Handlebar Width

[Citius]

You'd think that TTers and track sprinters would need all the 'breathing' they could get. And yet they make do with narrow bars (trackies) or Tri-bar setups which bring their arms very close together - in other words, the complete opposite of 'opening up the chest' (whatever that means). That's the point I'm making - that the issue of 'better breathing' is a bit of a non-issue in reality.

 

[MrGrumpy]

You know i recall going into my LBS a few years back and was looking at buying a fixed gear bike in fact it was the Lemond Fillmore. It came with wide bars and the sales man said that they were designed like that as Greg Lemond liked to cycle with his chest puffed out . I didn`t buy it.......... Not that they sold dud bikes or that the service was bad, they did have a good rep but in the words of phrase from chewin the fat " I smell Sh...te "

 

[shouldbeinbed]

what might be too wide for your clubmate sounds right for you, if he thinks your bike should have narrower bars, let him buy it off you and he can put on what he wants.

My roadie started off on 42's, I've gone up to a 44 and that works for me.

 

[TheJDog]

I like to think I'm fairly broad in the shoulders (stop snickering) and 46 sounds very wide. They are usually measured centre to centre, so maybe yours are 44cm with a centimeter on either side. Which are quite normal sized for a large bike.

 

[Colnago Master]

You'd think that TTers and track sprinters would need all the 'breathing' they could get. And yet they make do with narrow bars (trackies) or Tri-bar setups which bring their arms very close together - in other words, the complete opposite of 'opening up the chest' (whatever that means). That's the point I'm making - that the issue of 'better breathing' is a bit of a non-issue in reality.

We all need all the aero help we can get, but we don't ride round with our noses on the handlebars. Cycling, including TTers find the best compromise. But you carry on arguing.

 

[Citius]

We all need all the aero help we can get, but we don't ride round with our noses on the handlebars. Cycling, including TTers find the best compromise. But you carry on arguing.

I'm not really arguing as such. You were the one that mentioned wider bars 'opening up the chest' as though that was a good thing - I just pointed out that there is no obvious benefit in doing that. Nothing to see here...

 

[Colnago Master]

For anyone considering new handlebars and want to know the pros and cons of a slight variation in width:

What width of handlebars is best for me?

If you’re a sportive or casual rider, and aerodynamics are lower on your list of priorities than behind ride feel and comfort, consider choosing a slightly wider set of handlebars. This will help with breathing and bike handling. If, however, you’re racing regularly, stick with bars that are the same width as your shoulders as this strikes a good balance between aerodynamic advantages and bike handling capabilities. If you’re really serious about speed, you could even consider going a little narrower, just make sure your bike position is well set up and you have a good riding style. This will help you become more aerodynamic, which will have huge benefits for solo breaks or long stints on the front of a peloton.

 

[heist]

Just measured again. Middle to middle on the drops is 42, 45/46 was on the tops edge to edge.