Who's riding wider bars these days?

Hi chaps,

My riding’s progressed to fast, rocky, technical descending since spending the past 12 months in Scotland.

I’m running a 720mm bar, which was paired to a 70mm stem. I’ve gone to a 55mm stem now, and the bar just feels too narrow. I’m thinking of buying some Easton Havoc 750mm bars.

Has anyone gone the same route, and was 750mm a good width for you? I did initially think 740mm, but there’s only the Ragley bar at that width and it’s £20 more than the Easton.

Cheers 🙂

Ricks

740’s and 760’s here

The one thing that’s sticking in my mind is that on my favourite local descent, there’s two sections between trees which are probably 730mm wide, as I always wince going through them. Suppose I could get a saw out 😉

710 / 750 and 800 here, depends what I’m riding

740 and 760. You learn to weave them through the trees. The payoff is on fast rough corners. David’s 800s are mental!

there’s two sections between trees which are probably 730mm wide, as I always wince going through them

Wiggle those bars FTW.

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=72&products_id=532

810mm here, anything less than 800 is just too xc race.

You get used to the width. 750mm Havoc & 55mm Haven stem for me love ’em 🙂

Headpot, that’s the setup I’m looking at 😉

710 and 800. 810 would be a bit wide.

Are you still looking for a stem rickon?

780 answers with 45 mm stem really liked

just swopped to havens 711 and 45mm stem bit narrow

750s maybe calling

760 on the xc/trail bike, 800 on the dh

The one thing that’s sticking in my mind is that on my favourite local descent, there’s two sections between trees which are probably 730mm wide, as I always wince going through them. Suppose I could get a saw out

I find that I have a pretty good idea of where my hands are in space. I.e. even with wider bars I never actually hit them on anything.

I had Havocs @ 750mm on my main bike. Just bought another pair for my second bike. Wide is good.

Went from 685 to 711 Havens a couple of years back, but replaced those with carbon 750 Havocs and whilst I like the extra width, I’m getting a bit of pain in my palms. I think it’s probably just the change of angle but am thinking of maybe slimming them down a little.

PBooker – apologies for not getting back to you, I ended up buying a brand new 55mm Haven Mag stem for £45, was too good a deal to pass up!

Just moveed to 760’s from 720’s same stem. Tried it as the 720’s were carbon and had a fair bit of flex in them. Am liking the move so far.

780s on a 35mm effective stem length. Love it – so much more control and much easier to manhandle the bike through stuff.

585 > 685 > 750 > 750 all my bikes and got rid of all the narrower bars

777s on my 29er with a 60mm stem. Actually cut down bars to 760 on the 26 FS with a 60mm stem. Prob feel odd when I go back to it.

Renthal Fatbars whatever width they are standard on both xc and dh.

760 here chopped down from 800. I did try the 800 for a ride or two but soon clipped stuff. Wouldn’t use anything less though!

711 & 75 to 747 & 60

Fatbar lite 740 coming this week too.

I still like ’em narrow. Mine are chopped right down to about 550

780mm Answer Pro Tapers on both of my mountain bikes with 50mm stems.

Love them and can’t see me gong back to skinnier bars now. Even at Cannock I’m fine on all but two spots.

There must be loads of 711 bars lying around in stw’ers garages….

I’m after some if anyone has some nice low rise numbers they want to shift? 😉

truvativ boobars cut down to 760 with 60 stem, soooo much control and leverage. Amazing!

780 Blackspire here. Which coincidently is the same as the gap between some of the trees at cannock. They’re good at collecting bark under the end caps. 😀 but love the width. So much more stability and control and less twitchy.

Double post

750, so I can get through the gap in Stainburn woods singletrack to the east. I’m not alone, the two trees have almost got notches in them.

760mm with a 50mm stem feels spot on to me. I tried 780 but it was a bit too wide. Previously used 710mm but have them on my hardtail now and it makes it feel like a toy.

760s here. Trails are tight here; there are some trees that they can’t fit between! 😯

760 & 780, was 760 & 745 until the new bike came along, might need a slightly longer stem on the HT now it’s 760 just not quite feeling right.

The width is good, suits my shoulders.

Just gone from 680mm EA70 Monkey Bars to 780mm dmr Wingbars on my Enduro.

This goes with changing from 150mm to 170mm forks. Feels like a completely different bike but wow – so confidence inspiring on the downs. Not sure if it’s the forks, bars or change in geometry – all 3 combined I suppose, but it flies. Uphill a tad harder, but still easily cleaned a local nasty climb.

I’m sure broken knuckles will be on the cards soon though – lots of tight trees on our rides!

doing the bar wiggle at any significant speed requires nerves of steel and much more skill than i have.

i’m going back to 710s. i do dearly love my 760’s though really comfey. but using them means i cant ride a few of my local trails properly flat out.

I’m on 750’s but find myself gripping right at the outside of the grip with my hand hanging off a bit. Next set I get I’m gonna try a little wider, but then 750 seems a good compromise around Cannock.

I bought ProTaper DHs too, without realising they were 780.
They didn’t actually make any difference to steering from the 710s I had before, but they did get in the damn way when riding through trees (or past walkers!)
Cut them down to 750 and they feel perfect. (Actually I didn’t have a single thought about my bars on the QE Enduro, so that means they are perfect 🙂 )

Bregante carbon Havens as new any good?

They were my first foray into wider bars and I’m now settled on Havocs as being the ones for me.

I had 780’s but had to cut them down to 760 to get round tight switchbacks in the alps. Love wide bars, but I am 6’5″.