I’m just about to cut down my bars as they’re very wide (690mm). I think I read somewhere that 660mm is a good trail bike width… can anyone confirm? They’re the bars on my ss so I definitely don’t want to cut them too short (I’m ashamed to say I have done that before!)

My other bike bars are at about 630mm and so I’m thinking a bit wider than that. What do you reckon – 660mmm a good place to start?

Want to do it in the next 5 mins so quick advice very welcomed!

Cheers!

Have you ridden them?
They’re so much better for slow techy stuff, and on the DHs, and just generally more fun everywhere else

Do you have wid(ish) shoulders/long arms?

Keep them wide, set up brake levers in more than normal (for one finger braking) and try to get used to them for a bit. Give them a chance. Chances are you’ll start to really like them (though will feel odd to start with – it maybe worth sticking a shorter stem on to speed up the steering/rebalance your weight distribution at least to start with)

At least then you can always cut them down if you really ‘have’ to

657.32mm – it will be niche, unlike all those 660 conformists 😀

Seriously, I run 635mm on SS and am happy. My advice… start at 660 and work down if your not happy after a few rides.

Cheers James, no I haven’t ridden them yet so good advice. It’s just that the cockpit is pretty big for me and I already have a short stem on (65mm) so I don’t want to be stretched out for the sake of it. I think your advice is good, but I also think they are wider than most bars as some people use them for DH (and I’m pretty small!). What do you reckon – do you still stand by your advice?!

All kind of dependson what feels comfortable.

I’ve cut about 10mm of each end of my Sunline V2 bars on the pitch and left the Race Face Atlas AM ones as they came on my Handjob

Thanks Crankstein – that’s good to know. I think I’d be surprised if 660 was too short…

Yep, you’re totally right. I’m just trying to avoid having one uncomfortable ride to confirm – that, yes, they do infact need cutting down!

As said, 690mm is the best place to start.
If you cut em too short you can’t add width back on (obviously!)

That said, I find Easton’s 685mm perfection. So maybe file 2.5mm off each end? 🙂

I got some 685mm bars (After having used 640mm’s for MTBing for ages)
The first ride felt really wierd, the next couple I stuck a shorter stem on, and it wasn’t completely used to it. I swapped stems back again (confusing things) but was pretty used to it. Swapping stems now I don’t notice.

Going back to the 640mm’s on rebuildig my hardtail was really wierd though. I hated it.

Having that extra room to set your brake levers more inbound (for one finger braking) is really good as well

“trying to avoid having one uncomfortable ride to confirm – that, yes, they do infact need cutting down!”
I didn’t find the first ride uncomfortable, I just wasn’t used to the slower steering

I find 685mm (the width of my EA50s) about perfect for general trail riding.

660mm seems just a little too narrow afterwards.

Cool, thanks DezB – these are Eastons, so maybe I should give them a go. Does it make any difference that I am pretty small (5’3″ women so shortish body compared to most guys that height) and it’s an on-one so has a long tt?

Sorry – I know I’m now asking for even more advice!

Why cut them? Wider the better I say (apart from when negotiating narrow gap between tres!).

whatever your width is at the shoulders?

Why – because I’m small and don’t want to be stretched out… and there are a few narrow gaps between trees on the ride I’m about to go on!

(I am taking the advice onboard though – I’m just not convinced…yet!)

“whatever your width is at the shoulders?”

My shoulders are about 500mm? I run 685mms? Should I cut them down?

“I’m just not convinced…yet!) “
Give it 4/5 rides, and see if you forgot about them. Well you don’t have to, but you’ve bought some wid(ish) bars, so you may as well give them a proper try

Cut them down to 711 I find that spot on and anything narrower feels odd now. I like my big wide bars!

No way I’d cut bars to my shoulder width. I once cut mine down to about 610mm (still lots wider than my shoulders!) and hated it! Never going below 630mm again and given the choice would go wider… just how much wider?!

Set your lockons 10mm’s in from the end of the bars then ride round the block.

in retrospect, shouldwer width would be crap, as youd have no stability.

good point, ignore me

er… leave them long, try them, if you dont like move your brakes/grips in a bit, try again, if happy cut excess off. As long as you fit end plugs you can ride the bars with the grips in a bit until you find your preffered width, just leaves a bit of exposed bar for a short while.

As you are 5’3″ you might indeed find them too wide. give them a try first, but I wouldn’t go shorter than 660mm.
Good point made above about stem length – wider bars stretch you out more, so a shorter stem feels better.

On a serious note if you have lock on grips go for a few rides with the grips and controls set in different locations. Not from each other just from the previous ride. When you get to one you like then cut. 690 might be ok. It will feel odd at first but you might like it.

Thanks guys, really appreciate the advice. I’ll do the 10mm shorter thing with my grips and let you know later how I found it (if anyone cares that is!)

Thanks again, MM

150mm on the left and 540mm on the right – should be purrfect.

wide bars and short stem here

Well, thanks all for the advice – and Olly for making me chuckle with his ‘ignore me’ comment 😀

For anyone who cares, in the end I took the bars down by a smidge each end, leaving it at slightly over 660mm – mainly because my hubby reckoned they were a bit wide, and well, he’s normally right about these things.

Anyway, tehy felt great! The extra width was good for hauling up the front end, but I’m glad they weren’t much wider, as I had a few close encounters with some closely-spaced trees! (Although, I probably would’ve got used to them, so would agree with most of you guys and encourage others to try before cutting them down – especially if their tt isn’t too long or/and its their only bike so they’re not quite sure what they like)

For what it’s worth I reckon Mr. Nutt is right: The short stem/wide bar combo was great – I haven’t quite got the hang of the handling yet (it’s quite different to my other bike), but once it comes together (and it did a few times today) I think it’ll be magic!

Lovely stuff!

Thanks again. MM

300mm