Riser bar vs. drop bar width. How does yours compare if you ride both?
 

I ride 40cm drops, that's why I got a 40cm Profile base bar for starters and it's just fine. It's just like road bars on the hoods.

I'm putting risers on a bike and am lost for a width. They are a 1.5" rise with no published angle for the back swept angle. Just some cheapo $25 bars to see if I like them. Same stem length but 6 degrees up instead of down. It makes for a comfortable upright position for me.

The bars were 65cm and far to wide for my liking. I cut 25mm off each end and they are much better but still too wide.

How much wider are your riser bars than your road bars?? I still need to cut some off but don't really want to inch up on it, unless that's what I need to do. If I'm still in the wide ballpark at 60cm I'd rather lob off a chunk then get closer rather than make a half dozen small cuts. Lazy.

Any ideas???

Thanks.

There are a lot of factors that go into optimal width. Rider size, bike geometry, conditions you ride and much more. What is conformable for you might be very uncomfortable for me, and that can vary from bike to bike.

I ride 44cm road bars on my drop bar bikes I like them wide as I have wide shoulders, a 55cm albatross bar on my city bike, and 60+ cm flats or risers on my mountain bikes. On those bikes and in those riding positions and the conditions i use them in they all feel right to me, but might not to you.

I think manufacturers of flat or riser bars tend to make them wide and let the end user go after it with a pipe cutter. That way they can offer fewer widths and let people dial them in. It's personal preference. Cut it until it feels right, and then it's right.

I would measure how much straight area I need for the grips, brake levers, and shifter(s), and cut the bar so there's room for all that but not much more. If you're comfortable steering a road bike with 40 cm of leverage, you don't need more than that.

That is exactly what I did on my hybrid and it worked out perfectly.

I left mine uncut, which gives additional hand positions and opens up the upper body for better breathing. In addition, bar ends make the outside grip even wider. Bar height is about even with the saddle, so I can get quite aero if desired. The only time I would want narrower bars is squeezing between cars, but that's so rare, it's not worth it.