I’m 6’2 as well with a 6’8 wing span. I think wing span (in my case an “ape index”) is often overlooked when people are trying to determine their bike size. I have ridden enough bikes to know that my sweet spot is about a 500mm reach. I am always in between a L and an XL on most all manufactures sizing charts but I have never found an L to be large enough. I’m always feeling crammed in the L cockpit even with a 50mm stem and I have always enjoyed the feel of an XL with a 35mm stem and 780 bars (I cut mine to 785). One thing I have to say is that bar rise can seriously effect the handling characteristic (I have settled into a 30mm rise) please make a rise, roll, sweep vid in the future! Thanks for the great content
I'm also 6'2.5" and have an XL Tallboy. I recently ordered a PNW bar and am going to have it cut to 780mm and replace with a shorter stem for better handling. Good point about bar rise. I'll have to play around with it to get it right.
Exactly same setup, but I ride slightly bigger reach 515mm on Nukeproof mega. Still it has short top tube so climbing is very plesant. 780 bars, 35 mm stem lenght,30 rise, only one 5 mm spacer under stem.
@@wesmiller504 steering felt faster, and shorter bars helped with control in my opinion, I’m 5’10” btw so the 800 wide bars felt way to wide, felt like my chest was too close cuz my hands were so far apart, shorter bars also helped back pain after long rides cuz I felt more upright
I was sporting a 700mm bar and recently bought a 785mm. I have a 35mm stem. I was planning to cut the bar down but it just feels right at 785mm. I'm of average height. I guess all of us have our preferences. Loved this video as I find bike geometry to be a fascinating subject. Keep them coming!!!
Well done! I have been experimenting with stem / bars this past week. 50mm “XC” stem and 780 bars FTW. I was thinking 50mm was too old school. This video helped me get over myself and try it. So good! Thanks. Really dig you videos. Chill, informative, and not too bro. Just subscribed. Keep up the good work!
Hey thanks for the kind words. Glad you dig the videos. It’s been fun to approach these tests with an open mind and try to let go of my preconceived “cool” notions. I’m usually pretty surprised.
Interesting. My bike came with 780 and 35 mm stem and I’ve considered trying a 50 mm to increase reach slightly. On my XL the reach is 485 so it would make it 500 which is what a lot of XL reach numbers are lately.
I’m 6’1” 79” wing span xl SC Chamaeleon 760 next with industry9 50mm stem Not stock components but I stayed with all stock specs Updates; due to a crash I changed out the bars to new Next SL 740mm (didn’t notice any difference with the width change) And the stem to i9 32mm Bike is now dialed in on a gnats ass!!
The wider bar opens up your stance, by having elbows out farther, your stance is more open and easier to have a wider range of motion on the bike to move hips and torso where they need to counteract terrain, etc.
Hey, great honest video! Just one thing bugged me though. 50mm isn't a long stem, and 750mm aren't narrow bars, and its definitely not old school XC (100-120mm stems and 600mm bars). Its not even what current XC riders are using. Nino Schurter's current signature bar and stem combo is 90mm stem and 680mm bars. As you've found out in your testing, the myth of the last few years that wider and shorter is always "better" is not true for everyone. My brand new bike came with a 780/35 combo on it, and when I switched to a 780/50 combo the bike felt so much better to me. The bike shop was shocked that I would put a longer stem on ! :) But aside from me being picky, it was a good test and enjoyable content.
Awesome vid. HT trail bike 760 bar 40mm stem. FS all mountain bike 770 bar 50mm stem I’m 6’1. Skinny, not wide shoulders on large bikes with 465 - 475 reach on both bikes. The fit. I close my eyes and place my hands on the bar installed (no grips, no break levers ect). I move from widest to narrow until I’m comfortable. Easy.
just switched out my long 110 stem and 600mm flat bars on a 26er (20 year old) for 60mm and 680mm with 20mmm riser. I'm only 5'8, but my bike feels great. better posture and shoulders sit better. I would have gone for a 720 bar, but I wanted to avoid knockoffs and unknown brands, which isn't easy where I live. May grab that bigger bar when back in the UK, but right now I'm super happy
I realize this is an older video, but it really sparked my interest. I've found that bar width should be tied to your range of motion of your shoulders and wrists. If you take a wide bar, tie a weight (like 10 lbs) to it, bend forward and attempt to pull it to your chest, unless you are crazy flexible, you will find difficulty getting the bar to touch your chest but you will feel strong in doing so because you can engage your back muscles. The opposite is the case with a narrow bar. It will pull to your chest, but you won't feel as strong because of very little back engagement. I would assume a narrower bar would lead to arm fatigue quickly. The sweet spot for bar width is getting that position that allows for full range of motion and ideal level of strength. Pay attention to your wrist angles. Too wide a bar will cause you to pinch the inside of your wrists and too narrow will pinch the outside of your wrist when you pull the bar to your chest.
Good info here. I run my stems 35 or 50mm (depending if trail / all mountain or XC respectively) and always run my handlebars 760mm on XC and my trail / all mountain bikes. I am 5’-7” and this works for me.
