[azonicbruce]

I realize that this is one of those "personal preference" items, but I was wondering if there have been some of you who have noticed a difference in performance when switching from narrow to wider bars or vice versa.

For the past 4 years I've preferred the fit of Azonic Worldforce Risers which are 26" wide. But I've been test riding some bikes that have some 28" bars. Of course it feels pretty weird at first. I'm just wondering if maybe there are some advatages that would be worth "getting used to" by going to the wider bars.

Is it really just one of those things you just got to try for awhile and see if you like?

 

[RhinofromWA]

I have 28" bars on my DH....I like them. Also see plenty of people running narrow bars....I like the leverage and control they give me.

I have no idea what my HT is ...maybe 26"? I don't know.

 

[Kntr]

I love the 28s but they are a pain in tight FR situations. 2" can make a big difference when trying to fit between 2 trees........

 

[Tenchiro]

I have heard using your shoulders as a guide for bar width is a good place to start. I have like a 26" Titec Hellbent that fits me pretty well.

 

[Westy]

I have heard using your shoulders as a guide for bar width is a good place to start. I have like a 26" Titec Hellbent that fits me pretty well.

I love my Hellbent, just feels good.

 

[Kornphlake]

I'm pretty sure my bars are 28", I like them because it makes me feel like I've got Bender's setup... Actually I just thought I'd trim them shorter if I didn't get used to it and I guess I got used to it so I haven't chopped them down. I think if they were a little narrower I might have a little better posture for climbing though.

 

[kidwoo]

I leave mine at 28. They definitely feel better on a dh bike as far as leverage at speed. The only downside I could see beyond hitting trees would be the added leverage you have on really hard hits. This probably decreases the time it takes to fatigue the material and end up with a broken handle bar. I change mine every year whether it's warranted or not. I've seen enough people break bars while riding and don't want to be one of them.

 

[Acadian]

I leave mine at 28. .

Don't you run Easton EA50's?

they are 27", not 28"

 

[kidwoo]

Don't you run Easton EA50's?

they are 27", not 28"

Yeah, like I said, 27. I use ea50s or ea70s, whichever one is in stock when I replace them.

They feel a lot wider than the 26 on my norco, I thought 28 was how they came.

I just checked easton's website and they say the ea50 is 26. I know the ones on my other bike are 26 and feel like I've got my thumbs touching compared to my dh bike. Now I'm confused.

 

[dexterq20]

I'm not a small guy, but I have 26" bars on my hardtail and 27" bars on my DH rig. I was a little hesitant about running the 27" bars at first cuz I thought they'd be too wide (cuz I'm used to the 26" barss), but on a DH bike, they feel perfect.

 

[Acadian]

Full width bars here @ 27"

 

[RhinofromWA]

do these bars look wide to you? 28"s plus the aluminum bar end caps add a half an inch over all to the bars. lol

 

[DHracer1067]

mine are 27 inches

 

[cali4niabiker]

I realize that this is one of those "personal preference" items, but I was wondering if there have been some of you who have noticed a difference in performance when switching from narrow to wider bars or vice versa.

For the past 4 years I've preferred the fit of Azonic Worldforce Risers which are 26" wide. But I've been test riding some bikes that have some 28" bars. Of course it feels pretty weird at first. I'm just wondering if maybe there are some advatages that would be worth "getting used to" by going to the wider bars.

Is it really just one of those things you just got to try for awhile and see if you like?

There are big differences from a 24, 26, and 28" bars. I've tried them all on my DH bike and there is a big difference. The 28" bars offer better stability in high speeds and do help when riding technical rocky gardens. I run Weyless (yeah, cheapo) 28" DH bars.

I've run a 24" bar before, and the bike feels really squirrely when you fly down rock gardens (my heaven :love: ). That gives you less leverage, but if you do DH runs in tight sections, like those on the east coast, then these bars would work better with the sacrafice of stability.

-CAbiker

 

[RhinofromWA]

I remember riding a buddies bike a college back in the day with a Scott Hbar/bar end combo bar and having the barrell adjsuters on the breake levers touching He had to run one a little higher and one a little lower so the lines would clear. That and his Scott MTB had the Scott Uni-fork. I miss the early 90's

 

[Kornphlake]

One of my professors had a sectioned scott uni fork in his office. Wouldn't you know there wasn't any kind of damping in those... Yeah the early 90s were cool for MTB technology.

 

[Acadian]

the key is not in the width, but the tilt!!

 

[RhinofromWA]

the key is not in the width, but the tilt!!

I thought it was how smooth your fork stroked?

 

[RhinofromWA]

One of my professors had a sectioned scott uni fork in his office. Wouldn't you know there wasn't any kind of damping in those... Yeah the early 90s were cool for MTB technology.

We were well aware of the non-damping mega top out fork that was the Scott Uni(as in the stanctions bent and welded to the steerer..no crown) -fork.

