XC Racers – what width bars?

thinking of going for wider bars (currently 720) to help skills and confidence.

740 seems a waste of money (for 10mm extra each side) and 760 sounds too wide.

noticed most stock bikes are 720

new scalpel 760

whats everyone racing on?

These at 720:

http://www.xcracer.com/shop/viewproduct.php?productid=352

720 flat Mt Zooms from XCRacer.com

740 for me, but I don’t just race on it, I use it for everything.
FWIW I’m 5’8, 65kg, riding a 29er hardtail

Bar width has a lot to do with 2 things, your body and the width of your trails. How wide are your shoulders? how wide is comfortable for you to hold?

I’m on 720’s on a FS 29’er and they feel just right, I’m 5’11” BTW. As above there’s no point having massive bars if you’re hitting trees.

750mm Thomson here. At first I thought they felt too wide and wanted to cut them down but now I love them and going back to my old bike with the old Easton risers it feels like riding a toy bike!

I ride 785mm normally, but 750mm to 760mm feels about right when racing XC.

Easton flat wide bars here at 720mm. I actually think they are a touch too wide for me, I’ve got wide grips on them though so just find i slide hands inboard for climbs and outboard for descents.

there’s no point having massive bars if you’re hitting trees.

I had a massive stack last year at cannock during the BMBS, just clipped a tree with the end of my bar and went flying 😳

yep – Cannock is tight in them tree sections.

I’m missing my old 780s on my new 740s but I’m still clipping trees.

Not racing though, think I’d stick with 720s if I was, maybe even narrower depending on how gnar the courses are/how close the trees are.

Blimey, I’m still on 685s. I did push the boat out last year with 710s, but hit a tree and then fell a long way down an embankment. Obviously I blamed the bars so cut them down.

sefton – Member

740 seems a waste of money (for 10mm extra each side) and 760 sounds too wide.

10mm per end is actually a fairly large difference, you’ll feel it I think. For me 720 to 740 is where narrow tips over to OK (which is weird, because 600mm or therabouts used to feel grand).

But if in doubt, buy long, cut short. And remember the easiest way to find your perfect length is to cut a bit off then regret it 😉

Cannock is tight in them tree sections.

After extensive testing *cough*

* 740 mm – no probs
* 750 mm – tight squeeze
* 760 mm – needs some skill
* 770 mm – start clipping trees
* 780 mm – clip every tree

HTH

Kinesis strut 750mm here. as above, +10mm each side makes quite a difference IMO.

720 Mt Zooms here too.

Cut the 760s to 750.

That’ll be perfect surely?

Oh and don’t you think shoulder width, arm length might be factors? I mean you don’t ask what size bikes folk are riding…

850mm…. don’t let the buggers past 🙂

Not xc, my handlebars where 760 and have just cut them down to 750, didnt think i would notice the difference? but it feels a lot better, going to leave it a few weeks and see how it goes

Cut my 760 Enve Sweeps down to 730 after a few test rides last year, for me that’s the sweet spot.

Bought a Stache 9 Autumn last year for winter/fun duties, this came with 760 bars which I thought would be fun for this type of bike, but after breaking my thumb in Jan clipping a tree with the bar end I’ve just cut those down to 730 as well!

720mm flat bars for me.

I’ve got 760mm that came with my new Scalpel. Previously raced with 700mm bars. Prefer the wider bars

750mm Kinesis Strut for me, and I still tend to have my hands slightly off the end of the bar. I might end up 10mm narrower though after the start straight crash at Pembrey – scuffed up one end so I could just lop it off.

rocketman – Member
Cannock is tight in them tree sections.

After extensive testing *cough*
* 740 mm – no probs
* 750 mm – tight squeeze
* 760 mm – needs some skill
* 770 mm – start clipping trees
* 780 mm – clip every tree

My experience has been similar but slightly different

* 680 mm – start clipping trees
* 700+ mm – clip every tree
* 780 mm – wallop elbows off trees on most sections.

For XC, somewhere between 650 and 680 with a 100mm stem. If you want to help skills and confidence, you don’t want an XC bike. My trailbike runs about 720 with a 50mm stem, I find that good for confidence. I’ve tried wider bars, but just find the steering too slow. I really don’t understand why anyone would want 800mm bars.

720 Mt Zooms