Anyone else?
710 was ok, way better than 680.
I tried a 780 about a year ago with a slightly shorter stem than before. It seemed churlish not to try it first before cutting it down! And it seemed ok at first!
I put another 760 bar on my full susser on the strength of that.
All seemed joyous for six months or so, including four 12 hour+ long rides in the Highlands.
Gradually through the autumn I've been getting increasing discomfort in the arms, hands and shoulders.
Then I rode a bike with narrower bars and realised the discomfort wasn't present, so I'm back to 710 and a 10mm longer stem, and things seem to be getting better.
I am 60 years old, and it looks like I'm a victim of fashion!
At least you tried and responded to the experiment rationally.
ride what you feel comfortable with.
You'll be riding a cross bike next 😉
Are you ape-positive, or ape-negative?
This must have a bearing on comfort.
I've found longer bars uncomfortable too.
2 reasons.
Hitting trees with them on the natural trails I ride.
Secondly clipping wing mirrors riding to the natural trails I ride! 🙂
My XC bike is 740. Just feels right.
Although if MBR said 600 was cool I'd change overnight 😉
Cut my 800 down to 750 after getting tennis elbow and reading that bars should be natural press up width.
Chilled76.................. Ta But No But
With 29 why go CX?
I'm ok at 750 on my 120mm FS but it feels wwwwwiiiiddddeeee to me and I'm fairly broad shouldered.
I've got 680 and 710 on other bikes and I don't ever remember thinking the same about them.
I am not exactly a hardcore gnar rider and I think this and my xc/go for a ride approach is almost certainly an influencer.
I could see the benefit of wider if you were doing short steep technical runs with rests or uplifts in between or Enduro racing but for pedalling around in the hills you end up splayed for a longer period of time and I'm not sure if that's good for the shoulders.
I had 780 on the fatty as that's what it arrived with and I found the numbness in my hands decreased compared to the 740s I had on a previous bike, but was still there, switched to Jones loops and the numbness is also still there but wrists are better. Although I found when I didn't do the velcro on my gloves up the numbness went, so I concluded that all the bar width and shapes and stem lengths and such like experiments I've done were in vain, and its tight gloves that's caused the problems
I tried some 750s about 4 years ago after always riding 680s.
Didn't like the wide bars so gradually cut them down and ended up at 710, where I've happily been since then.
Until a ride a couple of weeks ago when for no reason the bars felt a bit narrow.
I'm building a hardtail up now so will be fitting some 780s and see how I go.
I'm mid 50s! Not fashionable, and the HT will just be for shorter local rides. Will see how I go.
I could see the benefit of wider if you were doing short steep technical runs with rests or uplifts in between or Enduro racing but for pedalling around in the hills you end up splayed for a longer period of time and I'm not sure if that's good for the shoulders.
See that tripping point is different for everyone, it's about fit not the actual measurements.
My trance sx came with 800mm bars stock so ran them for a while, but found them too wide. cut them down to 780 and found it much better but I was bought a set of carbon 750 bars for christmas and find that perfect!
See that tripping point is different for everyone, it's about fit not the actual measurements.
I think that's sort of what I meant but it didn't come across like that (my fault/bad choice of words). I meant my comments in relative terms but it comes across as absolute mainly as I blathered on about what is my maximum comfy width first.
In other words...
There's probably a point for most people where wider stops being better.
That point varies depending on type of riding, stature, preferences, and a dozen other things I haven't thought of.
I think I'd struggle at much more than 750.
😉
My Whyte bars are 760, my Parkwood bars are 760.... my Whyte ones feel fine, my PArkwood ones are too wide... The Parkwood ones are being trimmed today, i've been running some random white coloured bars on there for testing that are 730 and even though it's only 30mm i do prefer them.
800mm bars and a 40mm stem, it makes any trail come alive and also improves lateral stiffness
yet still being vertically compliant?
My XC bike is 740. Just feels right.
What feels right depends on what you're used to. 680mm used to feel wide, now it feels daft, my narrow barred bike is 660!
I'm at 740, and I could go a bit wider I think, but it would mean re-hosing my dropper and rear brake, so it's staying!
😆
yet still being vertically compliant?
🙂
yet still being vertically compliant?
Absolutely! Now if only I could colour co ordinate them to my pastel blue shorts/helmet combo