Here's my critter:
http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_ca...6&parentid=253

The bar is a "Kona Riser", but it's a pretty low riser. The bar is a honkin' 25 inches long! (measured straight across end-to-end) Why on earth they put a bar like your freeride on a commuter bike, I don't know. If I chop off my 1 1/2 inches from each end, it'll end up the 22 inches you're describing.

I'm 5'8 with monster-wide shoulders. I have a hard time finding women's tops to fit my wide shoulders and long arms. But I am not comfortable with these wide bars.

I never measured my bars on my recumbent, or my Trek Fast Track, or my Diamondback, or my Raliegh, or my Nishiki... I'm sure I'm missing some bikes in this list. What's that Waylon Jennings or Willie Nelson song? "To all the Bikes I've loved before"?

Sounds like I'm pretty safe cutting the bars down to 22 inches. Thanks!