thustlewhumber

Member since Jun 5, 2014
FL
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Tyler , Texas
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thustlewhumber jessie-mmorgan's article

Jul 9, 2026 at 13:09

23 hours

Opinion: Handlebar Width is the Most Overlooked Element of Mountain Bike Fit

The road biker bar width argument from 2007 rears its head again.... How about this - ignore shoulder width altogether, and go elbow width. Elbows up and out for mountain bike riding, then draw a straight line down from your elbow to the wrist where your hands contact the grips. Hands flared too far out? Narrower bars. Hands too far in? Wider bars. This reduces stress on your elbows, which is what you should be concerned with. Plus greater stability leaning into corners and hitting rough terrain. Of course, if you are a road rider, your elbows are locked to your shoulder width anyway... so the same still applies.