Hi- I have a 1984 Trek 720 24” touring bike. It came with the classic Cinelli 64-40 bars. The stem is the Cinelli, -17 degree, 100 long, 75 high, and it’s a 26.4.

The pro fitting me suggested a taller stem, so I thought switching everything to 26 opened up more choices. The most recent Cinelli 64 come in wider widths, that’s what got me thinking if I’m going to buy a new bar, get the right width for me, not just what came with the bike.

A member here suggested I look into the Nitto Noodle 177. The Rivendell site states to get them wide. What about riding on the hoods, would a bar that’s too wide make things tough on the wrists? I’m 6-1, about 225 lbs.

Since you're working with a fitter (per your other post), ask what the 'correct' width would be for your shoulder size.
I like Nitto Noodles myself and find the 42 size perfect- 44 is too wide. Pair the right size with a taller Technomic stem with a 26mm clamp and you're good to go.

I’ve got the Noodle (177) bar on one bike and really like them. I’m sure you know this - they sweep back slightly on the tops, so it will affect your reach a little.

The drops also flare out some. Here’s some measurements on mine, which were sold as 42’s:

I feel this boils down to is the width of one’s shoulders. Bars to narrow, for me and I feel I’m riding a clown bike. I mostly try to match bar to shoulders so that my arms are parallel. A wider grip may give some torque to pedal, but now we would be talking theory vs. comfortably vs. vintage style of the time. For the most parts bars were not as wide in the seventies as they were approaching the 90’s

I like the B177s- I have them on 2 bikes (1985 Trek 620 and 1985 Trek 720) and considering another bike as well.

I'm not a particularly big guy- a little under 5'8" and I like the B177s in 44. That's more comfortable to me than bars that are around 38 at the hoods- I really like the long ramps- and the flat corners are great spots for spreading out weight- plus it gives clearance for my handlebar bags. I spend most of my time on the corners and the ramps.

As it's mentioned- B177 bars slightly splay out at the ends where they're measured- so a 44 at the hoods is around 42. Randonneur bars, like the B132, splay out much farther- so a bar that measures 44 is somewhere around 40 at the hoods.


Also as mentioned, the B177s sweep back and down at the corners.

I think what they are trying to say is that the bar is measured in a different place than where you would normally put your hands, so if you ordered the size that your fitter says to get, it may not fit the way you intended. If the size is measured from the ends and there is a flare, the brake hoods might be closer together than what you intended. SuperLJ's picture illustrates what I am trying to describe. For an extreme example, I have a pair of Origin 8 Gary bars that are listed as 53 cm. wide but the brake hoods are only 43 cm apart.

Well said. A couple more thoughts. I am 6'4" (5'16") and have long arms. But think of suit sizing. I am a 42Long, which is largely based on height and shoulder width. If I remember correctly, Rivendell says to stick your arms straight out and parallel to each other. that is your width. Pretty close in my case.

Also, best to pick on where you ride most. I ride the hoods most of the time, and the 48 cm bar fits me well. My friend is also 6'4" and loves the 48 cm. My longest day in the saddle on a good day might be 50 miles. Long distance riders who are in the drops all day might wish to size their bars based on the bar ends, not the hoods.

All that said, hard to go wrong with any properly sized Nitto product. I cry at the price I pay for Nitto every time and in the end, am totally happy.

It does sound like the brake hood position centerline is still where the width sizing measurement is taken, and the reason they are recommending wider than the old standards is so you have more hand positions available on the horizontal flat part of the bar. On my 40cm Cinelli, there’s room for about one hand position on the horizontal. Next position is on the curve with my fingers on the outside, then the last position is on the brake hoods themselves. Nothing on the drops.

With my height, seems like 46 would be right for me with respect to the last couple of posts.

In my opinion, width of the bars is a choice based on handling and aerodynamics. A smaller bar will handle more nervously and quick, while a wider bar will handle more stable and slow. Somewhat similar with stem length.

I have never understood the connection between shoulder width and handlebar width, since people have elbows they can bend I guess to each his own.

"With quality stuff, you only cry about it once. With crappy stuff, you cry every time you have to use it." I can't take credit for making that up, but I agree with it.

I'm 6'4" and like the 44cm Noodles. I tried the 46cm, but found them a little too wide for my tastes. It's largely a matter of preference.

Allow me a dissenting opinion. I had a set of Noodles for awhile, a long time ago. I found that the combination of backward sweep from the stem, then (necessarily sharper) curve toward brake hoods to be uncomfortable -- it basically denied me a hand placement on the curve (or even a couple of them), which is my favorite area on drop bars. And the backward sweep itself made me rotate my wrists outward if I tried for a position closer to the stem. I have fairly large hands for someone my size, I guess, and the bars were 44s. My suggestion is to try them on someone else's dime (bike) before you spend your own.

No- bars are generally traditionally measured at the ends. As defined by Nitto: https://nitto-tokyo.sakura.ne.jp/bar-measurement.pdf




So if the bar splays out like a rando bar- it can be like 2-4cm wider at the end of the drops than it is at the hoods.

That being said- it looks like some companies/stores measure at the curve at the hoods. (so even if the manufacturer measures at the ends, the seller could measure at the hoods)

IMO- it makes more sense to measure at the hoods... but that's just me.

The Nitto Noodle is measured via this diagram. Looks pretty close to where the center of the hoods would sit, not at the ends of the drops.

The link I provided is directly from Nitto.

The sketch you provided is from Rivendell.

From my post:

Right, but their Noodle was initially designed in conjunction with Rivendell, which is where the diagram I posted came from. So that link is an appropriate reference for the bars as specified on the pdf, but not the Noodle.

I believe you are mistaken.

All of these were ordered as 44s.

So what do your hoods measure out as?

If I’m going to order a 46cm bar, it would be great to know what the spacing at the hoods is.

FWIW, I learned recently that Nitto also make a 174 (the "Fairweather"). It has the same swept back top, but a shallower drop and shorter reach as I understand it. I've not seen one in the flesh. Blue Lug has them in black, but out of stock in silver:

https://global.bluelug.com/catalogse...t/?q=Nitto+174

There seems to be some bar irregularities. One member ordered 42cm and his pic shows 42cm at the hoods and 44cm at the drops. Another member ordered 44cm and his pic shows 44cm at the drops (unfortunately no measurement at the hoods).

It would be nice.
I have three 177's, all labeled 420mm, off the bike, not wrapped. They measure: at the end of the drops = 427 or 42.7cm; half way up the drops or approximately mid curve = 417 or 41.7cm; at the top or beginning of the drops = 404 or 40.4cm. These measurements were all taken left edge to left edge, or right edge to right edge, which is the same as center to center, but easier to read accurately.
Going by how mine measure, I would think if you ordered a 46cm bar it would measure about 46cm or a little less where you typically mount your brake levers and almost 47cm at the ends of the drops.

Thanks. I’ve been reading about this bar on other sites, so I feel confident that a 46cm bar means 46cm on the brake hoods centerline.

coolhandjjl By the way, the 177's are the only drop bars I've come across that don't measure their labeled size at the end of the drops. I have a Nitto B136 Randonneur labeled 42cm that measures exactly 42 at the end of the drops and 37.5 at the top of the drops, for example.