Handlebar width

[si_c]

I just measured my MTB's straight bars. I always thought they were a bit wide ... 55 cms!

That's quite narrow, mine are 68cm, and I'm planning on swapping for some 72cm with a shorter stem, when I finish messing with the other bikes.

 

[ColinJ]

That's quite narrow, mine are 68cm, and I'm planning on swapping for some 72cm with a shorter stem, when I finish messing with the other bikes.

All the talk about how important bar width is on road bikes but somehow it doesn't apply to MTBs ...?

Ah, hang on - I found this video where the subject is discussed ...



My MTB is 15 years old and bars were generally not super-wide in those days. I am more interested in cross country and climbing rather than fast downhill MTB. I use a long stem, and the bars have zero rise. I always felt that my MTB bars were a bit wide and had been thinking of cutting them down by a couple of cms either side. I'll leave them alone! I certainly don't fancy even wider bars though.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Chris Hoy used bars as narrow as 28cm on the track, and apparently still rides 38cm on the road these days. Not sure what his shoulder width is, but it's probably wider than his bars. Let's hope he doesn't see this pic...

Like everything in life its just a guide point, I ride an unfashionable triple, but I have a greater range and better rear ratios than any 11sp double (25-110" if your interested, depending on setup ) but we all ride differently.