I have a 1994 Cannondale Killer V900 mountain bike that I have set up as a leisurely/nature-seeing kind of bike. I am wondering what should be the proper width of my handlebar. I ride my road bike with 44cm handlebars. The current handlebar on the Cannonndale measures 66cm, and I am thinking to cut it down, as I just think it is too wide.

What size should I cut it down to? I sometimes mount panniers on the bike, if that may help you suggest handle bar width for me. And I also have bar-ends fitted on there for climbing leverage.

Thanks for all responses.

slide your grips/ levers around on the bars until you find where you want them, then cut the extra off.

Thanks for your response. I guess what I am asking is this: what is the norm for handlebar width on hardtails? My chest is about 43cm, hence the 44cm size on my roadbike handlebar.

What reference point do you mountainbikers look at in sizing your handlebar width? For roadbikers, it is shoulder/chest width.

Thanks.

Personally, I have never cut a bar down- I like as much leverage as possible.

Go to the LBS with a small measuring tape and figure out which one feels right. There is no norm.

The comparison between road and MTB bar width is pretty hard to apply; for one thing, the road bike averages about 200mm from the center of the stem to the hoods. On a MTB, it's barely more than half that. Add in the steering geometry differences, it's almost apples and oranges.

I've personally never seen a MTB handlebar shorter than 580mm. I've HEARD of flat-bar fixies as narrow was what you describe, but they don't see trails. You need the leverage of the wider bar for dirt.

I personally run 660 on my bike, and have considered 710. (Using the road-bike measurement method, shoulder-width, I'd need a 505mm drop bar.)

bike A = 711mm
bike B = 680mm.

fwiw, i have 640s on both of my bikes, and i thought i would cut them down when i bought them, but i like the extra leverage now. i'm 6' tall, but i don't know my chest size.

Another vote for wide/uncut. 680mm bars on all 3 of my bikes, including one with slicks that never gets ridden offroad - even on pavement there's a feeling of more effortless control.

uncut,

I had a narrow bar on my stumpjumper, was great through tight technical singletrack and nothing else. not enought leverage, steering was twitchy, uncomfortably so.

I don't think there's a standard for MTB.

I ride 42 CTC on my road bike.
62 on my MTB and I have barends. My bar must've been about 65-66 stock. When I have a headwind and riding on the barends is the only time I wish I had a narrower bar. I don't ever wish it was wider.