Sage advice required ref: bar width.

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diegogarcia
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:31 pm

by diegogarcia

Right all, silly old issue here, but I need some guidance and advice on a bar issue that has left me a little bit perplexed and actually, in pain which I am aiming to put right via a change in cock pit and a visit to the chiropractor next week. I feel like I have invoked the turtle issue on the bike with my neck sinking into my posture/shoulders.

I will start at the beginning. I used to work and represent Specialized in a bike shop here in the UK, but took a change of career. However, before the change, I used to ride and love S-Works Tarmac 56cm. At the behest of one of my colleagues, who was BG Fit trained, solid bike fitter and good egg, I moved to a 44cm bar which upon research was the old S-works bar now discontinued. I have concluded that the bars were 44cm centre to centre, thus likely 46cm edge to edge which is wide I suppose, but they worked. I could ride all day 6-7 hours with no back, neck or shoulder issues.

Now here is the rub. I changed bikes when I left the Big S as there are a lot of good bikes out there, but since then, and mainly due to my own abject stupidity, I find myself over fettling my cock pit and over the last year, inducing a neck pain and the centre of my neck near the bottom which I can only put down to bike fit, as off the bike I am fine and I do my usual ablutions with foam rollers, stretching and resistance bands to stay in shape on the bike now I am an old man aged 44. The paradox is I have bought and sold frames and bars and stems trying to find the answer, but today, I had a eureka moment where the penny dropped and I text my old work mate who confirmed I had indeed been riding 44cm bars, 46cm edge to edge.

So, this is where you come in. Is the answer to simple migrate back to the aforementioned 44cm which were 75mm reach and 125mm drop respectively and then see with some physio if the pain 'goes away'. Does anyone think or know if going narrower can indeed pinch or hinder a nerve around the spine as that is how it feels. I have tried 38 c-c through to 42 c-c in this quest but not 44cm. Gone from a 54cm evo to a 56cm evo, tried a Giant Defy in Med and M/L as well as loaning a Propel in Medium. I am just over 5'9 and better suited to a 56 over a 54cm despite fitting on paper I have the classic longer torso fit. Riding a 56 evo atm.

In turn, will a wider bar allow the back to open up and 'stretch' to its natural width on the bike. I am quite broad, rugby player shaped I suppose. I can put a good shift in on the bike, case in point 400 winter base miles in March with 16,000 feet of climbing as we head into spring.

The other question is bar width, can anyone recommend a bar akin to 44 c-c without braking the bank as this is a science experiment. I have looked at the Zipp SL-70 which meet my criteria and are the alleged bike fitters dream and slightly less reach.

The other bars like the Deda100rhm tick the boxes, and are akin to the spesh bars, but they would be bought 46cm edge to edge which in my head seems hugely wide, but that is what I was on, pain free, all be a different brand.

Any help appreciated. I cant see the wood for the trees and chiro comes first, but changes required. The stem length, steerer height remain the same.

Thanks in advance, :thumbup: If anything, I just want some input from like minded people as over thinking it I know, but like all cycling a huge part of my life and need the pain to go away.

AJS914
Posts: 5392
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

Maybe you changed the reach on the bars as well as the width? I can't imagine going a cm or two narrower on bars making a big difference. I personally notice reach differences much more.

I used to get some base of the neck pain and it went away after I set up my new bike with about 1.5cm less total reach (top tube + stem + bar reach). For me it wasn't about saddle to bar drop but how far forward I was extending my arms.

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diegogarcia
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:31 pm

by diegogarcia

AJS914 wrote:Maybe you changed the reach on the bars as well as the width? I can't imagine going a cm or two narrower on bars making a big difference. I personally notice reach differences much more.

I used to get some base of the neck pain and it went away after I set up my new bike with about 1.5cm less total reach (top tube + stem + bar reach). For me it wasn't about saddle to bar drop but how far forward I was extending my arms.


Yes, having look at my current set up I am now running 80mm reach so I think taking another look at Zipp Sl-70 here -

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/zipp-service-co ... handlebar/

But can anyone confirm, to get a bar akin to the S-works 44cm c-c I need 42, 44 or 46 Zipp as the data suggests they are c-c but have read conflicting evidence based on the age of the kit which has been around since 2014. Thanks.

diegogarcia
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:31 pm

by diegogarcia

OK so raised the stem by 10mm and ordered a pair of 70mm reach to replace the 80mm reach. Also, gone back to a wider bar, so thinking that 10mm up & 10mm back could help. Slightly negated by wider bar, but thats 2cm of up and back I think. Revised KOPS again and all good.

It is a start....

TheKaiser
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 3:29 pm

by TheKaiser

diegogarcia wrote:OK so raised the stem by 10mm and ordered a pair of 70mm reach to replace the 80mm reach. Also, gone back to a wider bar, so thinking that 10mm up & 10mm back could help. Slightly negated by wider bar, but thats 2cm of up and back I think. Revised KOPS again and all good.

It is a start....


If you do still need to do some experimentation, I'd suggest just buying cheap but decent handlebars (assuming the dimensions are what you are looking for), instead of using high end stuff to experiment. Zipp etc...are nice and all, but you could buy 4pr of different width/drop/reach bars for the same price. Assuming you have some mechanical experience from your shop days, that will provide you with a lot of options to play around with very inexpensively. For example, I just came across a closeout on Cannondale house brand bars with geo that I wanted to try out for super cheap. You can always sell the excess to a buddy later once you have settled on your favorite.

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