The Narrowest Bars In MTB? | Blake's Narrow Handlebar Challenge

Back in the early noughties, narrow handlebars were a big trend! 😎 But what were they like to ride with? Our favourite pros managed, but can Blake? How narrow can he go?!
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Leave us a comment below!

[@evolution0016]

So what we have learnt from this is Blake with 400mm handle bars and his brakes on backwards is still better than me.

[@m2ad18]

I was thinking exactly the same LMFAO...

[@Firedrake1313]

Oh hell yeah...this entire video is a testament to Blake's skills.. He's sooooo good at what he does he makes it all look easy and he always has fun doing it..:)

[@KandiKlover]

I like the 500 bars. They were cute. Like a commuter setup.

[@bananasstuff3344]

@@KandiKlover they look like my MTB setup oof

[@jayvine2787]

Me too ! I suck at techy mtb haha

[@jameshowe2074]

When Blake said “don’t try this at home I’m a trained idiot” 😂

[@stevaone]

That was the best line ever! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Firedrake1313]

I nearly sprayed my keyboard with soda at that one...:)

[@dumbr2098]

Utter BS! He's just an experienced idiot!

[@worbotmobile7928]

I thought he said indian

[@DeeJayEll]

I love Blake. He's like an excited Jack Russell that's just found his best squeaky ball.... all the time. 👍

[@thierrym6168]

D L Exactly what I think too. Exact words. He was awesome during this vid.

[@cup_and_cone]

That's an amazing analogy.

[@gabboaudo]

The brakes sound like an ambualnce approaching

[@myhobby1238]

That’s what mine sound like

[@zbk1948]

Because it’s wet sum breaks are better for wet conditions

[@core-i7413]

Sometimes my brakes sound like that, but that's when they're really muddy in the wet.

[@destinhook3826]

Mine sound like it because they’re semi-metallic

[@core-i7413]

@@destinhook3826 I think they have a problem and that's about it. Even if they were semi-metallic, they shouldn't sound like that.

[@shrooman768]

Do a "The Widest Bars" video.

[@ethanlovesbikes1952]

yes

[@harrisonclark3799]

its a lot easier to make small bars than wide bars

[@KandiKlover]

That would be awesome. I love ultra wide bars.

[@fintankane8204]

The shoulder poppers.

[@amdmg7]

@@harrisonclark3799 Grab a meter bar and try;)

[@r.a.sullivanojeda1721]

20:10 I'm loving the bagpipe music. Beautiful instrument.

[@Latchfpv]

Holy shit, the fact that you kept it together while going on the front wheel off that drop Blake. Mad respect. Trained idiot indeed, you rock!

[@T-Crack]

Gmbn, you need to make a Blake’s dictionary for the shop 😂🤘

[@PNutOutdoors]

Gents!!!!! This is the best video you have posted to date!!! Blake, you’re a genuine shredder and a great presenter for these types of videos. May I request shredding on bikes from 29”-16” in this format?!

[@ayu1978]

I’m a trained idiot 😂 More like a professional maniac. Kudos to you Blake for trying all these so we won’t have to. Seriously this video is amongst the more entertaining in the GMBN library.

[@adrenalinemadness3340]

ayu1978 absolutely haha, watching this at 3 am just hits different 😂😂

[@mallillinrjkaylec.6413]

19:26 HOW DID BLAKE SAVE THAT!? THAT WAS SKILLSSZZ

[@benndavlogger4559]

Yeah that was skills specially it was muddy and raining. Hahahaha Btw 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭

[@orion8829]

Remember he’s a trained idiot

[@chrzzzzz]

Trained by Spencer Foreman

[@mallillinrjkaylec.6413]

@@orion8829 "idiot" HAHA

[@allanbuchan6947]

Totally , I would've been buckerooed instantly .

[@broganedits376]

This really made me laugh! Especially when Blake almost went head first as he was pressing the front brake😂

[@grumpynerd]

Back in the pre suspension days, a little twitchy was a good thing because speeds were slower and lines were jaggier. Bars were in the 600mm range and head angles of 71 degrees or more.

[@nitbot]

"It's just stupid. It's not even ethnical"

[@KandiKlover]

Now make a bike with electronic steering servo in the head tube and just a joystick rising out of where the stem would be. No bars at all.

[@codyn9337]

18:04 sounds like a European siren haha

[@martindunajsky5136]

ha ha lol

[@after_midnight9592]

That would be the French

[@evo1007]

Blake, that was priceless "Im thinking why am I going over the bars!!!" Sooo funny man.

