Cycling Secrets: Ideal Handlebar Width

[@jp2246]

Simple and to the point, wonder how many people are running wider than optimal bars because "wider is better"?

[@raheemgahelable]

Depends on how fit and strong you're , shoulder free injury or not, wider is definitely better

[@raheemgahelable]

800 for me without ever looking back, it's so stable and the leverage is amazing, and I lost the count of how many times wide bars saved me from washing out around corners in high speeds .

[@johnnydoe66]

My bike came with 760mm bars and a 60mm long stem, but with the plus size tires (2.8) it seem sluggish when negotiating technical singletrack. I ended up swapping to a set of 35mm clamp, 780mm wide bars and a shorter 40mm stem and it was a significant improvement. I took the time to even make sure that my reach/distance from the saddle to the grips wasn't dramatically altered. It increased slightly, but for the better.

[@sapinva]

If you need the extra leverage of wide bars, the problem is actually your weak arms. Maybe get a bike with power steering.