Handlebar width?

[emily_in_nc]

I am in the process of spec'ing out a new road bike (Aegis Swift) for the new year.

I would like feedback from anyone who has opinions about or experience using a wider drop handlebar than your "perfect" size per the charts.

A bit of background: I am a petite rider and my current handlebar is 38 cm width, which is pretty narrow. I had my husband measure my shoulder width as specified on a web site I found for determining bike size, and sure enough, my "correct" bar size is indeed 38 cm. However, I have been toying with the idea of specifying a 40cm bar for my new bike.

The reason for this is because I have a lot of trouble climbing out of the saddle when compared to my peers. I watch them, and it seems so effortless, but for me, the front wheel feels incredibly squirrelly and I am all over the place. I've been riding for over a year now, and have put in over 4000 miles on my bike in that time, but because of the squirrelly feel, I really hate to ride out of the saddle, even though I know that it's a good way to work different muscles on a long climb, or even to accelerate on the flats. I think the squirrelliness is partially caused by the small front wheel (24") on my Terry and partially because of the narrow handlebars.

I didn't realize what a difference wider bars and a larger front wheel would make until I recently had the opportunity to ride a "cruiser" bike (with 700c wheels and fat knobby tires) on vacation all over a resort for a week. I had no problem climbing out of the saddle, and in fact, loved it and felt great (and powerful!) doing it. That's how I want to feel on my road bike!

My new bike will have 650c wheels, so that's a bit better, but now I am thinking I might try the wider handlebar too, for greater stability. I do a lot of long rides too, though, so I am unsure if it would be less comfy for that. Another advantage I can see of the wider bar is a third hand position on the top of the bar. My bar is so narrow that with my computer and HRM, there is barely any room for my hands on top of the bar before the curved part of the bar begins, so I never use that hand position.

So what do you think? Is a wider bar a good idea, or will it cause more problems than it solves?

Thanks!
Emily

 

[brightgarden]

i think you need to try it out. my friend's bike came with bars that were too wide for her, her shop told her they were too wide for her, and she had a hard time with them. she eventually had them replaced, and found that it didn't make that much difference. but she didn't have handling issues, she had shoulder-ache issues. [her original bars were 42, her replacement bars that "fit" her were 38--perhaps 40 would have been just right]

how long is your stem? if you have a short stem, that could account for some of the handling. i didn't realize it would until i was test riding bikes, some of which were really hard to handle: they told me it was because the stem was very short (something that often gets adjusted to make women fit their bikes better). well, it could go for men too: i say women because i am a woman and that's the context that all the salespeople talked to me. sometimes you can't do anything about it (your fit requires a shorter stem), but it seems to me that you could hunt around for a bike whose geometry works with you. i'm planning on getting a custom frame made once i get my $$$ lined up.

good luck!

 

[drewski]

brands of bars can be different too so if you're going wider you may want to stick with the brand/model you have now.

i just changed from 42cm (o-t-o) 3T Zepp bars to 42cm (c-t-c. essentially 44cm o-t-o) Ritchey WCS bars. the new Ritchey bars are (as expected) 2cm wider at the open ends of the bars, but the drops are more perpendicular to the road vs. the Zepp bars where they curved out more gradually.

this difference made where the brakes attach almost 4cm wider on the Ritchey bars, even though they were only a 2cm wider size. the 2cm wider Zepp is only 2cm wider at the brakes and has the same "curve" characteristics.

did all that make any sense?

 

[dhk]

Originally posted by emily_in_nc
I am in the process of spec'ing out a new road bike (Aegis Swift) for the new year.

I would like feedback from anyone who has opinions about or experience using a wider drop handlebar than your "perfect" size per the charts.

A bit of background: I am a petite rider and my current handlebar is 38 cm width, which is pretty narrow. I had my husband measure my shoulder width as specified on a web site I found for determining bike size, and sure enough, my "correct" bar size is indeed 38 cm. However, I have been toying with the idea of specifying a 40cm bar for my new bike.

