Flat bars - how wide are yours

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Location
Midlands
Mine are 720mm from the outside of the bar ends - Im thinking about cutting a couple of inches off - simply because i think they are too wide - not because I can find a reason to do it - i did 4000km with them like that last year - didnt really work out if there was a downside
 

Hugh Manatee

Veteran
520mm and zero rise on mine.
 

Dirk

If 6 Was 9
Location
Watchet
I took 35mm off both ends of the flat bars on my hybrid.
It's much more comfortable now at 520mm. :okay:
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
620mm outside to outside of the bar ends. 590mm if you discount these. That's on a Surly Big Dummy AFTER cutting them down from 720mm. On long rides into a headwind, I often put my hands either side of the stem. Über aero.

720mm on my MTB. I dread to think of the wind resistance but I need the control over rocks and roots.

Nibble away at them till you feel good. Storage and aero efficiency will improve too as well as the tangible resistance filtering through annoying little gaps in traffic and on cycle path junctions.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
Mine are about 555mm.

I noticed I tended to ride with my hands jammed to the inside of the grips, and experimented with different positions before going into the bike shop and showing him where I wanted my hands to end up. I could possibly go narrower still.
 
Location
London
They do sound wide smiffy.

Most of my bikes are about 590 I think.

Recently bought a Ridgeback 26in wheeled expedition bike - 640.

They seemed ridiculously wide at first, and a few folk agreed.

I considered getting them cut by the bike shop I bought it from but decided to give them a try.

I'll stick with them - have grown to like them with the sort of bike it is.
 
OP
OP
psmiffy
Location
Midlands
My "about town" bike is 600mm bar end to bar end - after riding the 720mm bike they feel stupidly narrow - but I don't ride with front panniers on that bike - i know for a fact that other about town bikes i've had have been as narrow as 500mm and for about town i've been comfortable - as a counterpoint I did a 4000km tour last year on the 720mm wide bars (i was going to cut them down enroute if i got uncomfortable and it never happened :smile:) without being in discomfort
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
Flat bars - how wide are yours? Mine are 720mm from the outside of the bar ends - Im thinking about cutting a couple of inches off - simply because i think they are too wide - not because I can find a reason to do it - i did 4000km with them like that last year - didnt really work out if there was a downside
I have just measured all 6 MTBs in the family stable/garage and they are all 550mm plus or minus 20. I guess riders with really wide shoulders might be comfortable with them wider, and those like @Heltor Chasca wrangling an MTB round really rough stuff (although does someone of normal strength really need the additional leverage: the implication is that the control movements will be greater, impacting on reaction time (think car steering wheels)).
You are a legendary tourer. But I'm surprised you don't, at least sometimes, resent the additional air resistance implicit in wide bars.
 
OP
OP
psmiffy
Location
Midlands
and those like @Heltor Chasca wrangling an MTB round really rough stuff (although does someone of normal strength really need the additional leverage: the implication is that the control movements will be greater, impacting on reaction time

It does make a difference - wide bars - I often ride on some pretty rough stuff when im on tour - up to low - medium grade VTT - just makes it all easier
 

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
It does make a difference - wide bars - I often ride on some pretty rough stuff when im on tour - up to low - medium grade VTT - just makes it all easier

I have thought about this. Promise. My upper body strength is very much more than above average. The speed you are hitting rocks and roots doesn't give YOU time to adjust the steering. It happens without you knowing. Watch some GoPro stuff on YouTube to see what I mean. The terrain is just forcing the front wheel to go along the path of least resistance. The 720mm handlebars just ensure they don't get ripped out of your hands. It's a balance between holding on tight enough but not so tight you'll tire out your forearms and loose enough to let the front of the bike to do its own thing. That's where the control comes in. A process involving us humans trying to defeat Mother Nature. Again. And then going UP a rocky/roots/craggy/peaty climb involves riding with your eyes first. Arms and legs come later.

My Audax and tourer have 400mm bars. I'll be changing my tourer's bars over to flared drops for exactly the reason psmiffy mentions above. I want to extend to topographical options where my Disc Trucker will take me.
 
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Con

Über Member
680mm on my mountain bike and that suits me fine. When I get on the wife's bike with 600mm bars they feel all wrong and twitchy.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
57cm on the Pinnacle, plus bar ends
55 on the Genesis, plus bar ends
The Pinnacle came with another 6cm of bar that I cut off, while the Genesis had the original length.
I prefer the Pinnacle's width because it accommodates bell, Garmin and light without conflict.
May I take the occasion to say that this British habit of measuring stuff in mm when the continent uses cm is wrong: mm is only for the really wee stuff :tongue:
 
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