What width bars have you got ?

bilabonic

Hi All

After finally getting my bike almost set up as i like it i have come to the bars. Mine are standard 44cm but i know feel after a few months that they may be too wide.

What size do you ride ?

skyd0g

Handlebars are usually measured centre-to-centre (although I understand some manufacturers measure them outside edge to outside edge).

The normal "standard" that most off-the-shelf bikes are supplied with, is normally 42cm c-to-c.

However, asking someone else what size they use means as much as asking what size trousers they wear. It's all relative to their particular size and fit preference of that individual. Generally, smaller riders will have narrower bars and larger riders wider.

The current bars I have are 42cm c-to-c, but I'm about to go to 40cm c-to-c, as my current set feel a little on the large size for me, as I'm a smaller rider.

bilabonic

I totally understand that people will require varying sizes and i should of asked how many people have altered from the standard 42cm and if they found the benefits worth the alteratin ?

Cheers

Takis61

Well, I'm narrow shoulders but I have used 44cm for ages (measured end to end) & specced this again for my new Ribble - still seems comfy to me ?
Not really related, but I did downsize to 170mm cranks.......... :P

topdude

Having wider shoulders i went from 44cm to 46cm overall width bars. I find it a bit less constricted and the handling has improved a lot (less twitchy, more stable)
Why not try some 42s and see how it feels :?:

rjh299

Measure your shoulder width and match your handlebar width c-c. I'm thinking of switching from 44s to 42s. Got some cheap off ebay but haven't bothered changing them yet.

chuckcork

Hmm, ordered a set of bars from Ribble, supposed to be 42cm. Measuring the c/c dimension though they are nearer 40cm, which is suprising as the model I bought doesn't sell as 40cm.

A problem with stock description on Ribble's part or I'm measuring them wrong?

I'd say to the OP that if you have a good size stick with it in your fleet, I can ride with the 40cm OK but compared to my Audax bike and its 44cm bars its a little too narrow. Fine on the flat and downhill, but in climbing where you'll be pulling on the bars and out of the saddle, I'm all over the place.

Maybe just takes getting used to?

redddraggon

chuckcork wrote:

Hmm, ordered a set of bars from Ribble, supposed to be 42cm. Measuring the c/c dimension though they are nearer 40cm, which is suprising as the model I bought doesn't sell as 40cm.

What bars are they?

I've got some 40cm FSA compacts which are 38cm at the hoods but flare out to 40cm at the drops

Surf-Matt

Roughly shoudler width... no idea what width any of my bars are.

I think it's something people get too hung up on.

redddraggon

Surf-Matt wrote:

I think it's something people get too hung up on.

Well if the wrong size bars cause discomfort it's right that they get hung up on it.

chuckcork

redddraggon wrote:

chuckcork wrote:

Hmm, ordered a set of bars from Ribble, supposed to be 42cm. Measuring the c/c dimension though they are nearer 40cm, which is suprising as the model I bought doesn't sell as 40cm.

What bars are they?

I've got some 40cm FSA compacts which are 38cm at the hoods but flare out to 40cm at the drops

They are ITM Wing Ergal Handlebars, measuring again at both the hoods and the drops it actually seems closer to 39.5cm for both.

Surf-Matt

redddraggon wrote:

Surf-Matt wrote:

I think it's something people get too hung up on.

Well if the wrong size bars cause discomfort it's right that they get hung up on it.

Indeed but many are fine and just need to HTFU...

chuckcork

chuckcork wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

chuckcork wrote:

Hmm, ordered a set of bars from Ribble, supposed to be 42cm. Measuring the c/c dimension though they are nearer 40cm, which is suprising as the model I bought doesn't sell as 40cm.

What bars are they?

I've got some 40cm FSA compacts which are 38cm at the hoods but flare out to 40cm at the drops

They are ITM Wing Ergal Handlebars, measuring again at both the hoods and the drops it actually seems closer to 39.5cm for both.

Further on my odd sized bars, I've now been told by Ribble: "ITM and Deda are the exceptions to the centre to centre measurements. They are the only manufacturers to measure their bars outside to outside." No warning on the product webpage about this? http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productde ... TALHBAS350

Having asked Ribble what we can do about this I'm not satisfied with this response, seems to expect the customer to know that this particular product won't be sold as any other would, and that you should know the product description won't be as you could expect with any other in the same category. I wouldn't have ordered it otherwise!

kozzo

Ritchey bars are measured C-C
http://www.ritcheylogic.com/media/File/3027_FIT_LOGIC_POSTER_010808_LR.pdf

chuckcork

Hmm, just looked at the ITM website and the road bars I'm seeing there are measured centre to centre: http://www.itm.it/index.php?id=001,017,131

I think I'm being bullsh!tted.

dennisn

topdude wrote:

Having wider shoulders i went from 44cm to 46cm overall width bars. I find it a bit less constricted and the handling has improved a lot (less twitchy, more stable)
Why not try some 42s and see how it feels :?:

+1 I like the more "open" feel of the wider bars. Less constricted as "topdude" said.

rokkala

Keep at them chuckcork, well within your rights to return them if not satisfied.