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?