How to tell if my handlebars are too wide?

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How to tell if my handlebars are too wide?
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flag BarneyStinson
Posted: Apr 18, 2023 at 12:01 Quote
What are the signs and symptoms of having my handlebars too wide please?
flag barp
Posted: Apr 18, 2023 at 12:04 Quote
One easy guideline is to have your grips at the same distance as you normally put your hands for push-ups. But some like to go wider and some like to go narrower.

Another thing to think about is if you're clipping your bars on trees. That could be poor technique, but it could also be too wide of a bar.
flag BarneyStinson
Posted: Apr 18, 2023 at 12:22 Quote
barp wrote:
One easy guideline is to have your grips at the same distance as you normally put your hands for push-ups. But some like to go wider and some like to go narrower.

Another thing to think about is if you're clipping your bars on trees. That could be poor technique, but it could also be too wide of a bar.

Thanks. I was wondering if having my bars too wide might cause any sensations.
flag avengepeach
Posted: Apr 18, 2023 at 15:37 Quote
Wrist, trap, and shoulder pain. Specifically thumb area fatigue.
flag joelsman
Posted: Apr 18, 2023 at 19:59 Quote
When my bars feel too wide I am thinking about them the whole ride, wishing the bars were narrower. When they arent too wide I don't think about them. Cut them a little bit at a time.
flag BarneyStinson
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 0:15 Quote
avengepeach wrote:
Wrist, trap, and shoulder pain. Specifically thumb area fatigue.

Thanks. I’m actually getting some pain in the lateral aspects of my wrists.
flag BarneyStinson
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 0:16 Quote
joelsman wrote:
When my bars feel too wide I am thinking about them the whole ride, wishing the bars were narrower. When they arent too wide I don't think about them. Cut them a little bit at a time.

Not quite the whole ride, but after an hour or two for definite.
flag Gravelben
O+
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 0:30 Quote
How they feel to you is the key thing, but if you tell us your height and the current width of the bars you can see how it compares to others.
flag BarneyStinson
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 1:16 Quote
Gravelben wrote:
How they feel to you is the key thing, but if you tell us your height and the current width of the bars you can see how it compares to others.

I’m 5’11” and broad shouldered. My current bar width is 800mm which feels a bit too wide I think.

My old bike has currently got a set of 810mm bars on, which I’ve only ridden once for comparison, and they feel a little worse, I think.

It’s not night and day for me that they’re too wide, it’s just that they get a bit uncomfortable on longer (2 hour plus) rides.

Previously I’d chopped some bars down to 760mm, and although they felt ok, when I looked at my position on video, they were too narrow for me and putting me in a T-Rex position on the bike. Hence I’m being cautious about chopping down my current bars (especially the expensive carbon ones).
flag TibZ
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 3:06 Quote
Based on the info you provided, the sweet spot for you could be anywhere between 770 and 790 mm.
Cut down to 790 first, ride several times, decide if you shorten it a bit more, repeat.
flag Gravelben
O+
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 3:56 Quote
BarneyStinson wrote:
Gravelben wrote:
How they feel to you is the key thing, but if you tell us your height and the current width of the bars you can see how it compares to others.

I’m 5’11” and broad shouldered. My current bar width is 800mm which feels a bit too wide I think.

My old bike has currently got a set of 810mm bars on, which I’ve only ridden once for comparison, and they feel a little worse, I think.
...

Yes, that does sound a little on the wide side.

I'm slightly shorter than you at 5'10" but also broad shouldered, I've tried from 760 to 800mm and settled on around 780mm being the best fit for me.
flag BarneyStinson
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 6:33 Quote
Thanks for the input guys.
flag 16rally
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 7:10 Quote
Don't rush into cutting your handlebar yet.
1st move all your controls inward by 10mm on both sides, and then simply grab the grips to put your hands at the appropriate position with respect to your controls.
This will simulate trimming your handlebar but leave you with the option to reverse.
Ride this way for several long days and see if your discomfort starts to subside.
flag joelsman
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 7:23 Quote
6ft and 770-780mm is my favorite.
flag BarneyStinson
Posted: Apr 19, 2023 at 7:32 Quote
16rally wrote:
Don't rush into cutting your handlebar yet.
1st move all your controls inward by 10mm on both sides, and then simply grab the grips to put your hands at the appropriate position with respect to your controls.
This will simulate trimming your handlebar but leave you with the option to reverse.
Ride this way for several long days and see if your discomfort starts to subside.

Thanks, I’ve got massive hands (XXL) so they already take up the width of my grips, and I have the controls inboard already.
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