Dh bar width

jurss020

Likes Dirt
hey guys i have just brought new bars there std at 780mm my old bars r 720mm not sure what guys r runnig if i should cut them down stright up or try another width.. dont really wana cut them down even ride.. it's on a 2010 glory if that makes a diff

Thanks Matt
 

mxwill63

Likes Dirt
Have you ridden with the 780mm?

They could be fine.

I ride 740mm and there fine but again just try them and if your clipping every tree on the track proceed from there:)
 

poindexter

Impartial Observer
Mate go with whatever you feel comfortable with. There are no hard and fast rules to bar width just because your bars are 1000mm doesn't make you a better rider.

The whole wide bar craze started when some guy worked out that some of the bigger WC riders like Rennie and Peaty were adding extensions to the standard width 710mm bars and its snowballed from there. But these guys are 6'4"+

The whole idea behind wide bars is to give you a more natural stance on the bike which leads to being more comfortable and confident.

I'm 6' tall and about 100kg and have been running 750mm bars for a while but got faster and more confident when i cut them down to 737mm. After a while i found myself grabbing the bars with my last 2 fingers over the ends so i went back to 750mm. I was doing the same thing again so i just got 780mm bars.

The flip side i ride with a guy who is 5'9" and he runs 780's

If you have 780's give them a crack if they don't feel right cut them down.

That's my 2.5 cents.
 

jurss020

Likes Dirt
thanks poiny

makes sense i know i seem to run my hands right at the end just naturaly so mite start at 780 and go down.. thanks again same with heights just how it feels or does the height change certain charterics? i cant spell haha
 

adman

Likes Dirt
You seem to have cut down on punctuation too! I can hardly understand a thing in the tongue you speak in....

Oh bar width! I can make that out! Run whatever you want mate - if they feel comfortable, they're good - if not, maybe adjust. But I don't really understand why people buy 780mm bars and then cut them down 30mm - why not buy a set of 745mm or 750?

Don't follow trends - don't do it 'cause your mate said so. Just find the setup that works for you.

Obviously, be reasonable - a set of 400mm bars won't cut it on a downhill course...
 
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nskz

Likes Dirt
On the topic of not following trends, check this video out from the Fort Bill world cups. Notice that even the big guns are running smaller bars, so wider isn't always better.
Don't know how you work that out, i'd say the average size in that video was 750-760mm, not crazy wide and certainly not small but definitely wider than almost any 'of the showroom floor' dh bike comes with. I would also say that would be around the average size that you would see on the trail these days.
 

adman

Likes Dirt
Oh - I didn't really intend to say small quite like that. It was more that not every rider is running 780+

Of course the riders are using wider bars, but the trend seems to be that the wider the better, which is why there are U15 guys riding like they're doing a push up with their arms as far apart as possible.
 

peachy

Ripe 'n ready!
On the topic of not following trends, check this video out from the Fort Bill world cups. Notice that even the big guns are running smaller bars, so wider isn't always better.
Tis interesting watching that video and hearing some of the pro riders responses to simple questions like "what rise are you running" and they go "errrrrr" - I dunno about you but I'd expect pro riders to know everything about their bikes setup, sure they have mechanics to set things up for them but bike setup has a lot to do with understanding your bike in the first place.
 

adman

Likes Dirt
Yeah that surprised me too. Most people didn't know what they were running OR they were totally surprised when they found out.

But man... I want a set of highland cattle bars....
 

nzblakis

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I just went from 690s on an old glory to 790s on a new yeti 303rdh, feels very very different but after a few rides its surprising how fast you get used to them and now i love them.
I even said at the start i was going to cut them but now i cant...

Im not massive either, 6ft - 80kgs.

Id say definately get some big bars and give it a few rides - you can always cut them but you might be like me and change your mind. :)
 

Harry14

Likes Dirt
its fact that you have more control with wider bars. i went from 680's with 50ml rise to 745's with 19ml rise. it felt odd for the first five minutes but it only got better from their.
i found it easier on the track to hold on and maker the bike go where i want it to. im about 6ft and 68kg's.
 

heavyp

You heard it here first
My first dh bar were Azonic single walls amazing best evers we are talking over 10 years ago now, but yeah so sick and 26inches 661mm in the new talk,I had them for like 5 years.

I was after another set but i could only find double walls which were 28inches thats 710mm i thought they were to wide and kinda felt the older ones were yeah feeling narrowish so in the end cut them to 27inches thats 686mm perfect in my eyes and always will be.

PS: Flat bars are so gay im with brendan fairclough they belong on XC bikes what are people thinking
 

nskz

Likes Dirt
Have you ridden flat bars? Do you know their advantages/disadvantages? Or are they only gay because Sir Brendan said so?? :rolleyes:
Flat bars only really achieve one thing, that is to make your front end as low as possible. Apart from that they are very similar to most risers in terms of rake etc. I'm with TB they look shite on a DH bike, personal opinion though.
 

heavyp

You heard it here first
Have you ridden flat bars? Do you know their advantages/disadvantages? Or are they only gay because Sir Brendan said so?? :rolleyes:
No i have never tried them and never will they look stupid, I can see that they would not feel overly different but i know what i like and i know that they looks crap, and i didnt say it just to be like brendo its just nice to see a world class racer that can see through the gimmicks

Maybe the UCI should ban straight bars as they give a bad look very XC impression just like the skinsuit! haha

I like a tall crown on my fork a spacer and and 25/35mm rise on my bars.
 

Kezza dawG

Likes Dirt
mine are almost as big as brendogs at 820mm.
im actually serious. but they feel great to me so not fussed with what others thing ( general comments are, how do you fit though the trees??)
i think ride as they are and cut down if you feel the need later.
 
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