Find us on Facebook Follow FatsInTheCats on Twitter Follow our RSS News Feed
Home Membership Calendar Trail Building Forums Trails & Bike Shops Photos Links Contact
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups     CalendarCalendar  RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 
Handle bars - how wide is too wide?

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Fats in the Cats Bicycle Club Forum Index -> Repair & Maintenance
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
mikemarzano



Joined: 18 Nov 2009
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 6:33 pm    Post subject: Handle bars - how wide is too wide? Reply with quote

So i am building a sweet new bike and upgrading my cockpit with a new stem and bar. What i am wondering is how wide should i go with the bars. TI am currently running a sette xlr lowrise bar and they never felt wide enough me. I have looked at down hill bars and xc bars and compared the differences and even rode a buddies cdale and forund his bars are alot wider.

What should i do?

--------------------------------
"Happy trails and happy squirrels"
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Kevin



Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 1414
Location: Kingston

PostPosted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ride what's comfortable for you...there is no rule that says your bars need to be XX inches to ride XC. You can always start wider and cut them down. Ask your buddy what length his bars are, and compare to your length.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Tim845



Joined: 02 Sep 2006
Posts: 3684
Location: Poughkeepsie

PostPosted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 11:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A common baseline is your shoulders width.

Lots of bars are standardish 25".

The leverage of a wider bar can be a compromise in tight woods trails --why I like 22".
_________________
Pedal, b*tches!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
tom church



Joined: 20 Sep 2006
Posts: 533
Location: Beacon

PostPosted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

But you also loose control on steeper rocky trails and at high speed with thinner bars.

I run Titec El Norte bars in a 690 mm width (27.2"). A lot of the guys at my shop run the Truvativ BooBars For racing which are 780 mm (30.7") or the Truvativ Holzfeller which are 700 mm (27.6").

The more high speed tech stuff you ride the wider the bar you want. The more tight twisty low speed stuff the thinner the bar.

I personally like something in the 660mm (26") to 700mm (27.6") range. I ride a bit of everything but really like to move when going downhill and through the rough stuff.

Tom
_________________
Tom Church
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Forest_biker



Joined: 16 Sep 2006
Posts: 859

PostPosted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pedaler845 wrote:
A common baseline is your shoulders width.

Lots of bars are standardish 25".

The leverage of a wider bar can be a compromise in tight woods trails --why I like 22".


I'm running 24" bars and still scrape the bark (lightly) on few trees at the 909. Shocked

I used to run wider bars 26" but felt like they didn't work as well for the areas I'm riding.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
SloJoe



Joined: 02 Dec 2009
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shrek stick to a shoulder width bar. I'm pretty sure mine is 26 but its comfortable for me. But I'd start wider if I were you. Like the others said you can trim. And you know the advantages of trimming.
_________________
Tree's don't move
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Fats in the Cats Bicycle Club Forum Index -> Repair & Maintenance All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
© 2016 Fats in the Cats