[@stephenpaulson8313]

Blake wins the Oscar for most dramatic acting 😂

[@paulleigh9833]

I've been riding with 690mm bars, the bike was an import from Australia where they are limited by law, apparently. As this was my first mtb I didn't have anything to compare them to and I thought they were OK. But just this week I went up to 780mm, I'm 6', and the difference is night and day, a much more stable and easy ride.

[@jasonhamlin8847]

8:38 - "Shiver me timbers". best vid yet! Blake needs a massive, massive salary increase.

[@shaunduke7064]

Love how the Bars got smaller and his voice gets higher😂😂😂 GMBN one of best channels on KZbin👍👍

[@matiakd]

Blake is the only reason I watch gmbn anymore

[@wakeawaken430]

He is the soul of gmbn

[@destinhook3826]

If Blake ever leaves, I wouldn’t watch them, he’s the backbone.

[@sandy_knight]

I remember when XC bikes came with 600mm flat bars, 660mm was considered wide! Back in the day (late 90s) I ran Azonic PDW riser bars (660mm) and a 'short' stem (80mm) on my 'XC' hardtail (there wasn't really a trail bike category at the time). It was considered radical at the time! I wouldn't fancy any shorter though!

[@ifacecheck]

Man, you guys have some really nice trails over in England. I'm so thankful for this channel as its impossible to ride here in the winter due to the ever changing conditions. Makes me feel like im out riding when I watch you guys.

[@Icantfindtheanykey]

wow. my heart skipped a beat when I saw you endo off that drop. great video Blake. you're the only reason why I still watch gmbn

[@dopzfn688]

That was me and my friend Jake that crashed into that tree, you almost hit 😂😂

[@RACCHIETTO]

Would have been nice to see you go back to the 760mm bars at the end, just to see how much more stable you would feel after the supernarrow bars

[@sergeykopylov652]

Click on the beginning of the show.

[@RACCHIETTO]

@@sergeykopylov652 It's not the same, once you get used to narrow bars, going back to wide bars gives you a much different feeling. I would have been curious to see him go back up slowly in sizes as well, to see if he felt comfortable with bars narrower than 760mm, but the video would have been 45 minutes long, i would have watched it though 😁

[@geemail369]

At least he could have held his original bars over the last one for comparison - that's just half as wide ... *insane!* 😅

[@jkrudolf15]

GMBN, can you add a real time heart rate monitor icon, in the lower right, so we can see Blake's Fun Factor?

[@johnbarron4843]

Jon and Kathy Rudolf Blake*

[@AntiDEDok]

Blake has crazy skills and sense of humor! Thank you for vids, gmbn!

[@boombastick7113]

Blake's got the best NON SWEARING vocabulary. Props bud

[@shilohevans9223]

07:55 It’s twitchy as heeeeeel 😂😂 He seriously does not care about what other people think about him

[@mjestment1]

After coming back to MTB riding after a serious neck injury with partial paralysis, I can tell you nothing improves your control and confidence more than wider bars with a shorter stem and a dropper post. Blake has illustrated this in a humorous and very skilful way. Well done Blake, some of the best entertainment I have had in a while!

[@mosiowaty1573]

19:26 - that's how I was riding when I went to UK and rented a bike! Take that, British guy!

[@ln663]

D*mn this episode! Funny as ****! Good job Blake. You nailed it mate.

[@Koval_71_chuk]

I’m in tears 🤣 What a great, mood uplifting video!!

[@Cchilders70]

Love watching Blake and his sound effects and constant commentary. lol.

[@tstodgell]

Back in the 90’s we rode narrow bars because the trees were closer together.

[@rosco0101]

I still ride some of the trails that I rode in the 90s and the trees are still very close together. I kinda feel bad for guys who try to ride narrow trails on wide bars.

[@bradkubota6968]

My trails have the same trees in places. Add 20 years of rings,.yikes! No way I am riding with over 700mm.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

The trees are further apart now because the blokes with wide bars kept running into them until they just snuffed it

[@jake_stewy]

9:50 my mom walked in and now I’m grounded

[@ChristianClarkArchery]

Ahahahahahah

[@mariolovenjak5696]

6:40 for me. Didnt get grounded tho.

[@pabloismybigdad2638]

Hahaha for real??

[@timobreumelhof88]

Lol

[@linusaranha6703]

There were 69 likes but i wanted to like so I'll just comment

[@woozertoo]

Slick Topeak product placement, lads.

[@iancameron415]

This video was hilarious. He had so much energy during this episode!

[@elijahschulz3749]

When going down a trial Noone: Blake: uuuuuhhhh, aaarrrgggggg,oooooohhh

[@vitalymakarov6405]

Couldn’t breathe I was laughing!!! 😂😂😂😂

[@the_Wingading]

This is the single most entertaining mountain bike video on KZbin... hands down. This guy is great!

