Tech Tuesday: Handlebars - How Wide Affects Your Ride

May 17, 2011

by Richard Cunningham

The handlebar grips are two out of the five attachment points between your body and the bike - and arguably, the two most important ones. Spending some time to get your bars tuned to the perfect width can pay dividends in the handling department and may add some comfort to the ride as well... Everybody is slightly different, so it stands to reason that we all have an optimum measurement for the perfect handlebar. Experimenting with your handlebar's width can be expensive. You can't cut your handlebar longer, so we'll show you how to test various widths without cutting your existing bar until you are positive that you need to. Check out Pinkbike's Tech Tuesday handlebar video and get a grip on your handlebar width.

Special tools: (left to right) You'll need a good measuring tape; a hack saw with a fresh fine-tooth blade; a fine-tooth file or some sandpaper; and a Park Tool saw guide would be nice.

What you'll need:
• A small measuring tape.
• Hex keys and perhaps a set of Torx keys.
• A test handlebar that is wider (if you are planning to go that direction).
• Hack saw with 24 teeth per inch or less.
• A saw guide like Park tool makes would be handy.
• 120 grit sand paper or a fine half-round file to smooth cut edges.

Handlebar Tips:
• Make small changes and put in a few long sessions before you pass judgment on a new setup.
• Tune your bike to suit your riding style, not someone else's. If you accept set-up advice from a chimpanzee, then you better look like one.
• You may have to reset your lever angle and placement slightly if a change in handlebar width alters your position on the bike
• Ask around to see if a friend has a spare bar at a wider or narrower width he will loan you for a test period.

Wide Bars Vs Narrow Bars

Tech Tuesday Ep. #7

by bamedia

Views: 99,485 Faves: 157 Comments: 14

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Tech Tuesday Handlebars

Author Info:

Richard Cunningham

San Diego, CA, United States

Member since Mar 23, 2011

930 articles

Likes: A new trail, all things tech about two wheels, dogs, coffee and flying low.
Not: angry music and the word, "impossible"

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128 Comments

corcaighmtb (May 17, 2011 at 0:09)

Some very good advice here, i laugh every time i see kids riding with 780mm bars and they're arms are stretched out to the full! Wide bars are a good trend but you still gotta cater it to your needs and size.

goonrider (May 17, 2011 at 0:29)

ergonomics over trends!

3315

nouser (May 17, 2011 at 3:08)

i want mike back.......

kianesmaili FL (May 17, 2011 at 3:38)

im 15 and 5 5", i ride 800mm bars, i think i might change that now

russpaver (May 17, 2011 at 4:07)

im thinking my bars could be too narrow? what do you reckon?

www.pinkbike.com/photo/3095086

brodoyouevenbike (May 17, 2011 at 4:30)

My armspan is 195cm and height is 188cm, I'm using 680mm bars with a 60mm stem, it rides like shit, I'm probably switching to 745mm bars and should I go for a 40 or 50mm stem?

corcaighmtb (May 17, 2011 at 5:23)

go 750 with a 50mm stem, will change your bike ride completely

shijinkamisai (May 17, 2011 at 8:22)

im 6' 7" and run a 750mm with a 50mm stem and its almost perfect
i would like to try one of these 800mm just to see how it would feel

schulte1400 (May 17, 2011 at 8:37)

@russpaver, if that bars copper, it the most expensive bar i've ever seen!

hugslyh (May 17, 2011 at 10:30)

im 5 10"
and using 800mm
but i feel fine tbh should i change

freebord007 (May 17, 2011 at 12:19)

what about bar width for dirtjumping?

