Preferred handlebar width?
 

Seems that flatbar hybrid bikes have started to go the mountain bike way of super wide handlebars. The new Quick CX 3 lists handlebar width of 680mm where the Jamis Coda only uses 580mm width. I recently spent time on a Specialized Sirrus with 580mm width and that seemed okay. My current Quick 4 had 640mm bars that I changed out for 620mm.

What is your favorite width?

I don't ride straight bars but offering wide ones bothers me zero because making them narrower is so easy, especially in aluminum.

I consider bar width very important. I want my hands barely wider than the balls of my shoulders. I ridee new setups on dropped handlebar bikes with no bar tape and the wernches to establish brake lever position. I'd be tempted to do the same with straight bars. Go for a ride with no grips and bring the wrenches and play with the brakes and shifters until I liked what I had, then cut the bars and install the grips.

Ben

I have a Sirrus that I recently added Ergon GS3 grips. They seemed to move my hands out a little wider so I cut off an inch on each side and reinstalled. My grip is slightly narrower than stock but fits me.

Mine are 490mm which fits me better and also works better riding in traffic, not as much clearance required.

The riser bar on one of my bikes is 620 wide, too wide for my preference. The other bike's flat bar is 580, closer to my preference.

Beside being too wide for comfort on the narrow MUP paved sections (which I try to avoid anyway), the wider bar feels twitchy -- too easy to deflect with only a little user input. And it's inefficient for headwinds and climbing.

I considered trimming the riser bar but after trying a friend's albatross and sparrow bars, which are already narrower and more efficient, I may just replace the riser with a more swept back bar.

I like 600 mm, which is what I have on my flat bar Madone and the 7.2 FX I ride. On a hybrid bike that is mostly ridden on pavements, going wider won't help and makes it tricky to navigate narrow sections, like the space between my car and the wall in the garage LOL.

My current bike has a handlebar that is in the 70-72cm range. I'm also discovering that handlebar width and stem length can completely change the feel of a bike. A long stem and narrow bars (66cm) didn't work on this bike and I hated riding it. A slightly shorter stem and wider bars (70+cm) makes it ride like a dream.

24" / 609mm is the sweet spot for me. Riding bikepaths/trails has never asked for anything different.

How about for gravel paths and non-technical trails - do you all get by okay with more narrow bars, say 580mm range?

I Like Trekking bars ,,, they are not adjustable in width.

Drop bars are made in many width, but hybrids don't use drop bars..

I more am concerned with getting the controls in place, and Ergon GRip /Bar ends on the flat bar bikes

they're folding bikes..

I agree -- a shorter stem and wider bars will generally make you feel more upright and less "hunched over" than narrower bars do, especially if you have broad shoulders. My primary bike uses what I recall is a 620mm handlebar, and it has a 2" or so rise to it and a 5-10 degree backsweep. I find a backsweep is also very comfortable, vs a straight handlebar.

Well for starters they are not even flat bars, they are risers, just like on the current crop of MTB.
I bought a true flatbar for my toughroad (has a slight curve I faced horizontally and back toward the seat) and then cut it all the way down to 580mm, much more comfortable on a long ride.

Good question. I converted my Toughroad roadie to a short flatbar but left my Talon dirtbike just as it was with the 700mm riser bar. It certainly wanders to and fro up the rail trail unless I put my hands inboard but is nice when you have to avoid an object quickly or go down the odd single track. I'll leave it as it is for now but if it gives me any grief on long rides I guess I'll start to cut it too.

As with most things cycling, there's no right/wrong -- simply personal preference given the application(s).

In my case: 640mm flat (0 rise) bar w/11 degree backsweep and Ergon GP2s. Comfortable/efficient, for me, for non-technical dirt tracks and paved surfaces, for rides of any duration up to/including an imperial century.

Mine's 600mm and I think 580mm would probably be ideal for me but I also think I need slightly smaller grips (less width along the bar). Mine is aluminium, I suppose I could get it cut.

When considering new bars where do the experienced folks look? I like the 10-degree backsweep and 4-degree upsweep of mine, could I get a 580mm carbon bar with that geometry?

I agree 100% with this advice. I have done the same thing.

Sure. Here's one example that's close enough: K-FORCE MTB full carbon flat handlebar - Handlebars - Type

You'd want the 685mm, 9 back/4 up version, then trim to desired length. You are unlikely to find anything stock in 580 or even 600 these days, especially in carbon/high-quality; the main market for flat/riser bars is mtb, and (very) wide bars are on-trend these days.

Ac to AC joint to match centre to centre on handlebar.

https://gzmyu4ma9b-flywheel.netdna-s...r-excerpt1.jpg
Courtesy BikeRumor

Thank you. :thumb:

I'm quickly becoming accustomed to road/MTB cross (hybrid) components being tricky to mix and match. Hopefully we'll soon start to see hybrid specific componentry. I'd need to be quite a bit wider myself to feel comfortable with 685mm, that seems huge!

I'd imagine the ideal handlebar width for each person will vary somewhat according to how big/tall/wide a person is, especially across the shoulders.


I was happy enough in the past with a 580 or 600mm wide handlebar and when I first rode my Toughroad with its 700mm wide handlebar, I found it off-putting, but then got use to it rather quickly.


With further experimentation, I moved my handgrips in by 10mm on each side, so effectively I am using a 680mm wide bar as we speak, but I have a feeling that 660mm will be the sweet spot for me, that I stay with, once I order in some 660mm handlebars.

I have a 600mm but hope to chop it down to 560 this weekend, i'll report back.

You know who might be interested in your 620mm riser bar, right? ;)

Although even 620mm might be a bit short for my tastes! :D

Tougher to find than you might imagine, at least if you happen to be looking for just the right amount of rise, a 25.4mm stem, and a plain silver alloy (or chrome steel)! That's getting to be my experience anyhow. :crash:

Heh! I'll probably hang onto the bar. Every time I think about changing something I take a ride and think "Nah, it's perfect. Leave it alone."

I might try a lower, narrower bar, something inexpensive, just to see how it feels. But I'll keep the riser bar as-is. It's comfortable and about right for a hybrid for cruising around at a comfortable 12-14 mph.

And after an impromptu gravel and open field ride this afternoon (found a new-to-me utility easement), I appreciated the width for quickly turning the bar to get out of trouble when the front wheel started to plow into patches of deep gravel. I'm not sure I could do that as readily with a lower, narrower flat bar.

Yeah it would be easier to buy a 680mm or 685mm handlebar and cut it to size.

However I will give this handlebar a go, it has no riser though, so a pure flat bar.

https://www.bike24.com/p254648.html