[@toddjohnston5504]

Best GMBN I’ve seen yet! Well Done Blake!

[@Dewoy1]

"Uwww mud!" What a mad man. 😄👌

[@mancsblue]

Great video blake ,man I was dying laughing 🤣

[@k1ng617]

16:15 Blake's reaction = priceless!! This video was absolutely hilarious loved it!

[@SemiProphetic]

Hilarious. I remember around 1990 you could buy bars that were completely straight - no rise, no sweep, and no bulge in the middle, just an adapter for the stem diameter. I don't remember what they were called, but they came in a few different fluorescent colors, and they were popular. People were always experimenting with things back then, because the factory stuff was all crap and no one knew what worked yet. Guys would cut these bars down, I guess because its easier than making them longer. Since there was no bulge in the middle, the brakes and shifters could be mounted super close to the stem. Guys would have to offset the left and right brakes a bit so the cables could fit past each other. Throw a set of those on a bike with a 150mm stem, head angle in the 70's, a ridged fork, and some 1.9" tires, and things got really exciting.

[@jonlavigne3270]

20". You have to ride a 20" somewhere. Up to you whether it's a kid's mtb or a BMX bike.

[@johnny6969]

Sending that wooden drop where one of the lads had a nasty crash few weeks ago :D and Blake is dropping on a 500mm bars haha savage!

[@observingrogue7652]

This is the most hilarious educational bike video I've ever seen. Thank you. And you're right, I'm a courier, and I love filtering through traffic, and I want a full suspension bike for bad roads, shortcuts, and stairs. I have to decide what's the best narrow for me. This video was extremely helpful. Thank you.

[@arvismac]

Blake is always my fave content provider. As always nice take!

[@gammalight6908]

im crying watching these 😂

[@leattts6602]

"Remember the back brake, blake" thats a tongue twister right there haha

[@Metal_Baby]

This is by far my favorite video on KZbin 🤣 so informative and fun

[@hkho7280]

Blake just showed me that what matters most is your bike handling skills, not the latest tech/ bike or in this case, the width of the handlebar. Humbled and will keep reminding myself not to keep upgrading my bike, but upgrade my skills instead. Going to do a marathon of GMBN how to videos on the weekend!

[@bogdanbaubau]

Reminded me of the time I first rode moto style. The switch is scary.

[@KoenMiseur]

I ride 650mm bars, if I go wider there are alot of trails I can't even ride here in Belgium (to much trees to close together)! Also I don't get such wide bars, even at 650mm my wrists hurt after a couple of hours!

[@lismanrazvan5783]

I just love the laugh and all the work you put in the video. Amazing!

[@Burroughsbikebuilds]

Also, I love your energy dude. Every team needs a guy like you for morale.

[@eliantonietti7233]

inverted shifters, true innovation. gmbn is back baby starting 2020 with the sketchiest 300 ml bars

[@mrfrogg46able]

inverted brakes

[@andresacuna6419]

12:15 If you tune in loud enough you can hear Martyn is the distance "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKS AAAAND BODGES!"

[@stephenwillett9065]

Love your work, never know what to expect from Blake he is one skillful rider, personality plus

[@marysullivan1588]

Omg I knew he was going to mix his breaks up , good save !

[@thelapiz2984]

Meanwhile I'm actually on a 640mm ever since 😂😂

[@harryingd2674]

👍

[@torsteinstorkersen]

«It’s not ethnical!» 😂 loving the Blake!!

[@armatacalanca962]

It's not ethical to put Blake in danger with such a silly test... Or this 300 mm bar is out of this world, it belongs to a Liliputian ethnic group ? Go figure.

[@streetrider11]

Was looking for this comment 😂

[@b.r.3232]

That was hilarious, and nuts!! I love it!

[@billyyong4711]

This video making so much fun to watch, thanks!

[@pygmalion1963]

My bars are 580 great for getting through gates

[@steveco1800]

Yeah have them on my old 26er XC bike and 75mm stem. Handles well, doesn't seem too narrow compared to 720mm on my 29er.

[@meliss9536]

Great width for not hitting trees

[@dumbr2098]

So you'd prefer going through gates than riding well?

[@dumbr2098]

@@pygmalion1963 Yeah..? Is that your hobby? Riding through gates?

[@willyolio9590]

@@dumbr2098 what's your hobby? turning around at gates and going home instead of riding?

[@lukehill6395]

19:37 front wheel drift while doing an endo in the mud. That is possibly the sketchiest thing anyone has ever done and not crashed

[@TheTubaEmporer]

Hella entertaining, love ya Blake!

[@BlueComet]

Thank you Blake! 🤩 Can always count on you for some top quality entertainment! 🤣

[@adambcvg]

Normally you'd have a longer stem to make it less twitchy

[@Radke32]

Like during a "normal" skinny bar challenge?

