# Handlebar Width



## Cospie (Jul 15, 2008)

Hey guys ,
I'm just finishing my build on my new singlespeed and fear I have ordered the wrong width handlebar for my ride. I ordered a 580mm ritchey flat bar.. is anyone using this bar? or have any recommendations?
Thanks for your help.
Cospie


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

Way too short my tastes, esp on a singlespeed. Some people may like it though


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## NovakanX (Jul 27, 2006)

Mine are roughly 23 inches...pretty standard for a flatbar. Yours being 22.8 inches, thats normal. Grip setup is a little bit wider than my shoulders, I find mine to be perfect. But its all preference, some people like wider riser bars.


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## 1 cog frog (Dec 21, 2004)

*I like em wide and swept*

I prefer 660 mm+ bars with 15 deg of sweep or more!

Salsa moto ace flat bar

Misfit cycles fu, fu2 etc

On one Mary, fleegle

Titec H and J bars

Jones H bars

lots of options.

To each their own, but I can't ride narrow flat bars, they bother my wrists and feel really unnatural.

I like the ability to really rock the bike when I ride ss and I have to grind up the hills. Every ride I do here in UT is up then down, so climbing requires lots of torque and body english!

Everyone has different tastes, so my opinion+$.05 is still only worth $.05:thumbsup:

frog


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## cbrock450 (Apr 18, 2008)

My bars are 736 mm or 29 inches wide. They are the moustache bars by black sheep. I have really broad shoulders and I am 6 2 so they are not as ridiculous as they sound.

IMO they really help on steep climbs, I live in colorado and the SS is my only bike so i need all the help i can get.

Some people will tell you that wide bars are overkill and narrow flat bars are the only way to go.
If i were you i would buy some craigs list el super cheapo dh bars (wide) and a flat bar and give them both a try and see what you think.

I have seen super fast guys on both so it all boils down to personal preference.
It's great to see a thread like this and no one has chimed in yet and say that one way is wrong and their way is the only way.
A pleasant change!!!


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## jsord (Mar 28, 2004)

*SS bar photos?*

anyone got any photos of any of these super-wide, super-thick, super-swept or super-weird bars? i have the same decision to make: getting a bar for my first 29 SS....

preferably as set up on a bike....

preferably a close-up from above...

thanks


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## worrptangl (Jun 23, 2009)

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=549568

Its a current one at that.


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## D1PHAM (Sep 15, 2008)

I just purchased a set of Fleegles. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to cut them down but the question is how much. Those of you who are rocking alt bars can you share your shoulder width and bar length? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## ACC (Sep 1, 2008)

If you want to go the wide riser route -- which I highly recommend -- you can get Azonic world force riser bars from jensonusa for $21 plus shipping. These bars rock. They have a 5 year warranty, you can cut them down a bit if you prefer (with easy markings on the bars), and the sweep and rise feel good to me. Stock length is 28".


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Not super weird but pretty tough:
I put a Truvativ Holzefeller low rise DH bar on my SS trailbike. Originally 71 cm and just under 300 g. Now cut down to about 66 cm


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

It depends on your trails. I have 660mm wide H-bar and I should have 600mm because it's too wide to fit through a lot of the trees easily. More finese is required, which requires slowing down.


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## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

I have the Misfit FU2 bar, and I'm still getting used to it. It has a fair bit of sweep, which means it is kind of narrow on climbs. An extra 100mm of width would be nice for out-of-the-saddle, grunt-so-hard-you-might-shart climbing. That said, on the flats and descents it feels amazing, and I'm able to really cruise. I might switch to a flat bar and some barends for more leverage...


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## D1PHAM (Sep 15, 2008)

Anyone throw some barends on some Fleegles?


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

FU2s are what I like best out of the alt bars I've ridden. Wouldn't mind trying out a really wide bar one day, so I'm saving up for that blacksheep mustache bar.


