I am changing from a 660mm width handlebar to a 730mm width; I currently have a 90mm stem and using the 2:1 rule of thumb it would suggest 55mm stem would be the best match ((730-660)/2) – have others gone through a similar change and what stem length did you go for?

Cheers.

I did the same thing a few years ago. First I went up to 711 from 680 and reduced the stem length to 70mm from 90mm. I now use a 750mm bar, tried a 50mm stem but now back to 70mm for better all round use. The 50mm stem just pitched my weight back too far.
See if you can borrow some stems and try as many as you can.

What rule – just get a set up that feels fine.

Both bar width and stem length make different changes. What works for one person wont work for another. Plus you also need to think about bar height.

any advice if not actually a rule? just try stuff doesn’t really give a good starting point…

that rule works well (approx)

I personally went 711/90 to 711/70 to 750/70 to 750/60

a nice 55/60/65 should be fine

The RULE
[RULE]

You must be able to reach the bars comfortably.

[/RULE]

After that it’s preference. Start with what you have and try shorter if you can borrow one. Once sorted buy nice stem.

Hmm…… i seem to have went the other way, i have 711mm carbon haven bars and ran a 70mm thomson stem but when climbing out the saddle i felt cramped and my knees occasionally hit the shifters, recently moved to an 85mm haven stem and it’s much better on the climbs and i prefer the handling as well.

I always get it wrong……… 😉

Surely wider bars mean they would reach further back at the ends so you would need a longer stem to get the same overall reach? Or is the theory that your Arms will be sooooo wide apart a shorter stem is needed to give extra strength for when you get jammed between trees? Perhaps I am the only lanky git still using 100mm and 110mm stems…. Plenty of cheap ones about at the mo!

Perhaps I am the only lanky git still using 100mm and 110mm stems…. Plenty of cheap ones about at the mo!

Try a longer TT? Overall looking at my widest bars over the narrow ones there it very little in the distance when going straight but reach when cornering does change. It’s also to combat the change in leverage you have but that is pointless if it changes the setup so that it’s not very ridable.

I just swapped a 670/90 for a 760/60. First ride this evening, and it felt really good! Made the bike less twitchy, but the front doesn’t seem too light. On-One has some really cheap stems; cheap enough to buy a couple to try out. Hot box stem

Edit – I do find it really weird now that I can see the front axle/hub in front of the bar now!

50mm will feel really short compared to your old stem. I would recommend moving to 70mm first, using a second hand stem. Then if that doesn’t work, you haven’t lost much if you move to 50mm.

I guess it will be what ever fashion dictates – I have 70 mm / 710 but personally I am not a great lover or the real wide bar concept.
a) It stops you getting through stuff
b) my road rat on 580 bars is way more flickable because you have to move the bars less to get the same wheel response

Hoogely wide bars may be well groovy if you are carving a trail through Moab but they are bleeding useless in Stanmer Park ….
I’ve seen both the long stem / short bar and the short stem / wide bar stages of MTB. TBH it is what suits you

I’m probaly happiest at 660/680 and a 90 stem, and 1 1/2 riser ….

Well I have totally defied convention with my 29er hardtail.A 90mm stem with a 640mm flatbar.My bar choice was chosen as my last bar was the same width.The stem was chosen through fit as I had a longer top tube compared to my old bike.I was still in the 100mm stem train of thought!
Thanx,
Max

My stems go from 110mm to 150mm all on the largest frames I can get

Got no idea how wide my handlebars are, so cannot comment on the ratio thing. Just play around until it all feels comfortable and the bike still works well. I’ve got the same handlebars on two of my bikes; on one the bike feels good with a 70mm stem, the other a 50mm.

Loving playing with this rule.

With 580 and 730 bars I’m playing with +/-75mm. Current stems are 120 and 90 respectively, so that would mean a 195! on the 580 and a 45 on the 730 for equivalent handling. It would be 10! on an 800 bar.

It seems my old school 580/120 is surprisingly fast. I’ve never realised over the years of people moving onto shorter stems and wider bars that I already had a comparatively short stem. Feels really sorted and immediate to me.

The 730/90 is very recent on a slacker new bike with an extra 20mm travel, but apparently the steering is slow. Feels fine to me, although I could easily chop at least 30mm off the bar.

I know it’s only a guideline, I just found the notion of 195 and 10 stems amusing. Have they ever even made them?

I didn’t know there was a rule.

Stem/bar rules are like psi settings on air-dampers – good as a starting point.

But as has been said it’s ultimately down to the riding you do and preference.

I ride a Pitch with a 60mm/720mm set up – ideally it would be 70mm/740mm.

ondonerinoz – Member
for equivalent handling

Equivalent reach, not handling

780 bars and 35mm stem for the win!

You need to perfect the narrow gap wiggle though!

+1 for BillOddie – need to make sure your bike has a massively long top tube as well FTW

Common sense with probably shine through and the trend for 780 bars will go …

Everyone will go back to 80 – 100 mm stems and mid 600 bars.
Wide bars are just silly …honest, it is a bike , you don’t need that much leverage

@mrmoofo

Actually, as well as slightly more leverage, wider bars also give you slightly greater fine control over the steering, as the bars describe a longer arc for the same angle of rotation at the steerer tube.

Obviously there comes a point when it’s ridiculous, and of course everyone has their own personal preference, but there are some valid reasons for going to wider bars. Just like not getting stuck between trees is a valid reason for narrow ones 😉

Most people have very little common sense, just try out bars/stems and see what suits you. Or buy some really wide ones and hold them in different places !

Asking the internet without thinking first is daft.

I didn’t know there was a rule either.

I’ve settled at putting a 740mm bar on my original 90mm stem. Despite fiddling with my cockpit repeatedly on my other bike, I’m perfectly happy with it.

I went from a 720/70 to a 780/45. Seems spot on for what i want, climbing is slightly worse but that doesnt bother me much as i only climb to go down. This is on a large ’13 stumpy evo.

I didn’t know there was a rule either.

that is because there isn’t one it’s not road riding….
adjust to get your pleasure and shove the maths up your….

I didn’t know there was a rule.

the fisrt rule is that nobody talks about it …

Nixon – sure but wide bars/ short stem vs long stem / short bars two extremes, which is future will seem a little ridiculous. But they are both about balance. You don’t want steering to sensitive, not too sluggish

Wide bars on a short stem will dampen steering – but on a longer stem will increase it’s sensitivity

Real men would use wide bar / long stems for major control sensitivity …

I’m currently running 736mm flat bar and 70mm 0 rise stem on my 29’er HT and 730mm low rise bar & 90mm inverted 6deg stem on my 29’er FS and they both handle really nicely.

When I built my first 29’er HT it was 685 flat bar on a 90mm stem, swapped it for the above HT set up and it felt way better straight away.

When I had a 140mm travel 26’er FS it had 745mm low rise bars on a 65mm 0 rise stem, that too was good.