Originally Posted by
Wheever
When choosing a new bar, be careful with the manufacturer's given measurements. After a fitting, it was recommended I get 42cm or "maybe" 44cm bars. I opted for 42, but the 42cm trek bars I bought are actually measured *center to center,* rather than outside to outside, meaning they actually ended up being pretty much 44cm wide. It's fine, I actually do have broad shoulders, but I think I really preferred the trek "40cm" bars because they were *actually* closer to 42cm in the first place.
Center to center is the normal way to measure bars, so if your fitter recommended 42s, he was talking about 42 center to center. A minority of bar companies measure outside to outside, and if they do you would seek a 45cm size to equal 42cm center to center.
So you're on bars 2cm narrower than recommended.