Mountain Biking - Trim the handle bars?

My handles bars seem really long to me. I have been riding my road bike for awhile now and maybe im just use to the narrowness. I read somewhere you could trim the handle bars to fit you but i dont know how or what to use to do it. Fill me in guys

hacksaw and a file...cut each side evenly and voila...shorter :)

Pipe cutter better than hack saw, imho - and only 10-20 bucks at Home Depot, much cleaner cut

Pipe cutter better than hack saw, imho - and only 10-20 bucks at Home Depot, much cleaner cut
and straighter too!

I only say hacksaw because 99% of the people I know own one...

as for straight...never had a problem on such a small pipe. Cut, file bang...you have a shorter bar. Now a bigger diameter I would use a pipe cutter as the risk of out of line cut goes way up.

SO yall suggest doing this?

I only say hacksaw because 99% of the people I know own one...

as for straight...never had a problem on such a small pipe. Cut, file bang...you have a shorter bar. Now a bigger diameter I would use a pipe cutter as the risk of out of line cut goes way up.

Inexperience could mess up even the simplest cut. On a thin handlebar, i know that I could do the cut, but i have been welding and fabricating since i was 16. Someone who only uses a hacksaw to cut tree branches once in a while might have troubles making a good cut. It all depends.

If you're in doubt, take it to the LBS, and they'll cut it down for you. It's a safe operation, but there's not going back. You can't widen that bar once it's been cut.

Trim away, if that's what you want to do, but I have learned in the past (the hard way, had to buy a new bar), that h-bar length has a large impact on how the bike handles, especially on climbs. Too short and the bike tends to wander off line much easier.

As the bar gets shorter, breathing gets harder. I have no proof of this other than I read it somewhere and personal experience. The rule of thumb is your hands should be shoulder width apart.

Just move the shifters/levers/grips in first then ride it a bit to work out if you actually do want the bar shorter and by how much.

I allways use a hacksaw, a pipe cutter takes too long and they have a tendancy to flare out the end of the bar if it is thick.

Just move the shifters/levers/grips in first then ride it a bit to work out if you actually do want the bar shorter and by how much.

I allways use a hacksaw, a pipe cutter takes too long and they have a tendancy to flare out the end of the bar if it is thick.

how are you gonna move the grips in? most grips have end caps on them and they should be on all the way already

how are you gonna move the grips in? most grips have end caps on them and they should be on all the way already

Slice the ends off. You can get some plugs or new grips if you don't have barends.

My handles bars seem really long to me. I have been riding my road bike for awhile now and maybe im just use to the narrowness. I read somewhere you could trim the handle bars to fit you but i dont know how or what to use to do it. Fill me in guys


I take it your off road, and the extra width, once you get used to it, will be needed. Minimum width you should have on bars, as a norm, is 25". most bikes come with bars narrower than this, so don't cut unless you have this width. If you are a wider shouldered person, then you will need wider than the 25". I am quite short and narrow, and changed from 23" to 27" when I got riser bars. It felt very wierd at first,about 3 or 4 rides, but then found difficulty controll ing the Kona with its 24" bar. I now have the bianchi and the Kona set up with the same wide bar and it is great.

My bars were originally 26 or 27 inches when I got my bike...After about two months, I read the advice about slightly wider than shoulder width...what I noticed was:
1) my bike handled quicker
2) my riding position became a lil' more upright
3) the front was twitchier on climbs if I didn't balance my weight correctly
4) I learned to balance my weight quicker
5) I didn't have any problems breathing
6) Shifting became easier
7) Braking showed no signs

I rode my friend's StumpJumper with stock 27/28" bars awhile back and found:

1) It felt like I could flop the front end anywhere with flick of the wrist
2) I smacked trees constantly by cuttin' too close...
3) I felt stretched out at the shoulders...

Overall, I'd rather have a little more narrow than REAL wide...if it helps for info, I'm 6'3" and 220...rather big guy...seems smaller guys want the bigger bars...big guys want narrow...hmmmm

wider is definately not better and this riser bar fashion thing is quite annoying.
Every weekend I see ladies and gents out on their MTB's with bars so wide that itlooks like they're carrying a metre rule around.

Bars need to be slightly wider than your shoulders, enough so that yuor wrists are just outboard of each shoulder; hold the bar across your shoulders at either end. mOve your hands inward till they touch your shoulders. Thats how wider the bar needs to be. any wider and you will need to start loosening stem length to keep you comfortable.

I've tried flat bars, switched to risers , cut them shorter to the point where I thought they were comfortable and guess what? they were just as wide as the flats the bike came with, so I switched back to flats and guess what, the bike climbs better...

I'm a small framed person, and I need narrow bars. I get picked on alot about it, but I don't like feeling like I'm driving a Mac truck. Cut em if you need to.