All good stuff. I’m 5’9” and the short stem and long bars were very uncomfortable especially for uphills. Down hills I would be too forward. So I added a long stem and kept the long bars and overall, technical or xc, a good fit for me. Important to be fitted accordingly before spending 3k plus for a bike. Thanks for sharing.
Outstanding work. I'm going through the same testing. Although I'm on a much longer stem 90mm on my Supercaliber that comes stock with 80mm. This is just an excellent piece. Thank you.
Really great video and explains handling really well and the lever action in steering... to me the stem and bars are just such a great way to make bike fit you can't change top tube or seat angle but can stretch out a bit or bring back with length of stem and bars to make a good fit.
That was really helpful. Your style of riding and commenting works well. The comparative nature of your commentary helped affirm my decision to go 35/780//35 riseI went from 30 yrs of xc to an E enduro bike, wow what a change! Love it! I’m making accommodations for terrain in Lake Tahoe it’s almost always rocky, challenging, dry and single track galore.
I’m riding a 2021 Specialized Fuse 27.5 with 38mm rise Deity bars cut to 780mm, Deity 35mm long stem with 20mm of spacers underneath & 18mm of spacers on top for room to play with bar height if needed. Also running a Pike Ultimate 140mm travel with 46mm offset, bike is very nimble but not at all twitchy, loving the setup
I ride 780mm witdh on my handlebars. I've tried 800, 760 and 720 and I found that 800mm was kinda uncomfortable so I went down to 760mm and I really liked it. When I got my new bike it came original with 780mm handlebars and I feels amazing. Not too wide so that it is uncomfy but still great handling.
Have you looked at bar rise as a factor? It really does depend on the rider I think the key is what each thing does because even if someone is the same size they may want it different. It would be cool if you could rent some kit for the this purpose at a reasonable price. Then determine what sizes would work best for you on given bike. That way you would have a really good idea what to buy to optimize the setup for your wants and needs. There would still be some variables that would effect it such as weight and actual fit on the components you buy in the end but, it maybe close enough to make choice that's best for you.
I’m in between a medium and large on a Yeti SB130. I went with a large and changed 50mm stem to 35mm. I have 780mm bars. I think it is a pretty good fit.
Hey thanks! keep waiting for a phone call from them but I still don’t have an official soda sponsor. I think you made a good choice going a little bigger on the bike and smaller on the cockpit. I did the same with my 130.
I was in the same boat on the sb130 and originally bought the large and messed with the bars and many stems...After a few months really couldn’t get it to fit right and continued to cause me shoulder pain. Swapped to a medium a frame a month ago and now it feels like my dream bike.
Hi, I'm making that decision just now. I'm 5'10" (178cm) tall. But I've got a positive ape index, so slightly longer arms compared to legs. How tall are you,? A medium B130 felt slightly too small to me - I kept wanting to scoot my butt a bit back on the saddle. I think a large we ould be good. Let me know what you reckon. Cheers
@@BrianRPaterson I’m 179cm and ride a LARGE. But I have the SB130 LUNCHRIDE. If it was not the LR and just the normal 130 I would get a medium. The LR shortens the reach a bit. I also put a 35mm stem. I have never rode a medium so I have nothing to compare it to. I do know that as far as rock gardens, drops, fast sections of trail, the large Lunchride is amazing. I do struggle on tight turns and slower pieces of trail. This is probably me and a rider more than the bike. I would say if you kept wanting to put your butt back further on the medium, then you should go with the larger cockpit on the large.
@@BrianRPaterson I was in your same boat, with a bit shorter arms probably. Medium used to feel too small to me but after riding it for several months, it feels perfect. I feel much more in control on this bike too. I don't miss the large at all. I'd try and ride both if you can several times. These bikes are loooong.
Thanks for the great video. I didnt feel my ride so direct, had some shoulder pain, just changed from 75mil standard cube stems to pro 40mm.s based on your 35mm suggestion ;) It'll be so direct and cool thanks for the tips and great content, the circuit is very nice where u ride...
thank god for this video. I use 50mm deity stem, 760 deity CZ, and 44 offset fork and I have been second guessing this big time. I had 45mm stem and 780 bar on Fuse 2020 hardtail and it was not comfortable at all, hence the decision to go for a shorter riser bar and a slight longer stem to keep the geo somewhat. It is much more comfortable now, turns better, but jumping has been odd.
Well done 👍🏼 been playing with my bad setup lately also.. all good testing when you take yourself outside your mental bias/comfort zone to see what works the best for you and why~ Gotta be willing try some different things sometimes to find that happy balance and feeling that makes you most confident 👌🏼✨🚲💨
I did notice that from the 800 to the 750 bar your front wheel is not wandering from side to side as much as it was with the longer bar. The wider bar forces your upper body to ride more quietly where the shorter bar you can do the same but you need more time in becoming acclimated because you mussel memory is use to the wider bar...if that makes sense. For use old-school x-cers we are use to keeping both feet (clipped in) quiet and upper body's quiet and the bike underneath us.
