Handlebar width

[gazza81]

I just bought a pinnacle lithium 2 and went for my first ride on the weekend
I felt like the handlebars are very wide.

would it be more comfortable to get narrower bars or are wider bars generally more comfortable?

 

[MichaelW2]

The right size is most comfortable. You can cut wide bars down.
The right shape of bar is most comfortable. My preference is for some sweep and rise.

 

[ColinJ]

2 of the reviews on the Evans website agree with you about excessive bar width!

As MichaelW2 points out, you could cut them down. If you do that, I suggest only taking a 1 cm at a time off each end because you can't make them longer again if you cut too much off!

 

[Racing roadkill]

Wider bars suit some people, narrower bars suit others, sometimes flat bars are people’s choice, some like persuit bars, yet more people like bull horn bars, but people who like butterfly bars are just weirdos.

 

[MontyVeda]

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

*excluding ears

 

[KneesUp]

The right size is most comfortable. You can cut wide bars down.
The right shape of bar is most comfortable. My preference is for some sweep and rise.

Assuming they are straight!

 

[Threevok]

Without cutting the bars down, move your brakes, levers and grips inboard an inch at a time - and go for a ride.

If you find a position that suits, then that's how much you cut off

If the situation doesn't improve, then riser bars may be better for you

I can't do straight bars myself. I tend to use risers - although I have cut one pair of them down an inch too

 

[Illaveago]

The bars on my wife's bike are a right pain in my garage as they are extremely wide. One day I will get round to cutting them up !

I fet like a tall ship under full sail the last time I tried her bike out !

 

[gazza81]

Yeah they are straight bars which I like but they just felt really wide.
680mm on the website I'd like to bring them in to be a bit more shoulder width

I might try chopping a bit off each end, I saw the Boardman bikes are about 600 mm handlebars

 

[Threevok]

Don't chop till you try. You can't glue them back on

 

[gazza81]

Without cutting the bars down, move your brakes, levers and grips inboard an inch at a time - and go for a ride

Good idea!

 

[ColinJ]

Without cutting the bars down, move your brakes, levers and grips inboard an inch at a time - and go for a ride.

That's a very good idea, but moving the grips will only be possible if they don't have ends on. I've had both types - grips with built-in ends and others with no ends, requiring separate plugs for the ends of the bars.

 

[Threevok]

That's a very good idea, but moving the grips will only be possible if they don't have ends on. I've had both types - grips with built-in ends and others with no ends, requiring separate plugs for the ends of the bars.

To be honest, I looked at the bike on Evans and took a guess.

They look like lock on ones to be - they seem to have bar end plugs

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I've shortened the bars of my Pinnacle, I've used a plumber's pipe cutter after wrapping the bit to cut with plumber's tape, to avoid slippage.
Any LBS will cut them for you in seconds.
I cut them the same width as my other bikes, with a margin for error just in case.
A week later I cut the margin off too

 

[I like Skol]

Without cutting the bars down, move your brakes, levers and grips inboard an inch at a time - and go for a ride.

Similarly, if you want to lower your stem/bars and have spacers under the stem. Not everyone realises you can just move the spacers from below to above the stem in varying numbers until you find your ideal height and then cut the steerer tube only once you are sure.

Here is a new bike I have just built up for my son. Started off right at the top but he felt too upright so went straight down to this position with just a single spacer under the stem. I will leave it now until he gets a few rides in before cutting the steerer. Even then I will probably leave one or maybe two spacers above, just to allow for future movement or in case we ever fit a stem with a taller clamp.