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## plussa (Jul 12, 2005)

On-One fleegle bars, 716,7mm wide:










Had Mary bars before, but like this one better, because it's wider and lower.


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## kev0153 (Sep 2, 2004)

Here are my FSA Gravity. 777 mm something like 30" I think the widest non-custom flat bar out there but I might be wrong.


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## the pope (Mar 23, 2004)

I like 580 flats and with hooks on the ends that's plenty wide for me. Long risers shrink the top tube too much for my tastes.


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

that espresso shot bell is awesome kevin!


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## -Muz R- (Oct 18, 2006)

Kev,

Is that an Independent computer on your bike? Nice ride by the way, Ive been riding an Indy Fab myself for the best part of 4 years and love it!

I prefer wider bars on all my bikes as they seem to offer greater control on descents and rocky trails. I ride SS with Groovy Luv Handles, 710mm or 28" wide. Prior to that I had Ritchey WCS carbon bars and they were only 630mm and did the job fine, I just prefer the 21.5deg sweep offered by Rody's Luv's and they look cool IMO.

Bar width and rise is a personal thing and I never advise others what they should use, I did try a narrow 580mm flat bar years ago and crashed more times than I can remember in that one ride. They were short lived and Ive used a small riser bar with 660mm average width ever since.

One thing that restricts the use of my Luv's is tight single track with loads of small trees lurking in the nasty spots, they unfortunately get caught up on stuff a little more than my 660's


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## onlyontwo (Nov 21, 2006)

I run 28" wide Syncros bulk carbon bars on my SS 29er. I would not run any narrower of a bar, the leverage you can get with the wide bars is fantastic for single speeding.

Cheers,
Andy


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## rep (Sep 7, 2004)

I was just riding a borrowed bike with narrow bars. I really noticed the lack of power (couldn't use upper body) and the sketchy steering. On the other hand, the fixy people in Seattle seemed to like them, I suppose to get through narrow spaces.


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## kev0153 (Sep 2, 2004)

> Kev,
> 
> Is that an Independent computer on your bike?


yeah you can get it from their site http://ifbikes.com


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

rep said:


> I was just riding a borrowed bike with narrow bars. I really noticed the lack of power (couldn't use upper body) and the sketchy steering. On the other hand, the fixy people in Seattle seemed to like them, I suppose to get through narrow spaces.


it's a poor attempt at messenger fashion. having handelbars narrower than the outside of your pedals or your hips is just plain stupid and will not help you get through anything in any way shape or form.


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## -Muz R- (Oct 18, 2006)

kev0153 said:


> yeah you can get it from their site http://ifbikes.com


Kool, I'll check em' out


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## D1PHAM (Sep 15, 2008)

What gets you more leverage? Wide bars with sweep or medium bars with barends?


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

D1PHAM said:


> What gets you more leverage? Wide bars with sweep or medium bars with barends?


For the best leverage, get some pictures of your handlebars in compromising situations.


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## pooka (Jul 16, 2006)

I´m in for some extra wide bars.










Although I´m not famous for wide shoulders I love to ride wide bars. Especially the Chromag FubarOSX (760mm originally, but cut down to 700mm.) this feels really good in climbing, cornering and descenting. The downside of this preference is, that every bike with bars narrower than 640mm feels really really awkward to me.


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## misanthrope (Mar 30, 2009)

How come we never get pictures of owners with their wide bars? I see guys around here with real wide bars, much wider than their shoulders, rocking their bikes so far from side to side to get the grip in line with their shoulders so they can pull strongly on the bar. And any slight grade has them out of the saddle 'cause their hands are so far out to their sides they can't leverage properly while seated. It's kind of like a placebo -- they think they're levering so much 'cause their wrenching their bike around when in fact there's just a lot of wasted movement. Kind of reminds me of when we all pumped our tires up to such a high psi 'cause it felt faster, when in fact it just meant we were bumping around more. The point was really driven home on this weekend's road ride in the mountains when I got myself up some mighty steep paved grades with an 18" bar, never once thinking to myself "gee, I wish my bars were wider". For what it's worth, my mtb bars are 24" wide with bar ends.


