Handlebar Width – What Should You Be Riding?

Like all components available in the world of mountain biking, there are different sizes and styles for everything. Sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what parts you need for the style of riding that you enjoy. A very common dilemma when designing your dream bike, is what width of handlebar you should be riding.

At TBS Bike Parts we offer a range of handlebars from 740mm to 800mm in width. So what is the difference and how do I know what width I need? A lot of it comes down to what type of riding you do, but it's also personal preference and how you feel comfortable on a bike as well. The idea with making handlebars wider is to give you more control and stability when riding rugged terrain and heavier downhill trails. However, if you are riding tight trails with lots of trees and obstacles on the sides of the trails, you may run in to the issue of hitting your bars/hands off of trees, rocks etc. Having a narrow handlebar helps significantly with mobility and agility in tight spots, however you sacrifice the leverage and stability of having the wider bar. Narrow bars pair better with a longer stem causing you to lean into the front end more which is ideal for people who ride cross country. The video below gives a great demonstration on the pros and cons for different lengths of bars as well as how to identify your most natural stance.

We've got lots of great options at TBS Bike Parts for you to choose from, whether you are a die hard downhill fan or a dedicated cross country rider. We also have all types of stems so that you can design your optimal cockpit all in one shopping experience!