Help with getting the right width handlebars for me.....

daniel_b

Hello chaps,

I bought some 42cm Deda bars last year, and these are measures from the outside edge to outside edge - I'm fairly narrow across the shoulders I think.

I want to move these bars onto my Marin, and ordered a pair of Ritchey Pro Biomax II Handlebars, in a 40cm width, as it is centre to centre.

These bars also have a gentle sweep back of the bars, and a shallow/compact drop.

The bars arrived today, and I had some left over tape from my last taping episode, so wrapped some around either side to see what the width with tape would be.

It's about 1cm wider, so 0.5cm either side, but then it does sweep back slightly, but then also the crops are more splated out than on the Deda's, so the width seems to be more different further down.

I'm torn between sticking with these, or ordering a pair of 38's to compare.

I don't want to waste money (Will cost me £10 extra to change to 38's) but then I also don't want to compromise the feel on the bike, and ultimately the only way I can categorically tell if it is right is to fit it to the bike.

Then again, my slight concenrn with the 38's, is that it will make my position more upright, combined with the slight inward sweep, but then I was thinking my stem has 2 spacers under it, and also currently is in the 'upward' position, so I could potentially flip the stem, and or swap some spacers around.

I've tried measuring my shoulder width, but who knows properly where to measure from, I get measurements from outside to outside of 40cm, and if I try and feel where the ball of the shoulder is, something like 38cm.

I'm torn between sticking with the size I have, or ordering a 38, comparing them side by side, and then sending one back.

Do you guys have a reliable way of telling what size bar fits you best, or is it something you figured long long ago?

I have to say, width wise I think the Deda's are spot on, so perhaps it's a case of whicch is more detrimental, 0.5cm more each side with the 40cm one, or 0.5 cm less each side with the 38cm one.

Your assistance would be much appreciated.

If I'm going to order the 38, I have to do it today to have a chance of having it by the weekend, and I need to do that to still be able to send the 40's back within the return period.

Dan (confused)

redddraggon

1cm is hardly anything - about 2.5% difference - I don't think I'd notice the difference.

dennisn

I like wider bars because they make me feel wore opened up in the chest area.
Seem to breathe a bit easier too. I do have fairly wide shoulders but am not sure
exactly what that means. There are a few guys in our racing club who claim that
they use narrower bars so that they can possibly steer through a slightly smaller
opening in a group of racers. I don't race anymore but when I did(very poorly) I liked
the wider ones. It kept people away from me. What's the problem with the 42's???

Dennis Noward

daniel_b

redddraggon wrote:

1cm is hardly anything - about 2.5% difference - I don't think I'd notice the difference.

I think you are probably right RD :oops:

Dennis, the 42's are fine, but I need narrower bars for my Marin, and so saw this as a way to 'upgrade' the bars on the Felt, and these ones are a bit lighter, and I prefer the style of the drops as well.

Dan