bikingdad90
Guru
Yes and just buy a pack of multi size spacers and get a stem.
New Handle bars/And stem?
- Thread starter MonsterEnergy
- Start date
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Spiderweb
Not So Special One
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Cinelli wand are worth considering, these will fit your clamp, decent price too £34.99 delivered.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cinelli-wand-bars/rp-prod189719
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cinelli-wand-bars/rp-prod189719
D
Deleted member 23692
Guest
35mm refers to the stem length and 31.8mm is the diameter of the handlebar it'll fit. Be careful though as 35 mm is now a popular stem length and bar diameter, so it's easy to buy the wrong part. You won't need a 35mm dia bar unless you're doing serious downhill, enduro and or freeride.
I run a 760mm Nukeproof horizon bar on a 50mm DMR Defy stem and it felt perfectly OK for me on Alpine flow trails... but everyone is different
When changing to a wider bar width you may find that your brake and gear hoses/cables might end up too short to enable full right /left steering... especially so if you crash and the bars get wrenched further round than in normal riding.
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
Personally I'd stick with the current stem, as the only reason to change it would be you've been ham fisted and pulled the threads out removing/refitting the front plate, or you want change the reach ,or alter the steering characteristics, just get the wider bars and remember when you fit the new bars make sure you put the front plate on square with an even gap all round, put all four bolts in loosely and tighten up the bolts in an X pattern, i.e. top right a little, bottom left a little, top left a little, bottom right a little, keep going until the bolts are tight, make sure you keep the gap on all four sides even, don't tighten too far or you will strip the threads out of the stem as they are only aluminium and won't stand being torqued up too much.
OP
OP
MonsterEnergy
Well-Known Member
D
Deleted member 23692
Guest
Whilst this is sage advice for a good number of stems, many modern MTB stems are "zero gap" whereby one edge (usually the top) of the faceplate is first tightened so there is no gap between it and the stem. Then the other edge is tightened to the correct torque.
I'd wager the OP's stem is of the "equal gap" variety, but it always best to check
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
I feel sure I'd read previously that the OP has a Carrera, so I didn't think it would have a fancy stem on it, but I can't see any sense spending more dosh on something when there will be no discernable difference, the handle bars however should give an improvement in the control of the bike.Whilst this is sage advice for a good number of stems, many modern MTB stems are "zero gap" whereby one edge (usually the top) of the faceplate is first tightened so there is no gap between it and the stem. Then the other edge is tightened to the correct torque.
I'd wager the OP's stem is of the "equal gap" variety, but it always best to check
OP
OP
MonsterEnergy
Well-Known Member
MntnMan62
Über Member
- Location
- Northern NJ
If you are talking about mountain bike handlebars I swapped out my stock handlebars for a Titec handlebar that was wider. I liked the added stability the wider bar gave me. I also changed out the stem. I don't recall if it was because I wanted a different position for the bar or just wanted them to be the same brand. But they don't need to be the same brand. I have a Cannondale stem on my road bike while the handlebars are Motobecane.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
Is there any actual rationale behind this wider bars idea or is it just a question of following the latest fashion?
There are several reasons why fitting wider bars to a bike can actually be a bad idea. One is it makes getting bikes through anti-motorcycle barriers on paths more of a problem. You might end up having to keep picking the bike up and walking through pedestrian gates with it held above your head, which can be a pain. Another reason is wider bars make passing other riders coming the opposite way more awkward in tight spaces, and even when there's no-one to pass, wide bars get caught up more often in vegetation that may not ever be a problem with narrower bars. Another factor is fit & riding position. If you have your hand grips further apart, either the bars have to move closer to the rider, or the rider has to lean forward closer to the bars. Your arms aren't going to grow any longer so something else has to give instead.
I've actually cut down more than one set of flat bars shorter, to make the bike easier to get through tight overgrown places and improve rider comfort by narrowing the hand grip spacing.
There are several reasons why fitting wider bars to a bike can actually be a bad idea. One is it makes getting bikes through anti-motorcycle barriers on paths more of a problem. You might end up having to keep picking the bike up and walking through pedestrian gates with it held above your head, which can be a pain. Another reason is wider bars make passing other riders coming the opposite way more awkward in tight spaces, and even when there's no-one to pass, wide bars get caught up more often in vegetation that may not ever be a problem with narrower bars. Another factor is fit & riding position. If you have your hand grips further apart, either the bars have to move closer to the rider, or the rider has to lean forward closer to the bars. Your arms aren't going to grow any longer so something else has to give instead.
I've actually cut down more than one set of flat bars shorter, to make the bike easier to get through tight overgrown places and improve rider comfort by narrowing the hand grip spacing.
This 'advice' may not apply to MTB handlebars, but for drops, the advice has always been for them to be as wide as the riders shoulders, thus avoiding any narrowing of the chest cavity which may cause breathing problems. I've ridden 42cm. 'til recently, but have gone to 44cm. with out any issues.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
That makes sense if you're pushing it, although I have drops narrower than my shoulders (because the bikes came with them) and they haven't caused any problems. That said, I'm a pootler, so apart from the odd stiff gradient, I rarely ever make any lung-busting efforts.
I really don't get the fashion for wide MTB bars. You don't need them except on really extreme terrain, and the riders with their arms splayed out have the aerodynamics of a barn door. They remind me of the fashion back in the 70's for super wide cowhorn bars on tracker bikes. Ergonomically they were hopeless just like 30" wide flat MTB bars today are hopeless. Even narrow flat bars of around 23-24" wide are still significantly wider than the widest drops you will find at around 17".
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
The idea of wider bars on MTB’s is better control off road, keeping the chest cavity open for easier breathing, and better balance on the bike, what‘s suitable on a hybrid is irrelevant on an out and out off road machine, it’s definitely an improvement, not a fashion trend.
weareHKR
Senior Member
- Location
- North East Coast - UK
OP
OP