ButtonPusher (May 17, 2011 at 13:44)

(To the top comment) That's totally it..! If you want super wide bars, you'd better have super long arms. I got a set of Chromag OSX's for super cheap cuz a tall rider had cut them too short, but they're perfect for my short a$$ arms...

sean-dh (May 17, 2011 at 13:54)

dirt jumping ...720 ish would be pretty nice

pperini (May 17, 2011 at 15:38)

im 6 3 and ride (for DH) 790mm bar with 15mm rise (too low, need higher) and a 40mm stem..for Enduro/all mountain i ride 720mm bar with 25mm rise and a 50mm stem with 0 dregree sweep...very good for me

theriotact (May 17, 2011 at 22:49)

im 5'11-6ft tall, 780mm (30 in) feels perfect for me on downhill/trails, but since I also ride dirt jumps, it feels far too long. has anyone had any experience with any sort of handlebar extenders of some sort? i dont feel like switching out bars everytime I wanna go session some jumps or when I wanna go hit the trails.

dom69foco (May 18, 2011 at 4:12)

you could just try using shorter bars for the dh. i'm that height and mine are either 680 or 720, and it works great. i may try 750 though some day!

andyrrrrr (May 17, 2011 at 0:24)

"A fashion statement on a bike." Quote of the day.

nouser (May 17, 2011 at 0:22)

If you do want a saw guide: Park saw guide RRP 40 English pounds. Superstar one virtually the same for 15 quid superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=375

OliScale (May 17, 2011 at 2:17)

you dont really need one to be honest, once your grips are in the right place you can just use them to guide you where to cut

MattJ92 (May 17, 2011 at 4:21)

I really dont understand whats wrong with a pipe cutter ? No guides, no burrs, no files, no sandpaper, no mess and far less effort than using a hacksaw. A tool exists for the purpose yet everyone decides to do it in a gash way because parktool make a "saw guide" so it "must be a good idea". And before someone says its a waste buying one.. Steerer tubes, Seatposts, Its lovely to have those cut perfectly square and burr free as well as handlebars.

danny-oli (May 17, 2011 at 5:24)

ANGLE GRINDER!!!!

DARKSTAR63 (May 17, 2011 at 5:29)

A pipe cutter should not be used because it tends to flare the end of the bar or pipe where it was cut. This is especially true of aluminum because it is soft. It can be done with a pipe cutter I have done it many times, but you must be really carefull and work VERY slowly as to not distort the tube. The hacksaw and guide is the best method for a perfectly square and clean cut. Touch up with a file when done and you are set.

(you can make a square cut with no guide by using masking tape and a good eye- but I do recommend the guide)

JRoe (May 17, 2011 at 5:30)

yeh why not just a pipe cutter????? you can buy one from B&Q for like a £5'a'

PLC07 (May 17, 2011 at 6:11)

Or just wrap a layer of wide tape (masking/duct tape will do) around your bar. If you make sure both edges are overlapping perfectly you'll have a nice square cut. It's not as foolproof as a guide but it works and it costs nothing since everybody has duct tape anyway. Plumbers/welders mark their cuts like that when they don't have access to fancy stuff, so it's going to work for your handlebar.

Railgunner (May 17, 2011 at 10:40)

DARKSTAR63 knows what he's talking about. Pipe cutters have no place on mountain bike components, especially fork steerers!!

Guile-T (May 17, 2011 at 11:14)

Or just use a 'lock-on' off an old grip, much cheaper than a saw guide and does the same job!

HJ22MTB (May 17, 2011 at 11:18)

If you want a cheap saw guide.... use a pair of old lock-on collars. Then you can set it to the perfect point and if you use 2 on one side then you can set the width of the saw blade so your cut is straight.

MattJ92 (May 17, 2011 at 15:35)

DARKSTAR63 says hes used pipe cutters himself. Take it slow. Use a decent pipe cutter not some draper p.o.s. Dont wind it up too prematurely and your fine.

foghorn1 (May 17, 2011 at 19:46)

My ghetto quide.. two hose clamps spaced the width of the saw blade apart. Nice straight cut every time. Works on head tubes too. Pipe cutters work ok if you know how to remove the big burr with a file. Hacksaw is definitely better though.

DARKSTAR63 (May 18, 2011 at 5:32)

Thats the point I was making, that a hacksaw SHOULD be used and there is in fact no reason to use a pipe cutter. Its not faster, not by a long shot- because you have to work really slow, and then file when done just like when you use a saw. You can put a saw through a handlebar in about 30 seconds - it takes quite awhile longer using the pipe cutter. And even after being careful you still have a chance that you mushroomed the tip of the pipe. Not really a deal-breaker if you are cutting bars, but do that to a steerer tube and its a tedious job with the file to get your headset and spacers sliding on.

taletotell (Sep 27, 2011 at 9:05)

I kno this comment was made a long time ago, but I gotta say, the amount it flares yor bars is negligible. Your grips will fit just fine. The amount it flares your stearer is small and can be fixed with a file. In the end a pipe cutter is cleaner, safer and way cheaper. Hack saws are for rough stuff.