The reason for this is because I have a lot of trouble climbing out of the saddle when compared to my peers. I watch them, and it seems so effortless, but for me, the front wheel feels incredibly squirrelly and I am all over the place. I've been riding for over a year now, and have put in over 4000 miles on my bike in that time, but because of the squirrelly feel, I really hate to ride out of the saddle, even though I know that it's a good way to work different muscles on a long climb, or even to accelerate on the flats. I think the squirrelliness is partially caused by the small front wheel (24") on my Terry and partially because of the narrow handlebars.

I didn't realize what a difference wider bars and a larger front wheel would make until I recently had the opportunity to ride a "cruiser" bike (with 700c wheels and fat knobby tires) on vacation all over a resort for a week. I had no problem climbing out of the saddle, and in fact, loved it and felt great (and powerful!) doing it. That's how I want to feel on my road bike!

My new bike will have 650c wheels, so that's a bit better, but now I am thinking I might try the wider handlebar too, for greater stability. I do a lot of long rides too, though, so I am unsure if it would be less comfy for that. Another advantage I can see of the wider bar is a third hand position on the top of the bar. My bar is so narrow that with my computer and HRM, there is barely any room for my hands on top of the bar before the curved part of the bar begins, so I never use that hand position.

So what do you think? Is a wider bar a good idea, or will it cause more problems than it solves?

Thanks!
Emily

My guess is that the bigger, heavier wheels and different geometry on the cruiser bike made the difference, not the bar width. The 650 tires ought to help a lot. But if a wider bar will allow you more hand positions, I'd say go for it.

Only compromise I know of would be a slightly less aero position, since your hands/arms will be 2 cm wider apart. Not a big deal unless you're worried about seconds in a time trial or long race.

Dan

 

[bestrin04]

Originally posted by emily_in_nc
I am in the process of spec'ing out a new road bike (Aegis Swift) for the new year.

I would like feedback from anyone who has opinions about or experience using a wider drop handlebar than your "perfect" size per the charts.

A bit of background: I am a petite rider and my current handlebar is 38 cm width, which is pretty narrow. I had my husband measure my shoulder width as specified on a web site I found for determining bike size, and sure enough, my "correct" bar size is indeed 38 cm. However, I have been toying with the idea of specifying a 40cm bar for my new bike.

The reason for this is because I have a lot of trouble climbing out of the saddle when compared to my peers. I watch them, and it seems so effortless, but for me, the front wheel feels incredibly squirrelly and I am all over the place. I've been riding for over a year now, and have put in over 4000 miles on my bike in that time, but because of the squirrelly feel, I really hate to ride out of the saddle, even though I know that it's a good way to work different muscles on a long climb, or even to accelerate on the flats. I think the squirrelliness is partially caused by the small front wheel (24") on my Terry and partially because of the narrow handlebars.

I didn't realize what a difference wider bars and a larger front wheel would make until I recently had the opportunity to ride a "cruiser" bike (with 700c wheels and fat knobby tires) on vacation all over a resort for a week. I had no problem climbing out of the saddle, and in fact, loved it and felt great (and powerful!) doing it. That's how I want to feel on my road bike!

My new bike will have 650c wheels, so that's a bit better, but now I am thinking I might try the wider handlebar too, for greater stability. I do a lot of long rides too, though, so I am unsure if it would be less comfy for that. Another advantage I can see of the wider bar is a third hand position on the top of the bar. My bar is so narrow that with my computer and HRM, there is barely any room for my hands on top of the bar before the curved part of the bar begins, so I never use that hand position.

So what do you think? Is a wider bar a good idea, or will it cause more problems than it solves?

Thanks!
Emily

Have you been able to find anything with a 700c wheel that fits you. I think you would find benefits to a 700c wheel and maybe 165mm cranks, with a 40cm bar (sometimes a wider bars allows you to breath better too) and maybe even a MTN set up in back, an 11-30 cassette with a xt deraileur.

What do you think, I see this set-up work a lot for shorter riders.

B04

 

[emily_in_nc]

Originally posted by bestrin04
Have you been able to find anything with a 700c wheel that fits you. I think you would find benefits to a 700c wheel and maybe 165mm cranks, with a 40cm bar (sometimes a wider bars allows you to breath better too) and maybe even a MTN set up in back, an 11-30 cassette with a xt deraileur.

