Handlebar width

[raleighnut]

As others have said try for size first, you may find it useful to have a bit left over outside the grips for 'Bar ends' too.

 

[gazza81]

Yes ive been looking at bar ends too.

I would just use a hack saw to cut them down then file the ends

 

[12boy]

Pat 5mph is on the money in my opinion . When using a pipecutter on Al bars the cut is smooth and exactly the same distance from the end. A hacksaw can vary a little as you cut through, so the cut doesn't stay in the same plane. Sure, you can file or sand it but you may wind up with one side a bit longer than the other. I like to measure one side and use the cut off piece to mark the other. BTW, bear in mind that five things will shorten the distance from hand to shoulder for the same amount of leaning forward...stem length, handle bar height and width, as do sweep and rise. An inch or so won't change much but it can reduce the area on the bar you were planning to use for grips, brakes, bar ends, shifters and whatever else you would like to have close to hand. Moving things in incrementally before you cut is ver

 

[mjr]

the ideal width is three-point-three times the width of your skull*.

*excluding ears

Whoa! Your skull has ears!? Are you the next stage of evolution? Can we see x-rays of your head, please?

 

[gazza81]

Well, i chopped them down to 600 from 680.
Feels much more natural, might even go a little more but ill ride it for a couple weeks first i think.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Perfect width will be 620mm...

 

[ColinJ]

Well, i chopped them down to 600 from 680.
Feels much more natural, might even go a little more but ill ride it for a couple weeks first i think.

The original size does sound rather big to me. The drop bars on my road/CX bikes are only 420-440 mm wide . The bars on my MTB always seemed wide compared to them but even they are only 560 mm!

 

[MrBeanz]

I had 42's on a Trek and thought they were good. Then 44 on a Cannondale and thought they were wide. Then 46 on a Lemond and WOW! Really wide but once I got used to it, I love it and have a hard time with the 44's.

Give me the wide bars any day!

 

[Threevok]

Well, i chopped them down to 600 from 680.
Feels much more natural, might even go a little more but ill ride it for a couple weeks first i think.

You will find the handling will change, so watch those turns and corners

 

[Threevok]

The original size does sound rather big to me. The drop bars on my road/CX bikes are only 420-440 mm wide . The bars on my MTB always seemed wide compared to them but even they are only 560 mm!

That's not that wide
The bars I put on my Inbred - I cut down to 720mm and the ones on my Virtue are uncut at 725mm

 

[Globalti]

A 40mm reduction each side is only half a hand-width.

Must admit though that some modern mountain bikes do seem to have extremely wide bars. I remember riding my XC bike across a narrow bridge with handrails when most other people had to walk their bikes on their back wheels.

 

[johnblack]

A 40mm reduction each side is only half a hand-width.

Must admit though that some modern mountain bikes do seem to have extremely wide bars. I remember riding my XC bike across a narrow bridge with handrails when most other people had to walk their bikes on their back wheels.

The bars on my Trek Pro Caliber are 720, handles really well but I really have to watch narrow paths, gateways and woodland tracks.

 

[gazza81]

Id like to go narrower but the bars get fatter the further towards the middle you go so might look odd if i go to narrow with them bars

 

[Biff600]

A

Must admit though that some modern mountain bikes do seem to have extremely wide bars.

I agree, the bars on my Stumpjumper are 780mm, and going from that to my single speed where the bars are just 300mm it feels like I am riding with my hands on the stem !!

 

[Globalti]

Let's have a photo of the SS!