[Closed] A revelation ..... wide bars!

Im riding 810's, but did get knocked off at Cannock twice !

However, that was a year ago, Im used to them now and dont clip stuff anymore. You get better at judging gaps and twisting.

Simple question(s) don't take it the wrong way:

Why? What's the point of them?

headfirst - Member
Simple question(s) don't take it the wrong way:

Why? What's the point of them?

You need to try them. Then you will understand 🙂

You need to try them. Then you will understand

I thought that only applied to bouncy seatposts? 😉

Why? What's the point of them?

Grab hold of the nearest person to you, don't hesitate! Just grab them...

Now, take hold of their head and attempt to turn them 90 degrees. Was it hard?

Ok, now, take hold of their shoulders and again, try to turn them 90 degrees. Now which was easier?

This technique may not give an accurate reflection of the benefits or otherwise of wider bars.

Grab hold of the nearest person to you, don't hesitate! Just grab them...

Now, take hold of their head and attempt to turn them 90 degrees. Was it hard?

Ok, now, take hold of their shoulders and again, try to turn them 90 degrees. Now which was easier?

The person you grabbed will now try to hit you. This is where having a wide bar comes in handy. Hit them with your wide bar, they will in be 30% more pain than if you had a narrow bar.

HTH

Dave

It just feels much more stable, especially when going really fast.

The biggest benefit I have found is in fast, flat, open corners.

As already said, try it and you'll see.

I was against it to begin with.

For me ..... it was part band wagon and part comfort.

I have long arms and felt it might help with position on bike.

I have to be honest and say part is bandwagon but they do feel good.

Now if only I could get them through the garage door 😳

I went from 685mm on a 90mm stem to 725mm on a 70mm stem, it was like riding a new bike.

You know when you're a kid and you run around pretending to be an aeroplane with your arms sticking out to the side? It feels like that, all swoopy and balancy and curvy. The narrower bars were like doing that with my arms and fists in front instead, more like moving the tiller on a boat.

Twisted analogy, hope it helps!

Also more comfy, and powerful, when putting on power out of the seat.

@ Matt ...... did you find that the additional width was a ggod compensator for loosing length on the stem?

I currently have a 90mm stem on my Soul running 685mm bars but do have a 70mm stem that I could try but always thought it would be too cramped even with my layback post.

Frame is their largest at 19''.

On my last bike I changed the 660 risers for 600 flat bars, as I couldn't get on with the wide bars. And I put a longer lower stem on.

I do spend most of my time on 440 bars though...

Slightly worried about the 680 flats on my new bike.

@lmttm Yes, they go hand in hand. As the bars come closer you can then go wider, it evens out.

This is on a Soul also (small).

If you can scrounge various bars/stems from your mates then try different set ups.

One thing that came out when I was discussing this with a 'conservative' hardtailer friend at the weekend, is to think of this as a handling issue first, with fit second. He was asking "why bother with a shorter stem, I could just move my seat back", that is cart -> horse IMO.

There's a vid on Youtube of Cy Turner talking at an engineer's meeting where he discusses 'trail' which is the distance between where the wheel touches the ground (vertically beneath the axle), and the virtual point where the steering forces are applied. Worth a watch.

I went from 660 to 750 so I could fit my hope tech levers in a one finger position.

What are some good bars for these widths then?

I see Easton Havens at 711mm, they look good.
Who makes 725 - 750ish size ones?

RaceFace SixC are 725mm, carbon. Light (expensive). I like mine, tho the decider was the orange highlights on them to match my orange Soul, when I saw them it felt like it was 'meant to be'.

What are some good bars for these widths then?

I see Easton Havens at 711mm, they look good.
Who makes 725 - 750ish size ones?

Easton Havocs are 750mm - very similar shape to the havens, but stronger and wider. I have both, and they are lovely.

Dave

Swapping my old 620mm bars for 710mm bars has made a world of difference to my bike's handling. I wish I'd done it sooner too! My AM bike has whopping great 760mm Nukeproofs, which feel very good indeed. I'm converted. Even my hardtail has 710mm bars on it.

I got some sunline 745mm that I'm probably looking to sell soon. Great condition, used for less than 100miles. I guess they might have marks where they have been clamped but not taken them off yet. I like the width I just need more back sweep for my lady wrists. 😀

Ooh like the look of those Havocs in orange for my FS ....

mattjg - Member
Ooh like the look of those Havocs in orange for my FS ....

I like your style 🙂

My Covert (with orange havocs):
[img] [/img]

Gone from 660 to 685 to 711. Think 720 is about my optimum on a small Soul. I also run a 55 stem, which just felt comfier to me than a 75mm on the Soul.

Hmm well we're talking my bronze Blur Classic, it would probably be hideous. On the other hand I don't ride it much, (I did put orange grips on it at the weekend)

[img] http://dorkingcocks.freeforums.org/download/file.php?id=39 [/img]

alfa in your pic they look more red/bronze anyway

they are quite a dark, reddy orange (anodized). Closer in colour to the superstar orange pedals than the painted frame.

I find it a lot easier to hold my line when descending rough terrain quickly.

I'm down to 735 on my ht now by gradually moving the controls in (started at 780), tried 730 but it felt extremely twitchy, it really is suprising how much difference a few mm can make.