My preference is almost exactly like yours. I'm in between sizes. I like to size up. Currently, using 35 stem and 780 bar. Thanks for the review. My bike does feel a bit big. So, I may have to play around with my setup again.
I was surprised I liked the 750 bars so much. Cutting yours down to even 760 would make the bike feel smaller, but at the same time would affect your handling/stability a bit. I wonder if a 40mm stem with 760 bars would be the combo?
Good vid. Interesting what you said about neck and shoulders while climbing on longer bar/longer stem… 3/4 of my MTB time is climbing.. makes sense for the source…. Might play with a bit longer stem. Thanks
I've read a few articles discussing bar width that pro Enduro and DH riders choose. It was surprised how many are below a 780mm width. I'm guessing that when you're a top notch rider you can capitalize on the speed and agility narrower bars provide. Also, I feel that the stability modern bike geo provides would let most riders go a bit narrower with out any negative effect.
It makes sense. Most of those folks are elite athletes that can bench press an elephant. They aren’t really desperate for more upper body stability like the rest of us.
I will say that longer stem is SUPER underrated as far as the climbing performance it gives you. I predominantly ride XC trails in my area and have a 50mm stem and 760mm bars. Curious to try a 70mm stem with 720mm bars and see how it climbs.
@@josephfarrugia2350 I have a modern Hardtail Vitus Sentier with a lot of reach. Now riding a 50 mm stem and 700mm bar and a 2010 stumpjumper that came with a 90mm stem and I changed out the 660mm bar for 720. I just prefer the narrower bar because I have a long torso with short arms for my height so my bars always feel really low. But I would imagine a 70mm stem would climb better on the Hardtail, probably would also be more sketchy downhill. Definitely should still conduct this experiment.
Thanks for the vid! After three years of riding I've decided to do a cockpit upgrade. I ride a 2018 Roscoe 8 and it came with 60/760. I'm pretty set on going with 780 bars, but my problem is, I'm torn between a 40 or 50 stem. I reckon I'm just going to pull the trigger and go with the 40/780 setup. I'd rather sacrifice the uphill for better handling on the downhills. Again, I much appreciate your breakdown on the different characteristics between bar and stem lengths; and their impacts on ride control. Cheers!
I agree. You can buy replacements so I guess you could have a few and cut them to different sizes. It would be great to be able to buy a pack of pre cut lengths though.
I'm changing from 780mm wide and 12mm rise stock bars and 60mm stock stem. Just got 800mm 30mm rise bars but not a new stem yet and wrist started hurting straight away!! Thinking of going for a 35mm stem. Will that help? Might also chop bars back down to 780mm as that's where I'm used to I'm 6ft 4 btw Bike: Orbea Occam h30 2021 New Bars: Tag metals T1 aluminium Proposed new stem: Nukeproof Horizonn35mm
Interesting. Usually a higher rise will take some weight off your hands. I’d try experimenting with bar roll and lever position as those will change with bar rise. If you can find a loaner stem I’d try that before chopping bars. That way you’re not wasting money.
Great video man! I have a hard tail vike I’m 5’9 and have a 780 mm handle bar which stem size do you recommend? My trials where I’m from have no big down hills or uphills it’s all quirky little hills and jumps and turns
It's interesting. I've heard you also want to take your fork offset into consideration. I do prefer the faster steering and I have a 760 bar, 45stem and 44offset.
Thanks for doing this video. Very helpful and informative.Great effort! By the way, I’m planning of upgrading my HB and Stem.I’m 5’ 8 1/2 ft and using a Medium MTB.Bought a HB 770 in length with 30 rise.What do you recommend for a comfortable stem ? Thanks and more power.Watching here all the way from the Philippines 🇵🇭😊
Thanks for the kind words! I don't know if one stem is more comfortable than another. In my mind, if it holds onto your steerer tube and bars securely, it gets a pass. Length will depend on your fit and handling preferences.
Great vid as usual! I'm 6'1& I normally go with 780 & 40 mm stem & rise comes into it as well Re; Rise 25/30 especially if I'm coming across steeper sections stops me diving & keeps me more composed ; 1 question for you are you going to be testing the New Santa Cruz bullet 👍🤙🚵
Thanks for the great review and rider input...I am a little shorter and found 35mm stem with 760 mm bar a great set up on my HD5, I had 50mm stem and just felt odd for me.
Yeah. I think a lot of it comes down to the individual and how their bike fits them. I think it’s safe to say that most folks are running too wide of bars for the most part though.
@@bikersedge I agree, more of a trendy thing, EVRYONE is using 800mm bars, It must be the best, but not necessarily of course, seems to be the mind set.
I have a Specialized Rockhooper Comp 1X and it's a XC bike I want a new handle bar for stability and control going down hill. I'm thinking of changing my bars. Then shocks next.
