exxxxxxxxxxtra wiiiiiiiide bars

[sadamhussein]

seriously, wtf is with this new trend for handle-bars to be so wide, you look like you're crouching almost all the way forwards just in order to be able to hang on.

 

yes, i know, in the nineties there was a narrow-bar trend, which bordered on ridiculous in some cases (i'm talking 40cm or less here), but it seems the trend has now gone full-bore in the opposite direction.

 

really, i've seen handlebars on xc mountainbikes that are easily 20cm wider than the bars on my 1200cc motorbike.

[Fisan]

Cycling works like diets. The flavour of the week depends on what the guys in the labcoats decide is cool and uncool.

[JA-Q001]

So what do you see as normal and what is wide?

[Muzzarati]

Now that bar ends have gone out the window. Wider bars are used to try get the same effect. They also apparently put you in a position that allows you to breath better.

 

+ on top of all that, they give you way more control and stability.

[2-D]

Tis personal preference brah!! Just gives people more options I will admit I find anything over 740 too much but for those people who like to pretend they are albatross' there are those super wide bars, I see superstar components makes a 920.....

[Matchstix]

The breath better is BS in my opinion, but I like the wider moved recently to 720mm

[karlvand]

Ive just gone from a 680mm flat bar to a 750mm.

 

First ride felt like I was hugging my fat Aunty for waaaay too long but once I got used to them I realised how much more control I have and its pretty comfy as well.

Just have to keep an eye out for tree's and other tight spaces.

 

It also doesn't hurt that it looks awesome.

[gummibear]

The fork looks more freaky than the bars.

[alexwc46]

Put these on my Zula just the other day. Bought them with the intention of cutting them just a little but decided to first give them a bash the way they are. Haven't had a chance to ride yet due to exams.

Edited June 10, 2014 by alexwc46

[MrJacques]

So if running a wider bar means you need a shorter stem, that guy in the 1st pic should probably just turn the stem around to face him. That's my prediction for the next trend: reverse stems

[Skott5]

seriously, wtf is with this new trend for handle-bars to be so wide, you look like you're crouching almost all the way forwards just in order to be able to hang on.

 

 

What do you consider to be wide ?

Have you ridden a bike with 780mm wide bars before ?

[leona]

depends on the bike.. had 580 on my 26in and that feels fine. epic came with 690, got 710 with the intention of putting bar ends on but liked the width so much i never did. 690 bars now on a 650b and id like them wider to be honest. i have crashed a few times catching the wider ones on trees tho..

[sadamhussein]

wider doesn't mean more control.

 

wider bars have a longer arm, requiring a bigger moment to achieve the same effect as shorter bars. in other words, you look like a monkey trying to initiate the smallest of direction changes. conversely, bars that are too narrow can be too sensitive to control inputs.

so i guess wider bars would work better for novices who don't know how to modulate (prevent over controlling) the steering on their bikes.

 

as far as i can tell, wide bars also force novices to get their centre of gravity further forward which helps for more balanced and positive turning, fooling them into thinking the better handling is due to the width of the bars.

 

 

what is the right width?

if your fore arms are parallel, slightly tapering outwards, in a seated position, then it's just right.

fore arms tapering inwards, too narrow, and fore arms splayed outwards, too wide.

 

yes i have ridden with super wide bars, and i found the dulled-down response to my input quite annoying.

Edited June 10, 2014 by sadamhussein

[alexwc46]

wider doesn't mean more control.

 

wider bars have a longer arm, requiring a bigger moment to achieve the same effect as shorter bars. in other words, you look like a monkey trying to initiate the smallest of direction changes. conversely, bars that are too narrow can be too sensitive to control inputs.

so i guess wider bars would work better for novices who don't know how to modulate (prevent over controlling) the steering on their bikes.

 

as far as i can tell, wide bars also force novices to get their centre of gravity further forward which helps for more balanced and positive turning, fooling them into thinking the better handling is due to the width of the bars.

 

 

what is the right width?

if your fore arms are parallel, slightly tapering outwards, in a seated position, then it's just right.

fore arms tapering inwards, too narrow, and fore arms splayed outwards, too wide.

 

yes i have ridden with super wide bars, and i found the dulled-down response to my input quite annoying.

 

Ye, those guys riding in the downhill world cup look like real novice monkey's with those wide bars...

[Pin-it]

wider doesn't mean more control.

 

wider bars have a longer arm, requiring a bigger moment to achieve the same effect as shorter bars. in other words, you look like a monkey trying to initiate the smallest of direction changes. conversely, bars that are too narrow can be too sensitive to control inputs.

so i guess wider bars would work better for novices who don't know how to modulate (prevent over controlling) the steering on their bikes.

 

as far as i can tell, wide bars also force novices to get their centre of gravity further forward which helps for more balanced and positive turning, fooling them into thinking the better handling is due to the width of the bars.

 

 

what is the right width?

if your fore arms are parallel, slightly tapering outwards, in a seated position, then it's just right.

fore arms tapering inwards, too narrow, and fore arms splayed outwards, too wide.

 

yes i have ridden with super wide bars, and i found the dulled-down response to my input quite annoying.

 

Ya Greg Minnaar must be a real novice you know with his 808mm bars, maybe you can give him some lessons!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

wider doesn't mean more control.

 

wider bars have a longer arm, requiring a bigger moment to achieve the same effect as shorter bars. in other words, you look like a monkey trying to initiate the smallest of direction changes. conversely, bars that are too narrow can be too sensitive to control inputs.

so i guess wider bars would work better for novices who don't know how to modulate (prevent over controlling) the steering on their bikes.

 

as far as i can tell, wide bars also force novices to get their centre of gravity further forward which helps for more balanced and positive turning, fooling them into thinking the better handling is due to the width of the bars.

 

 

what is the right width?

if your fore arms are parallel, slightly tapering outwards, in a seated position, then it's just right.

fore arms tapering inwards, too narrow, and fore arms splayed outwards, too wide.

 

yes i have ridden with super wide bars, and i found the dulled-down response to my input quite annoying.

 

Did you change the length of your stem at the same time? If not, it was a pointless exercise.