800 mm wide Bars….!!🤦🏼‍♂️

Pyr0 said:
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
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had the bars cut on my Gen 4 Levo yesterday from 800 to 770.
 
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I use 760mm on my all-mtn eMTB and 780mm on the DH/BP eMTB, to some 20mm wider different may not feel like a big deal of different. Not to change the HB discussion, but I have started using 55mm risers on both my eMTBs and that made a big different in ride feel. Some trails in my area with the 55mm riser I am going 8 to 10sec faster, base on what Strava is showing.
 
I reckon there's a bit of willy waving goes on with wide bars (look at gnarly me and my 800mm bars)! It is a very individual thing as well though depending on your physiology and personal preference.
I ran 800s for ages on my Rallon and the on my eeb but finally decided to try going narrower again and for me it feels much better after cutting them down to 780. The only downside is that I definitely don't feel as gnarly as I used to! 🤣
 
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…!!!
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Cut those sum bitches! I can’t stand super wide bars! They look ridiculous and they limit your movement on the bike. They make you hunched over the front end, which is not what you want on steep DH. I see wider bars on mountain bikes than on motocross bikes! That’s just retarded! I’m down with narrower and high rise bars. They let You ride more upright and able to get back on the bike when descending. My widest bars are 740 and 40mm rise on my ebike.
 
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My Orbea Rise M20 (bought second hand) was equipped with a 800 mm bar which I felt was way to wide for my use. I am 172 cm tall and rides mostly narrow trails in forested areas. I don’t do any hardcore downhill riding.
I cut it down to 740, still too wide so cut it further to 680 mm.
I can also mention that I have a beautiful 15 year old full-suspension non-E mtb which was designed for the Birkebeiner mtb race. This bike has a 620 mm bar which I find very comfortable.
 
Depends on how wide you shoulder are, how long your arms are, and all that. I like 800-810. 780 is not cutting it for me anymore. One bike has 780 and it annoys me constantly since I find myself holding it too close to the outside edges.
 
There’s a fine line between widths of bars. My height or reach is less of a factor. The area and terrain is a factor.

Narrow trails and bowling-ball sized rocks. The amount of torque on my bar while twisting over rocks or roots says 800mm bars are okay …but narrow trails and trees says 650mm bars are better. I’ve settled for 760mm wide bars.
Unless I find a battery-operated auto-adjustable bar-width-thingy. Hmm 🤔, gives me an idea.
 
Anyone in the US want some nice inexpensive carbon bars....check out the Ibis HiFi at N+1 bikes. I just ordered two. I have two on two diff bikes already. They are not overly stiff and I like the shape for comfort. They will replace my Pivot 780 that is on one bike and I think I will replace the Pivot 800 carbon one that is on the Shuttle AM. The HiFi is better shaped near the stem for my light and GoPro when I use it.
 
TimC7 said:
Multiply your height by .44
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That might work for Vitruvian man, but it sure does not work for me!

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Cut mine to 780 but im thinking 760mm might be perfect, I still nick trees here and there, Not getting stopped or thrown amazingly but a little more clearance would be good . I look at my hand position and i do still have some grip showing outboard of my hands so think i wont even notice. Except for not hitting trees as often
 
Not a real-world solution but some grips allow you to position them for a test-run. Moving them in or out until you feel happy. Slide the brake levers into position also. Might be an idea before you cut-to-width.
 
RustyIron said:
It was only a few short years ago that people thought adjustable seatposts were stupid. Adjustable bars could be the next big thing. You'll be RICH!
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But, but…what if I fail miserably. Everyone will laugh at me 🥲.

I love the look on on someone’s face when my seat pops up. I sometimes time it perfectly with the snap of my fingers while I point at the saddle.…then I leave.
 
My first full suss was a 2009 Giant Anthem X2 (a highly rated XC trail bike). It had 580mm wide bars. I read a review in the much-missed "What Mountain Bike" that the bars were too narrow for the bike. So I bought some 660mm on their recco.

I noted at the time "The difference was amazing! Much more control, especially at low speed through the woods. What Mountain Bike were right".

If I tried to ride my bike now with 580mm bars I think I'd crash at the first corner! :giggle:
 
I think of a road bike if it goes wrong you usually are off smartiish 🤔 . Mtb you get away with bigger mistakes and go whew lucky . So much to do with bar width.
 
182/5'11 and I've tried 800, which gradually were trimmed down to 780 which I've rode for a couple of years and recently have settled with 760 for all my MTBs.

Trees are not an issue where I ride most of the time, but I think I am less comfortable on the wider bars when seated and the bike is a bit too wide / feels more cumbersome to me.

Even though I do feel a slight benefit in stability when in the attack position with a bit wider of a bar, I don't think it outweighs the negatives, and 760 is plenty wide already, giving me all the leverage I need.

I mean, you trade 5% width for 5% leverage (on a 45mm or 35mm stem, same difference pretty much), so the isn't a really dramatic change: people should be able to adapt to either easily, although I do tend to look at people being too stretch when they combine the "larger than needed" frame they sized up to, with a wider than they need bar. And sorry, it cannot be the case that peeps on M and S bikes are equally happy on 780 and 800mm bars as the peels on XLs...there is FOMO going on.
 
182cm. Had some race face carbon next R bars that came at 800mm. Left them untouched for ages but sort of then kept feeling like I was lurching over the bars so bought some sacrificial bars and cut them to 760 and it felt way better. So the expensive ones are now cut down. I’ve now got my eye on the one up carbon bars that come in at 760mm with flex!
 
Yeah, I hear they get way stiffer once you cut them down past 20mm or so, depending on original length. I would not even cut 820s down past 810 but since 800 is most common, I'm in luck. The one exception may be the Ibis bars. Since the ends have the alloy ends screwed on, if you do take them down to 760 by unscrewing the alloy pieces (or cutting them down a bit) they may not lose much compliance. They will lose some but probably not noticeable.
 
I started with my bars being 800 mm because I was told that wider is better. I have over time trimmed them down and I landed at 760 mm and it seems like the sweet spot.
 
I’m curious. In the next few weeks I’m gonna check/ask what the typical bar width is for our area. Heavily treed, narrow trails, tight corners, very little open spaces.

My height is 5’9”. My arm span is a ridiculous 6’2”+. My wife ask me to reach for the fine china stored in the highest cabinet shelf. Long arms can be an advantage and disadvantage.

Given all that, my height is not the priority for me. Where I ride is. I’m not in vehicle traffic or open fields.…it’s usually tight spaces, narrow trails, sudden obstacles that can bust your knuckles.

IMO, wider bar width is better …but not for me in my area.
 
I'm 6ft with 6'2" arm span. new bike came with 800mm bars but it's a touch too wide, will trim down to 780mm which is what I'm used to, thinking of ordering a new set of bars so may go down to 760 before I order to see if I like that.
 
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