# handlebar width for fixie/SS?



## TACSTS (Feb 4, 2004)

I'm doing a little upgrading to my Langster and I want to get some new handlebars for it. I've never been able to get comfortable on the ones that came on it and I'm going to go with traditional bends instead of the anatomics it came with. It's got a 46cm bar on it right now, (XL size frame) and I was wondering what the theory was on handlebar widths for fixies. I run 44's on all my other road bikes. Do most of you go wider than your gearies for the extra leverage you need cranking up hills or do you stay the same? I might be giving it too much thought, I don't really see how 2cm would make a lot of difference, but I just wanted to see what the general consensus on here was. Thanks.


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## baxter (Jun 27, 2004)

whatever feels comfortable.


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## Veni Vidi Vici (Feb 10, 2004)

*Same for me.........*

42 works great on all roadies.


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## Cyclesmith (Jan 1, 2005)

TACSTS said:


> I'm doing a little upgrading to my Langster and I want to get some new handlebars for it. I've never been able to get comfortable on the ones that came on it and I'm going to go with traditional bends instead of the anatomics it came with. It's got a 46cm bar on it right now, (XL size frame) and I was wondering what the theory was on handlebar widths for fixies. I run 44's on all my other road bikes. Do most of you go wider than your gearies for the extra leverage you need cranking up hills or do you stay the same? I might be giving it too much thought, I don't really see how 2cm would make a lot of difference, but I just wanted to see what the general consensus on here was. Thanks.


My theory has always been to run wider bars on fixies and single speeds because I tend to have to work harder to get the bike up big hills moreso than on my gearie. Thus I like the wider bars to allow more room for my lungs to expand and breath to give me enough air when I'm climbing on that cog. That being said I have pretty wide shoulders so I always run the widest bars I can find. 46cm on all my road bikes.


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## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

I ride the stock 42's on my Pista. I am 5'10" with a narrow build. I run 42 bullhorns on my other bike.


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## timfire (Dec 13, 2001)

I don't see why handlebar width for a (street/road) fixie would be any different than a regular road bike, though Cyclesmith makes some good points about hills.

I, personally, have 42 bullhorns, but would have gotten wider ones if Syntace offered them.


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## Cerddwyr (Jul 26, 2004)

Cyclesmith said:


> My theory has always been to run wider bars on fixies and single speeds because I tend to have to work harder to get the bike up big hills moreso than on my gearie. Thus I like the wider bars to allow more room for my lungs to expand and breath to give me enough air when I'm climbing on that cog. That being said I have pretty wide shoulders so I always run the widest bars I can find. 46cm on all my road bikes.


The inverse is true if you do lots of urban riding on the fixie, specifically narrow bars are safer in traffic in my book. Quicker acting, and easier to slip between vehincles when riding the slot. I ride relatively narrow bars on both the fixie and the gearie, but I have been riding narrow bars for years. I just prefer the action on narrow bars, and I don't ride gnarly single track on a MTB where lvereage might actually matter.
As for opening up the chest, I find that propper belly breathing does more for me than an open chest. I get my best air sitting up on the tops, where my diaphram isn't constricted.

Gordon


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## jordache (Jan 4, 2005)

Any difference for when shopping for track bars?


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## timfire (Dec 13, 2001)

Cerddwyr said:


> The inverse is true if you do lots of urban riding on the fixie, specifically narrow bars are safer in traffic in my book.


This is probably drifting the thread, but I disagree with this. As a former messenger, I can testify that narrow handlebars are largely over-rated for street riding. (For a significant amount of time I rode with 46 road bars.) Now, I wouldn't ride with superwide mountain bars (but there are messengers who do), but the difference between 46cm & 42cm bars is largely insignificant for street safety's sake.


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## evAn (Apr 24, 2004)

*you know what they say*

the smaller the handlebar the bigger your c0ck
dont be a player hater, rock 38s!!!!
especially if your in a flat city


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## jumpstumper (Aug 17, 2004)

evAn said:


> the smaller the handlebar the bigger your c0ck
> dont be a player hater, rock 38s!!!!
> especially if your in a flat city


Ah, that explains your nickname then: "Stubby".


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## Cerddwyr (Jul 26, 2004)

timfire said:


> This is probably drifting the thread, but I disagree with this. As a former messenger, I can testify that narrow handlebars are largely over-rated for street riding. (For a significant amount of time I rode with 46 road bars.) Now, I wouldn't ride with superwide mountain bars (but there are messengers who do), but the difference between 46cm & 42cm bars is largely insignificant for street safety's sake.


Curious, do you feel like the width is not an issue, or the (perhaps perceived) quickness? I know I want at least a few inches on either side of my bars when I am stuck between vehicles at speed, so less bar width saves me from chewing holes in my shorts  More skill, and perhaps I wouldn't feel this way. As for the quicker action, that also may be perception more than anything, I have just always felt like the wider bars where slower. Admittedly I am mostly comparing my Scott AT4s at 22" on a Mongoose with straight forks and my brother's Specialized Stump Jumper with at least 24" bars, but also curved forks and perhaps fatter, softer tires. Maybe I am not comparing apples to apples, and maybe I am rationalizing something as simple as I don't have wide shoulders so the narrow bars 'fit' better, and maybe I just need more miles 
Can't hardly argue with a messenger on street riding  BTW, when I was thinking hard about quiting my day job, I talked myself into believing I could always be a messenger if need be. Then I read 'The Immortal Class'. Longest ride I have ever done is two centuries back to back. Kicked my ass, no way I could do that kind of milage day in and day out. Old fat butt just couldn't cope.

