Today i rode with a couple of older guys, one of them the current masters champion of Puerto Rico. They agreed that i looked cramped on my handlebars, wide wise. Both racers and very very good riders.

He actually asked me the size on my bars, to which i only answered "this came on the bike". To which he said "im on 44's and you seem wider on the shoulders than me!".
I had no idea what he was talking about so i asked what was the big deal anx he said somethin about breathing better using wider bars.

Thinking about it this could be true, im pretty wide shoulder wise.

HOW DO I MEASSURE:
my shoulders?
My handlebars?
How to determine the right size of handlebar?

Your handlebars almost certainly say their width somewhere on them. Probably viable from the front (Like, looking over the bars to the saddle.)

For a point of reference, I'm a pretty small guy (Tall, but not bulky at all,) and I have been fitted / ride 42mm bars.

I'm certainly no expert, but I believe the general rule is the handlebar width should be match your shoulder width. I wear a 50" coat and ride with 46 bars. The wider the bar then less strain on your upper back and shoulders if you have wide shoulders.

There's more than one way to measure shoulder width, and manufacturers sometimes list their bar width as center to center, which could be at the bar ends or a point somewhere in the curve, and others will measure from outside to outside, once again the point of measurement would need to be known. Sometimes it's necessary to surf around to find that information if it's not listed on the manufacturer's site. A typical measurement can be seen here. https://www.ritcheylogic.com/media/Fi...0909lowres.pdf

There are many anatomical differences between us, and we all have varying degrees of flexibility, experimentation is the best way to find out for yourself, if not always practical. For myself, bar width matching the breadth of my shoulders is more comfortable than using a particular muscle insertion point.

I found one size smaller to be more comfy(40s coming off of 42s).
I tend to "lean in" when on wider bars causing my back and shoulders to become fatigued.
YMMV

Thanx guys
Werkin, im gonna call my lbs to ask them about the width of my bars, and start from there. Hopefully i dont spend a to much on this venture. Cause my wife would kill me!

don't go too wide as that's like doing a pushup with hands too wide--more difficult to support you.
Balance of support and opening up for breathing

depends on what you want but you can find bars for pretty cheap. good alu bars are in the $70-$100 range. carbon bars are where it will get expensive. i plan to order a set of 3T Ergonova Team bars this week that are around the $240+ range. some are even more than that. performance(Forte') does have a carbon bar for like $150 though.

Dont change your bars just because someone told you that they look narrow! There is no correct width just a rule of thumb starting point that says "about shoulder width". Thats about as accurate as telling you your front hub should be obscured by your bars if the sem is the right length (complete BS).

Are you comfortable? If so tell the guy you think he would be able to ride the next smaller frame to whatever he is riding, then sit back and switch off while he justifies his bike to you.

People that make comments on your bike fit are usually the ones that arn't really comfortable.

What are some signs that your bar is the wrong size? My hands keep falling asleep and I get tendonitis in my left elbow unless I wear a tight armband around it. I have pretty wide shoulders and a barrel chest. Just using the stock bars, which I think are 42cm.

The 42 Ergonovas that came on my R3 feel a bit narrow to me. This is something that has been bothering me since I bought it, but I have no real way of knowing if they are actually too narrow. I guess it just feels as if I don't have enough side-to-side leverage on the bars. I notice it most when I'm climbing or sprinting.

The only thing I have to compare to is the 2010 Trek 2.3 I recently sold to get the Cervelo. Those bars felt wider or easier to leverage when climbing. I don't know what size they were, however, and I don't know how Bontrager measures their bars.

The other thing is I went from Shimano 105 to Sram Rival. The shape or angle of the hoods might have something to do with it, but I really don't know.

The bars should be as close to possible without going over as your shoulder
"blades" meaning you need someone to measure them (behind your back).
I went from a OEM 42 to a 44 and it made a world of difference for me.

That's because they are narrow. Ergonovas are measured from the bottom of the drops which are flared. The tops are about 2cm shorter than a size 42 c-t-c. I found this out the hard way buying online and had to ship them back to pbk for an exchange. The 44cm I got is perfect, 42cm on the tops.

I know exactly what you mean, I recently bought new shoes that feel too big, they flop around on my feet even with the laces really tight but I have no idea if they are actually too big - I need someone else to tell me if they are too big so I can change them

I can answer that BF style: Your shoes should be the same U.S. size as the measurement around the knuckle area of you hand measured in inches.

I had the same thing happen with a hat. It blew off in the wind and landed on a guy with a bigger head. He said the hat was too big for me and I agreed and because he was right I let him keep it.


Jay, FSA bars are measured the same way...center to center of hooks and the hoods are more narrow so word up to guys out there buying

Thanks a ton for that little bit of info! Really helps me out. I'll probably sell mine on eBay and pick up a 44cm. I really like the Ergonovas too. Fantastic bars all around. It's unfortunate that I have to sell mine and take a hit just to get the proper size bars. Oh well..

I like a 46. I can ride a 44 fine or 42 okay, but 46 works best for me. I ride long, I get tired, I like my hands in the drops to be in line with my shoulders. For higher speeds, narrowing in is more areodynamic though.

Shoulder width (center to center) plus 2cm is what I was told.

i will meassure my shoulder blades and go from there.

I never thought about this factor, upon buying the bicycle. Researched a lot about fit but overlooked this. Ive learned a lot since my first ride, and can say theres a lot more to learn.

This is the perfect excuse to get a nice carbonfiber handlebar!!

The right width is whatever is comfortable for you.

I don't know when the fashion for wide bars started but they used to be narrower in the 70's and 80's and earlier. Look at some old road bikes and you will see lots of 40cm or even 38cm handlebars.

Personally, I am comfortable on narrow bars. My favorite 80's racing bike has 40cm bars and they are perfect for me. My new bike will have 42cm bars and I'm actually worried that they will be too wide.

I don't buy the argument that wider bars let you breathe better. For one thing, my elbows articulate, I can keep my hands close with my elbows wide. For another thing, watch the pros climbing. Long climbs are exactly when they need the most aerobic capacity and yet they sit up and put their hands close together on the bar tops. And certainly wider bars are less aerodynamic, you probably lose more by moving your arms out 6cm than you gain with deep section rims and flat spokes.

My bike came with 3T ergonova pro 40cm bars and they were definitely too narrow. I recently changed the bars to 3T ergonova team 44cm. I just changed them this past Saturday and haven't gone on any long rides though but in just the short test ride around the block they "seemed" more comfortable at least. I usually start getting some numbing on my wrists after about 20 miles so I'll see on my next longer ride.

As for fit, if you have the luxury of taking the bar off (or shopping at a store with lots of bars), if you hold up the bar against your back shoulders, you can sort of get a decent idea on width. General rule of thumb is to get the bars so that your shoulders fit inside the bars when held up but not too tight.

Sort of like this: https://miamirally.com/cm/images/stories/08BikeFit.jpg

+1. Then there are time trials where riders use aerobars, keeping elbows in; another nail in the coffin of the "wide bars for better breathing" internet myth

Sit in a chair, lean forward, hold your arms out with hands in the hoods position, then close your eyes. Now move your hands closer or wider until it feels right. Do this two or three times and that's your bar width within 1cm.