DARKSTAR63 (Sep 28, 2011 at 5:07)

I simply do not agree with you on steerers. It is not cleaner. It will mushroom the pipe a bit and it will need correcting with a file. There will be less filing involved with a hack saw cut. I would rather not argue, both ways will work as I stated.

taletotell (Sep 30, 2011 at 17:26)

I agree both ways work. I've tried them and anyone can make up their own mind about what they like.

manicmastiff (May 17, 2011 at 1:12)

A lot of good stuff being said there, I am only 5ft 6" but stocky and I went from a 690mm to a 710mm bar as my latest ride is slacker and I noticed that it is much easier to manage. I did try 740mm but that was way too much for me.

DrSanchez (May 17, 2011 at 8:09)

I've been saying for years that super wide bars was a fashion statement for many people and nothing more. Glad to see someone with RC's experience agree with that. If you don't need 31" bars on a moto, you certainly don't need them on a mtb unless you have freakishly long arms. Bars that are too wide especially in really tight turns makes you reach out very far to the outside, making control a little harder. It also puts your inside hand too close to your body. Not good. At my size, 29-29.5" is a good fit.

mozarle (May 17, 2011 at 12:26)

Agreed. I mean, take for instance: Raceface Atlas FR @ 78.5mm, Syncros FR31 @ 79mm, Reverse Triple X @ 82 mm. Who is going to use those bars, Hulk? Especially, when you performing a technical trail using such a wide bar you might having agility problems among the shrubberies and the trees.

PLC07 (May 17, 2011 at 17:04)

When you think about it, standard bars are like 690mm usually. The longest ones are about 785mm. That means a 95mm difference so 47,5mm on each side which is nothing super crazy. It does give better leverage but its less than 5cm. 47,5 on each side is about a 12% length increase. I could be wrong and I can't wait to try the one I bought but when you rationalize about it I don't think 12% will affect the ride that much overall, for both handling and clearance. And yeah, my older bar was bent anyway, so in the worst case, even if I cut it back to standard size, it's was still worth it.

nzstormer (May 17, 2011 at 22:41)

mozarle, I got the 785 atlas because I like the way the bar looked. I planned to cut them down, but after a few rides I grew to love the width, especially in tight trees. I know it sounds strange, but because it sets up so that I am riding in a better position, I am more in control of the bike - this means in the tight stuff, if I hit a root or a rock (which there usually is in the tight stuff) I can hold my line better instead of my bars wanting to twist.
Totally agree that it is not for everyone, and far too many people use them who shouldn't, but if you're 6ft plus - they are worth a try.
btw, I don't think I have heard shrubberies used in a sentence outside of Monthy Python for quite some time - love it!

mozarle (May 17, 2011 at 23:42)

So as not to be misunderstood, i am not against wide bars because i really believe that they provide way better control than the regular ones on the trails. But extra wide (between 78.5mm - 82mm) it may provide extra problems, apart marketing hype, yet judging by your comments (PLC07, nzstormer) and your experience i might be wrong, it depends on the trail of course.
I am 1.90cm (6.3) and i have tried a 700mm bar that fits me just fine, but it is me.
@nzstromer apart my riding skills i am also trying to enrich my English!...

drollmtber (Feb 13, 2014 at 13:11)

Very tiny people would use those bars actually. At 78 mm wide, I'd expect the rider to be about 7" tall. My bars are 780 mm and I'm 70" tall.

goonrider (May 17, 2011 at 0:20)

sunline v1 at stock of 745mm work perfectly for me

duncanp (May 17, 2011 at 0:23)

and a 760 seems to work for world cup "giants" like minaar, peaty, riffle etc

mbjz (May 17, 2011 at 0:27)

actually riffle is running 810mm on his boobar(the 780mm model with extensions) but peaty is a big dude and he is trying wider bars this year at 760 mm wide.

