Bar width - how wide is too wide?

[Lazmo]

When I bought my Process, while riding around the front of YVC, I said to the clearly gun bro salesdude, that as soon as I get home I’m cutting the bars.

He said to me… please, just ride them for a bit, get used to them, then ride your old bike.

He was right.

My Cotic got nice new wide bars and a shorter stem straight away.

 

[moorey]

When I bought my Process, while riding around the front of YVC, I said to the clearly gun bro salesdude, that as soon as I get home I’m cutting the bars.

He said to me… please, just ride them for a bit, get used to them, then ride your old bike.

He was right.

My Cotic got nice new wide bars and a shorter stem straight away.

There is no going back to narrow. Period. Anything under 740 just feels ridiculous

 

[Haakon]

I was getting forearm pain and wrist pain with 800 that was cured by taking just 10mm off each end.

Been meaning to slide controls in and see how 760 feels…

 

[hifiandmtb]

@Haakon in no way on God's earth should you be running 800mm bars! How tall are you?

 

[Haakon]

@Haakon in no way on God's earth should you be running 800mm bars! How tall are you?

170 something I think… No, they felt fun for their novelty value for a while, but got the chop once I twigged on the arm pain.

The Trance came with 800 bars, wasn’t a choice to buy them that wide!

 

[Dales Cannon]

@Haakon in no way on God's earth should you be running 800mm bars! How tall are you?

He clearly hasn't followed my tutorial.

 

[k3n!f]

Interesting video. I'm 178cm and riding 725mm which was a step up from my previous 680mm bar. I already feel like that is wide enough for me, but I might try 740mm on my next bike.

 

[ozzybmx]

I might try 740mm on my next bike.

 

[moorey]

View attachment 377060

Agreed. Even WC xc riders a riding wide these days….I imagine….an if they aren’t, they’re dead to me.

 

[ozzybmx]

Agreed. Even WC xc riders a riding wide these days….I imagine….an if they aren’t, they’re dead to me.

I would like to cut mine just for fitting through gaps but I like them at 800mm.... not that 10mm off each side will do much anyway.

 

[SummitFever]

I've tried 760, 720, 700 and 680 and have now stuck with 680. I do ride with the edge of my hands slightly off the ends of my bars but I see others with wider bars riding with 10-20mm of bar sticking out past their hands so actual hand position may be similar even on wider bars.

I don't feel like I need the extra leverage of wider bars but I do like the clearance a narrower bar gives in the bush. I also like that the ends of may hands are the widest part. This has saved me many times when clipping trees and shrubbery because there is nothing sharp out there to get caught (like the end of a bar). I also really like to move around on the bike and for me wider bars limit the range of forward/backward movement and for getting the most out of a ~120mm travel bike you need all of the range you can get.

If I had a DH bike with 200mm on each end I'd go with much wider bars (probably 800mm) as a stiff dual crown fork combined with big g-outs would have me looking for similar amounts of leverage as on the mxer.

I think bar width is as personal as saddle type. Like saddles, all I can recommend is experimentation. Start with a wide bar and see where you like to put your hands. Adjust your brakes inwards to simulate a narrower bar and see how that feels etc.

 

[ForkinGreat]

Bar width affecting handling and rider comfort is a given, and we also need to consider stem length and rise. (at least one of my 50mm stems has a 10deg rise). my trail bike currently has a 60mm stem and 740mm bars w/38 or 40mm rise. I was using a 40mm stem, but trying to get a bit more weight toward the front wheel. Rune has 50mm stem and 780mm bars with 30mm rise. Going to try a 35mm stem.