I think ultimately it's dependent on the rider's preference. My Stumpjumper came with 27" bars, which ultimately I thought was far too wide, and I like wide bars. I hope I didn't cut too much off, needless to say they are now 24.5". I think I should have started at 1/2" off each side of the bar. Good Luck.
A taller tire gives the trail more leverage on the rider. The 29in spinning tire also has more rotational inertia due both to the additional weight and the larger diameter. All of this argues for a giving the rider a longer lever to control it all. Of course the rider ergonomic interest trumps all of this, but provided the bike "fits", people seem to prefer wider bars on bigger wheels.
To a degree wider = more control and narrower = more clearance on narrower trails.
Larger tires benefit from a little more leverage which is why 29ers usually come with wider bars.
My 26" mtn bike has 24" bars
my 29" mtn bike has 27" bars
I have never really had an issue with the 27" bars being too wide on my 29er and ride some fairly tight single track here in Western NC (Asheville area). That being said, I would get the widest bar you are comfortable with but it ultimately comes down to rider preference. If clearance on the trails is an issue then get narrower bars but going less then your shoulder width is usually pretty pointless.
It really depends on preference & comfort. Mine are 25" wide right now and they're almost a bit too wide. I ride a lot of really really tight singletrack, and my bars barely fit through the trees
A taller tire gives the trail more leverage on the rider. The 29in spinning tire also has more rotational inertia due both to the additional weight and the larger diameter. All of this argues for a giving the rider a longer lever to control it all. Of course the rider ergonomic interest trumps all of this, but provided the bike "fits", people seem to prefer wider bars on bigger wheels.
^This.
Also stem length can be indirectly proportional to bar width.
Wider bars usually work better with shorter stems and longer stems and narrower bars. Generally!
But fit and trail conditions and the type of riding should be taken into consideration also.
Last edited by blcman; 01-01-2013 at 10:09 AM.
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My RM Altitude 970 came with 685 mm bars and a 90 mm stem, I replaced them with 725 mm bars and 50 mm stem to match more of my 26er AM. I comes down to what type of riding you are doing. XC is usually narrower bars with a longer stem and AM is usually the opposite.
My RM Altitude 970 came with 685 mm bars and a 90 mm stem, I replaced them with 725 mm bars and 50 mm stem to match more of my 26er AM. I comes down to what type of riding you are doing. XC is usually narrower bars with a longer stem and AM is usually the opposite.
Yeah, well my 725 came with 552 and 223 but I swapped it out for a 677 and 221.
Seriously, I get what you are saying but I am guessing you just spoke a foreign language to the OP. lol
He's absolutely right and that works out to.......29" wide
Originally Posted by Bike Whisperer
Take your 26er bar width and multiply it by 1.115 to get your 29er bar width
Seriously, handlebar width is not wheel size specific, it's a combination of rider preference, stem length, tyre size/width, terrain, intended usage. I prefer a wider bar since I prefer to ride chunky terrain and it gives more leverage, hence control for me in this sort of stuff.
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if you're in the market for a new handlebar, buy something wider than what you need. cut a little off the ends if you think it's too wide until you find the sweet spot. I feel at home on 685/710mm bars (that's about 27-28 inches).
I generally tend to like risers but have also tried flats bars as well. Couple sets of alt. bars too. They kept get wider and wider and the tree's were getting closer and closer. I always seemed to return to one set that always feel just right.
Plus it's fun trying out different handlebars from time to time once your whip is built and you really have no need to throw money at it.
i use a 720 riser for rougher trails. The wider bars = more stability.
If i want to go flat out on tight single track i use a 680 flat bar. Less stability but can dart through tight spaces. It also makes the bike more twitchy, or quicker handling. Same as i ever did on the 26. If anything, i would hypothesize that you might be able to get away with a narrowrer bar easier on a 29 than a 26 due to the increased stability that the 29er wheels offer. But in practice, for me, no diff whatsoever.
i use a 720 riser for rougher trails. The wider bars = more stability.
If i want to go flat out on tight single track i use a 680 flat bar. Less stability but can dart through tight spaces. It also makes the bike more twitchy, or quicker handling. Same as i ever did on the 26. If anything, i would hypothesize that you might be able to get away with a narrowrer bar easier on a 29 than a 26 due to the increased stability that the 29er wheels offer. But in practice, for me, no diff whatsoever.
Same here, I prefer wide on the 26, no different for me on the 29er. I'm at 725mm wide I think...
Read once that wider bars help to keep the rider's arms spread out away from the sides of the chest so the lungs can expand better getting more room to breath O2.Seems to make sense if your a rider that might have this problem..
Wider bars achieve very little difference in opening your lung capacity if your arms are still in the straight position. Hold your arms straight out with your hands 24" apart. Now move the hands 27" apart and you will see very little difference in your chest.
Now push your elbows out and see your chest expand. You can achieve the same results with your hands 24" apart or 27" apart.
So unless you are comparing a 12" bar to a 48" bar I would say this is just one of those many myths of why something is better.
To a degree wider = more control and narrower = more clearance on narrower trails.
Larger tires benefit from a little more leverage which is why 29ers usually come with wider bars.
My 26" mtn bike has 24" bars
my 29" mtn bike has 27" bars
I have never really had an issue with the 27" bars being too wide on my 29er and ride some fairly tight single track here in Western NC (Asheville area). That being said, I would get the widest bar you are comfortable with but it ultimately comes down to rider preference. If clearance on the trails is an issue then get narrower bars but going less then your shoulder width is usually pretty pointless.
Wow you must have some tight trails. I'm running a 745 and I run on the narrow side for this area.
Stop being a jerk. The vast majority of bars out there are sold in mm, not inch specs.
To the OP, 685-730mm is probably the most common range for bar widths these days. I prefer wide bars--710-780
I was thinking to my self, oh great, just when I got used to mm, people switched back to inches lol.
Anyhow, I prefer short bars but that just me...I get claustrophobic looking at the gaps between my bar ends and trees lol. So my 29er has 670 bars and my 26er run 660mm.
I was thinking to my self, oh great, just when I got used to mm, people switched back to inches lol.
Anyhow, I prefer short bars but that just me...I get claustrophobic looking at the gaps between my bar ends and trees lol. So my 29er has 670 bars and my 26er run 660mm.
Just curious what length stems you running?
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Originally Posted by edle
