Bar width on a tourer.

[iLB]

Picked up a new drop bar touring bike last week (Jamis Aurora Elite) ... and it has come with monstrously wide bars compared to what I am used to on a road bike.

I'm yet to ride it fully laden so some advice from those more experience would be great, can I get away with fitting something a bit narrower or will I want/need the width once it has an extra 20kgs strapped on?

Cheers!

 

[ianrauk]

What width are the bars?

I have some spare if you want them. But will have to check what size they are. Think they may be 44's.

 

[iLB]

Outside to outside at the widest point is 47cm.

Will have to pop round so you can have a look at this beauty.

 

[ianrauk]

Please do... Saturday be good

 

[Vantage]

If I'm correct in guessing that your bike comes with STI levers, you'll be glad of the extra width if/when you fit a bar bag. I deliberately went from a 44 to a 46 for this reason.
You might find you have more control over rough roads/offroad excursions with a wider bar (more leverage and so on) but it's kinda like the saddle debate. What works for one person may not work for another.
Give it a try for a few weeks and see how you get on.

 

[andrew_s]

I don't reckon that switching to narrow bars will make much difference, once you are used to it after a couple of weeks.
My first tourer (Raleigh Randonneur, ca 1990) came with very narrow bars, 34 cm iirc, and I never had any problems with it.

I've now got one bike with 46 cm and one with 55 cm. The main difference I notice is how much more I catch a headwind with the wider bars (though that bike's a bit more upright too), and that the tops are wide enough to allow good control when using the crosstop levers.

 

[iLB]

Dropped from a 110 to a 100 mm stem for the ride home tonight, felt loads better.

 

[steveindenmark]

You need the width if you want to put a bar bag on.

 

[iLB]

The Ortlieb Ultimate 6 will comfortably fit between the current bars- hopefully my body just gets used to the position over the coming weeks...

I'm also looking for advice / something to buy in terms of camera and smart phone over here - https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/smart-phone-compact-camera-dslr-in-reasonable-nick.195770/ - if anyone has any suggestions.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Picked up a new drop bar touring bike last week (Jamis Aurora Elite) ... and it has come with monstrously wide bars compared to what I am used to on a road bike.

I'm yet to ride it fully laden so some advice from those more experience would be great, can I get away with fitting something a bit narrower or will I want/need the width once it has an extra 20kgs strapped on?

Cheers!

I salute your excellent taste in touring bikes. It so happens I have one of these gems.

The bar width is fine, the leverage comes in handy with front panniers, and having a bar bag is a boon.

Does the Aurora Elite still come with a whackjob Jamis stem or have they reverted to normal Aheadstem's now?

 

[snorri]

Comfort has nothing to do with it, the wider the better, we tourers have a lot to fix on 'bars nowadays, lights, bell, computer, sat nav, gps, bar bag, cam, map holder, ash tray and whatever the next gimmick will be.

 

[iLB]

I salute your excellent taste in touring bikes. It so happens I have one of these gem's.

The bar width is fine, the leverage comes in handy with front panniers, and having a bar bag is a boon.

Does the Aurora Elite still come with a whackjob Jamis stem or have they reverted to normal Aheadstem's now?

Yes indeed it comes with some sort of "ingeniously" designed stem, I rapidly removed it.

 

[iLB]

I salute your excellent taste in touring bikes. It so happens I have one of these gem's.

The bar width is fine, the leverage comes in handy with front panniers, and having a bar bag is a boon.

Does the Aurora Elite still come with a whackjob Jamis stem or have they reverted to normal Aheadstem's now?

Which year is your one from? Do you have pics of it out in the wild?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Which year is your one from? Do you have pics of it out in the wild?

2013/14 model that I bought from Evans in June 2014. More or less out of the box bar the saddle.

Then a while latter when dynohub front wheel went on

Not long after that picture life took a turn, plans changed, and it didn't get used for the solo tour I bought if for, but was used as a commuter until Winter 14/15. I then quit my UK job so didn't commute at all for months and from April 15 to date I've been commuting by Boeing.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Comfort has nothing to do with it, the wider the better, we tourers have a lot to fix on 'bars nowadays, lights, bell, computer, sat nav, gps, bar bag, cam, map holder, ash tray and whatever the next gimmick will be.

Coffee cup holder.