Connor (and Zach), you guys have such a good Channel! Looks like you are riding Trailside? Remember the days when mountain bikes were just things you ride on any dirt surface and not categorized??? My first mountain bike was a 1987 Schwinn Sierra. What a cool bike that was for it's time! My 2004 Stumpjumper had a 100 mm stem, and a 70.5 head tube angle. That thing did climb well, but man it wasn't confidence inspiring going downhill! How is the Spur treating you? Do you ride it more often than your big bike?
Hey thanks for the kind words! The Spur is a great little bike. I really like it. Personally I like the feel of a big bike, but the Spur is the biggest feeling little bike I’ve ever ridden.
Like the content, but calling a 50mm stem an XC stem is a stretch. WC XC bikes are running 60mm-70mm stems. Just feel like this might make people steer away from 50mm stems when it might be better. Personal experience, it was hard to get enough weight over the front end with a sub 50mm stem prior to shorter offset forks. People with 3+ year old bikes may not be best served moving to sub 50mm stems unless they are comfortable with really committing weight over the front end.
I mean in my ride review I mentioned how I liked the 50mm stem with the narrower bars more than any of the setups. I mentioned how that’s probably the best setup for most people. Don’t think that’s steering people away from a 50.
@@bikersedge I really just meant the XC and old school wording. People seem to take it as a bad word when they have a trail/enduro bike. Otherwise I 100% agreed with your assessment of the 50mm with 750mm bars.
Gotcha. Yeah I guess some people would associate XC with bad. It’s just not as cool as enduro. It’s been cool to do these tests with an open mind and actually pay attention to what feels better rather than just use the cool trendy stuff.
What about 800 mm bars and 50 mm stem on a 20 mm shorter reach bike with slacker HTA that puts your front wheel at the same place as your current bike?
Hello, I received the Santa Hightower v2 from my older brother. It's a bit too big for me as I am 178 cm tall and the bike is XL. Prior to the modifications (original retail setup), the bike felt amazing, but my brother swapped out the original fork for a 34 Fox with a 51 mm offset and a short 31 mm stem to reduce the reach. Now, when I ride, the bike feels strange. Do you have any advice?
@@AxiomXGamingX Couple of things here. First, changing the cockpit is going to have a n effect on body position and handling. It might just take some time for you to get used to it. Second, a 150mm Fox 34 is going to be a bit flexy, especially for someone who's riding an XL.
@@bikersedge Okay, thx. Should I have worried about wrong, big"offset rake angle" ? Do you think that I should buy a correct (as it should be originally) fork and the difference should be clear?
@@AxiomXGamingX personally I think the offset issue was made a bigger deal on the internet than it actually is. It’s a pretty small change in the big picture
50mm stem and 750mm bars are xc? Brother, I have a set of 580mm wide, 25.4mm diameter, carbon bars in the shed with a 110mm stem to match. Now that is early 2000's XC spec!
please note that this test is completely invalidated because the stem and bar brands did not match. i fully expect that this video will be taken down by the government and an apology required. it's not what everyone might want, but for the good of our republic and our expensive outdoor recreation hobby, it is absolutely vital. thank you for coming to my ted talk. also, anyone who mentions that none of my mountain bikes have matching stem and bar brands or provides any corroborating information of such a condition will be reported to the nearest fisa court.
Agreed. The one thing that never was mentioned in the video was the RAD. I have different kinds of mullet combo and various sized frames. But the same RAD across the board. I'm in the middle of swapping all the bars/stems to the same width and reach. So far, so good.
Love this type of content. It’s useful stuff. A similar video on bar rise and roll would be helpful.
I’ll add that one to the list!
I’m 6’2 as well with a 6’8 wing span. I think wing span (in my case an “ape index”) is often overlooked when people are trying to determine their bike size. I have ridden enough bikes to know that my sweet spot is about a 500mm reach. I am always in between a L and an XL on most all manufactures sizing charts but I have never found an L to be large enough. I’m always feeling crammed in the L cockpit even with a 50mm stem and I have always enjoyed the feel of an XL with a 35mm stem and 780 bars (I cut mine to 785). One thing I have to say is that bar rise can seriously effect the handling characteristic (I have settled into a 30mm rise) please make a rise, roll, sweep vid in the future! Thanks for the great content
I'm also 6'2.5" and have an XL Tallboy. I recently ordered a PNW bar and am going to have it cut to 780mm and replace with a shorter stem for better handling. Good point about bar rise. I'll have to play around with it to get it right.
Exactly same setup, but I ride slightly bigger reach 515mm on Nukeproof mega. Still it has short top tube so climbing is very plesant. 780 bars, 35 mm stem lenght,30 rise, only one 5 mm spacer under stem.
Perfect video, great content, I’m switching from 50mm stem with 800mm bars to 35mm stem with 760mm carbon cars
@@wesmiller504 steering felt faster, and shorter bars helped with control in my opinion, I’m 5’10” btw so the 800 wide bars felt way to wide, felt like my chest was too close cuz my hands were so far apart, shorter bars also helped back pain after long rides cuz I felt more upright
I knew you were smarter than the rest of the bike channels, but using the metric system to describe handlebar dimensions really confirmed it for me.
Gotta love that Park City bike park. Such a fun riding spot.