What do you think, I see this set-up work a lot for shorter riders.

B04

It would be nice, but no, I can't ride a 700c bike without significant toe overlap, which I'm not willing to deal with. I need a 19" top tube as I am only 5'2" with a short torso. And, I've already bought my frame, which takes 650c wheels, so that's non-negotiable.

I do have a short stem on my current bike, and that may also be causing some of the handling issues, as someone else mentioned.

I already have 165 mm cranks; I am not sure why that would make a difference - or the cassette range (I have a 12-27 Ultegra currently). It's only the front end that seems to be a problem. I have a low enough gear (30-27) that I don't have to get out of the saddle to climb, it's just that I want to.

Emily

 

[emily_in_nc]

Originally posted by dhk
My guess is that the bigger, heavier wheels and different geometry on the cruiser bike made the difference, not the bar width. The 650 tires ought to help a lot. But if a wider bar will allow you more hand positions, I'd say go for it.

Only compromise I know of would be a slightly less aero position, since your hands/arms will be 2 cm wider apart. Not a big deal unless you're worried about seconds in a time trial or long race.

Dan

Nah, I don't race, so that wouldn't be a big issue. You might be right about other factors that helped with handling on the cruiser bike. Thanks for your input!

Emily

 

[Feanor]

I think that the inherent stability you feel on the cruiser bikes is due more to the geometry i.e. rake of the front fork, seat angle, the tires and the bike weight, more than the bar width...

You don't want to "splay" that is have your hand width wider than your shoulders otherwise you're presenting a larger aspect of your body to the wind and at speed on the flats, riding on the hoods, that's like adding another 10 pounds to your bike

I'm not certain if their is a min threshold for where the biomechanics and the rules of body position and climbing out of the saddle start to change, but I've been under the impression that getting your hands closer to centerline makes you inherently more stable.

These rules might only apply to flats though and not power stroking it up the ascent...

In theory narrower hand position should be more stable with the downside of slower steering inputs (which is why its more stable )

Let us know how it works out with the wider bars... Test them out first and if they feel as squirrely to you, stick with the one's about your shoulder width... In a stiff headwind, you'll be thankful

Good luck!

 

[drewski]

Originally posted by Feanor

In theory narrower hand position should be more stable with the downside of slower steering inputs (which is why its more stable )

steering inputs are faster with narrower bars (same distance hand movement = bigger turn of wheels), but at the same time your leverage is reduced because your hands are closer to the fulcrum (head-tube).

the wider bar should make things "less squirelly" in the sense that as you're rocking the bike back and forth while out of the saddle any non-symettrical movements turning the handlebars will cause the wheel to turn with a smaller angle.

of course, another thing to consider is that you (emily_in_nc) just need to ride out of the saddle more to get used to it. the wider bar will minimize the effects of the inputs, but the inputs will probably be there until you are more stable out of the saddle. how to get more stable? ride more out of the saddle!

it's like if i've done nothing but mountain bike for a month and then jump on my road bike. i feel a bit squirrely for several miles and especially so if i get out of the saddle. has my road bike gotten less stable in the last month? no, but i've just gotten used to the more relaxed geometry of my mtn bike.

just some more food for thought.

 

[JSCORNO]

Emily-

I went from a 44cm to a 42cm bar last summer and was a great help for my shoulder pain and hand numbness. Just 2cm! Who'd have thought?

You should definitely try a different a different size and see how you like it. There are no rules, just guidelines, for what's right for you.

Good luck.

-Jeff

 

[ewitz]

i must be confused but it sounds like you are a woman. if so, why are you riding a bike and does your husband condone thtis type of behaviour?

 

[el Ingles]

Better a bar 2cm too wide than a bar 2cm too narrow , much more comfort , and the aerodynamic advantages are to small for any but the most rabid road racer to even notice / care about , if you ride for fun then it´s comfort above all .

Also .. try riding hands off , if you can´t it may be that the headbearings are too tight . Bought a bike a few years ago after a very long time away , I could not take a look over my shoulder without wobbling all over the place , wasn´t me thank goodness , the shop had over tightened the headbearings , loosened off it was fine ,no problems .