Is the quoted width of the bars the straight line tip to tip measurement or is it the length of the bar pre bend etc? Reason I ask is my FSA Gravity light bars on one bike are quoted as 710mm wide and measure 690mm tip to tip and my Easton Monkeylite carbon bars on the other bike are quoted as 685mm and measure 660mm. Is handlebar width another ‘tyre width’ kind of measurement??

I dont know the official stance, but I sent some Ritchie carbon bars back as they were supposed to be 660 and measured 640mm.
But even stranger is I now have Easton Monkeylite bars and they measure the specified 685mm.

None of that probably helps but you’re not alone.

ps. I sent the Ritchey bars straight back no quibble as the shop said ‘That’s odd’!!

It might be the tube length before bending/forming

Pretty sure its the width as measured post bend ie the straight line tip to tip – every set I have ever measured has been this way and have been as per specced. I think!

Tip to tip.

Any other method of measurement would just be silly and misleading, wouldn’t it?

Wonder if the OEM versions are different to the after market jobbies? Does seem odd that they are both wrong by a ‘not insignificant amount’.

Are they wrong compared to what is stamped on the bars, or compared to what the seller said they were on website/whatever? Seems there are many bars with similar names that have different width depending on rise, material, whether xc or AM version, etc, etc

The bonus is that you have the psychological advantage of thinking you’re riding the latest fashionably wide bars, while not getting knocked off or having to slow down when you ride close to trees.