Dropbar width

[Chris Balaschak]

I am wondering the consensus on handlebar width for a midsized human (PBH 85).

I have been riding 400m Nitto B132s, but feel they are much too narrow at the brake hoods (maybe 370mm?). However, I appreciate the swoop and dip and drop - the multiple hand positions. I would like a drop bar with at least 420m at the hoods, and plenty of reach (there are some wider bars out there, but have very shallow reach<80). What are you riding that is comfortable, wide, multi-positional?

My main consideration right now, are these, which are kind of wacko-wide. 

https://www.sim.works/collections/handle-bars-simworks-by-nitto/products/so-bar?variant=12605701750885

[Bill Lindsay]

I use Noodles, in 46cm and 44cm.  They also come in a 48.  The Compass/Rene Herse Maes Parallel are great also, but they don't come in 26.0mm clamp diameter which might bum you out.  Both those bars have nice generous reach.

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Andreas]

Noodle user. 42. Anything wider is too much for me.
Nitto 135 I like as well.

Compass parallel maes come in 31.8 or 25.4 btw. Just more expensive (compass) than the above without added benefit for my use case.

[Grady Wright]

Nitto RM-013 are a good alternative to the Noodles. They have shorter reach, and more flare, so more wrist clearance.

[S]

I second the Noodles. I also like the Nitto 176 Dream Bars. My bars are 42-44, but that's at least partly because the 46s tend to be more expensive or sold out.

Interesting that you want more reach. I am going the other way and using compact drops for my latest build.

On Monday, August 19, 2019 at 1:33:37 PM UTC-7, Chris Balaschak wrote:

[Brian Campbell]

I am 6'1" and use the 46cm Noodle bars. I have been using the 46cm size for about a decade and have no complaints. I am going to try a set of 42mm Noodles on the next build, just because. 

[Jeremy Till]

I'm 6'3", ~95cm PBH IIRC, and use 46cm Nitto M151's on my 64cm Rambouillet. The M151's are pretty square (no flare to the drops) so the hoods are probably close to 46cm apart. This is perfect for a road bike fit. If I were setting up a drop bar off road bike I may consider something wider and/or more flared, but I think I would also make the stem reach shorter and higher. I find that wider bars tend to pull my torso forward since my arms more angled and thus effectively shorter.

-Jeremy Till
Sacramento, CA

[Patrick Moore]

5'10", Asian build, best frame size 60 X 56-57 c-c. I like 38 cm bars with long reach and moderate drop on paved road bikes, 42 ditto on dirt road bikes.

As always, YMWV.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique

[Steven Sweedler]

I’ve shrunk to just less than 6’1” and use 48 Noodles on my bikes. When Bill Farrell brought out the Fit Kit, I was measured and moved from 40’s to 44, I increased my stem extension from 105 to 130. I moved to 46 bars when Grant got them and then 48s when they came out. I still like long stem extensions. Steve

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Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

Hi Chris,

Another list member mentioned the RM-013 above.  I'm 6'5" - 97pbh and tried a 48cm RM-013 but their sizing method is deceptive and different compared to Noodles and possibly other models.  It's more like ~43cm at hoods, measuring 48cm at center to center of bar ends after flare.  I had previously made the mistake of assuming these were measured just like Noodles... they are not!  I previously listed these for sale or trade but still have them available and had since acquired my desired 52cm width RM-013 via an unrelated trade.

If you check out the RM-013 and think they look like something you'd want to try, my 48cm remains available and they closely match your noted 42cm hood width, with flare in the drop portion only (which may or may not be a feature you'd like) but they retain the more standard hood placement when compared to more severely flared 'dirt drops.'

$80 shipped lower 48.  I'm open to trades as well, though my want list has reduced somewhat after checking off some boxes with alternate trade transactions.  This is also partly why I haven't relisted or updated my FS/Trade posting until I get a chance to re-prioritize and update my wishlist.  Please contact off list if you have any interest and wish to discuss further.

Brian Cole

Lawrenceville, NJ

[Chris Balaschak]

 Appreciate all the feedback so far. I've got an old pair of Nitto Mod. 165 in 42 that I am going to give a try, as well as a friend's Nitto "classic" in 45.

My concern about reach is that as I've gotten older, and started riding longer, I always getting this feeling I need to stretch my back/shoulders out further as I'm riding. I'll be playing around with stem and handlebars, and reporting back!

