Bar width

[RustySpokes]

I switched from 42's to 38's a while ago. Felt a little different at 1st. now I'm used to them they are great.
got a great deal on ebay, all carbon. 168 grams.

[wheelsONfire]

This is pretty funny. First we have the winding long arguements regarding cranks lenght, now it's bar width. I guess the bike fitters really need to be skilled reading people if they're ever going to fit us to all new ideals.
I changed from 44 to 42 and i agree, it felt fine. I also changed cranks from 172.5 to 175 which is in direct contrast to given ideals.

[KWalker]

The problem is there are lots of schools of thought with appealing logic, but little validation. Plus, the body is a pretty damn smart machine that can adapt to minor and even major changes relatively quickly. In the MTB world handlebar widths have changed even more drastically back and forth over the years and people have managed to stay upright for the most part.

A 2.5mm change in crank length is so small that any fitter claiming it matters is lying to the client and themselves. That is a matter of perhaps a degree of hip closure at top dead center. Same with 1 size in bar width- its 10mm per side at most. A person would have to go down 2 sizes to see a big difference IMO.

[Grimpeur]

I switched from 42's to 38's a while ago. Felt a little different at 1st. now I'm used to them they are great.
got a great deal on ebay, all carbon. 168 grams.

Can you share which bar this is?

Other bar options in 38mm aluminium with traditional bend are welcome as well. Can only find the Zipp Course traditional..

[djm]

Now you mention the climbing, i can imagine narrow will feel odd at first.
But like anything guess will get used to it.

Talking about pro width. This shot look very narrow. Not sure how much that is perspective, but guessing these are 380.



Plus david millar looks cool on a bike!

Is that saddle a re-covered Selle Italia SLR? Might look like it.

[raisinberry777]

Looks like a normal Fizik Antares to me.

[RustySpokes]

I switched from 42's to 38's a while ago. Felt a little different at 1st. now I'm used to them they are great.
got a great deal on ebay, all carbon. 168 grams.

Can you share which bar this is?

Other bar options in 38mm aluminium with traditional bend are welcome as well. Can only find the Zipp Course traditional..

ORBEA CARBON WING 380mm Road Bike Drop Handlebars 31.8mm Black 38cm Fiber NEW
I ride an Orbea so having Orbea bars works for me. These were brand new. I'm sure they were probably a take off. They were in perfect new condition. Only 42 bucks.

For that price I felt it was worth it to try them and see how they feel. I like them and will continue to use them

[KWalker]

Millar rode 36s C-C

[boots2000]

I say try things out and see what you like best vs. emulating the look of some pro.
I have been riding 40cm classic bend bars of late- built up a cx bike with 42cm compact bars- I swear I like the 42cm compact better.

[Grimpeur]

Tried out a pair of cheap Deda bars (RHM01) to try the narrow bar thing (went from 40c-c to 36c-c) and actually really like it so far. It may be placebo effect but it feels faster and equally comfortable, having fairly narrow shoulders.

However I don't really like the drop shape of the RHM01's, being a long time fan of the classic shallow shape. Anyone know of a brand that makes a 36 or 38c-c bar with classic bend? 3t's rotundo and Ritchey WCS classic don't seem to go lower than 40c-c.

[nathanong87]

Tried out a pair of cheap Deda bars (RHM01) to try the narrow bar thing (went from 40c-c to 36c-c) and actually really like it so far. It may be placebo effect but it feels faster and equally comfortable, having fairly narrow shoulders.

However I don't really like the drop shape of the RHM01's, being a long time fan of the classic shallow shape. Anyone know of a brand that makes a 36 or 38c-c bar with classic bend? 3t's rotundo and Ritchey WCS classic don't seem to go lower than 40c-c.

narrowest i've seen is easton TKO or equipe pro, as it measured 39 at hoods and 40 at the drops, C-C both. I have not seen any 38s in classic bend.... unless they are like old school non oversized stuff.

[Bridgeman]

I switched from 42 to 40 recently and for the most part, I really like the new fit. I'm more aero during very high pace and more comfortable shoulder to shoulder in large fast groups because of the perceived extra space between my bar and the ones next to me.

I did find that during very steep climbs I have a distinct feeling of less leverage and therefore more stress on my upper body when out of the saddle. I'm hoping I can adapt to this change.

[BeeSeeBee]

I went from a 42 to a 40 as well. I used to roll my arms inwards in the "sphinx" position (See here and here) but now just grip the hoods and keep my arms supported by the bars. I haven't noticed any other changes really.

[wojchiech]

don't mean to threadjack, but since this thread's content contains discussion of moving to narrower bars: Does any company make 38cm traditional bend drops? Most seem to offer 40cm (Ritchey Neoclassic, 3T Rotundo). Zipp seems to have the Sl and SLC2 in 38cm wide traditional bend, but those were all I could find, and from the looks of their geometry diagram, they look almost like more rounded ergo bend and not true traditional bend.

[russianbear]

Anyone know of a carbon classic bend bar, that's only 130mm deep?