Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Track Bar Sizing? Please Help.

Ok. Here goes. I tried to order a pair of track drops from the warehouse that supplies the shop I work for. I told them I wanted Nitto B123s, aluminum. Good, fine. Warehouse guy asks, "What size?" I'm like, errr..duhhh...i have no idea. So, helpful manager busts out the tape measure and sizes me up for 44cm. Cool. Problem solved. "Size 44," we say.

Order came in today. Instead of my Nitto B123s, I'm looking at a pair of 3T CCP (Curva Competizione - Pista model), size 44. Same price. Different bars. When I called the warehouse guy, he said that he didn't get the Nittos because they only make them in sizes 40 and 42, no larger. He thought size trumped brand/model.

To me, this would indicate that track bars then run on the narrow side (I don't know if this is true... I don't know much about this stuff.. I just want to RIDE!) if Nitto doesn't even make size 44. OR, Nitto bars are only for small people. I am relatively small, so I don't think this is the case.

SO, my question is: Should I buy the 3T CCP bars? These bars are going to be strictly for racing on the velodrome, not street use. Am I going to be at a disadvantage with the size (which appears as though I should be rocking narrower bars, but I'm not sure because I don't know...)? I mean the look cool, but are they going to give me optimal functionality?

Give me advice. Races are tomorrow night and I don't want to have to use the same crappy road bars again. ....help.... :o

i'm pretty sure 3ttt measures their bars at the outsides, rather than the center to center dimensions. in my opinion 3ttt pista bars are the best looking track bars on earth. i have them on my bianchi pista and i completely love them. they're a little bit deeper than the 123's and have more reach... check out www.businesscycles.com for specs on both bars in question.

as far as functionality, a more narrow bar would make you more aero and give you a bit more room since you're riding in packs on the track. you don't want to go too narrow though to cramp your lungs. i'm really tall, but not super wide shouldered. i have 44's on my road bike, but run the 3ttt 44's, which measure 42 c-c, on my track bike. i also have the 42 c-c modolo track bars as well.

you might want also to think how the longer reach and deeper drop is going to affect your position on the bike. in a sense, both of these bars are drastically different then pretty much any set of road bars. what did you feel was "wrong" or needs changed with your road bars? i prefer deep drop bars since i'm a big tall monkey. depending on your stem and height, the bars might be too deep compared to your road bars.

isotopesope - just to answer your question, I don't like the road bars because they have a long straight flat and tiny little drops. I don't use them on the street. I just pulled them off an old bike I had lying around so that I could ride brakeless on the drome like the rules dictate. I find them somewhat uncomfortable for the track and they leave much to be desired in the aerodynamic department. My normal bars are track drops with brakes (well...one brake, one dummy hood and lever), and I'm not going to untape them and remove the levers every time I race. That's just silly. And, no, I will not ride brakeless on the streets. Not for me. So that's why I'm getting bars for the track. Thanks for the info on the measurements. I didn't know it was outside to outside. That makes it better. More like a 42 c-c I guess.