I bought a set of bars today that were 780mm wide. I held them in my hands and pretended I was on my bike, like you do. A definitive test given the circumstances.

I couldn’t imagine riding with bars that wide and promptly had 15mm of stupid lopped off each side. I stuck them on the bike impressed and the kids up the road with a display of nice stunts mister. They still feel weird a bit – despite me being a lanky, long armed git and owner of a similarly sized bar on another bike. I maybe should have went with the higher rise and maybe I shouldn’t have asked the shop mechanic to mutilate them.

Still, they almost match the colour of one of my fork legs (but are too bloody wide for the camera) 😀

I’m not a massive guy, and I’m running 810mm. Part of the reason is I’m too lazy to cut them, but mostly I just don’t care. Feels pretty cool.

what tricks to impress the kids? 🙂

i need to try something >700 .. just i like tight twisty places and aren’t too hot at judging gaps.

810.. Wow! .. At least they will stop anyone from overtaking you.. 😀

I’m 6’4″ and very happy with my 625’s.. 8)

DJ

I’m 6’4″ and very happy with my 625’s..

Thats nice for you 🙂

Have 745/760 and I’m only 5’9 – has little to do with height, probably more to do with broad shoulders

bought 800mm wide bars, chopped tiny bit off i think im just above 780mm now…. oh and 5ft6 and female 😉 The OH got me onto wide bars and now it feels alien for anything smaller

The OH got me onto wide … and now it feels alien for anything smaller

REALY 😉 😳

I’m on Sunline v1 711 which I think is the most you could safely get away with around here, I feel it helped my riding and as said it’s odd to try a bike with 685s. Not a huge difference, but enough 🙂

I have the exactly the same ones….thought they might be too big at first…but they feel great now….no going back…..I’m thinking they might be a bit on the small side now! 😀

This chap started with 480mm Answer Taperlites.
Look where he ended up…

PF-tightrope_1398073c.jpg by pten2106, on Flickr

Went from 680 to 750 last year. Genuinely feel I have slightly better control over the bike in fast, slippery mud situations.
Have had one potentially nasty off, though due partly to a shortage of talent and having been able to get between the trees in question previously 🙄

someone on here was complainign that the trees were too close together round our way to let them run really wide bars.

their proposed solution was to cut some of the trees down…

Nukeproof Warhead bars in bright yellow, makes it easy to spot the bike outside the cafe.

I was at Cannock over the weekend, first visit for a while, and noticed much bark damage to the narrower gaps between trees at bar end height.

bullroar –

i think ”punching trees” at cannock is a given if your not used to the width.

Indeed, it just seemed more obvious on Sunday. I didn’t add to the scar tissue.

Moving from ‘bendy’ bars to wide 780’s. Anyone else find they needed to shorten the stem too? Around 60mm stem seems to work well with the extra width for me.

Oh bugger, I’ve just out bar ends on my 680’s, effectively making them smaller. I’m not fashionable twice…!

Moving from ‘bendy’ bars to wide 780’s. Anyone else find they needed to shorten the stem too? Around 60mm stem seems to work well with the extra width for me.

I don’t use wide bars but it makes sense that a wider bar will lengthen your cockpit.

This chap started with 480mm Answer Taperlites.
Look where he ended up…

Still dresses like a 1990’s MTBer though 🙂

What happens next??

[video]http://vimeo.com/45345661[/video]
about 3min 10

Soft hands and belief are key, I can mostly guess 760mm now.

edit photo fixed

I went up to 710 (with rise) years ago. Now everyone has overtaken me. However I find them just right: wide enough for the “control” but narrow enough to fit between the trees! I’m staying in the middle (but obviously now tending towards narrow!) ground.

Wide bars are the future. I reluctantly stuck some uncut Renthals on my DH bike and immediately I felt more comfortable on the bike. I’ve stuck Renthals on every bike I own now.

Horses for courses.

Wide bars are the future.

Horses for courses.

so, appropriate width bars for the type of riding you do is the future?

who’d have thought 😉

No, wide bars are the future for all disciplines (particularly roadies) but some fools don’t like them but I shall resign myself to the fact we all have preferences. Just some preferences are wrong.

Easy fix for trees too close:

Help with wide bars at Learnie by brf, on Flickr

im happy with my 685 eastons tbh as i do get throu some really tight areas on my local “lets see whare this goes” rides

😯

vandalism in the pursuit of fashion…

Ffs, that’s no better than the **** who chop out a tree to improve a line for a jump. ****.

been there done that.

I’ve settled on 710mmm… Bought a set of wider bars for the big bike, gradually cut them down, they ended up at 710mm like my others. Bought a bigger bike, and another set of wider bars, cut them down again… They’re still at 720mm but I think I’ll snip them some time.

Was out for another wazz on the bike tonight and now i’m used to them they feel great. I think 750 is about my personal limit, though I kinda wished I tried them full fat just to see.

You midgets with 800+ bars must bang your chin on the stem a lot 😀 I can see the benefits when dishing out fistfuls of gnar, but is it not uncomfortable when climbing with your weight pulled forward?

smiff – Member
what tricks to impress the kids?

They’re easily impressed round our way. Manuals, nose wheelies a few cat leaps usually does it.

I’ve settled on 710mmm… Bought a set of wider bars for the big bike, gradually cut them down, they ended up at 710mm like my others. Bought a bigger bike, and another set of wider bars, cut them down again… They’re still at 720mm but I think I’ll snip them some time.

The princess called, she wants her pea back.

I tried 760 and it was a bit too wide, I’ve settled on 710.

711 here and Im convinced theyve saved me a few times with the added length tc

I don’t feel the need for wide bars, but the mtb in the wiggle advert. Those bars are just fixie stupid narrow.

A drawback to having wide bars is that you lose a bit of ‘arm suspension’. They’re not a good idea for everyone – especially people with arms like a t rex.