GoLefty!! Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Thanks - very helpful - something felt wrong for sure, cool to have someone confirm that my bars are way out.... Sorry but this is really very poor advice. What type of bike are you riding. XC, AM, "endure" rolls eyes, etc. Stem length depends on how you need to be positioned on the bike for the type of riding and then there are anatomical constraints like length of arms, torso, flexibility etc. Handlebar width has got F-all to do with numb hands, numb toes or numb nutts. Eg I ride 61cm wide bars and don't suffer any of the above mentioned issues . Maybe I should get wider bars too just to please all the All mountaineers around Tokai.
s14phoenix Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Sorry but this is really very poor advice. What type of bike are you riding. XC, AM, "endure" rolls eyes, etc. Stem length depends on how you need to be positioned on the bike for the type of riding and then there are anatomical constraints like length of arms, torso, flexibility etc. Handlebar width has got F-all to do with numb hands, numb toes or numb nutts. Eg I ride 61cm wide bars and don't suffer any of the above mentioned issues . Maybe I should get wider bars too just to please all the All mountaineers around Tokai. wow helpful advise there... oh wait... helpful rant?
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Sorry but this is really very poor advice. What type of bike are you riding. XC, AM, "endure" rolls eyes, etc. Stem length depends on how you need to be positioned on the bike for the type of riding and then there are anatomical constraints like length of arms, torso, flexibility etc. Handlebar width has got F-all to do with numb hands, numb toes or numb nutts. Eg I ride 61cm wide bars and don't suffer any of the above mentioned issues . Maybe I should get wider bars too just to please all the All mountaineers around Tokai.agreed to a point, Tim, but then wide bars make a helluva difference to handling, and if you're a big guy (like this oke is) then the wider the better. Stem length should be the final consideration for a fit, tbh, and if you're choosing a long stem just to make it fit, you're stuck in the roadie mentality and have a frame that's too small for you
brucem76 Posted February 3, 2015 Author Posted February 3, 2015 Handlebar width has got F-all to do with numb hands, numb toes or numb nutts. That's a rather big claim to make. Currently, there is not enough "space" for me to extend my hands onto the handlebars correctly. This results in me doing 2 things: - turning my wrists inwards to fit my hands on the bars - "scrunching up" my wrists to fit Wider handlebars will address both of these, in my opinion. As will a longer stem. But nobody's raving about getting a longer stem. I'm quite happy to try wider bars (which are dirt cheap, and have other "happy customers") before I try anything else. I'll keep you all posted.
s14phoenix Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Everyone I know has eventually gone to wider bars - some 720mm some 740mm and some 800mm and they are all much happier now including myself. Getting a shorter stem has also helped combat that OTB feeling...
popcorn_skollie Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Eg I ride 61cm wide bars and don't suffer any of the above mentioned issues . Maybe I should get wider bars too just to please all the All mountaineers around Tokai. Jeez dude your brakes and shifters must be against the stem.Look I agree with each to his own but I think that riding style is irrelevant considering his size and the width of the bar he is using. I mean, I'm half the guys size, and my bars are 720
BBN Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 I'm 187cm on a L frame and found that going from 720mm to 780mm on my current 90mm stem made my whole chest and arm position so much more comfortable, if a little too far forward now, and turning and control so much softer and easier. Waiting now for my 60mm stem to bring me back in to position again. What I would stress is that you make sure your seat position is correct before anything else................and just watch those fingers on narrow gates!M2C
GoLefty!! Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 195cm has nothing to do with should width. each to his own. Hope those bars work out for you
brucem76 Posted February 3, 2015 Author Posted February 3, 2015 195cm has nothing to do with should width. each to his own. Hope those bars work out for you It doesn't have nothing to do with shoulder width, it's just not directly proportional. And it has a lot to do with arm length too. I'll let you know how the bars work out, either way.
beachless Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 This is the one area that is very unclear to me everything else has pretty clear setup guides and even road bars have a measurable way to determine a width as a start.I have searched before and I have not yet found any way where you can measure your shoulders/arms/thumb or anything else and come up with a starting width and then go from there I only find "wider is better" and the "wider is better is wrong" articles I have the dead hands issue as well and dont want to just buy and try. Then there is the whole its the sweep in the bars and not the width theory as well.
GoLefty!! Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 numbing hands is a symptom of too much weight on the hands because of pinching of the ulnar nerve. It could mean theres a neck issue, lower back issue, bike set up issue. The bar width has absolutely nothing to do with these issues. Its not one magical cure.Bar width suggestions are like prescribing panado for every ailment. Wider bars have an advantage in leverage. In the OP"s case its likely the bikes cockpit is too long or too short. Too short a cockpit length will also cause problems because it results in a raised or hunched shoulder riding position. Too long a cockpit results in reaching for the bars and stretches and strains the shoulders.Bars too low can also result in hand pain.
brucem76 Posted February 3, 2015 Author Posted February 3, 2015 numbing hands is a symptom of too much weight on the hands because of pinching of the ulnar nerve. It could mean theres a neck issue, lower back issue, bike set up issue. The bar width has absolutely nothing to do with these issues. Its not one magical cure.Bar width suggestions are like prescribing panado for every ailment. Wider bars have an advantage in leverage. In the OP"s case its likely the bikes cockpit is too long or too short. Too short a cockpit length will also cause problems because it results in a raised or hunched shoulder riding position. Too long a cockpit results in reaching for the bars and stretches and strains the shoulders.Bars too low can also result in hand pain.Thanks, that's useful info. At R199 for wider bars, I'm going to start by putting those on, and seeing what happens. Then, I'll go get all the above variables checked out at a fitting. Numbing hands can also be bad positioning of the wrists i.e. bending the hands far backwards in relation to the arm - that's what I tried to focus on on my morning ride today (because I definitely bend my hands a lot) but when I straightened more, it felt like I ran out of space, and couldn't grip properly
BenGraham Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Not sure how relevant this is but have you considered your specific bikes geometry. I recently put a 50mm stem and a set of much wider bars (780mm) on my bike and while the first ride was terrifying (twitchy and unstable) once I got used to it I realised I felt much better. A lot like moving to power steering at first you're used to pulling hard on the wheel but now that results in overcorrection. And I only invested R200 in the setup so I'm pretty sure it isn't purchase induced placebo. It feels like my bike was made for this setup now. I was specifically advised against going to a 50mm stem by a prominent bike shop but when I ignored them and did it anyway I was thrilled at the result. Sometimes you have to experiment a bit.
NicoBoshoff Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Sorry but this is really very poor advice. What type of bike are you riding. XC, AM, "endure" rolls eyes, etc. Stem length depends on how you need to be positioned on the bike for the type of riding and then there are anatomical constraints like length of arms, torso, flexibility etc. Handlebar width has got F-all to do with numb hands, numb toes or numb nutts. Eg I ride 61cm wide bars and don't suffer any of the above mentioned issues . Maybe I should get wider bars too just to please all the All mountaineers around Tokai.Halleluja. Someone with sense.
GoLefty!! Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 He needs wider bars before that. Ergo / bike fits generally focus on stem length only. If you have a short bar it'll throw out a longer stem requirement, which is a huge no-no for MTB. where do you learn this BS?
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 where do you learn this BS?From ones I have witnessed. Unfortunately... A proper fit should take all items into consideration. Unfortunately that requires visiting someone who knows what they're doing.
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