FWIW - I'm 6'3", weigh 255lbs, and wear a size 48 or 50 suit jacket, depending. I have 177 "Noodles" on four bikes, all 46cm or 48cm. Over the years, I have found the I prefer to have the hoods and drops more or less straight out from my shoulders, and that's I get from the bars I use.

+1 on the 42cm size. I am 6ft, 185lbs. I have tried 46cm & 44cm noodles and found them to be too wide.

I was the one up there ^^^ that said my Noodle bars were ordered as 42’s, and measure 44cm at the ends.

The more I think about it, I believe The Golden Boy nailed it. My bars are probably stamped “44” under the tape, and were sold as 44’s.

If you don’t like the back sweep of the 177’s, the Nitto 176 “Dream” bar is a similar shape. Another great one is the 136A Randonneur bar. They’re available in 26.0, and the 44cm wide ones I have measure about 41 at the hoods.

Even the dealers say this:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...be7b40b68b.png

Performance also measures from the center of the brake hoods ( bar illustration is exaggerated to make the point.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a4ac43dfb.jpeg

I had my bike fitter measure me yesterday. I’m a 42cm

One nit to pick, since I saw someone else mention it too--suit coat sizes are based on the chest, not the shoulders. Depending on the brand and style (slim cut versus full cut etc.) a size 42 will vary as much as two inches in shoulder width.

I think it was just a coincidence that a suit coat size in inches had a similar number as a bar width/shoulder width in cm.

Time to put this thread to bed. I just received my 44cm Noodle. It’s 44cm at the brake hood position and almost 46cm at the drops. Just like the Rivendell/Nitto diagram, and just as the dealers said it would be. Thanks for all the help with this!

Glad you got the info you needed. Note though, that threads never go to bed. They just get distracted for a few years...

I am also in some hi-fi and bass guitar forums. I’m no stranger to seeing replies to zombie threads that may be ten or more years old! :D

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share my thoughts on the noodle bars. I put them on my 3rensho 6 months or so ago but never really got a chance to ride with them until the last week or so. When I initially installed them it was kind of a let down as I wasn’t a fan of the swept back look. There they sat until recently.
Anyway, I have adjusted the angle of the bars and the position of the brake levers over a few long rides now. The noodles have really grown on me. They are very comfortable on the tops and drops. The transition from bar to hoods is smooth. They make for a great riding experience. I can live with the look, not all that bad after all. Anyway I hope my experience helps someone on the fence about using these. Thanks!