800 mm wide Bars….!!🤦🏼‍♂️

PeeJay1

PeeJay1

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Getting out and about on the , Levo Comp, previous owner had put 800mm Renthal Fat bar on, …. Christ back in the 80’s I was cutting my , Answer Hyperlite’s down to 450mm..!!,
Question is….. Do we/ you need a 800 mm bar, I’ll do a few more miles and see, but I have the pipe cutter ready…!!!
 
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bcmtb said:
Ride it for a bit, you might get used to it and like it.

I personally am a huge fan of 800mm bars. Wouldn't want any narrower. YMMV.
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Will do…. I know things move on and evolve, but the width makes me Chuckle.. Will let ya know…👍
 
PeeJay1 said:
🤣…. You would have to be about 8 foot tall for shoulders that width..!!!
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Do a bunch of pushups, get someone to measure how far apart your little fingers are in the pushup position after you’ve settled to the natural position for your hands. Cut your bars to that width. Comes in about 800 for a normal height person.
 
PeeJay1 said:
Getting out and about on the , Levo Comp, previous owner had put 800mm Renthal Fat bar on, …. Christ back in the 80’s I was cutting my , Answer Hyperlite’s down to 450mm..!!,
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You still ride'em 450s?
 
I ride 800, enjoy them immensely.

I've never actually cut a pair of bars, but I have broad shoulders.
 
I remember reading someone recommending a starting point for bar width by multiplying your height in mm by 0.44
Using the formula, my starting point is 761mm (1730mmx0.44).
Coincidentally, the bars on my bike (including grips) measure about 765mm
 
450 mm bars are great for anorexic time travelers who shave their legs, wear lycra yoga pants, and ride XC trails on bikes with 73 degree head tube angles.

unnamed-4 Medium.jpeg
 
I’d rather have 780mm bars. But because of the trails here I eventually cut them down to 760mm. This was a slight adjustment to my geometry but I had less issues with narrow trails. My knuckles are happier now. 👍🏻

Even at 760mm I can barely fit through this thing.

IMG_3754.jpeg
 
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It's horses for courses.

Just in case that analogy does not translate around the world: You wouldn't use a cart horse for a steeplechase race and neither would you try to pull a plough with a racehorse.
So, wide bars? Deffo not in commuter traffic, maybe not even in the woods, but DH trails perfect. I have tried a variety of widths for what I mostly ride and I have slowly increased to 780mm.
My grandson loves his 800s, but he occasionally has a few problems when he rides with me.
 
Joecrow said:
Makes me feel deficient, I just have 740mm and that feels really too wide when I have to ride in the city.:eek:
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They just seem too wide… Will ride a few weeks with, them then make a decision… might buy a cheap pair of bars and cut till it suits…👍
 
steve_sordy said:
It's horses for courses.

Just in case that analogy does not translate around the world: You wouldn't use a cart horse for a steeplechase race and neither would you try to pull a plough with a racehorse.
So, wide bars? Deffo not in commuter traffic, maybe not even in the woods, but DH trails perfect. I have tried a variety of widths for what I mostly ride and I have slowly increased to 780mm.
My grandson loves his 800s, but he occasionally has a few problems when he rides with me.
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With my 780 bars I sometimes have problems in the trees but most of my time is in the open - everything is a compromise.
 
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Wide bars also give you leverage and stability when climbing, but the width all depends on your biomechanics. I personally run 790mm bars.
 
head angle has an impact on bar width since the slacker the head angle the slower the steering response so you may end up preferring different width bars on different bikes.

A wider bar gives slower steering, a narrow bar faster steering............hence if you go too narrow steering can become twitchy on off road terrain.

A wider bar also in effect increases reach ( since your arms are spread wider), conversely a narrower bar reduces reach. The difference is marginal but noticeable.

My preferred width on my enduro bikes is 780, and 770 on my trail bike.
 
I had 800mm Renthal Fatbars on my two previous bikes and when I got the eBike, I stayed with the stock bars. They're 780mm and I feel like they are a touch too narrow, every now and again.
I am only 5'9'-5'10' (176cm) and don't have a massive wingspan, but those Renthals were perfect - but I think that had more to do with the upsweep and backsweep than anything else.
But yes...it's a very personal subject and many people don't get on well with 800 or 810 bars.
I personally am quite a fan of a good 800mm Renthal.
 
PeeJay1 said:
They just seem too wide… Will ride a few weeks with, them then make a decision… might buy a cheap pair of bars and cut till it suits…👍
Click to expand...
Why not just ride what you have and cut them down as you see fit

770/780 is the sweet spot for me at 6ft4, had 820/800 and was just a bit too wide for the tight, off piste enduro stuff I ride
 
PeeJay1 said:
They just seem too wide… Will ride a few weeks with, them then make a decision… might buy a cheap pair of bars and cut till it suits…👍
Click to expand...
You can cut them down little by little - eg. 1 cm off each end at a time, AFTER repeatedly doing this:

Move the controls on your bar 1 cm inboard at each end, then try riding with your hands at least 1 cm from the end of each side. If you're sure it feel better take off the grips and carefully cut 1 cm off each end while the bars are still on the bike. If you're not sure don't cut. Good luck.
 
irie said:
You can cut them down little by little - eg. 1 cm off each end at a time, AFTER repeatedly doing this:

Move the controls on your bar 1 cm inboard at each end, then try riding with your hands at least 1 cm from the end of each side. If you're sure it feel better take off the grips and carefully cut 1 cm off each end while the bars are still on the bike. If you're not sure don't cut. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Very good solution (y)
 
PeeJay1 said:
Getting out and about on the , Levo Comp, previous owner had put 800mm Renthal Fat bar on, …. Christ back in the 80’s I was cutting my , Answer Hyperlite’s down to 450mm..!!,
Question is….. Do we/ you need a 800 mm bar, I’ll do a few more miles and see, but I have the pipe cutter ready…!!!
Click to expand...
I got some at Xmas not much difference to what was on . New levo could not tell you what size they are . Not made any difference but I wouldn't want too narrow either.
 
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