Road Bike Handlebar Width Fit
Measure between the centre of your shoulder sockets and this should provide you with the bar width you need for maximum comfort.
Road bike handlebar width fit. Move your hands around from the drops to the tops. The easiest way to select the handlebar s width is to pick up different width bars in a bike shop and grab hold of them. Road bike handlebar width. Too narrow or too wide will cause you pain and have bike fitters.
The best handlebar tape and how to wrap it video. So for a 38 cm shoulder a 42 cm handlebar is ideal. The width on handlebars that come with most new commuter bikes is an estimate based on the shoulder width of the average rider which may not be the most comfortable width for your body especially if you bought a unisex bike. A brief history of the road bike handlebar.
Eddie o dea founder of 55 nine performance a training and bike fit center in atlanta ga says the rule of thumb is your ac joint to ac joint width should match your center to center width on the handlebar but like anything that s a rule of thumb we use as a starting point. 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. It s where your hands will be resting for hours at a time so just like everything else on the bike you need to take into account the type of riding you do and factors such as how flexible you. The correct bike handlebar shape and fit provides a riding position that supports your upper body without putting strain.
If the handlebar you want to use is measured from the outside edge to the outside edge just add 4cms to your shoulder measurement. To find the right width. In general terms narrower faster. When it comes to handlebar width though you can go up or down a bit depending on preference there is a right and a wrong answer.
Try both narrow and wide bars. One of the first factors to consider when choosing a set of handlebars is the width your bar width should correspond with your shoulder width. Sir chris hoy raced with bars as slim as 22 26cm and today still rides with narrow 36 or 38cm bars on his road bike.