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## kev0153 (Sep 2, 2004)

misanthrope said:


> How come we never get pictures of owners with their wide bars? I see guys around here with real wide bars, much wider than their shoulders, rocking their bikes so far from side to side to get the grip in line with their shoulders so they can pull strongly on the bar. And any slight grade has them out of the saddle 'cause their hands are so far out to their sides they can't leverage properly while seated. It's kind of like a placebo -- they think they're levering so much 'cause their wrenching their bike around when in fact there's just a lot of wasted movement. Kind of reminds me of when we all pumped our tires up to such a high psi 'cause it felt faster, when in fact it just meant we were bumping around more. The point was really driven home on this weekend's road ride in the mountains when I got myself up some mighty steep paved grades with an 18" bar, never once thinking to myself "gee, I wish my bars were wider". For what it's worth, my mtb bars are 24" wide with bar ends.


It's fun trying new things and new equipment.


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## larryo108 (Nov 17, 2008)

kev0153 said:


> Here are my FSA Gravity. 777 mm something like 30" I think the widest non-custom flat bar out there but I might be wrong.


I run the same bars. Although I cut mine down to 28" and have ESI grips with barends. LOVE THEM.


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## the pope (Mar 23, 2004)

freaky wide bars are the mullet


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

misanthrope said:


> How come we never get pictures of owners with their wide bars? I see guys around here with real wide bars, much wider than their shoulders, rocking their bikes so far from side to side to get the grip in line with their shoulders so they can pull strongly on the bar.


29.5" wide. barends push the effective width down to about 28"



















i view the rocking side to side, which doesn't happen that often, as just a different way of leveraging against the pedal. the thought being that instead of just using your arms, you're using the leverage arm of the bike/bars. i don';t know that it works, and i rarely do it anymore because i've found that "dancing" on the pedals works better on similar situations.


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

misanthrope said:


> How come we never get pictures of owners with their wide bars? I see guys around here with real wide bars, much wider than their shoulders, rocking their bikes so far from side to side to get the grip in line with their shoulders so they can pull strongly on the bar. And any slight grade has them out of the saddle 'cause their hands are so far out to their sides they can't leverage properly while seated. It's kind of like a placebo -- they think they're levering so much 'cause their wrenching their bike around when in fact there's just a lot of wasted movement. Kind of reminds me of when we all pumped our tires up to such a high psi 'cause it felt faster, when in fact it just meant we were bumping around more. The point was really driven home on this weekend's road ride in the mountains when I got myself up some mighty steep paved grades with an 18" bar, never once thinking to myself "gee, I wish my bars were wider". For what it's worth, my mtb bars are 24" wide with bar ends.


I'm never seated and climbing on my SS, so that part doesn't matter. 
Second, I rocked my bike even with really narrow bars to get more leverage on my downstroke


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Much respect to anyone riding in a plaid button up.



sean salach said:


> 29.5" wide. barends push the effective width down to about 28"


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## Zion Rasta (Jan 7, 2004)

685mm for all my bikes. If you are 5 years old I guess 580mm is the right size....

Chicks dig long handlebars ;-0


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## misanthrope (Mar 30, 2009)

Zion Rasta said:


> Chicks dig long handlebars ;-0


And there you have it -- uber-wide bars are really compensation for "male problems"...


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## rooster44 (Jan 18, 2009)

sean salach said:


> 29.5" wide. barends push the effective width down to about 28"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Where is this picture taken? It looks pretty.


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## iKona40 (Feb 8, 2009)

That looks fun!


