So you don't have the time or energy to ride your bike these days yet you are doing all of this experimenting with bars?

Yes, well the experimenting involved my e bike as well which I ride on average more than 6000km a year, nearly everyday.

The situstuon with my MTB will change as I'm moving to a more rural area this month.

My only MTB is my old 26" XC race bike. Back in our prime (mine and the bike's), my typical setup was a 135 stem and narrow bars. In its currently set up as a singlespeed, and I went to a 100 stem with 630 bars, then to 80x720. It took me a bit to get used to, but I've found that I like the leverage of the longer bar for technical sections. If I was cruising non-technical paths, however, I would probably opt for the longer and narrower option, more like a road bike. FWIW, I have wide shoulders and prefer 44cm road bars.

I currently have my grips mounted at about 60cm wide on the felt and I like the way it feels.

I dont want to and can't rreally ride anything super technical, but in that case. Im sure going wider woukd help.

I much prefer narrow bars for tight technical trails.

I may have finally reached my bar width limit.

After slowly creeping up from 560-580mm in the 90s to 750-780m in the last few years, I tried bumping up to 800mm on my FS bike. This is the first time I have ever gone 20mm wider and not been sold by the end of the first ride.

It seems counterintuitive, but it is actually on the climbs that I really liked the extra width. In particular technical climbs where I am out of the saddle pushing a higher gear. I also liked it in the corners. It was the "just riding along" part that it seemed like it might be too wide.

I'll give it another couple rides, and it I don't change my mind I'll go back to 780mm.

Well, son, I been crushing gnarly, b****in' single track since the late 80s on bars that could double as a straw in my post ride mai thai they're so narrow. So I'm down w/ moisture: don't get these giant 'surf board' bars. I guess you need extra stability to make up for other defects in your skillz. and suspension? what's that?

What a head case. Mountain bikes have changed tremendously over the past 30 years, even over the past 10 years, with changes in frame geometry, changes in suspensions, changes in rims and tires, and changes in the drivetrain. To me these are positive changes and not a reason to throw rocks at people who welcome the newer designs. There are also significant differences in trails in Arizona as compared to the PNW and so it is not one bike for all riders in all parts of the country.

My new Specialized Stumpjumper has 780mm bars so that is what most people want to use. A 780mm bar can be easily shortened for those with short arms with little effort. It is after all a recreational activity and not something to get a swelled head over.

Its not that I can’t ride crappy, outdated equipment, I just choose not to anymore.

I got my bars cut to a about 600cm right now
.

My MTBs have drop bars with a little bit of flare on them. They measure 44cm at the hoods and 49cm at the drops.

How does it feel? Do really narrow bars work fine on newer mtbs?

For me it depends on the discipline.
I used to run 725mm for my Reign, but I'm likely to update this to 760mm on the next bike (currently no fully for me ).
My hardtail in comparison currently has 800mm, and its just too wide for open gravel, so I'll likely swap this back to 720mm, maybe even narrower...

1987 called. They are looking for their bar.

They work fine as long as you aren't trying to tackle single track trails. Buddy of mine tried this idea on his Specialized hard tail than complained about how crappy the bike handled on single track trail.

600 or maybe up to 620mm is about the widest id want to go in terms of actually getting the bike through trees and what not on the narrow rail trails near my new house.

Guys,

I just took my handlebar right off. I mounted the brakes and shifter onto the top tube and I just hold onto the stem now. I can REALLY ride some tight single track trails now!!

Narrow rail-trails? That’s an oxymoron.

Lol...Narrow rail trails.

I was running 700 for a long time but with the shorter stems, I slowly moved to 760 and then 780 which I have used for maybe 4 years now. I recently got an 800 but it has more sweep so it effectively 785-790 and I really like it. It is the most comfy one I have used so far. However, I am 6' tall with longish arms...6'3 span. Shoulders- not sure but I were a 42 jacket.