WAKIdesigns (May 17, 2011 at 0:40)

You cannot compare PROs like Riffle or Peaty to any regular Joe, even intermediate Joe. They are strong as hell and they ride way faster than a regular bloke on national competitions - what works for them might never work for us. I run 750 on my AM bike, it's super stabil and inspires confidence, works great on uphills too, but for cornering sake I think of cutting down to 720.

melonhead1145 (May 17, 2011 at 1:38)

i used to run Sunline V-Ones in 711mm width, but about a year ago i changed to Raceface Atlas FRs at 785mm width, and the change was phenominal, i could ride so much faster on the trails while still feeling in control, althought it did take a while to get used to where the ends of the bars were, but that didnt take too long. I dont think i could go much wider though, 785mm Feels perfect for me, and im not the tallest guy at 5'8", and i would definately reccomend getting wider bars, but in the end it is all down to personal preferance.

WAKIdesigns (May 17, 2011 at 4:11)

Not to go to deep into, preference is 99% of the issue, but it is also vital for your riding to check other setups if possible. The thing that it feels right doesn't always mean: it's good for you PERSONALLY (I don't mean look at others, it works for them). I was super happy with 750 bars, but I miss some "edge" in the corners, I can't dismount from burms as well as I did before on 685mm, I also can't push the bike down dynamicaly as well in flat corners. But well I'm not that fast on DH tracks

riggadon (May 17, 2011 at 8:56)

i have the same bars as goonrider, and i switched over from easton ea-50's. i lost the ability to do flat tables, but gained sooo much control (old bars were 670mm). i think theres always going to be a trade off, you just need to find the happy medium for your riding style

olstar (May 17, 2011 at 4:09)

** Tutorial Recommendation **
Another great tutorial. Would be great to see a tutorial on correct handle bar position - Specifically looking at the rotation / position of the bar before clamping it into the headset, and what that does for handling and rider comfort?? Especially if your running riser bars with up and back sweep...

iamamodel (May 17, 2011 at 4:30)

Just run them at the position where the grips are parallel to the ground. If you tilt them forwards and backwards so that they feel silly, and gradually move them to a position where they feel 'normal', you'll pretty much find they'll be 'flat'.

iamamodel (May 17, 2011 at 4:37)

If you rotate them towards you, you'll end up with extension (as opposed to flexion) of the wrist, which is a weak position for your wrist to be in and risks ligament damage on big hits.

You want the force of the bars to travel in a straight line from where your palms sit on the bars and into your forearms, without a kink in-between the two (i.e. a bent wrist).

iamamodel (May 17, 2011 at 4:45)

As I pointed out about the palms/wrist/forearms need to be in a straight line: when RC was making his arms go wider and narrower, that if you were above his head and looking downwards, you'd see that his arms form different angles at the bar. If you pick up a broom handle and hold it really wide, you'll see that you bend at the wrist, but there is no bend when you hold your hands at shoulder-width. The sweep of the bars allows your palm/wrist/forearm to remain in a straight line on a wide bar, where they are strongest under compression (a big hit). If you roll the bars forwards or backwards too much you can ruin that sweep.

Of course, the position of the wrist is dynamic while riding, but when you are in your natural position on the bike, that's where you want your wrist to be. When you float off a drop, you definitely don't want your wrist bent (even if your legs are taking all the weight).

PLC07 (May 17, 2011 at 4:44)

I understand the physics behind why "wider is better". I decided I'd get a wider one but I was quite confused at the shop as to "how wide is too wide" when picking up a new bar. So I decided I'd get a super wide one (got an RF atlas FR @785mm) and play with grip placements and see what floats my boats and cut it if the needs be. I was looking forward this video to possibly get guidelines or rules of thumb or whatever as to what width could work out the best for you. I was quite disappointed as I didn't learn anything and I don't know much either.

