Interesting Tech Tuesday video posted on Pinkbike this week – Handlebars – How Wide Affects Your Ride.
A long time ago, in early 1990’s I upgraded the handlebar on my Stumpy to a schmancy Syncros Ti number, a massively wide (at the time) 560mm! Combined with a 135mm Syncros Cattleprod stem it felt great (at the time) and I rode it that way for years.
Fastforward 20 years to the Mojo HD and these days I run a 710mm bar and 70mm stem. LOVE the width, which results in control and body position benefits, and I much prefer the handling and feel of the wider bar/shorter stem combo. Jumping back on the Stumpy, the cockpit just doesn’t feel strange, it feels wrong and dangerous! Funny, it’s what you’re used to I guess.
So what’s the scoop? Here’s Pinkbike’s Tech Tuesday video featuring Richard Cunningham (founder of Mantis Bike Co in 1981) explaining the pro’s and con’s of wide bars, definitely worth a watch IMO:
