Quantcast

how wide are your bars???

mr_dove

mr_dove

Monkey
Jan 18, 2002
179
0
Denver, CO
I just upgraded my stock handlebar to a titec hellbent bar. My original bar was about 21 inches. My new bar is over 24 inches wide!! It looks alot wider to me.

How long do most people run their handlebars?
 
Captain Cogset

Captain Cogset

Chimp
Oct 2, 2001
94
0
Bend, Oregon
It depends on your bike application. Downhill bikes generally have wider handle bars. My XC race bike has 23" handle bars and my freeride Enduro has 24" riser bars. 21" is a pretty narrow handlebar.
 
Echo

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
Wider bars give you more leverage, I've found that wider bars for MTB offer more advantages than disadvantages, both for XC/trail and DH/FR.

However on my BMX bike for some reason narrower bars seem to feel better for me.

On my road bike I can put my hands wherever I want so the width of the bars never really concerned me much :)
 
L

Lost Coyote

Chimp
Jan 30, 2003
7
0
Simi Valley, CA
I've always cut my bars to the width of my shoulders. Any narrower and it raises you up and cramps the "cockpit". You don't need any wider. It's not like you need power steering, and you ain't steer wrestling. Of coarse, you need to leave room for bar ends if you use them.
 
sub6

sub6

Monkey
Oct 17, 2001
508
0
williamsburg, va
as wide as I can possibly get them. I run 27-28" on my DH/FR bike and 26" risers on one of my XC bikes. 24" flats on my other XC, which is too narrow. I used to be comfortable with 22" bars until I bought a 26", then found it impossible to go back to something so narrow.

Wider bars open up your chest (making breathing at least seem easier), make the bike more stable in steering, and are much more comfortable for me. I don't tag any more trees with them, and the extra weight is negligible.

I only wish you could get flat bars in 26" width.....
 
indieboy

indieboy

Want fries with that?
Jan 4, 2002
1,806
1
atlanta
Originally posted by Echo
Wider bars give you more leverage, I've found that wider bars for MTB offer more advantages than disadvantages, both for XC/trail and DH/FR.

However on my BMX bike for some reason narrower bars seem to feel better for me.

On my road bike I can put my hands wherever I want so the width of the bars never really concerned me much :)
Click to expand...
you should be worried about what width road bars you have. like sub6 was saying the width of the bars is going to affect how your chest opens up and allows you to breath. this is essentical for road riding. most ppl can get away w/ a 44 or 46 center to center.
 
Squeak

Squeak

Get your pork here.
Sep 26, 2001
1,546
0
COlo style
Originally posted by indieboy
you should be worried about what width road bars you have. like sub6 was saying the width of the bars is going to affect how your chest opens up and allows you to breath. this is essentical for road riding. most ppl can get away w/ a 44 or 46 center to center.
Click to expand...
I heard IF makes wicked cool road bars!!!


:devil:

(I have no idea what my road bar width is) I have flat mtn bars that are narrow. Ritchy WCS.
 
indieboy

indieboy

Want fries with that?
Jan 4, 2002
1,806
1
atlanta
Originally posted by Squeak
I heard IF makes wicked cool road bars!!!


:devil:

(I have no idea what my road bar width is) I have flat mtn bars that are narrow. Ritchy WCS.
Click to expand...
if they made a road bar, yes it would be "wicked" ehehhe
 
VTinCT

VTinCT

Flexmaster Flexy Flex
Sep 24, 2001
355
0
Lost in the woods...
I went from 26" x 1.5 to 24" x 2 rise (Price Point sale I was too eager to check width...hell, aren't they all 26" wide if easton makes 'em!?;) !?...what a bummer), I felt like my shoulders were rounding in on themselves. I just picked up a new 27" x 2" and am stoked.
 
MTBDH-BMX

MTBDH-BMX

Chimp
Aug 8, 2002
51
0
Littleton, Colorado
Most of the Azonic bars (riser at least) are 28 inches wide. I love wide bars!! The wider the better.

Most bars have gotten wider over the years. The first XC bike I had came with 21 inch bars and I always felt that was too skinny. Then I got 23 inch and that felt better. Next 26 and man I was loving those until I tried 28 inch wide bars.

I don't think that I would go much past 28 inch wide bars though.

Hope that helps:rolleyes:
 
mtnbikej

mtnbikej

Monkey
Sep 13, 2001
168
0
So. CAL.
I run 28"s on my signle speed and on my Bullit. I run 44cm bars on my road bike. Tried to run 26"s on the Bullit once, but was sooo uncomfortable.

mtnbikej
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,172
380
Roanoke, VA
I run some narrow bars these days:
xc bike has ~17" bars with barends
street bike has 23.5" bars
my road bike has 40c bars.
My SS is at about 24" with risers

i run some wide bars too...

my cx bike runs 46c ritchey biomax's which flare to 48, and I''m going to run the bars on my Dh bike uncut.

back in the day I used to run Azonic DW flatbars on my XC bikes at a full 25" they weere the widest things going then.

i run narrow bars on my bikes because 1. my broken collarbones have made my shoulders really narrow. 2. I like the width of the bars on my road and XC bikes to be about the same and 3. Narrow bars make steering feel quicker and make handling seem more fron heavy (I'm olschool like that).

Wide bars on the CX and DH bikes for leverage and stability..
 
sub6

sub6

Monkey
Oct 17, 2001
508
0
williamsburg, va
Originally posted by Capt. Burntout
I run some narrow bars these days:
xc bike has ~17" bars with barends
Click to expand...
GOOD GOD man!! How do you breathe?? I feel ultra-cramped with 22" bars, I literally cannot imagine riding with 5" less than that, it would be totally impossible.
 
C

ChrisKring

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
2,399
6
Grand Haven, MI
You should determine your bar width off of your body structure, riding style and personal preference.

I used to be comfortable with 20" wide bars on my XC race bike. However, since I stoped racing XC and just ride XC for training and fun, I went back to 24" wide bars. Even then, they seem narrow. But there are a few trails that I can't go quite as fast on due to the trees being so tight. I think you make it up on the downhills and with less fatigue.

For DH / Freeride, I use 28" wide bars. I can't think of anyplace that I couldn't make it through on a race course.

For MX, I use 32" wide bars. Since I have been riding MX every weekend over the winter, I am sure the XC bike is going to feel cramped once the darn snow melts.
 
indieboy

indieboy

Want fries with that?
Jan 4, 2002
1,806
1
atlanta
Originally posted by sub6
GOOD GOD man!! How do you breathe?? I feel ultra-cramped with 22" bars, I literally cannot imagine riding with 5" less than that, it would be totally impossible.
Click to expand...
"I run narrow bars on my bikes because 1. my broken collarbones have made my shoulders really narrow."

trust me man. his shoulders are extremely narrow, i know him very well personally and those lengths are what he rides.......
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,172
380
Roanoke, VA
Originally posted by sub6
GOOD GOD man!! How do you breathe?? I feel ultra-cramped with 22" bars, I literally cannot imagine riding with 5" less than that, it would be totally impossible.
Click to expand...
The width of my hands on the barends is exactly the same as being on the hoods of my road bike... I spend so much time on road/cross bikes that it just feels natural.

Right now my riding is split like 70/30 skate park to road riding so I bet it will feel a little wird on the XC bike,

but the last few years around this time i was foucusing soley on Road racing. so when i got on my xc mtb (pretty much only for races) it felt weird to not have my hands narrow and forward of the stem.

when i was running hayes hydros on my XC bike the levers actually overlapped each other forcing me to run them at different heights....

if anyone has some ONZA cwa barends lying around i'll give you a fair price for them
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom