Handlebar Width For Road Bike

There are narrower and wider handlebars but they are harder to find.

Handlebar width for road bike. If the handlebar you want to use is measured from the outside edge to the outside edge just add 4cms to your shoulder measurement. Most companies measure a bar s width between the center of each drop. Horizontal distance from the center of the handlebar top to the center of the furthest extension of the bend where brake hoods are mounted. Standard handlebar grip area diameters there are only two current standard sizes.

This measurement gives you a baseline if it s 38cm look for 38cm bars and so on. First let s discuss width. 85mm or more is considered long. It should also be noted that some bars flare out in the drops and are a little wider at that point than they are where the levers would be mounted.

If by any reason you have not measured your shoulder you can place the handlebar on top of your shoulders to find the right road handlebar width see photo. The most common sizes range from 40 44cm again in increments of 2cm. Since though i have the other bike for gnarly off road. A different size bar can also have a significant effect on the handling characteristics and stability of your bike.

So for a 38 cm shoulder a 42 cm handlebar is ideal. The rule of thumb when selecting the correct handlebar width is to measure the distance between the two bony bits on your shoulders in more scientific terms the distance between your two acromioclavicular ac joints. Some of it just needs to be what feels right especially for the average cyclist that s not trying to maximize aerodynamics and efficiency at the expense of comfort. One of our writers simon bromley uses 36cm centre to centre handlebars on his road bike to improve his aerodynamic efficiency.

At what point do we say wide enough is too much. Perfect handlebar width for me is always that exact width where you can feel the grip touch bark while not getting pinwheeled off line. The standard is measuring your shoulder blade width and getting the same width handlebar. A reach of less than 80mm is short.

However current trends have pushed riders to use wider bars than ever before causing some riders to run handlebars that are flat out too wide. For the record he s 183cm tall and weighs around 65kg. There are two schools of thought floating around. Best road handlebars the best carbon road.