Awesome spot. Just rode it yesterday.
I came across with your channel yesterday and loved it. Keep up the good work. Your style, content on videos etc are top notch
Awesome, thank you!
I was sporting a 700mm bar and recently bought a 785mm. I have a 35mm stem. I was planning to cut the bar down but it just feels right at 785mm. I'm of average height. I guess all of us have our preferences. Loved this video as I find bike geometry to be a fascinating subject. Keep them coming!!!
Downright Phenomenal video. I just went to a 35mm stem and a 780mm bar with a 30mm rise. We'll see how it works out.
Stoked you liked it. Hope the combo works out well for you!
Well done! I have been experimenting with stem / bars this past week. 50mm “XC” stem and 780 bars FTW. I was thinking 50mm was too old school. This video helped me get over myself and try it. So good! Thanks. Really dig you videos. Chill, informative, and not too bro. Just subscribed. Keep up the good work!
Hey thanks for the kind words. Glad you dig the videos.
It’s been fun to approach these tests with an open mind and try to let go of my preconceived “cool” notions. I’m usually pretty surprised.
Interesting. My bike came with 780 and 35 mm stem and I’ve considered trying a 50 mm to increase reach slightly. On my XL the reach is 485 so it would make it 500 which is what a lot of XL reach numbers are lately.
How tall are you and what kind of bike are you running then on?
I’m 6’1” 79” wing span
xl SC Chamaeleon 760 next with industry9 50mm stem
Not stock components but I stayed with all stock specs
Updates; due to a crash
I changed out the bars to new Next SL 740mm (didn’t notice any difference with the width change)
And the stem to i9 32mm
Bike is now dialed in
on a gnats ass!!
The wider bar opens up your stance, by having elbows out farther, your stance is more open and easier to have a wider range of motion on the bike to move hips and torso where they need to counteract terrain, etc.
Hey, great honest video! Just one thing bugged me though. 50mm isn't a long stem, and 750mm aren't narrow bars, and its definitely not old school XC (100-120mm stems and 600mm bars). Its not even what current XC riders are using. Nino Schurter's current signature bar and stem combo is 90mm stem and 680mm bars. As you've found out in your testing, the myth of the last few years that wider and shorter is always "better" is not true for everyone. My brand new bike came with a 780/35 combo on it, and when I switched to a 780/50 combo the bike felt so much better to me. The bike shop was shocked that I would put a longer stem on ! :)
But aside from me being picky, it was a good test and enjoyable content.
By today’s standards (excluding XC racers) 50mm is on the longer side for MTB and 750 is pretty narrow.
Awesome vid.
HT trail bike 760 bar 40mm stem.
FS all mountain bike 770 bar 50mm stem
I’m 6’1. Skinny, not wide shoulders on large bikes with 465 - 475 reach on both bikes.
The fit. I close my eyes and place my hands on the bar installed (no grips, no break levers ect). I move from widest to narrow until I’m comfortable. Easy.
just switched out my long 110 stem and 600mm flat bars on a 26er (20 year old) for 60mm and 680mm with 20mmm riser. I'm only 5'8, but my bike feels great. better posture and shoulders sit better. I would have gone for a 720 bar, but I wanted to avoid knockoffs and unknown brands, which isn't easy where I live. May grab that bigger bar when back in the UK, but right now I'm super happy
I realize this is an older video, but it really sparked my interest. I've found that bar width should be tied to your range of motion of your shoulders and wrists. If you take a wide bar, tie a weight (like 10 lbs) to it, bend forward and attempt to pull it to your chest, unless you are crazy flexible, you will find difficulty getting the bar to touch your chest but you will feel strong in doing so because you can engage your back muscles. The opposite is the case with a narrow bar. It will pull to your chest, but you won't feel as strong because of very little back engagement. I would assume a narrower bar would lead to arm fatigue quickly. The sweet spot for bar width is getting that position that allows for full range of motion and ideal level of strength. Pay attention to your wrist angles. Too wide a bar will cause you to pinch the inside of your wrists and too narrow will pinch the outside of your wrist when you pull the bar to your chest.
Interesting. You might be into something there.
Good info here. I run my stems 35 or 50mm (depending if trail / all mountain or XC respectively) and always run my handlebars 760mm on XC and my trail / all mountain bikes. I am 5’-7” and this works for me.
All good stuff. I’m 5’9” and the short stem and long bars were very uncomfortable especially for uphills. Down hills I would be too forward. So I added a long stem and kept the long bars and overall, technical or xc, a good fit for me. Important to be fitted accordingly before spending 3k plus for a bike. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it.
My new MTC setup - 780 CC bars, 40mm Stem.. ❤❤❤ Perfect
Outstanding work. I'm going through the same testing. Although I'm on a much longer stem 90mm on my Supercaliber that comes stock with 80mm. This is just an excellent piece. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Really great video and explains handling really well and the lever action in steering... to me the stem and bars are just such a great way to make bike fit you can't change top tube or seat angle but can stretch out a bit or bring back with length of stem and bars to make a good fit.
That was really helpful. Your style of riding and commenting works well. The comparative nature of your commentary helped affirm my decision to go 35/780//35 riseI went from 30 yrs of xc to an E enduro bike, wow what a change! Love it! I’m making accommodations for terrain in Lake Tahoe it’s almost always rocky, challenging, dry and single track galore.
That’s where I first picked up biking. I’d love to get back and take a lap on Toads!
This is one of your best videos! Thanks for making
Hey thanks for the kind words! Glad you liked it.
To think I used to ride tiny little 26" wheels and 530mm bars on a 110mm stem _and _*_loved_*_ it_
I was doing that until last year. But my stem was 120mm. lol. On 780s now. Much shorter stem. But now I need a longer, slacker bike!
Thanks for the info, helped me get my cockpit dialed 👌
Great content. Good insight into questions we all have but can’t quite figure out. 👌🏼😎
Glad you liked it!
I’m riding a 2021 Specialized Fuse 27.5 with 38mm rise Deity bars cut to 780mm, Deity 35mm long stem with 20mm of spacers underneath & 18mm of spacers on top for room to play with bar height if needed. Also running a Pike Ultimate 140mm travel with 46mm offset, bike is very nimble but not at all twitchy, loving the setup
Man, you are the best 🇺🇸
🤘🏼
I ride 780mm witdh on my handlebars. I've tried 800, 760 and 720 and I found that 800mm was kinda uncomfortable so I went down to 760mm and I really liked it. When I got my new bike it came original with 780mm handlebars and I feels amazing. Not too wide so that it is uncomfy but still great handling.
I'm 5'10'' btw
I’m 6’2” and find 780 the most comfortable too.
Have you looked at bar rise as a factor? It really does depend on the rider I think the key is what each thing does because even if someone is the same size they may want it different. It would be cool if you could rent some kit for the this purpose at a reasonable price. Then determine what sizes would work best for you on given bike. That way you would have a really good idea what to buy to optimize the setup for your wants and needs. There would still be some variables that would effect it such as weight and actual fit on the components you buy in the end but, it maybe close enough to make choice that's best for you.
I’m in between a medium and large on a Yeti SB130. I went with a large and changed 50mm stem to 35mm. I have 780mm bars. I think it is a pretty good fit.
Hey thanks! keep waiting for a phone call from them but I still don’t have an official soda sponsor.
I think you made a good choice going a little bigger on the bike and smaller on the cockpit. I did the same with my 130.
I was in the same boat on the sb130 and originally bought the large and messed with the bars and many stems...After a few months really couldn’t get it to fit right and continued to cause me shoulder pain. Swapped to a medium a
frame a month ago and now it feels like my dream bike.
Hi, I'm making that decision just now. I'm 5'10" (178cm) tall. But I've got a positive ape index, so slightly longer arms compared to legs. How tall are you,?
A medium B130 felt slightly too small to me - I kept wanting to scoot my butt a bit back on the saddle.
I think a large we ould be good.
Let me know what you reckon.
Cheers
@@BrianRPaterson I’m 179cm and ride a LARGE. But I have the SB130 LUNCHRIDE. If it was not the LR and just the normal 130 I would get a medium. The LR shortens the reach a bit. I also put a 35mm stem.
I have never rode a medium so I have nothing to compare it to. I do know that as far as rock gardens, drops, fast sections of trail, the large Lunchride is amazing. I do struggle on tight turns and slower pieces of trail. This is probably me and a rider more than the bike.
I would say if you kept wanting to put your butt back further on the medium, then you should go with the larger cockpit on the large.
@@BrianRPaterson I was in your same boat, with a bit shorter arms probably. Medium used to feel too small to me but after riding it for several months, it feels perfect. I feel much more in control on this bike too. I don't miss the large at all. I'd try and ride both if you can several times. These bikes are loooong.
Thanks for the great video. I didnt feel my ride so direct, had some shoulder pain, just changed from 75mil standard cube stems to pro 40mm.s based on your 35mm suggestion ;) It'll be so direct and cool thanks for the tips and great content, the circuit is very nice where u ride...
thank god for this video. I use 50mm deity stem, 760 deity CZ, and 44 offset fork and I have been second guessing this big time. I had 45mm stem and 780 bar on Fuse 2020 hardtail and it was not comfortable at all, hence the decision to go for a shorter riser bar and a slight longer stem to keep the geo somewhat. It is much more comfortable now, turns better, but jumping has been odd.
Glad the video helped! Thanks for watching.
Nice. I'm thinking you solved an issue with my sweet ride. Thanks Man
Glad it was helpful!
This is an excellent video. Thanks for this comparison.
Hey thanks. Glad you liked it!
Well done 👍🏼 been playing with my bad setup lately also.. all good testing when you take yourself outside your mental bias/comfort zone to see what works the best for you and why~ Gotta be willing try some different things sometimes to find that happy balance and feeling that makes you most confident 👌🏼✨🚲💨
Thanks! It’s fun to approach these tests with an open mind and just pay attention to what actually rides better.
This was really useful. Thank you!
