Roadbar Width

[jambee]

For the specific bike I'm talking about, the riding rules are: if I can roll on it, I will ride it.

It's used for Brevets and off road light touring and gravel roads and also for road riding. I do not race and rarely ride in a tight peloton.

The bar should also have room for Swift Paloma bag...

maybe a 46mm Salsa Cowbell 3 is not a bad idea :-)

[dcama5]

Originally Posted by stephenmarklay

I would say it is very subjective. The place that most fitters will at least start is to match the bar width to you shoulder structure. If you have a 44cm shoulder width than a 44 bar would be a good choice.

I posted about a few weeks ago inquiring about the trend by some to narrower bars to be more aero. I ride a 42 on my go fast bike with a 44 shoulder width.

It was only a few decades ago in the 60’s and 70’s 38-40 was really common and they managed.

You will get the argument that a wider bar allows you to open you chest to breath. That does not seem to matter to most however.

In reality there are so many bars and widths and bends etc that I would just use what you like.

My guess is that this does not matter to most because it is nonsense - some kind of old wives tale from long ago that stuck somehow. Creating a restrictive lung process cannot happen when the arms are fully extended just due to the hands gripping the bars a few centimeters narrower. In order to actually restrict lung movement, and therefore inhaled volume, you have to apply something directly to the chest, like a belt tightened around the chest, or move the arms in very tightly to the chest and apply some sort of inward compressive force. If that point was actually true, the newer time trial bars, where racers place their arms tightly together over the bars, would impede lung capacity so much that they would be useless.

[LouDeeter]

Most bars are measured from the ends, either C-C or E-E as mentioned above. Regarding flaring bars, I'd say use the measurement that best fits where you spend most of your time placing your hands. If you spend most of the time on the hoods, then you're going to need a wider flared bar than a standard bar to get your hands in the right place.

[fuzzalow]

I am an advocate of the droopy shoulder, arms hanging from the shoulder sockets no weight on the hands method with regards to how the handlebars are used. So with a 4-6cm spread between narrowest to widest bar, it won't make all that much difference with what any rider can adapt to. IMO.

If there's weight being pressed into the bars, that's different. Riding this way, especially on the descents, is a lotta work and twitchy handling to boot. When there is funky stuff like this going on, all bets are off for how to choose a bar. Because when the bars are incorrectly used as a weight-bearing platform, whatever feels most stable, or comfortable, is all that counts. Often results in the use of a wider bar - splays the arms out and stabilizes the torso. It isn't a great, or correct, way to ride but that is the way it is for many. Riding like this just seems like a lotta work and it makes bars even more important than they really need to be.

[berserk87]

Originally Posted by dcama5

My guess is that this does not matter to most because it is nonsense - some kind of old wives tale from long ago that stuck somehow. Creating a restrictive lung process cannot happen when the arms are fully extended just due to the hands gripping the bars a few centimeters narrower. In order to actually restrict lung movement, and therefore inhaled volume, you have to apply something directly to the chest, like a belt tightened around the chest, or move the arms in very tightly to the chest and apply some sort of inward compressive force. If that point was actually true, the newer time trial bars, where racers place their arms tightly together over the bars, would impede lung capacity so much that they would be useless.

Nicely done and thank for taking the time to eloquently post this. It is the most well-worded argument that I have seen to counter the claim that wide bars assist with respiration.

I recall that Armstrong changed to wider bars at one point, claiming that they aided his breathing. It seemed that this sparked some of the trend that ensued.

[bcroslin]

Originally Posted by berserk87

Nicely done and thank for taking the time to eloquently post this. It is the most well-worded argument that I have seen to counter the claim that wide bars assist with respiration.

I recall that Armstrong changed to wider bars at one point, claiming that they aided his breathing. It seemed that this sparked some of the trend that ensued.

Pretty sure it was the EPO that aided his breathing.

I'm on day 2 of going to a narrower bar (40cm) and I'm so much more comfortable. I also feel much more stable for some reason.