I’m currently using 700mm bars on my Nomad but wondering about trying some wider ones as I am quite a big lad. Thinking about something up to about 750-760mm to gain an inch or so on either side. I am fairly certain that this will be a good thing for going downhill but as I also use the bike for XC rides and hence climb up on it as well as just going down I am interested to hear what people’s thoughts are on wide bars for climbing.

I’m not the fastest climber as it is so it would not be the end of the world if they aren’t great but I don’t want something that makes climbing hideously awful.

Any comments, opinions or experience?

The wider bar will slow the steering down and it’s this principle property that helps to improve control going downhill; ostensibly, reducing the sensitivity to steering input at higher speeds means that you have more room for error but the wider bar also gives you greater leverage making carving around corners easier. The reverse is however true at slower speeds, such as when climbing, which requires very precise steering inputs in order to keep the line you want and maintain forward momentum. In theory then, a wider bar is going to make that a little harder to achieve so as with a slacker head angle, the front might tend to ‘wander’ a little and you might find it harder to control where the bike goes.

Please don’t take this as gospel however, I am only basing it on my own experience.

My bars were 27″ when I put them on. The bike felt very stable descending, but I found I couldn’t steer properly on really steep techy climbs, I couldn’t hold a tight enough line to remain where the traction was available.
Lopped an inch off overall and they’re perfect for me now.

Try ’em wide. You can always cut them down if you don’t get on with the extra width. It’s a personal thing, I reckon, depends on your physique too.

They do make climbing more difficult on technical stuff matt but no so much difference on easier fire road or wide climbs. Totally worth it for riding down stuff tho. Sure col will sort you with a set of the reverse ones for a good price. You can always cut them down a bit after.

Wider can be better if you’ve got a “stand up and honk” climbing style. I only ride singlespeed and when I’ve had narrow bars, I’ve struggled to use my upper body properly and to keep on line. Like the man said, try wide bars and cut them down if you don’t like them!

I moved my grips in by 2 cm each end yesterday to try to counteract the wandering when on long technical climbs and it seemed to work. I’m getting them cut down tomorrow. Downhill was a bit more sketchy at first but I discovered that was because I had my fork locked out!!

I like wider bars, as they seem to allow me open up my cheast more, and on climbs any help is good as far as I’m concerned.

I went wider on my new bike to 710mm and appreciated it downhill and didn’t notice it too much uphill. However, not sure I’d want them any wider going through trees on single track. I already find my choice of lines slighty more restricted and that might be even worse an inch or 2 wider still.

I think I’m going to get a pair and give them a try, see how I get on then either keep as is or trim them down.

Where can you get XC/AM bars that are that wide. When I looked as soon as you try and go over 680 you enter the realm of downhill and they become heavy with 2″ rise. My planet X bars weigh nearly 500g!. Other option is carbon but that’s silly money given the rest of the spec on my bike. Now waiting on a set of sunline V3 bars at 711mm

I find wider bars (I mean 680mm wide) help me when climbing I used to ride 600 mm bars and I found I couldnt breathe also when I tried to get down low and forward to put a spurt on, my elbows hit my knees. Went to the 680mm bar a few years back and I can fill my lungs and get forward. Cant say I have really noticed any more wandering but I always wander from side to side anyway. It stops fitter better riders overtaking 🙂

Syncros bulk are 700mm wide ,low rise & not stupidly heavy.Around £35 I think aswell.