Quote Originally Posted by Irulan View Post
TM, I think it's really interesting that the fit involved cutting your bars down. Are these guys used to fitting roadies? Every thing I am learning about MTB technique with my coaching certs points to wider bars being more stable, and have many other advantages but that certainly did not used to be the case. Example, my 2001 FS came with 22" bars, the one I bought in 07 had 25" and now 28" or more is standard. The shops I work with want you to start wide, try and then cut them down after you've ridden them for a bit. And sure, they can be intimidating and feel pretty strange if you are used to narrow bars.
The LBS that I went to fit all types of riders, from MTB to Cyclocross to Roadies. I had no complaints riding my MTB with the original handlebars, but after the ends were cut off, I felt I had more control with the narrower handlebars; so I am very happy that my LBS did that. In addition, since my current handle bars are only a slight bit wider than my "optimal" and your coach recommends that wider bars are more stable, then my current handlebar width is probably perfect for me.