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## lubes17319 (Dec 19, 2005)




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## jmday (Nov 25, 2009)

Jeez, kev0153, there are probably some _roads_ you can't fit down with dem things! I recently got a set of 685mm bars bars for my Raleigh XXIX, moving up from the 635s that came on it. That extra 50mm really made a difference for me, allowing me to position the brake levers exactly where I want them, and they seem to match up with the XL frame really well. I did find a spot that I can no longer fit thru on one of my favorite trails today!


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

rooster44 said:


> Where is this picture taken? It looks pretty.


First one was taken in my driveway in Palmer, AK, second one was taken in Chickaloon, AK, about 40 miles up the valley from me.:thumbsup:


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## Knobby4me (Sep 7, 2008)

Damn Lubes, are those bars or BMX pegs? I want to ride that bike and see if it's as scary as it looks.

I ride the same Ritchey 580 bars as the OP mentions and it's the only way for me. I'm 6' and put on some wide low rise bars because it seemed like the right thing to do for leverage on a SS and they only lasted a half dozen rides. This is such personal preference that it really only matters to you. The wider bars are now on my Heckler and work great.


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## voodoochild (Feb 20, 2004)

Easton monkeylite DH, low rise, 711mm.


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## metaljim (Apr 22, 2009)

Man, you guys run some WIIIIIIIDE bars. I run 58cm off road, 54 on my road bike with Cetma rack. I've got some Space bars on my SS Marin (645mm?) and they feel too wide sometimes, especially when riding on the road to the trail.

I'm a skinny dude though.


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## monocog16 (Dec 22, 2009)

i had 660mm on my monocog when i first got it and then i put bar ends on it and the first race i did everybody hated me because the things wouldn't fit thru 80% of the trees on the trail. i have since cut the bars down to 24" and like them allot more, i think the bar ends help allot more with leverage on climbs then super wide bars. but that's just my opinion


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

monocog16 said:


> i had 660mm on my monocog when i first got it and then i put bar ends on it and the first race i did everybody hated me because the things wouldn't fit thru 80% of the trees on the trail. i have since cut the bars down to 24" and like them allot more, i think the bar ends help allot more with leverage on climbs then super wide bars. but that's just my opinion


All it takes is good timing and a quick twitch of the bars to get you through just about any tight trees. with L bend barends, if the trees are between 0-1" wider than your bars, you can just aim as accurately as you can at full speed and let the barend that strikes(if it does) the tree straighten you out.:thumbsup:


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

monocog16 said:


> i had 660mm on my monocog when i first got it and then i put bar ends on it and the first race i did everybody hated me because the things wouldn't fit thru 80% of the trees on the trail. i have since cut the bars down to 24" and like them allot more, i think the bar ends help allot more with leverage on climbs then super wide bars. but that's just my opinion


Personally I don't think you really get the advantages of a really wide bar on flat twisty trails. They are another way to add leverage for climbing too, but I think they really shine on fast downhills where they provide more stability and more leverage to keep the front wheel going where you want it instead of where the trail wants to push you. Its very helpful for steering precisely with a rigid bikes on rough trails but also helpful for hardtails. I wouldn't be riding SS if I didn't like hard climbs, but I love rocky, techy downhills even more so that has helped push my preference towards wide bars


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## Shrederland (Oct 28, 2009)

wide bars make breathing easier too. lung can expand better with a wider grip.


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## monocog16 (Dec 22, 2009)

sean salach said:


> All it takes is good timing and a quick twitch of the bars to get you through just about any tight trees. with L bend barends, if the trees are between 0-1" wider than your bars, you can just aim as accurately as you can at full speed and let the barend that strikes(if it does) the tree straighten you out.:thumbsup:


its not that i cant get thru the stuff because i could if i wasn't racing with a ton of guys behind me pushing and being worn out takes a toll on your timing, but allot of it was the bar ends on those bars because they pointed out which didn't help at all. that trail was pretty nasty tho its not like that's 100% of what any one is going to be riding lol


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## dlongto (May 23, 2007)

I find that Q-factor drives bar width for me. For a while i was running Truvative Fire SS cranks and i had to run wide bars. Now back on vintage SunTour microdrive and a 105mm BB i went back to shorter bars. There is about a 16mm difference in Q for those two cranks, and my bar width dropped about the same.


