Mountain Bike Handlebar Widths
We d consider the following handlebar widths as wide respectively.
Mountain bike handlebar widths. On average it s common to see the narrowest mountain bike handlebars on cross country bikes and the widest on downhill bikes. When it comes to mountain bike handlebars wider is better. Mountain bike action is a monthly magazine devoted to all things mountain biking yes that s 12 times a year because we never take a month off of mountain biking. Adding 40 mm of spacers in this case would move the grips 36 24 mm upwards but also 16 88 mm backwards in relation to the head tube.
If you ve been around mountain biking for a while then you know what a radical change it has been when it comes to handlebar width. Possibly up to 800mm. Handlebar width is one aspect of mountain biking that takes time to master and the more you experiment with different handlebar widths the better fit you will find. Amongst other things this included narrow handlebars.
Different disciplines different handlebar widths. The odds of a stock handlebar being the ideal width for you are slim and you will always have to make some adjustments to the handlebars to make it suit your size and needs. Handlebar width suggestions and preferences have changed often as bike geometry evolves. As bike geometry continues to change and bikes become longer slacker and more capable handlebar width has increased in kind.
Mountain bike handlebars come in two different thicknesses in the centre to fit different stem clamp sizes. Choosing the right handlebar clamp size. The other thing we d strongly recommend is to mimic different bar widths by sliding your lock on grips in and out. For xc bikes using a longer stem gets you in a better position on the bike to put out more power efficiently.
It has been around since 1986 and we re still having fun. Even xc riders are going wide now. The evolution of mountain bike handlebar width. Big whips and handlebar widths.
In terms of choosing a new handlebar however our straw poll is useful. Oversized bars are slightly heavier than the traditional ones but they do increase the strength and stiffness. Handlebar width affects how your bike handles and feels out on the trail. A narrower bar tends to suit that longer stem.
Because mountain biking evolved from road bikes they initially borrowed a lot of bike design concepts. 25 4mm traditional or 31 8mm oversized.