Should I cut down my handlebars?

[Johneblz]

I’m trying to decide whether or not to cut down my handlebars. I currently ride a 05 Giant AC-All Conditions. It is a full susp rig with knobby tires which is set up mainly for stability on jumps which I do not do a lot of. The handlebars are a little wide and when measured against another bike they are 2-3 inches longer on both sides. A lot of singletrack that I ride in New York has tight trails so i am wondering if it may be worth it to cut the bars, or maybe replace them….what are some of the pros and cons of shorter handlebars? Any advice is appreciated.

[RydingMountains]

No, I would recommend not to cut them down you will get more leverage and control with a wider bar. In the 90s and early 00 the thought was that you needed shorter bars in order to go through trees and such and it was the trend. More than likely you will be fine there may occasionally be some close calls slipping through trees but that’s all part of the fun of the tight technical trails. These days the trend is the wider the bars the better.

[Jeff Barber]

Depends on what type of riding you want to do.

XC race bikes often have super narrow bars which puts you into a more powerful and aerodynamic pedaling position. Narrow bars are also lighter weight for obvious reasons. If you ride very tight trails regularly then narrow may be the way to go.

But if find yourself doing more gravity stuff (AM, DH, FR, etc.) then wide is the way to go. Wide bars are also typically more comfortable than narrow ones. I’m totally an XC guy but lately I’ve been riding wider bars (720mm) and I’m loving it.

My recommendation? If you really feel like your bars are too wide, cut them down just a little bit (say 1/4 or 1/2 inch) and see how that works for you.

[steve32300]

You may or may not worry about this point but wider bars help you breath a little easier by keeping your arms from resting on the side of your chest and constricting your lung expansion.I myself really notice this differance at alltitude and being a big clydesdale rider it may help myself a little more.Also,a good example of a situation for cutting the bar length down is when I raced and freestyled BMX,we would cut the bars down for doing tricks that required the bars to be turned and so as to keep the bar ends from catching on the legs or grabbing the pants leg in mid air or whatever trick,and in racing,especially bmx the shorter bars would help to keep your bars from catching on the competitors bike,rider or their clothing because in bmx and other forms of racing you will find yourself right next to them banging elbows,handlebars,knees and somtimes heads,hahaha.

[Jeff Barber]

Word steve, wider bars make it easier to breath for sure.

[Johneblz]

Thanks for all the information guys. Much appreciated.

[Author]

Posts