[@wordreet]

Can't see how that would be a benefit. You'd be more upright, so less weight on the bars, therefore less front wheel grip. Hmm, admittedly that would mean less response from the steering. Hehe, well I'm not trying it, I have my bars quite high anyway as I have an old neck injury from decades ago. 😑

[@wordreet]

@Vincenzio VonHook Oh crap, yes, I was thinking about the steerer tube!

[@amberturner2821]

Think it depends on your natural reach as well. I swapped my longer stem, shorter bar set up for a wider bar, shorter stem and got way more stability.

[@petinka721]

I heard a GCN rider has a bar with bar ends that Blake can try next time :)) Maybe better Blake try the whole bike the GCN rider has. :))

[@stevaone]

Blake makes these videos so worth while, dudes a riot!!🤣😂

[@Gamebit450]

Blake is so damn fun to watch. I am sure he is why I keep coming back.

[@sarcasmisthelowest]

“Opps! Sorry about that Mercedes Benz. Forgot I had wide bars.” ... and I think I’ll be riding my old rat bike with the narrower bars to work for a while. Wide bars are crap in traffic.

[@secretdaisy6484]

I just got a new Canondale Scalpel & my bars are like driving a big 50s Chrysler. I can’t stand it. I think those 600s would be perfect for me. Thanks for the video! 👍☮️🌞🚲

[@ryanp3907]

Take some time to get used them before you cut them. I didn’t like wide bars at first but I could never go back now.

[@AmenXenon]

It’s always a blast watching Blake on a bike he’s a maniac 🔥😤

[@marekj.]

Such a funny guy, Thank God for people like him...

[@nathangaffran]

When we’ll we see the wide bar challenge with 1200mm

[@stocksyere]

Lol hells angels Rollin thru 😂

[@ericoschmitt]

“Lets not try it, lets do it” he learned that with Yoda

[@CsBencefy]

Thanks mate, had an amazing laugh!!! Well done!!

[@jameswilson2815]

That was hilarious! Especially when Blake goes " What the hell", when he sees each bar. Thanks

[@handlehandlehandlehandlehand]

What did you take those of a razor scooter

[@MasterChronometer]

Anything below 800 feels horrid to me. Really hard to find a reasonably priced bar at 800 unfortunately.

[@nationalkillah3169]

You might want to look to sites like aliexpress. I bought 820mm carbon bars for something like 30 bucks and have been riding them for at least a year now without any issues!

[@migueljohnson432]

This man is an artist on two wheels, Blake you made my day :-D

[@purplekillerpenguin]

Love these videos. Just messing around having fun on bikes

[@Gmh6477]

Not sure how I survived being a kid 😂 530mm bars with a girvin flexstem and cantilever brakes 😱

[@TenFalconsMusic]

You were probably stronger and more balanced when you were a kid.

[@Montblanc1986]

Nino runs 690mm bars. I've found going slightly narrower isnt too bad. Like everything else it's nice to dial it back some

[@lamefart]

Depends on stem length.

[@mikecalma7350]

Idk how but "inner ninja" bit got me 🤣

[@mellowfellow6816]

My bike came with 680mm bars. I've recently swapped them for 600 with a longer stem, which I'm enjoying but I'll probably settle on 640mm - all for XC fun Absolutely fun video to watch. Thank you

[@HUSHHUSH-]

Always amazes me how any bike with any setup and still flying and able to do it all 🤔😯

[@james-yi2xx]

just goes to show all the fancy parts aren't what makes u a good rider

[@HUSHHUSH-]

@@james-yi2xx spot on said mate

[@gabboaudo]

16:50 these aren't brakes, they are blakes

[@bungyjack]

Blake's squeaky endo made me proper lol 😁😁back is front dude ha ha

[@singlemaltbjjvideosandtuto4005]

OMG... Blake is too funny. But it was amazing to watch him ride with those short bars!

[@tarcobadge4744]

*2:28** - 700mm* *5:41** - 600mm* *11:39** - 500mm* *16:48** - 400mm* Your welcome

[@sebastianjost]

The last two are actually 500 and 400, not 400 and 300

[@tarcobadge4744]

@@sebastianjost thanks for pointing that out! Fixed it now👍

[@Tombrosapien]

*You’re

[@willshawyer7280]

Road bikers: *hold my tiny*

[@bananasstuff3344]

Tiny what?

[@paulpatterson1972]

This guy is crazy and infectious. Love his videos

[@t0eKnEe103]

Best video ever. This video had me rolling!

[@tokinada7951]

"I'm Blake For GMBN, Welcome To Jackass..."