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## Chim Chim (Feb 27, 2009)

*why'd*

The wider the better with a single speed. More leverage and I believe that it provides a more open posture for easier breathing.

Although your Ritchie chollo bars will make it easier to ride while wearing handcuffs.


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## S.O.B. (Mar 17, 2008)

It really depends on the rider, for example I am pushing 5'8" and my 23"bars (584mm) have been fine. My SS has bar ends, bringing my grip width down to ~21.5 or 546mm. I have ridden a lot of miles both the FS and the SS and have had no problem climbing or breathing. I do like the bar ends (on the SS) for endurance racing/riding as my forearm muscles appreciate the change in position once in a while and I like the climbing leverage. 
Now if wider bars would keep my legs from cramping after 35+ miles then you might convince me.


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## jonzinmj (Feb 22, 2008)

I have ridden both and I think 680 is awesome. I'm not trying to be a He-man. I have the standard monkey lites and I really dig em. If you think about it, your chest can only open so much. After a certain width, there really can't be that much benefit. Not one to warrant your bike turning like an eighteen-wheeler at least.


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## BokorSolo (Dec 20, 2009)

I run a 27" monkey lite on my ss. It is excellent for my usage. It gives me enough leverage and smooths out the vibrations. Highly recommended.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

Reviving this thread, mostly for grins. However, how are you folks feeling now? I have tried a lot of different bars- sweepy alt bars, flats, risers, bar ends... just installed some 30"+ flat bars with a 60mm stem.


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## Kisherceg (Mar 5, 2007)

jonzinmj said:


> I have ridden both and I think 680 is awesome. I'm not trying to be a He-man. I have the standard monkey lites and I really dig em. If you think about it, your chest can only open so much. After a certain width, there really can't be that much benefit. Not one to warrant your bike turning like an eighteen-wheeler at least.





S.O.B. said:


> It really depends on the rider, for example I am pushing 5'8" and my 23"bars (584mm) have been fine. My SS has bar ends, bringing my grip width down to ~21.5 or 546mm. I have ridden a lot of miles both the FS and the SS and have had no problem climbing or breathing. I do like the bar ends (on the SS) for endurance racing/riding as my forearm muscles appreciate the change in position once in a while and I like the climbing leverage.
> Now if wider bars would keep my legs from cramping after 35+ miles then you might convince me.


what they said, excellently summarizing all the main things in connection with the question of bar width.:thumbsup:


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## nitrousjunky (May 12, 2006)

mack_turtle said:


> I have tried a lot of different bars- sweepy alt bars, flats, risers, bar ends... just installed some 30"+ flat bars.


I've been through all kinds of sweepy alt bars, flats and risers. I seem to have settled now with either flat or low rise 760mm bars with 8-9 degree sweep. Alt bars just don't cut it anymore, for me on trails anyway.


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## HPIguy (Sep 16, 2014)

^^same here, but 750mm. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

620mm Truvativ alloys on my Solo One SE. They're comfortable but funky in their narrowness. I have an Easton Havoc Carbon 750mm 20 deg rise on it's way. I hope I like 'em! :skep:


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## evad nosam (Jun 11, 2016)

There's an old sayin in the industry " Skinny tires, skinny bars, fat tires, fat bars".

That being said, I run 780's on my snowbikes and singlespeeds. On road I use 600's.

I was a mustache bar fan for a long time, still have 'em on my ss cyclocross bike. I'd like to try some wood chippers though....


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

I ran 690mm low rise carbon bars for a long time on two 29er single speeds.

I acquired yet another 29er SS with flat 595mm Ti bars last year and eventually decided to give them a try. Turns out that I can still climb like a monkey and handling is not dramatically different (with a 3" tire up front). 