Best,
Gordon


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## Cerddwyr (Jul 26, 2004)

jordache said:


> Any difference for when shopping for track bars?


Compared to road drops and braking from the hoods I think you just get a better grip on the brake lever. Not much difference in position on the bike. I wouldn't want to have the real long reach track bars, more the shorty chop jobs you see on urban fixies. My El Toros are probably somewhere in between, and I can get my butt back when I need to. Not sure how I am going to do that consistently when I am running fixed all the time. I guess just get flexible and coordinated enough to back pedal while my butt is back over the rear wheel  My plan is to go do panic stops on grass till I have crashed 40 or 50 times, then do some more on a rubber playground surface. All after my shoulder heals from going down on black ice yesterday. Really harshed my mellow. Luckily the motorists just pointed and laughed, rather than pointing and picking bits of me out of their grill.

Gordon


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## ErNestO_from_Wisconsin (Feb 14, 2004)

*46*

I use 46cm Salsa Bell Laps. Sooper comfortable, wide, and that's that.


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## timfire (Dec 13, 2001)

First, I think the the narrow bars thing is more a matter of perception than anything else. Most people aren't use to riding in tight spaces, so they freak out a little. Once you get used to tight spaces, you realize they really aren't all that tight. Most of the time, even when you're between cars, you still have _at least_ 6-12 inches *on either side* of you (but most of the time its more like 12-18 in). Think about it, that's a decent amount of space. So when people talk about an extra inch or two of handlebar width, how does compare? 

But here's the real messenger secret - don't ride through tight spaces!!! Really, I can physically fit through spaces I would never ride through. If two cars are tightly spaced, go around them. The consequences of bumping a car or some stationary object at speed is too great to risk it. Also, if you have to worry about bumping a car at speed, that's less brain power you have to focus on avoiding potholes and other obstacles. 

A decent messenger uses quick reflexes and skill to avoid accidents, but a really good messenger never even gets close to one.

As far as the turning issue goes, IME, your ability to perform an emergency turn has more to do with your ability to shift your weight. IME there's no such thing as a 'quick' turn. All turns must be preceded by the rider shifting their weight. In an emergency situation this becomes the limiting factor. (The one time I hit a pedestrian was for that reason, I was caught off-guard and couldn't shift my weight fast enough. They were like "why didn't you turn?" They didn't understand how turning works.)


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## wooden legs (Oct 20, 2003)

*in traffic*



timfire said:


> First, I think the the narrow bars thing is more a matter of perception than anything else. Most people aren't use to riding in tight spaces, so they freak out a little. Once you get used to tight spaces, you realize they really aren't all that tight. Most of the time, even when you're between cars, you still have _at least_ 6-12 inches *on either side* of you (but most of the time its more like 12-18 in). Think about it, that's a decent amount of space. So when people talk about an extra inch or two of handlebar width, how does compare?
> 
> But here's the real messenger secret - don't ride through tight spaces!!! Really, I can physically fit through spaces I would never ride through. If two cars are tightly spaced, go around them. The consequences of bumping a car or some stationary object at speed is too great to risk it. Also, if you have to worry about bumping a car at speed, that's less brain power you have to focus on avoiding potholes and other obstacles.


if you're riding in nyc you sometimes have to fit in sick small spaces, especially if you want to keep moving in gridlock. but still 42 / 40 has always been fine for me, some of my friends insist on 37s or those [email protected]#^& croquet cut off flat bars, if you know what i'm talking about.


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## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

wooden legs said:


> ...or those [email protected]#^& croquet cut off flat bars, if you know what i'm talking about.


Are those the flat bars that are hacked off to have just enough width for a pair of grips?


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## wooden legs (Oct 20, 2003)

yeah, you know it.


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## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

wooden legs said:


> yeah, you know it.


Ah thought so. I've thought about doing that. Hacking off just enough for a pair or Oury grips and adding mtn bike bar ends to create the ultimate narrow bullhorn like setup.

Humm.... time for the hacksaw


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## Tig (Feb 9, 2004)

My bars keep getting narrower through the years. I'm not a big guy, but my first few bikes came with 44 cm bars. 42's were spec'ed on a later bike, and they fit the best. Now, my fixie has 40's. Mostly because I got them for $5 and they are very old Cinnelli's, which matches my old 531 frame. I'll move back to 42's since I sometimes feel a bit too narrow when sprinting. Still, they don't feel all that bad.

Narrower is more important than low when it comes to aerodynamics. Stick with the narrowest bar that feels comfy.


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## timfire (Dec 13, 2001)

meat tooth paste said:


> Ah thought so. I've thought about doing that. Hacking off just enough for a pair or Oury grips and adding mtn bike bar ends to create the ultimate narrow bullhorn like setup.
> 
> Humm.... time for the hacksaw


The only thing I'll add is this: The real limiting factor in squeezing through tight spaces are your hips(*), not your bars. So, IMO cutting a bar thinner than the width of your hips is pointless. I think for most people, that'll be, like.. 13-16 inches, I think.


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(*) Foot/pedal width is a limiting factor as well. But since the main obstacle on the road is usually a car's mirrors, not the side of the car, foot/pedal width usually doesn't factor into whether or not you'll fit.


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