Shoulder width vs. bar width

[7rider]

Hi.
I'm not sure where to post this - cycling related, health issues, or here - so this one won out!

Is there a "rule of thumb" regarding your shoulder width and the optimal width of your handlebars? From where to where do you measure your shoulders?
If bars were too wide, what would be the predicted body symptoms?

Thanks.

[DebW]

I don't know alot about this. I've heard hb the same width as your shoulders, or hb 1-2 cm wider. I've got shoulders exactly 38 cm wide, and I find that 38 cm bars feel too narrow. 40s feel perfect to me. I'm sure others will have somewhat different opinions and experiences.

[DarcyInOregon]

The LBS swapped out the handlebars that came on the WSD bike I purchased. One of the reasons is the handlebars were too wide. The LBS said where the hands are positioned on the drops need to line up with the shoulders. I love the new handlebars; I feel I have control and mastery over the bike. On the original bars, I felt a complete lack of confidence.

[salsabike]

My shoulders are about 38-39". The Eros Donna had 36" bars which were way too small and made my hands go tingly. I switched out the 36" for 42" and they work fine, although I suppose 40" would be ideal.

[velogirl]

For comfort, the rule of thumb I use in bike fit is no more than 2cm wider than your shoulders (measured from A/C joint to A/C joint). That means most women would be on a 36cm or 38cm bar. You should be able to lift your hands straight in front of your shoulders and grab the hoods while keeping your wrists in a straight plane (ie no cocked wrists). A bar that's too wide will cause pain in the shoulders/neck and potentially in the hands/arms (if you ride with a tight grip on the bar).

For performance, we tend to fit a bit wider, since this allows the rider to "push" the bar for high-speed cornering and descents. Because most racers spend much more time on their bikes than rec. riders, they're able to build additional strength that prevents the shoulder/neck pain. The other alternative is a bar that flares slightly at the drops, but this isn't necessarily safe for close riding (such as in a crit).

[Thorn]

Towards the end of the season when our mileage was getting higher, I started to have problems in my upper back. I just assumed that my bike was too long. I'm 6' tall but only have an arm span of about 5'6".

When I started riding on a trainer a couple weeks ago with a 20+ year old racing bike, I noticed how much more comfortable that bike was than my newer road bike. So this weekend I got out the tape measure and discovered it was actually just a tad bit longer between saddle to handle bars. Hmmm...

But after searching old posts (note: there are some good back threads on this one) I found the shoulder width == handlebar width. Sure enough, the old bike has 40cm handle bars and the new bike has 44cm. When I do the measurement on my shoulders I am at 38cm. Looks like I'll be looking for new handle bars. I just haven't decided if I should go down to 38 or go with 40. Dropping 6cm seems a drastic change.

These forums are awesome!

[7rider]

Wow. Thanks. This is all very useful, and it's making me wonder if my 42 cm bars are too wide. I'm currently off the bike with neck spasms, shoulder irritation and median nerve irritation. I wonder, tho', if it really IS the handlebars, as all of my ailments are on one side only.

GLC1968 - did you have pain in both arms or just one?

My shop has offered to re-fit me to the bike. I may take them up on that, and focus on the handlebars, as that is one of the major components I recently changed on the bike.