Handlebar Width

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11.4
Posts: 1095
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 4:33 am

by 11.4

Lightweenie wrote:There were some posts about a narrower or wider bar changing the reach. If you do the (basic geometry) calculations you'll see that the reach difference for a normally proportioned bike when making the bars 2cm wider or narrower is negligible. You can safely ignore this when deciding on the width of your bars, and keep your stem.


It isn't really about the simple geometry. When narrowing bars, one is also changing the concept of your positioning. Just like putting on aero bars moves you farther forward at the position where you grip your bars, so do narrower road bars. If you don't, you are bringing your elbows in closer to your chest and you actually risk impingement with your rib cage. Narrower bars can have an additional benefit when a bit more stem extension is involved, and one can also consider a slightly different saddle angle consistent with a different amount of hip rotation in that more extended position. It's not just basic geometry of the arms in isolation.

by Weenie


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Hexsense
Posts: 3254
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 12:41 am
Location: USA

by Hexsense

And some bar are just narrow on the hood while being wide in the drop
Examples are:
Enve SES Aero Road, size 40 has 35cm hood and 40cm drop
Ritchey EVOMAX 12 degree flare
Ritchey NEOMAX 12 degree flare
Ritchey VENTUREMAX 24degree flare

i don't know if it complicate things or make fitting simpler as it feel logical to have drop wider than hood position.

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byron505
Posts: 40
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Location: San Francisco
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by byron505

42 hands down.

You more than likely arch your shoulders down when you lean over on your bike causing your effective width to decrease.
Regardless, your shoulder width is still narrower than a 42 and the 44 will give you a 'cadillac' type of feel.



edit: hands down pun strong.
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3Pio
Posts: 1577
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:13 pm

by 3Pio

Hexsense wrote:And some bar are just narrow on the hood while being wide in the drop
Examples are:
Enve SES Aero Road, size 40 has 35cm hood and 40cm drop
Ritchey EVOMAX 12 degree flare
Ritchey NEOMAX 12 degree flare
Ritchey VENTUREMAX 24degree flare

i don't know if it complicate things or make fitting simpler as it feel logical to have drop wider than hood position.


So how u are supposed to adjust levers on flared handlebars? Should they follow the stem line and be straight? Or to follow Flare angle, and to be pointed inside?

DuncanS
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:42 pm

by DuncanS

Free choice. I have mine toed in, which I like as I can tuck elbows in to have my forearms run up the inside of the bars with my littler fingers on the hoods.

I initially set my wife's up the same way but she found it made the brake lever reach too long, so I put them back straight for her.

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Nelus
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 8:37 am
Location: Oost-Souburg, The Netherlands

by Nelus

http://inrng.com/2013/01/whats-new-with-rider-position/

Maybe this article can help? Or not. He has convinced Greipel :D.
There is also a link in it to a article of Gerard Vroomen on bar width.
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3Pio
Posts: 1577
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:13 pm

by 3Pio

Ok :) After i install the handle bar i rode 460 km, enough for some conclusion.

On my old handlebar, i was using 110 mm stem, and 12 mm spacers under the stem. Just to remind u, that handlebar have 5 mm longer reach compared to the new, and also 2 cm wider.

First longer ride with the new one, i was dissapointed. My climbing position was not so good, i needed more reach :(

At least downhill finally is fun, and have much better control compared to the old one.

So next ride i switched the stem from 110 to 120mm, same amount of spacers. Definetely overstreched.

And when i started to think that i missed with choosing narrower haldnebar with shorter reach, today i had another test ride of 105 km, with 1250 meters climb. But i returned to the 110 mm length, and lowered the handlebar for 5 mm (now i have 7 mm under the stem, probably i'll remove 2mm more)

Now finally good in hoods, good for climbing and could not believe it how better is downhill (better control, very planted to the ground, stiff front end). Also acceleration/sprinting much better :)

Must mention that much better on flats and wind (keeping much higher speed for long time).

So seem that i finally have what i was looking for :).

Thanks for ur help :)

sungjinmo
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 4:03 pm

by sungjinmo

If you like to climb a lot, wider handlebar will be more comfortable..

3Pio
Posts: 1577
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2016 7:13 pm

by 3Pio

sungjinmo wrote:If you like to climb a lot, wider handlebar will be more comfortable..


I just beat my personal record on climb long 16.2 km, average 5% (one part 16-18% ) and 773m gained, by 3 minutes from my last best time. Seem that i dont feel uncomfortable at all, except i probably need to rotate the bar a bit lower (very sligthly). Also since i lowered the handlebar for 7mm, im much better in sprinting (probably i'll go for 2 mm lower).

One other thing that suprised me (i said this but now i can definetly confirm), is that everywhere u can read how narrower handlebar compromise downhill handling. In my case totaly oposite :), im much faster on downhills, much better control and i must say that i start to enjoy going downhill for first time since i own this bike :). And going down with 60 km/h, on tight turns, i can enter the turn with total confidence, and oposite since i was having wider Zipp Service Course SL-80

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