So here's my view on the whole handlebar width deal. In general most shops think wider is better. The theory is that you have a longer lever to work from so you can affect a larger change in your front end alignment with a smaller movement of your body. That's great from a bicycle physics point of view and hence...

Quote Originally Posted by Irulan View Post
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.
Unfortunately, what that doesn't take into account is the riders's physique and strength.

My advice when it comes to mtn bike handlebar width is this... find the distance between your hands that you can hold a push-up position for at least 20 sec with elbows going outwards. The measurement should be from the outer edge of your hand. Start with that and then go narrower as needed.