Oh and by the way, there's a thing called reach and it's different for everybody. You can be tall and have short arms and be short and have long arms so a 5'5 girl with long arms can have the same reach as a 5'10 guy with short arms so if someone at 6'4 says 785mm is perfect for him, it might not be perfect for the next 6'4 dude.

redridesrule (May 17, 2011 at 21:49)

your last paragraph is the exact reason he couldn't give advice on what would work best for you. He did give some goals that proper bar width will accomplish though; more weight over the front tire, a more aggressive "attack" stance, enough independent room for each arm to move comfortably without over extending your reach, a larger amount of leverage and control. so when you start fiddling with your grip placement, look for those qualities in your riding, and you've found the sweet spot! Just like you said, it is different for everybody!

dom69foco (May 18, 2011 at 4:17)

i thought armspan was the same as height? give or take a couple of centimetres
i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae190/agayles/leonardo-study-of-man.jpg

PLC07 (May 18, 2011 at 4:29)

Yeah, I see a lot of people judging according to their height but its all about a combo of arm length and shoulder width.

Someone said push up position is a good point to start at since it's the strongest position. It makes sense as it's indeed the strongest position to hold a bar in various angles (benchpress and all) and everyone has their own push up position depending on arms length and shoulder width. That's what I was looking for. I will start from that point and play around with grip placement and see how it goes.

PLC07 (May 18, 2011 at 4:59)

"thought armspan was the same as height? give or take a couple of centimetres"

I ain't a physiognomy expert so if anyone with more knowledge can help us out that would be nice. I know I have longer arms than people a few inches taller than me. Look at it this way; with the same arms length, the wider your chest is, the bigger your horizontal armspan will be. The taller you are, the higher your vertical reach will be. Prove me wrong but I don't think that people with wider chest automatically get shorter arms to even it out. Some people have short legs and a longer trunk or longer legs and a shorter trunk compared to other people their size. So people with with a larger than average chest and slightly longer arms will get a quite a few centimeters more compared to average people.

I'm also pretty sure boxers with the same height can have quite different reach.

PLC07 (May 18, 2011 at 5:47)

I was curious and made some research. Da vinci believed that nature created a universal set of proportions for the human body but it has eventually been debunked. Under the drawing you posted (Vitruvian Man), he listed proportions that he thought would always scale such as "the length of a man's foot is one-sixth of his height". I think that we all agree this is incorrect although shoe manufacturers probably wish he was right as it would make things much easier for everybody.

dom69foco (May 18, 2011 at 11:02)

yeah you're all right. come to think about it nothing really matters in bar choice apart from shoulder width. i don't think arms should make a difference. eg i'm 6 foot with slim shoulders and my 700mm bars feel good

PLC07 (May 18, 2011 at 17:43)

Yeah you're right dom69foco. Shoulder width is more relevant for bar width than anything else. Arms length come into play once you have the right bar size. Your elbows still need to stick out a bit though or you won't be into a proper power position. Assuming the rest of your body is properly positioned; if they stick out too much it means you're too tight on your bike and if they don't stick out that means your handlebars probably are too far away from you. Both situations have a big negative impact on your riding, At that point I guess you have to reconsider frame size and/or stem adjustments maybe?

iamamodel (May 18, 2011 at 20:29)

"thought armspan was the same as height? give or take a couple of centimetres"

Yeah, I heard that when i was a yong lad and throught the years have tested many people and it is mostly correct... but not for me or PLC07. When I was a teenager I thought I would end up 6' 1", because that was my armspan. I ended up 5' 9"ish, which is a few inches short, but good for rock climbing like PLC07.

swearmouth (May 17, 2011 at 0:26)

I'm 6'3, and as such my 780 mm atlases make sense for me. This simply affirmed that. Very true though about the fashion statement of having bars that wide.

wesdadude (May 17, 2011 at 2:58)

I really felt the difference when I went wider. I've been riding a friends wider bars and shorter stem for a while now and it has felt so much better for control. I've just had an order put in for my own new set of bars and a new stem so these Tech Tuesdays really came in handy.

"What did we learn today?"
A lot!

Porter1 (May 17, 2011 at 7:57)

I'm six foot three and have a 780mm bar with a 10mm rise on a 35mm stem on a size 20" bike, feels great but i think i'll try it at 760/740mm by moving the grips just to see how that feels.