[George Cline]

Here's another data point...I have a PBH of about 88, longish limbs and average torso. Also, I'm 63 so not as spry as I used to be. however, I've used bars around 42cm consistently for nearly 40 years! So maybe those 42's will work fine for you. I didn't care for the 44cm Noodles I was given, I don't really care for the overall geometry of that bar, and I didn't find any advantage in the increase in width. That also applied to some 44cm Cinelli's I had in the past.

But always inthese matters, YMMV!

George in NorCal

[John Hawrylak]

Chris

 

Here is a listing of 4 Nitto bars, same or similar to your list, with drop, reach, flare, rise (on randonneur type), all dimensions in cm, Reach is Center to Center (note,  Compass Randonneur is spec’d Center to End so C-C = C-E-1.1)

                                                Reach (C-E)         Drop      Flare      Rise        Max Width

B132                                      12.2                        11.0        3.2          1.2          44.0

Compass Rand                   10.4                        14.0        3.0          2.0          46.0

B177, Noddle                     9.5                          14.0        9.8          N/A        48.0

B135                                      11.6                        12.          3.9          0.5          45.0

 

All values from 2019 Nitto catalog, except Compass.

Compass values from website plus my measurement of center to end (website states 11.5 cm but does not specify, measured to verify 11.5 cm is C-E).

Flare calculated from drop and flare angle (flare = drop / tan (flare angle)), except for Compass which specifies the flare.

 

I’m 5’7”, 80.6cm PBH.  Used the 44cm B132 and B177’s.  thought they were too wide.  Using Compass Randonneur 42.0 and like the width better.  The “bump” on the rise is noticeable but not a game changer.  The deeper drop is nice, since I tend to ride in the drops, but with center of bar level with saddle.

 

The B132 were nice but too long for me, would need a shorter TTL.  The B177s have a lot of flare due to deep drop and 86° flare angle

 

Hope this helps

John Hawrylak

Woodstown NJ

[John Hawrylak]

The table has 2 typos, the REACH is C-C, not C-E, and the B135 reach was C-E.  Corrected tale below

                                                Reach (C-C)         Drop      Flare      Rise        Max Width

B132                                      12.2                        11.0        3.2          1.2          44.0

Compass Rand                   10.4                        14.0        3.0          2.0          46.0

B177, Noddle                     9.5                          14.0        9.8          N/A        48.0

B135                                      10.5                     12.0          3.9          0.5          45.0

 

John Hawrylak

Woodstown NJ

[John Casteen]

I would second what Brian Campbell said about the 46; he and I are the same size and ride the same width/model bars.  I used to ride 40 & 42, switched to 46 noodle on a road bike and 48 noodle on touring/commuter, and found (A) they let me open up the chest a lot more and (B) hand and arm issues go away.  I would guess you'd be really happy with the 46.

John

On Monday, August 19, 2019 at 4:33:37 PM UTC-4, Chris Balaschak wrote:

[Jim Bronson]

I was surprised to find that these Nitto RM-013 come in 48 and 52 also, but then i found these curious statements:

7 Flare; These bars do not have a traditional curve.
Length
46cm from bar-end to bar-end (40cm from drop to drop)
48cm (43cm from drop to drop)
52cm (46cm from drop to drop)

So the 52 is really more like a 46?

https://www.thebikesmiths.com/products/nitto-rm-013-ht?variant=6893679902754

-jim

Austin, TX

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[Grady Wright]

Jim you are correct that the bar size reflects from the widest measurement in the Flare and the Hoods being closer. The 52 is closer to the 48cm Noodle in the hoods. The bar comes in 3 sizes 46, 48, 52 and in 25.4 and 26.0 clamp sizes. According to Bike Touring News the bar RM-013 was also designed by Grant and original equipment on the 1987 Bridgestone MB-1. 

I have tried a couple other drops lately and I think I am sold on the RM-013

Here is some more reference.  

http://biketouringnews.com/components-touring-bicycles/cockpit/touring-bike-handlebars/nitto-dirt-drop-handlebars/

https://store.biketouringnews.com/nitto-dirt-drop-handlebar-rm-013/

On Monday, 19 August 2019 14:33:37 UTC-6, Chris Balaschak wrote: