chopped down some Azonic World force bars from 762 to about 710. Ran them full width for a while but it was quite a step from the 660mm monkeylites I had before, plus I kept catching the ends on trees.

the hack has 560mm flats and barends, which feels very odd.

All my main bikes are on 711 now, seems just right for me. The XC bike is whatever length monkeylites are, 685 I think. I’m quite narrow shouldered so these seem pretty appropriate, not often wide enough to be a problem either.

I do have a set of Sunline 762s which are good fun but made me very aware of just how precise some of my line choices are and how close I get to trees- less than 25mm apparently, clonk.

Next time (as in, next week) when the next person starts this thread can you ask for the height of the rider in the reply or maybe arm length or shoulder width. bar width means nothing on its own.
I’m 5ft 8″, originally XC bike-685mm. DH bike 710mm.

Now running one bike with 760 bars but grips set between 735 and 750 depending on what i’m riding. can’t decide and don’t want to cut the bars yet.

Sunline 745’s on my bikes.
745mm on the DH and cut to 725mm on my Enduro.

I’m 6ft tall btw. (also tall, dark and handsome :D).

How about introducing a Bar Width Index (BWI?) – I propose: BWI = (0.5 x Bar Width) / (elbow to that fleshy bit between thumb and index finger).

For me (0.5 x 660mm) / 300mm = 1.10

I think I would like to go a bit wider, though to around 690mm bars, i.e. 1.15.

I did not need to open this thread! Just had some carbon Easton Havens delivered but worried they are not wide enough (711). I am only 5 9 but am very broad. hmm

760, but i need to cut them down to 740 i think, the 760 bars make my forearms ache

One bar is 710mm, the other is 450mm; so, collectively, my bars are 1160mm. Weird question.

711 Easton Havens.

Just the right balance of “fashionably wide” and “I can still ride in woodland”.

I think the BWI should be elbow to elbow with arms outstretched, with a multiplier for open yet rocky trails and a divider for twisty deciduous woodland trails…

745 v ones currently. Feel perfect and would never go back to narrow bars. Started off with 660’s which I reluctantly changed to 710mm and wow what an improvement. Then I tried a mates v ones 745 and had to get some:)

Mine are 777s which I bought because they were cheap. I had intended to cut them down but I actually really like how they feel and have not, as yet, ridden into any trees. Well, not due to the width of the bars.
I am a 5’10” girlie (because I know women and men generally have different height proportions and I can’t be bothered measuring how long my forearm is)

In rock climbing they talk about ape index which is you height divided by the span of your arms. That would be a good measure by which to judge your bar width.

just fitted some 750 havocs on my do-it-all bike. will give it a ride in a couple of months and see how i get on. Had 710s on there prior, and they felt great. I just fancied giving wider bars a go. I’ll probably chop them down to about 730mm though.

Oh, and i’m 6′

Are wide bars ‘in’ at the moent?

I’m not a big guy (5’8″) but have pretty wide shoulders for my height and chopping from 685 to 655 was a definite improvement for the local riding (forest, natural trails). The steering is faster to respond and more sensitive to shifts in balance than before (which was more like turning a big ship’s wheel, slooooowwwww).

For switching direction on twisty trails and anticipating the best line through bends, it’s much faster. More ‘speedboat’ less ‘oil tanker’.

I’ve not seen a downside yet.

I’m tempted to chop further but first I need a longer stem now my hands are in front of me rather than off to the sides. And that’s with only 15mm chopped off each end.

This is why I haven’t gone wider than 711…

I am about to go from 685mm to 725mm, doesnt sound a lot but peopple are telling me it’ll feel a lot wider at first. Cant wait to ride them and find out.

I use 800mm on my AM bike, took some getting used to but love them now

685 EA70’s

Is anyone bothering to read how wide others bars are?

On my FS I have 711mm Easton’s with a 65mm 10deg Rise stem, with a horizontal TT of 590mm, combined with a Joplin (roughly 20mm layback)

On my geared HT I have 685mm Eastons with a 90mm 0deg rise stem, with a horizontal TT of 580mm, combined with a layback Thomson post.

On my SS HT I have 660mm Race Face XC’s with a 90mm 6deg rise stem, with a 585mm horizontal TT, combined with a RF post (10-15mm of layback)

All seem just about right to to fair, although if I want to XC up the FS for marathons etc it gets a set of 685mm Eastons on a 90mm 6deg rise stem and a Easton 10mm layback post, seems to climb quicker

Lot of wide bars here.
6’2″ and 600mm wide.

As wide as the ones supplied …

720mm on my Orange 5 and 711mm on the Blue Pig. Tried 760mm which I really liked, but found them a bit wide for my local woods.

660mm

Most of my riding is local forestry commission land, makes no sense for me to go wider as i reckon i’d start clipping trees.