I did notice that from the 800 to the 750 bar your front wheel is not wandering from side to side as much as it was with the longer bar. The wider bar forces your upper body to ride more quietly where the shorter bar you can do the same but you need more time in becoming acclimated because you mussel memory is use to the wider bar...if that makes sense. For use old-school x-cers we are use to keeping both feet (clipped in) quiet and upper body's quiet and the bike underneath us.
My preference is almost exactly like yours. I'm in between sizes. I like to size up. Currently, using 35 stem and 780 bar. Thanks for the review. My bike does feel a bit big. So, I may have to play around with my setup again.
I was surprised I liked the 750 bars so much. Cutting yours down to even 760 would make the bike feel smaller, but at the same time would affect your handling/stability a bit. I wonder if a 40mm stem with 760 bars would be the combo?
@@bikersedge yeah. I’m really thinking of a 760 bar right now. That’s the shortest I will go.
I’m going to do the opposite, size down and keep the stock 800 bar and 50 mm stem. I’m all for stability on an enduro/freeride bike.
Good vid. Interesting what you said about neck and shoulders while climbing on longer bar/longer stem… 3/4 of my MTB time is climbing.. makes sense for the source…. Might play with a bit longer stem. Thanks
I've read a few articles discussing bar width that pro Enduro and DH riders choose. It was surprised how many are below a 780mm width. I'm guessing that when you're a top notch rider you can capitalize on the speed and agility narrower bars provide. Also, I feel that the stability modern bike geo provides would let most riders go a bit narrower with out any negative effect.
It makes sense. Most of those folks are elite athletes that can bench press an elephant. They aren’t really desperate for more upper body stability like the rest of us.
Lots came from cc
I will say that longer stem is SUPER underrated as far as the climbing performance it gives you. I predominantly ride XC trails in my area and have a 50mm stem and 760mm bars. Curious to try a 70mm stem with 720mm bars and see how it climbs.
Whoa. Thats getting really narrow. Could be cool to try.
Did you try it out? Care to share your findings please?
@@josephfarrugia2350 I have a modern Hardtail Vitus Sentier with a lot of reach. Now riding a 50 mm stem and 700mm bar and a 2010 stumpjumper that came with a 90mm stem and I changed out the 660mm bar for 720. I just prefer the narrower bar because I have a long torso with short arms for my height so my bars always feel really low. But I would imagine a 70mm stem would climb better on the Hardtail, probably would also be more sketchy downhill. Definitely should still conduct this experiment.
Just found this channel, such great information and content. Easy subscribe!
Hey thanks!
Very good content.
Thank you!
I run PNW combo with 50mm stem and bars cut to about 768. It feels great especially with the 10 degree backsweep. I am 6’00
680?!? That’s super narrow. I think I’d be scared.
Typo. 768
This is why I carry a wide variety of them for my clients .
Smart!
Love your honesty, great video!
Very good video, appreciate this review
Hey thanks!
Thanks for the vid! After three years of riding I've decided to do a cockpit upgrade. I ride a 2018 Roscoe 8 and it came with 60/760. I'm pretty set on going with 780 bars, but my problem is, I'm torn between a 40 or 50 stem. I reckon I'm just going to pull the trigger and go with the 40/780 setup. I'd rather sacrifice the uphill for better handling on the downhills. Again, I much appreciate your breakdown on the different characteristics between bar and stem lengths; and their impacts on ride control. Cheers!
Weird that Ibis doesn't include different length inserts for the bar 🤔 That would make it a really great product.
I agree. You can buy replacements so I guess you could have a few and cut them to different sizes. It would be great to be able to buy a pack of pre cut lengths though.
Those Ibis bars would be awesome if you could buy different length end caps
You can buy extra end caps and then cut them to the size you want.
I'm changing from 780mm wide and 12mm rise stock bars and 60mm stock stem.
Just got 800mm 30mm rise bars but not a new stem yet and wrist started hurting straight away!! Thinking of going for a 35mm stem. Will that help? Might also chop bars back down to 780mm as that's where I'm used to I'm 6ft 4 btw
Bike: Orbea Occam h30 2021
New Bars: Tag metals T1 aluminium
Proposed new stem: Nukeproof Horizonn35mm
Interesting. Usually a higher rise will take some weight off your hands. I’d try experimenting with bar roll and lever position as those will change with bar rise.
If you can find a loaner stem I’d try that before chopping bars. That way you’re not wasting money.
@@bikersedge cheers man! Bar roll was my issue! I've kept the bars 800mm and paired it with a nice 50mm stem and it's perfect!!!
Great video man! I have a hard tail vike I’m 5’9 and have a 780 mm handle bar which stem size do you recommend? My trials where I’m from have no big down hills or uphills it’s all quirky little hills and jumps and turns
It’s going to be different for everyone but a good place to start could be 50mm x 780mm. Also depends on how the bike fits.
It's interesting. I've heard you also want to take your fork offset into consideration. I do prefer the faster steering and I have a 760 bar, 45stem and 44offset.
That would make sense.
