How wide is too wide?

[cliff_ross]

When it comes to handle bar widths,

How wide is to wide?

What the ideal with?

 

Obviously everyone is different and has their own preference but this there an ideal handle bar with?

When I started mountain biking 10 years ago my bar width was 630mm and currently it is 720mm ( not on the same bike though )

 

I think that wider is better to a point but where is that sweet spot? Some trails do not allow for super wide bars but too narrow I think you loose out on the ideal handling in technical trails.

 

What is your ideal width and what are your thoughts on this issue?

 

Looking forward to the response.

[Meezo]

well don't think there is an answer.

 

i started off on 600mm, 26er days, carried them over onto my 29er.

then moved to 680mm, they felt really wide, rapide brought out 720mm for really tjiep, and i jumped on them, thought wow what a difference.

 

got into apparently what is called "gravity" riding, still much a xc nwoob, got myself some 760mm, and i just couldn't get used to them, the more i tried the more i hated them, swopped them out for 740mm and they're feel dead on perfect for me.

 

ps. I'm about 169cm tall, with average shoulder width, i believe this needs to be taken into consideration.

[Cruz Addict]

i stand at 6ft 1 and have long arms, i have been running 800mm flat bars with a 40mm stem for almost 2 years and i cant remember when if ever i have had a problem with them being too wide for a trail.

that said its on a SC nomad so its definitely gravity orientated!!

[Traveler]

When looking at wider bars you need to balance that with a shorter stem.

 

I've had success with 800mm and 35mm stems, but did start to feel fatigue in my shoulders on really long rides. Found 50mm stem with 760mm to be a sweet spot personally.

[Patchelicious]

When looking at wider bars you need to balance that with a shorter stem.

 

I've had success with 800mm and 35mm stems, but did start to feel fatigue in my shoulders on really long rides. Found 50mm stem with 760mm to be a sweet spot personally.

For what kind of riding?

[Grease_Monkey]

There really isn't one sweet spot width - it really comes down to the bike, the position you want to ride in, and the type of riding you are doing. I have found the following works for me:

 

- XC Bike: Dual Sus 29er, med frame, 70mm negative rise stem, 720mm flat carbon bars. Use the bike for 80km plus ride, don't care how it handles, just for distance.

- Enduro Bike: Dual sus 29er, large frame, 50mm stem with 0 rise, 785mm Carbon Bar with 20mm rise. Use the bike for all day fun rides, my go to bike, needs to be able to climb, but descending is first priority.

- Fun Bike: Steel Hardtail 27.5+ wheels, med frame, 35mm stem with 0 rise, 810mm Alu bar with 30mm rise. Bike is used mainly for descending, jumping, handling first priority, climbs like crap.

 

I am 1.78m tall.

 

So basically, the further I need to go and more climbing I need to do, the narrower my bar gets and the longer my stem gets. The more I need to descend the wider the bars gets with more rise, and the shorter the stem gets.

 

Obviously start nice and wide, and cut of 5-10mm at a time to get to the sweet spot for you. But mainly consider the type of riding you do and where on the bike you want your weight.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Grease_Monkey

[Jewbacca]

If it feels too wide, it's too wide.

 

If it feels too narrow, it's too narrow.

 

Narrow bars may make you lose out on ideal handling, but I find it better to get loose with wider bars.

 

I ride 780 bars on everything. It's my happy place. 

[Ysterperd]

Personal choice and comfort is my answer. That being said started off years ago on 640;

On converting to 29er switched to 700; then 720.

 

Got a 760 and that was to wide for me and i had it cut to 720 - my happy medium

[T-Bob]

I was running what ever Kiwi shipped his riser bars at and then I was running whatever On-Ones El Guapo bars came at and now I'm running whatever Renthal Bars are shipped at (800 I think)... and they work. I've got a lot of things I need to work on before 10mm at each end makes that much difference. All I know is that once I got wider bars it was great (and also great they were attached to a great bike!)

Edited January 8, 2018 by hellocolour

[Eddy Gordo]

Mine are std 787 wide deity bars. I would not cut them at all. On my other bike I have 760mm bars and they both feel great, but the 787 def feels more balanced for me.

[GrahamS2]

It really depends on the bike, your build, and the kind of riding you do. Also, where you ride.

780's made the Primer feel awkward for me. Trimmed them down to 760 and it's spot on now.

[Christie]

The places you ride is also a factor imo. If you ride tight singletrack in dense forest, an 800mm bar can be a disadvantage. I can think of Paul Cluver as an example. A buddy wiped out going through the doorway of an old building at Avianto. Rosemary Hill has a similar feature.

[Jewbacca]

The places you ride is also a factor imo. If you ride tight singletrack in dense forest, an 800mm bar can be a disadvantage. I can think of Paul Cluver as an example. A buddy wiped out going through the doorway of an old building at Avianto. Rosemary Hill has a similar feature.

But then you just lean the bike... 

[T-Bob]

Potentially... 

 

 

 

[Patchelicious]

Potentially... 

 

bars1.jpg

That is actual footage of Myles taking things too far.

[Letum911]

Like the others said, personal choice.

 

I ride a 750mm bar and a 60mm stem on my MTB. Bought Rapide at the standard width, I think they are 760mm, and that did the trick as well. My current bars came as a 750mm and I just stuck with it.

 

Some time ago I had a BooBar, which I believe was 800mm to start off with. I bought lock on grips and positioned them on the outside. Over a period of a few rides I moved them in and out until I found the sweetspot and cut off the excess of the bar.