These new style vids are good, very informative.

galliwasp (May 17, 2011 at 16:55)

5' 8" + 30" wide bars = feels pretty good. It was amazing how different going from 28" to 30" felt. It threw my riding off, but by the end of the day, at Panorama, all fell into place. Speaking of fashion, the only reason I bought new bars in the first place was because they're green. Green is b!tchin'. I thought about cutting them, but I was urged to give the bar a try as is. I'm happy I didn't cut them. Definitely won't go wider, that's for sure.

dvollbach (May 17, 2011 at 17:41)

Good tips, width + stem length point makes a lot of sense for bike fit purposes. Makes me think of back in the day when you'd see 120mm stems and 600mm bars. Less leverage, but similar riding position to say a 50mm stem x 800mm bar setup. I roll 100mm stem x 630mm bars on my XC bike and love that (wouldn't take it up a lift though).

tuskaloosa (Mar 30, 2012 at 1:48)

I've just put a set of Nukeproof's 780mm warheads with a 40mm stem last night on the HT. I took it for a quick spin and at first it felt downright weird (I'm 6'5") as I moved from a 680/110mm set up. But I tried manualing and some figure of eights and it responded rather nicely. Will hit the trails on Sunday and give it a full test.

drollmtber (Feb 13, 2014 at 13:22)

Just to clear things up a bit, this whole bar thing has everything to do with torque and static equilibrium. The wider bars increase the effective lever arm, thus requiring less force input from the rider to counter the torque produced from things like wheel deflection off of rocks. Pushup position has nothing to do rotational kinematics.

src248 (May 17, 2011 at 0:16)

I've been looking at getting some wider bars, and this really helped! thanks!

JayTom20 (May 17, 2011 at 1:13)

lots of usefull info there

have been considering wider bars for a while and i will be looking into buying some in the very near future

iamamodel (May 17, 2011 at 2:11)

Lee McCormack, the author of Mastering Mountain Bike Skills and my favourite skills coach, recommends using your regular push-up width to figure out the width of your bars. It's not a bad starting point and makes sense - caters to your body's natural position of maximum strength.

PLC07 (May 17, 2011 at 17:10)

If this is indeed the optimal position, I'm 5'5 and my push up width is about 765mm wide. That would mean there is pretty much no such thing as "too wide" as I'm on the short side of the spectrum and some of those "wildly wide bars" out there would suit me nicely.

iamamodel (May 17, 2011 at 20:48)

Fair point. I was trying it out last night and my push-up width is narrower than my bars. I'm 5'9 running 745.

Maybe it should be 'push-up width plus 40mm'?

PLC07 (May 18, 2011 at 4:43)

Your push up stance could be too narrow? Like I said: I'm 5'5 and my push up width is about 765mm wide. My shoulders width and arms length slightly bigger than people my height (I used to rock climb a lot and you often compare reach with someone else to see if you could reach holds with their technique, that's why I know I got a longer reach than most people my size). So maybe 745 is perfect for you even if I'm shorter but wider bars suits me fine. The only way for you to find out is to try someone else's older bars that are wider than yours. They sell extenders too but I don't know how that works.

I place the inner side of my hands parallel with the outer edge of my shoulders. I work out a lot and it's pretty much my "power position" for benchpress too so Lee McCormack's rule of thumbs makes sense.

Google some dh pro names and check their stance, the inner side of their hands is about parallel with the outer side of their shoulders with elbows slightly sticking out of the handlebar width.

I think we nailed it down.

drollmtber (Feb 13, 2014 at 13:36)

You pushup people are crazy. Wider bars are all about less force input from the rider to maximize torque with minimal effort. More force is required to compensate for shorter bars, and that's just plain unstable.

