lite, Funn, Azonic, Titec, IRC… I had a lot of components from brands which have now ceased trading, or are alive in name only and are a completely different product now.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,958
5,959
I had Goldtec Draco and Sam DH hubs back in the day, I lived in wales, they were a Welsh brand, I wouldn’t hear a bad word about them.

They sorted me out with a free spacer for the front hub so I could get a hope mini to work, plus they sent me a milled dial to replace the crappy plasticy lever for the “climb switch” on my marzocchi drop off. I forget what the actual term Marz used for it was, but it progressively locked your fork travel down, giving you a lower AtoC measurement and a god awful rebound speed and top out clunk. A truly awful innovation that I loved at the time.

Pace, Marzocchi, Goldtec, X-Lite, Funn, Azonic, Titec, IRC… I had a lot of components from brands which have now ceased trading, or are alive in name only and are a completely different product now.
Was the Sam hub the oil filled one?