How to Choose Your Bike Handlebar Width

[@kixb4632]

3min Thursdays are great, been loving every episode as a intermediate cyclist. Keep rockin Z

[@keithchang8566]

Wide bars are like a smaller gear on the drivetrain - they give you more control and handling with the drawback of a wider range of motion. Inversely, that is true. If you tend to ride long straight paths (eg road), a narrower bar will help you lose less energy to left/right motion, essentially helping you go faster apart from the aero factors.

[@electrocit673]

I ride 38/36cm at the hoods. I am confident in rough terrain (camino de santiago walkers path) For me the widen bars (even 42cm ) gave me wrist pain after longer rides (if ridden on the hoods or drops). I favorite bars are 42cm rando bars (42cm at the drops, 36cm at the hoods). shoulder measurement is 41cm

[@quinnfoster7143]

been a sub for about a year now and i have to admit you are consistent with answering the most essential questions for a casual rider even though i still havent bought a bike pump yet so i havent rode my bike in a couple months lookin forward to better weather this summer

[@TheGreenMarksman]

I remember seeing a guy about 5'4" riding a MTB with super wide bars full suspension and big ol tires riding around town. looked so silly. it was like he was wearing a zoot suit using your analogy..... although I rock my 20"BMX witch I feels tiny so I probably look just as silly

[@galenkehler]

Wide bars force your hands to move through a larger arc to accomplish any angle of turn. This means greater range of motion required from the arms and shoulders, leading to increased fatigue. As a 6'1" person with long arms, I've gone with 36cm drop bars for more comfort.

[@galenkehler]

So why don't you want more leverage? Well steering a bicycle isn't like prying a rock. More force isn't required, you can even apply ZERO force (riding no handed) and steer the bicycle. It's a control element, not force multiplication. Road vehicles generally have small lever controls, if you look at a street motorcycle, or an F1 car, you see the hands positioned close to the control axis, since like a bicycle, the geometry of the vehicle allows for fine control without requiring a lot of force.

[@galenkehler]

So when are wider bars appropriate? And what do people actually mean when they say a wide bar has "more control"? There are 2 scenarios where the finer control of a wide bar help. First, if you have a bicycle that has too little trail for the speed you are going. This is VERY common in the fixie world where standard road forks (45mm rake) are paired with steep head tube angles (>73⁰). We ride these bikes on pavement with skinny tires, meaning higher speeds than these bikes are ideal for. All the road bumps and anything rough you encounter has a greater impact on turning the wheel sideways (commonly felt as 'twitchy') making people feel that they need a wider bar to resist these forces. Second, if you are riding slowly in an environment where you need to steer around obstacles, rocks, or trees, a wider bar will allow you to more precisely place the front wheel. This is part of the reason that mountain bikes use wider bars (although with mountain bikes it's more about managing the large amounts of wheel flop required to manage the large tires and high trail)

[@galenkehler]

So what about the "opening of the lungs"? Well this is simple, the bars have no effect on that. This was an old wives tail from a discredited Italian coach. If you look at any cyclist on a bike, you can see the arms out in front, well clear of the chest. There is no mechanism for this "restriction" to occur. If you disagree, then try this: next time you ride your bike, try to compress your chest with your elbows 🤣 You can also look to the triathletes and time trialists, who have their elbows almost touching, and they go pretty fast. And if you look at them from the side, the arms are inches clear of the ribs.

[@galenkehler]

@Bebo for sure, the bullhorns put your weight quite a bit forward of the steering axis, so it's quite stable

[@galenkehler]

The poor ergonomics of wide bars are well recognized, your wrists are going to hate you.

[@leebridgwater]

I had wide flat bars on my fixed gear and yes the bike looked great, but the discomfort around the neck ouch. Now I use drops measured across the shoulders and no pain.

[@andrewturner943]

Personally, I don't think narrow bars restrict breathing since you see a lot of pros not only riding narrow bars, but they put their hands on the tops which is the narrowest section when climbing in the saddle. Shoulder bones are definitely a good place to start, especially for the initial fit. Going straight to 800mm flats or 37mm drops will likely require a a different stem length so it's good to have a foundation set first. But unless you have money to burn for the hobby, you'll likely get used to whatever you throw on there in the first place. Don't overthink the mm's!

[@teddgram]

FWIW I had a bike fit recently and my fitter recommended 2cm wider than the measurement you talk about in your video.

[@johnbrann75]

Everyone is different but I have 72 cm bars on my MTB. Rides over 20 kilometres cause me neck and upper back pain with my arms spread so wide. My 42 cm drops and bull horn bars on my single speed bikes give a much more comfortable ride, no pain on any length ride. But, everyone is different.

[@rondvivre3636]

Handlebar width 101; The farther your grip is from the steer tube axis, the more your bike steers like a bus. The closer your grip is to the steer tube axis, the more your bike handles like a sports car. I'm 42 cm, when I come back from a ride on a 38 cm bullhorn and switch bikes to a 42 cm bullhorn the bus/sports car comparison is real obvious. I've heard that “opening up your rib cage” stuff for decades, I've never been able to duplicate the effect.