PLC07 (Feb 15, 2014 at 8:19)

You're right but after a certain point you get the adverse effect. Do pull ups/push ups with a narrow stance and then widen it slowly. Too narrow requires more effort, then you'll hit the "slightly wider than shoulder width" sweet spot and then beyond that width the energy cost for each single repetition will increase as you widen your stance. There is such a thing as "too wide" and it will drain you out.

haljohnson (May 17, 2011 at 3:12)

wider bars have really helped me - gives me more balance on technical bits, helps open up my chest and breath more on the uphill, helps me get more aggressive on the downhill wrt control steering and stancewise getting over the bars. am clearing sh-t i used to have trouble on ever since the switch. am completely sold on this trend.

callumsmyth (May 17, 2011 at 11:11)

Wide bar's feel nice
Like ive got my atlas and im about 5.11ft and my arms are quiet short ( as im 14) but they feel nice on the bike and ever since ive went with wider bars -i aint goin back to short'er bars

davidmtbDH (May 17, 2011 at 14:22)

I'm 6 foot 2/3 with a 40mm stem and 785 bars, feels sweet to me!

My only point against wide bars is when riding through closely packed tree's it can get a little gnarly sometimes

RoverDover (May 17, 2011 at 14:46)

I am 6’2’’ and lanky, I run 800mm’s on my DH and 777mm’s on my AM. My GF is 5’3’’ and she runs 680s. I love wide bars but they are only useful if you have long enough arms and wide enough shoulders.

nikoniko (May 17, 2011 at 17:18)

Awesome story! Tech Tuesday is always a favorite for me! I have been wanting longer bars for a while now but feel so smooth on my 711mm its hard to dash the cash for a new set! RidEOn!

wreckitsteve (Feb 27, 2016 at 17:34)

I'm a 5'5" guy but I run 785 bars mostly and 800 mm bars sometimes.... tried to go narrower but I don't feel comfortable in narrower bars I felt too far from the steer and I felt my position is too far back.

kingpin2607 (May 17, 2011 at 0:21)

Really nice explanation Especially for Beginners. And I think for everyone else

MisterRogers (May 17, 2011 at 0:32)

Nice !! Richard Cunningham from MBA now on pinkbike !!

HenrikY (May 17, 2011 at 3:15)

And people thought I was crazy when I put wide flat trial handle bars on my downhill a few years ago, now every one runs it wide with low rise.

Railgunner (May 17, 2011 at 10:45)

Except Sam Hill go have a look, he's the man and now running higher rise, width chopped down a tad, I believe it's 750-ish which makes sense for the looks of his shoulder width and arm length.

way2fast4u (May 17, 2011 at 6:41)

My bars are 762mm and I they are to wide, but I am not sure what length to cut them down to.
I am about 160 cm tall. I was thinking about 720.

Anyone got any ideas?

yannickbisson (May 17, 2011 at 18:22)

Start with chopping 1/4 inch off each end no more, then try it out. Then each additional time you feel you need to cut, try moving your controls inboard the same 1/4 inch first to be sure. I'm 5'9 and run 720mm DH and 700mm trail.

SeanC1 (May 17, 2011 at 20:14)

hate to say it, but I miss the other dude that hosted Tech Tuesdays. He was funnier.

codename47 (May 19, 2011 at 23:47)

Is it necessary manufacturers to redesign bikes for shorter reach, because now I see how people riding with wide bars their frames become somehow longer?

awais (May 17, 2011 at 0:10)

thats really intresting! very well done

OllyJ (May 17, 2011 at 3:19)

Then again, you get retards who think they're shredding the gnar and are convinced they need wide bars because they're riding so hard, and they don't

dutchflick (May 17, 2011 at 3:34)

maybe...but then again: do they get a disadvantage from wider bars? Not really.

OllyJ (May 17, 2011 at 3:36)

cracked knuckles from smacking trees and a weaker position on the bike for holding jumps and drops, I've seen a few harsh tank slappers purely as the result of too wide bars!

unclemiha (May 17, 2011 at 7:11)

They never mention size of bike with the bar plays a small role too.And that goes more for people who are between sizes.

yannickbisson (May 17, 2011 at 18:23)

VERY true

riggadon (May 17, 2011 at 8:52)

great idea for a tech tuesday. this is so relevant today what with all the kids getting wider bars cause theyre all the rage

bikeaddict123 (May 17, 2011 at 14:08)

that was a great vid, really helpful cheers

Gubster16 (May 18, 2011 at 8:45)

I'm 6ft and ride with 777mm wide bars on a DH bike. Absolutely perfect feel. Used to ride with 700mm.

