• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

What’s the Right Handlebar Width?

By Coach Fred Matheny

If you look at photos of bike racers throughout history, you might notice the variance in handlebar width.

Even among modern road bikes, bars can be found in a fairly wide variety of widths. But what is the right handlebar width?

The standard fitting advice is to get a handlebar as wide as the measurement between your AC joints. Those are the bumps atop your shoulders where the collarbone attaches just inboard of your deltoid muscle.

But many riders prefer a handlebar slightly wider than their shoulders. A wide bar opens the chest. Some people say they breathe better because of it.

A wide bar also provides more leverage for steering. It can make a twitchy bike more stable and makes a loaded bike or tandem easier to control.

The aero advantage of a handlebar that’s a couple of centimeters narrower seems negligible to me, especially on recreational rides when you’re up on the brake lever hoods most of the time. The upper body creates a lot more wind resistance than arms do.

I remember a comment from a pro rider a few years back. He said his switch from a 42-cm bar to a 44-cm was like going from night to day. He loved the way the wider bar felt to his body and his bike handling.


Coach Fred Matheny is an RBR co-founder who has four decades of road cycling and coaching experience. He has written 14 eBooks and eArticles on cycling training, available in RBR’s eBookstore at Coach Fred Matheny, including the classic Complete Book of Road Bike Training, which includes 4 eBooks comprising 250 pages of timeless, detailed advice and training plans. The Complete Book is one of the many perks of an RBR Premium Membership. Click to read Fred’s full bio.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Todd Winkler says

    September 11, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    Coach – I’m heading to Hawaii and plan on doing a 100+ mile ride on a rental, but I ride a 44 cm handlebar at home very comfortably, but the rental shop uses stock width 42 cm and does not swap out or have an option until the frame is larger than what I ride. I know this is very personal choice as will be ultimate comfort, but would I notice much difference after riding the first 10 miles, or is it worth just riding an oversized (58 vs 54) frame? I wouldn’t be too concerned but part of those miles are coming down Haleakala crater, and I’d rather not feel squirley handling for that leg. Thank you in advance, Todd

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1054
  • ‘Connect’ to Diet-Reverses-Diabetes Study: Even If You Don’t Have the Disease
  • My New Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL 5
  • Weak Muscles Predict Accelerated Aging, Disability and Death

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1054

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Newsletter Issue No. 1050

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in