I don't think people understand how much better forks are now...even the Judy TT is light years ahead of that fork.

 

[Kornphlake]

Well now I'm feeling like a little kid, I haven't actually ridden one, I didn't even get my first non-ridgid fork until 2001 . In hindsight I actually had a really good first suspension fork (manitou SX-R w/ ti spring) I'd considered a rock shox quadra 5 several years earlier but they didn't make one in a 200mm 1" threaded steerer tube, I guess I came out ahead by waiting.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Well now I'm feeling like a little kid, I haven't actually ridden one, I didn't even get my first non-ridgid fork until 2001 . In hindsight I actually had a really good first suspension fork (manitou SX-R w/ ti spring) I'd considered a rock shox quadra 5 several years earlier but they didn't make one in a 200mm 1" threaded steerer tube, I guess I came out ahead by waiting.

Oye Yeah you did. Count yourself blessed....forks I have owned and beat the piss out of personally:
1- circa '93 SR duoTrac 1.75" travel spring with Urathane bottom out bumper
2- circa '94 Quadra 10 (stock on GT RTS3, predates the 5 and 21) 1.9" urathane NON-travel...rock hard when it got cold.
3- Circa '95 Mag 21 1.9" of air sprung oil fork actually not a bad fork for the time. never got a leak on mine.
4- circa '95 Answer ProForx LT (long travel 3" claimed) Sping and elastomer stack no damping
5- circa early '99 a 98(97?) Z-1 Bomber First one...4" of butter smooth travel....leaked aroud the seals alot, but always smooth.
6- circa late '99 Judy XL (stock on GT STS dual sport) 4" of not so butter travel
7- Boxxers (98, 00, 03)
8- Spring 03 Judy TT (stock on HT bike) 4 inches of decent non damped travel...lots better than the Quadra and the Uni.

 

[azonicbruce]

Well, gee as long as everybody's talkin' forks... Here's my personal history:

1) Cannondale Pepperoni Rigid, 1.25 steerer
2) Answer ProForx (the one with the twist out dropouts)- Oh, the horror!
3) Manitou EFC - Man was I the coolest kid on the block at the time!
4) Rock Shox Judy XC
5) Marzocchi Z3.5
6) Marzocchi Z5 130mm
7) Stratos LR-1
8) Marzocchi Z1 QR20
9) Currently deciding between the following... Z150, Breakout, 5" Flick, or wait for the Fox 26 or Zocchi 66

So back to handlebars, I'm trying to decide between the following:

Truvativ Holzfeller Riser - 31.8/25mm rise/8º back/5º up/290g
Answer ProTaper 31.8 - 2" rise/8º back/4º up/270g
Easton EA70 Monkey Riser 31.8 - ? Rise/? back/ ? up/265g

Anyone know the specs on the Easton?

 

[Acadian]

Anyone know the specs on the Easton?

EA70's rawk...

Sweep/Upsweep: 8 degree/4 degree
Width: 685mm (27")
Rise: Low, Mid, Hi & Vice (mid) and OS (Hi)

EA70 = 245g
EA70 OS = 266

 

[azonicbruce]

EA70's rawk...

Sweep/Upsweep: 8 degree/4 degree
Width: 685mm (27")
Rise: Low, Mid, Hi & Vice (mid) and OS (Hi)

EA70 = 245g
EA70 OS = 266

Exactly what rise is Hi. I'm guessing 2" like the ProTaper?

 

[frorider]

710 mm--around 28 inches. definitely, wider bars help in rocky sections.

 

[cali4niabiker]

Oye Yeah you did. Count yourself blessed....forks I have owned and beat the piss out of personally:
1- circa '93 SR duoTrac 1.75" travel spring with Urathane bottom out bumper
2- circa '94 Quadra 10 (stock on GT RTS3, predates the 5 and 21) 1.9" urathane NON-travel...rock hard when it got cold.
3- Circa '95 Mag 21 1.9" of air sprung oil fork actually not a bad fork for the time. never got a leak on mine.
4- circa '95 Answer ProForx LT (long travel 3" claimed) Sping and elastomer stack no damping
5- circa early '99 a 98(97?) Z-1 Bomber First one...4" of butter smooth travel....leaked aroud the seals alot, but always smooth.
6- circa late '99 Judy XL (stock on GT STS dual sport) 4" of not so butter travel
7- Boxxers (98, 00, 03)
8- Spring 03 Judy TT (stock on HT bike) 4 inches of decent non damped travel...lots better than the Quadra and the Uni.

Sheesh, you could open an antique bike museum if you kept all those forks.

 

[5150]

I know that as far as Azonic bars, the stock width depends on the the rise.

The 1 1/2 inch rise bars are 27"
The 2" rise bars are 28"

I like 27"

But I do notice a diff when useing 28". Less energy to keep it steady when it gets rough. But do feel too wide when going between trees and things like that. 27" is good balance.