SkrauseDown (Sep 21, 2011 at 0:34)

I really do want to see someone with 860mm bars going through two tightly grow trees... Just for the laugh. ((:

d1rTjuMp3r123 (May 17, 2011 at 3:39)

i ride with renthal MX bars (and they are wide) on my ns suburban and it handles really well, its also easier to manual as there is more leverage to get the front end up. also cornering i find easier as i can get lower down to the ground. ive always preffered wide bars on bikes they are the way to go.

I-am-John (May 17, 2011 at 4:11)

its also easier to manual as there is more leverage to get the front end up /quote

lol, did you even watch the video? how do wide bars give you more leaverage for doing manuals?! surely they're harder because your weight is further over the front end, and you cant lean back as far as if you has shorter bars.

d1rTjuMp3r123 (May 18, 2011 at 0:50)

i find it easier with wide bars, rather than with short ones. and i find it easier to bring the bike up. i had bars off a gt chucker on there could'nt manual for shit, put the renthals on i can manual. and yes i did watch the video, the guy is extremely annoying.

bmxxican (May 17, 2011 at 4:49)

how to lower and rebuild your single crown fork would help me,and how to remove the stanchions

corcaighmtb (May 17, 2011 at 5:23)

go 750 with a 50mm stem, will change your bike ride completely

DownhillDustin (May 17, 2011 at 7:21)

we need a pike rebuild tech tuesday

november29 (May 17, 2011 at 7:53)

grammar - haVE better look like one

RichardCunningham (May 19, 2011 at 13:02)

Good catch dude.

antmav (May 17, 2011 at 8:53)

Ride what feels comfortable. Simple Yo.

y9pema (May 17, 2011 at 9:28)

wide bars save lives

shicksmack (May 17, 2011 at 17:25)

Thats why I run 32 inch wide Kore Torsion bars, you can can go faster over sketchier terrain without gettin' all twitchy!

bluezac17 (May 17, 2011 at 10:22)

ah, amen for the 31 atlas

and those are some sick brakes....

cazza-360 (May 18, 2011 at 3:26)

i hav 860mm faaaar to short...

tsimpson1993 (May 20, 2011 at 14:23)

6'1" and 680 rf diablous bars, can't complain.

Williss (Jan 13, 2012 at 15:40)

There should be a tech tuesday about high bars vs low bars!

Worm-Burner (May 17, 2011 at 0:56)

Love the hacksaw, hastily painted 'Park' blue!

humoroususername (May 17, 2011 at 1:03)

Haha, i see what you mean but i dont think it was painted. Blades for hacksaws come blue so its probably just worn the paint away.

brule (May 17, 2011 at 9:43)

YEp came blue and the paint wears as we use it.

citizenlee (May 17, 2011 at 2:59)

Dremel... nuff said

Stormus55 (May 17, 2011 at 3:01)

Ya don't wanna know how wide the bars I ride with are....Have to run wide ones for comfort and control..

djr8505 (May 17, 2011 at 10:15)

I was really hoping that there was going to be information based on biometrics to give a rough estimate of where to start in terms of width; not really where the trend is.
What I mean is given arm length or stem length what the average bar width is for optimum position over the frame.

Stormus55 (May 17, 2011 at 10:41)

I'm runnin a 80mm stem with Renthal MH 860mm wide bars atm, and that works fine for me atm though might go for a shorter stem to tighten the angle up a bit.

chrisrussell (May 17, 2011 at 13:03)

860mm wide? Do they even exist and if they do that is far far too wide

gbx (May 17, 2011 at 10:27)

I don't ever cut them, just put the grips in the desired position, the most comfortable for you and leave the rest outside, as a protection for your hands at side-crashes =P

PhoS FL (May 17, 2011 at 13:10)

And then you got impaled.

gbx (May 17, 2011 at 15:03)

no, just your mamma as she loves it.

orvorvorv (May 20, 2011 at 8:45)

if only i knew earlier..im 5'7 and have 800mm bars,,is it ok?

noeffectx (Aug 16, 2011 at 7:56)

that is too wide. I'm 5'6 I ride 750mm on DH and 725mm on AM/Trails.

hesher (Jul 16, 2014 at 21:26)

Meow