Not at all what I expected running narrower bars.


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## socal_jack (Dec 30, 2008)

780s now(Niner flattop, 5mm rise 9degree sweep, 60 mm-ish stem), cant really go below 720 without feeling restricted in breathing


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## saildesign (Aug 10, 2006)

edubfromktown said:


> I ran 690mm low rise carbon bars for a long time on two 29er single speeds.
> 
> I acquired yet another 29er SS with flat 595mm Ti bars last year and eventually decided to give them a try. Turns out that I can still climb like a monkey and handling is not dramatically different (with a 3" tire up front).
> 
> Not at all what I expected running narrower bars.


I went from a rigid steelie with 24" Uncle Jessie bars ('member those?) to a front-sus with 780 flats. Feels wierd.

I have a set of 40mm risers arriving tomorrow that will be started at 750mm, then cut down 10mm by 10mm until I like them. 

BTW, loved the old thread. Happy days!


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

740's here, with a 15mm rise. That's my sweet spot
Using some Ergon GS-1 grips that actually put my hands at about 755 when holding the little bar-end stubs. I understand the 'physics' of wider bars, but at 5'9" with average arms, anything wider actually limits my ability to lean the bike. 
I had some 780's and forced myself to ride 5-6 rides on them, but never got really used to them. Anything narrower than about 720 starts to feel twitchy anymore.

Edit: In response to Mack_Turtle's post below: 70mm stem.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

anyone discussing changing to wider bars should probably validate it by also mentioning stem length, whether it changed or not.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

750 is my sweet spot.
My 3 current bars (Bontrager Rhythm Pro & RXL, Funn Fatboy) are all 720 
Stupidly, I cut the Fatboy's down from 750...

The sweep and rise on all 3 are brilliant.
The Fatboy is virtually an alloy Rhythm Pro.


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## dbhammercycle (Nov 15, 2011)

I have a 680 on my MUSS with 100mm stem, feels pretty good. 750mm with a 90mm stem too wide for my RMB Blizzard, but feels right on the MN fatty with a 100mm stem. Each bike feels different for me, I try to keep the length from the seatpost to stem the same length on every bike and you would think that bar width would be about the same, but not always. The 680 bar feels too narrow and the 750 too wide on the RMB Blizzard, I will probably be cutting my fatboy down to 730. Bar width for my Fatty Trail is tentatively 760. I think another thing to be considered is rise, sweep, and stem rise (if any). It seems every bar width thread does not include a mention of hbar rise and sweep. 6 and 9 sweep 20mm rise for the 680 bar with 690 effective top tube including stem for the MUSS, 5 and 8 sweep 20mm rise and 750mm width bar and eff TT+stem 670 for the MN Fatty, 5 and 8 sweep 20m rise 750mm bar and 670 eff TT+stem for the Blizzard, and 6 and 9 sweep 10mm rise with a 760mm bar with 682 eff TT+stem for the fatty trail before build numbers. The fatboy on the fatty is great but feels too wide, too much leverage for the skinny 26er wheels, on the Blizzard. Still figuring it out I guess.


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## tims5377 (Oct 20, 2010)

I have 810 (15mm rise, 8* back) on my Misfit. I think an 80mm stem too? I love the feeling on that bike. I get so many comments on how wide they are lol. I like it though! Tough in the trees...
I put the same bars on my kona process 134 with a 60mm stem and they feel a little too wide. I will probably take a half inch off each end.
On my pugsley I have 780s and those feel just right as well.

Its odd to see a thread with umarth in it! Haven't seen that guy in forever...


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## mackdhagen (Jun 17, 2011)

750 on my SS is a sweat spot for me. I ride in the east cost where trees and tight ST are a factor. If i still lived out west i might go 10-20mm wider.

I can't believe how narrow i used to go (500's) for the sake of being a weight weenie. In retrospect it definately hurt my riding.


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