Handlebar width

Measuring the bony protrusions on my shoulders puts me right at 38 cm, and that's the size bars that came installed on my bike.

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, when I built up my race bike I put 42s on, knowing they were a little wide for me, but they were comfortable. When I returned to cycling, I put that bike back on the road for a year. When I bought my new bike, the bars felt really narrow, but I gradually got used to them and eventually found them comfortable.

But. When I ride on the hoods (which is most of the time), my wrists want to break to the outside when I get tired. There's no way I would be able to ride with my hands on the tops of the bars (not that I would want to most of the time anyhow, but on my old bike I could).

Does that seem right? Or should I go back to a wider bar? Maybe try 40 cm?

I don't know.

But how do you measure the distance between your bony protrusions?

Karen

Oakleaf, that's so funny because I'm going through the same thing! All my previous bikes have had 40s on them but my new WSD bike has narrower ones (I think 39s.) I don't have discomfort but I notice that my hands end up as far to the outside as they can possibly be when I'm on the hoods, and sometimes I'll find them hanging right off the side and I'm hanging on by my thumbs! I asked my mechanic about it and he measured across the back of my shoulders and said yeah, 40s would be optimal for me.

Maybe have somebody measure your shoulders (across your back) and see what the width is. It felt like he measured me clear across, from outside to outside but I'm not sure - I couldn't see!

I just switched to WSD38s, from 40s and I got the short reach brifters. I feel a little weird, too, but it's too late now. I am definitely a 38, been measured several times. I think that maybe just getting the short reach brifters and the same Specialized bars in 40s would have been better, but I am happy I can actually reach the drops and the brakes...

I have the same distrust of my 38's. I was measured at a 38 but I am not sure it is right. My wrists don't seem to want to line up comfortably. I on the other hand ride a lot on the tops because of this. The LBS said the hoods can be pointed out or in to be more comfortable I just haven't had my bike back by since they said that. Maybe moving the hoods would work for you?

Sometimes you can measure a 38 and be more comfortable on a 40. I believe going one size larger is going to open the chest cavity more for better breathing. I measure a 39, but I had a 40 on my bike. Notice I said had since I just sold my road bike.

Wouldn't hurt to try a larger size. At my fitting, the guy measured me for a 36cm, which felt extremely narrow, and left me with neck pain. I bumped it up to a 38cm, in the short and shallow (salsa), and still had problems. I thought for sure I must be a 40cm, so i tried a larger bar, by a different maker (Ritchey). Definitely felt too wide. I even tried a different shop, and he said I was a 38cm for sure.

I had posted my dilemma on the boards here, and someone actually had an extra pair of 38cm, and offered to send them to me. They have been nothing but awesome, no problems at all! They are Bontrager Race bars.

So, it could be that you need a different brand, or maybe go up a size. I found that the Bontrager 38cm I have now have a lot more room across the tops, even though I primarily ride in the hoods. It's nice to have options though! My other 38cm (short and shallow), there wasn't enough space for me to rest comfortably.

this might be totally obvious, but bars are measured two ways-- center to center and end to end. The difference is approx. 2 cms. For example, I measure 38 cms (on my shoulders) and use either a 38 c-t-c or a 40 e-t-e bar. Could you possibly have 38 e-t-e bars installed, which would correspond to about 36 c-t-c??

Also, some folks just plain like wider bars. If you are feeling cramped, go back to wider bars

Mm, that's a good point, I don't know how the manufacturer measures and I didn't actually measure them myself. I'll check!

(And yeah, it was my husband who measured my shoulders, but I reached behind my back to point out where to measure from.)

And then, the quest to find the perfect bend...