[@ashleighmason4982]

Yes, isn't it possible to "open your ribcage" just by putting your elbows wide apart while holding hands close together?

[@rondvivre3636]

@@ashleighmason4982 It's the lungs and the diaphragm that 'flex' the ribcage, arms and shoulders have little effect.

[@The_r3d_0ne]

Just my personal experience but i tried drop bars that matched my shoulder width and had to go slightly smaller for the sake of comfort

[@Flashback_Jack]

3:12: Straight up reckless going full tilt with handlebars that wide between vehicles spaced so narrowly.

[@MrDraich]

This was a super useful video for me! Thanks for that content!

[@alexhernandez28]

Your best bro, I ride a single speed

[@kacewhite4746]

gonna be honest. did the 25 mile ride with my Thomson superwides and really hated them. i think superwides personally are only if you work to make them good to ride and/or you go offroad drops are my preference

[@ashleighmason4982]

Somehow I can't get into terms with dropbars on my bike. The wirst angle seems weird in every position. So I ride 48 cm raiser bars. Comfortable even on longer rides, century included. It's wide enough to have that comfortable leverage, but narrow enough to squeeze between cars. Also I can get sort of aero by grabbing that narrow lower part around the stem. And when I have to negotiate space with oncoming bikes, I just stick my elbows wide. Always works 👩🏼‍🔧 💙💛

[@Nic-ps3wb]

Hi Zach, thanks for the great vids! I come to an interesting conclusion. If I ride with brakes on my drop bar, I prefer a with of 40-42cm at the hoods. Without the brakes I have to increase up to 46 or more centimeters! I think it´s due to the hand position - like without the hood your much more resting your hands on their palms and the you roll your wrist in so your whole arms get more narrow. On the hoods you're positioning your hands much more on the ball of your thumbs

[@sharetheroads]

did your wheel set over heat when you went down mountains? I want to take my fixed gear bike on long steep descents. I'm concerned they will. Do you have any resources I can go to for more info. tks. I much prefer my wabi over my geared.... even when it gusting 15+ mph wind. tks

[@supracurious]

Link to those favorite handlebars?

[@daltonbedore8396]

to the point, great resourse video!

[@scrooge1913]

I recently tried out some 52's with flare and dear lord are they too big. Took me awhile to figure that out, but I just consistently was left wanting for a narrower positions. ...but I've also had good success with 48cm no flare handlebars on my touring bike, so maybe it's the sum of more geometry differences.

[@joevuch7981]

Here in colorado there is no traffic and lots of climbing so wide bars rule. I have 680mm with a little rise and sweep and I can climb all day... or like 15 miles and then I'm fkn ded

[@RPIXELN]

for climbing hills just put barends and it will get hella smooth

[@hughmunguskox8669]

What size stem should I have for long bars?

[@magnusmandel]

Hard to tell an exact number, but definitely go shorter the wider the bars get.

[@jjbode1]

Why aren't there adjustable bars?

[@mamihamid8187]

I’m enjoying the bike so far kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.

[@generalben]

Super wides are just fixie fashion imo, all that talk about open chests and leverage is about justifying the fashion choice, especially for road riders who have a lot to gain from narrower bars in traffic.

[@notl33t]

narrow for speed, wide for control!

[@xylanzkee437]

please do next how to find the right stem size

[@demsouano4893]

very informative bro.

[@Mkm0ka]

How to Choose Your Bike Handlebar Width? we all know that the answer is maximum width available on risers and narrowest width available on drops, every other choice is pure coping

[@paullacey2999]

My mtb has wide bars that are so annoying,always have to stop for obstacles.my fixie has narrow ones and its so much a better bike in many situations.So the pipe cutters are coming out😉😉😉

[@SidReasor]

Im watching on a Friday though

[@Memento86Mori]

His timing are crazy these days man ( for me atleast) cause I was just pondering the same thing

[@brian_810]

My bars are 800mm 😅

[@MrJasonodonnell]

On fixed gear, good wide bars will always win....99.999% of you(and Me) will never ever contort and bend yourself between a truck mirror and a yellow cab while tapped out in NYC been chased by Terry Barentsen, so why pretend your that guy?, has Just been yourself has become to hard?

[@paulbogle8161]

I go for bars the same width as me no point in narrow bars that fit and a bag that catches on the wing mirror

[@wakeawaken430]

530mm risers all the way and I don't care what you say 😂

[@PuppyTeethVEVO69]

Ride 10mms bro or you're just eagle wingin it

[@vegaplus420]

i love you

[@ursamajor4684]

fox mccloud

[@hattercatmeowingtons]

wiiiiiiiiiiiiiide bois

[@matthewnguyen3184]

Ayo did Zach get piercing or is it just me???

[@TroubleshootGamingMeds]

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