What is "normal" bar width?

[Milkfloat]

A large number of pro road cyclists use narrow bars too. Personally, I ride the bars that came on my bikes, on my self builds I use what I can find cheap that is roughly similar to the ones on my shop bought bike.

 

[smutchin]

Watching some cyclocross over the weekend I did notice that most riders had bars that looked wider than their shoulders.

Wider handlebars give more leverage so are useful when riding courses with lots of tight bends.

 

[Crackle]

Wider handlebars give more leverage so are useful when riding courses with lots of tight bends.

As evidenced by the current trend in mtn bikes to have slacker head angles and wider bars.

 

[User169]

I've just bought wider bars, but only so I can fit an apidura bar bag more easily. Horses for courses.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

If that were true, you could grab your left handlebar grip with your right arm and vice versa and suffocate...

Nah, I'd be sure to fall off first.

 

[mjr]

You could always do like this young rider I saw today and not bother with handlebars at all:

(edited to replace with clearer image once I remembered how to advance the video one frame at a time...)

 

[MontyVeda]

It's only relevant if you are determined to perpetuate the mythology of shoulder width = bar width.

.
I'm not actually determined to perpetuate anything... i suggest you get over yourself.

A reply suggesting 'whichever you find most appropriate/comfortable' would work better.

...

The OP asked for widths... shoulders is decent enough place to start. We don't all ride track, nor do we all go mountain biking. What bar width would you recommend for the average utility cyclist such as myself? ...or the OP for that matter?

 

[S-Express]

What bar width would you recommend for the average utility cyclist such as myself? ...or the OP for that matter?

I'm obviously not making myself understood here - or it might just be you, I'm not sure

I would not be 'recommending' any particular width. I would urge the buyer/OP/whoever to select their own preference. Whatever width they are happy with is going to be the right one.

i suggest you get over yourself.

Again, it doesn't sound like I'm the one with the issue here.

 

[Mrs M]

Just ride what's comfy for you

 

[MontyVeda]

I'm obviously not making myself understood here - or it might just be you, I'm not sure

I would not be 'recommending' any particular width. I would urge the buyer/OP/whoever to select their own preference. Whatever width they are happy with is going to be the right one.
.

So in a nut shell... someone asks what width the average or normal handlebar is, and if someone gives anything resembling an answer the OP is looking for, you wade in and claim they're wrong? No one is claiming it the only answer or the definitive width... so why are you so keen to rubbish the suggestion? Is shoulder width so very wrong?

 

[S-Express]

This is becoming something of a crusade for you, isn't it. I simply said there is no correlation between shoulder width and bar width, when someone suggested there was.

It's fine to disagree, so there's no need to get upset. Choose any bar width you like, it's a free society.

 

[S-Express]

If you still feel that shoulder width is a valid factor when choosing bars, then please explain why.

If not, take the correction and move on

 

[Profpointy]

Christ, you really don't like being corrected, do you.

If you still feel that shoulder width is a valid factor when choosing bars, then please explain why.

If not, take the correction and move on

bigger rider = bigger bike. Apparentlu not then

 

[S-Express]

bigger rider = bigger bike. Apparentlu not then

No indeed, apparently not. You need to be clear on your definitions though.

 

[MontyVeda]

Christ, you really don't like being corrected, do you.

If you still feel that shoulder width is a valid factor when choosing bars, then please explain why.

If not, take the correction and move on

you didn't provide a correction though.

There's wide bars, there's narrow bars, and there's bars in between. The inbetweener bars are 'normal', which are in the region of shoulder width. We know that shoulders don't come in the same size, nor do handle bars. The widths of 'normal' bars vary by a few centimetres, as do shoulders.

All you're doing is trying disprove this fact by pointing out the existence of wide and narrow bars. If the OP asked for the ideal bar width for a track bike or an MTB, then you'd have a point... but he asked What is normal bar width? ...a decent rule of thumb for 'normal' is your shoulders... why are you so keen on arguing against this?