Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
as I understand it, dropbars are sized to your shoulder width. On my drop-bar road racer my LBS told me to use 42cm bars. The bike came (used) with 38cm, I doubt they are the OEM bars because it is a 60cm frame with a 110mm stem. OEM bars for a bike like that are usually 42cm. Interestingly enough they measured my SO and she is ideal for 38cm bars. They will clear my hips... just. But if I went wider... how much wider? How wide is too wide?? H
Depends on your stoker.
My beloved stoker uses a 40cm Cinelli bar on her single (which is the equivalent of a 38cm bar from anyone else), and found she could not tolerate using a wider bar on the tandem.
We've opted to use custom geometry on our tandems to allow her to exactly reproduce her position from her single, including handlebar width.
YMMV.