Thanks for doing this video. Very helpful and informative.Great effort! By the way, I’m planning of upgrading my HB and Stem.I’m 5’ 8 1/2 ft and using a Medium MTB.Bought a HB 770 in length with 30 rise.What do you recommend for a comfortable stem ? Thanks and more power.Watching here all the way from the Philippines 🇵🇭😊
Thanks for the kind words! I don't know if one stem is more comfortable than another. In my mind, if it holds onto your steerer tube and bars securely, it gets a pass. Length will depend on your fit and handling preferences.
@@bikersedge Thank you for the quick revert.Keep Safe😀
Great vid.......very concise! 👌
Glad you liked it.
Great analysis. Thanks.
Great vid. Now you can play with stack height on the stem to add another variable …part 2? 😆
Oh boy. My brain might explode.
Thanks for the video it was great I would only suggest to add the info on the bike you were riding, size and reach. Thanks
I’m 6’2” on an XL Spur
@@bikersedge thx!
I think I'm going to try 35/780. I prefer a better posture when riding.
Very helpful video..thanks! So, how about the same idea using forks.. ie: how different offsets/slackness affect steering.
Glad you liked it! I’ll add fork offset to the list.
Great video! My favorite combo is the Raceface Turbine R 35/40 with Renthal 35 Lite Carbon 30😉
Great vid as usual! I'm 6'1& I normally go with 780 & 40 mm stem & rise comes into it as well Re; Rise 25/30 especially if I'm coming across steeper sections stops me diving & keeps me more composed ; 1 question for you are you going to be testing the New Santa Cruz bullet 👍🤙🚵
Thanks for the kind words!
I’ll be reviewing the Bullit as soon as our demo arrives. Not exactly sure when that will be, though.
Thanks for the great review and rider input...I am a little shorter and found 35mm stem with 760 mm bar a great set up on my HD5, I had 50mm stem and just felt odd for me.
Yeah. I think a lot of it comes down to the individual and how their bike fits them. I think it’s safe to say that most folks are running too wide of bars for the most part though.
@@bikersedge I agree, more of a trendy thing, EVRYONE is using 800mm bars, It must be the best, but not necessarily of course, seems to be the mind set.
800 bars make you cool. Duh.
@@bikersedge haha, that's part of the fun, looking cool right as you're struggling to ride your bike down the trails
I had a 30mm on my ride, my front tire just washed out on me the other day and I crashed hard. Thinking about going back to 50mm.
I have a Specialized Rockhooper Comp 1X and it's a XC bike I want a new handle bar for stability and control going down hill. I'm thinking of changing my bars. Then shocks next.
Curious, how did the changes effect climbing for you? I love to climb as much as I go downhill. Great video.
Hey thanks! You can find that in the ride impressions chapter.
Me using 35mm stem lenght handlebar 31.8 clamping with 20mm rise with 20mm spacer below the stem
Connor (and Zach), you guys have such a good Channel! Looks like you are riding Trailside? Remember the days when mountain bikes were just things you ride on any dirt surface and not categorized??? My first mountain bike was a 1987 Schwinn Sierra. What a cool bike that was for it's time! My 2004 Stumpjumper had a 100 mm stem, and a 70.5 head tube angle. That thing did climb well, but man it wasn't confidence inspiring going downhill! How is the Spur treating you? Do you ride it more often than your big bike?
Hey thanks for the kind words! The Spur is a great little bike. I really like it. Personally I like the feel of a big bike, but the Spur is the biggest feeling little bike I’ve ever ridden.
Where is this trail at? Because it looks amazing and probably the best kept open trail I’ve seen.
Trailside Bike Park in Park City. They do a great job.
any suggestions for a length of stem with 740mm straight bar? xc setup. thanks!
It’s going to depend on the fit of the bike and your preference on handling. Try starting around 50mm and tweaking from there.
What if you need 780 say could you get different screw in ends
You’d just cut the ends to get you to 780
What's the RAD? That will tell you if your loosing leverage.
Like the content, but calling a 50mm stem an XC stem is a stretch. WC XC bikes are running 60mm-70mm stems. Just feel like this might make people steer away from 50mm stems when it might be better. Personal experience, it was hard to get enough weight over the front end with a sub 50mm stem prior to shorter offset forks. People with 3+ year old bikes may not be best served moving to sub 50mm stems unless they are comfortable with really committing weight over the front end.
I mean in my ride review I mentioned how I liked the 50mm stem with the narrower bars more than any of the setups. I mentioned how that’s probably the best setup for most people. Don’t think that’s steering people away from a 50.
@@bikersedge I really just meant the XC and old school wording. People seem to take it as a bad word when they have a trail/enduro bike. Otherwise I 100% agreed with your assessment of the 50mm with 750mm bars.
Gotcha. Yeah I guess some people would associate XC with bad. It’s just not as cool as enduro.
It’s been cool to do these tests with an open mind and actually pay attention to what feels better rather than just use the cool trendy stuff.
What about 800 mm bars and 50 mm stem on a 20 mm shorter reach bike with slacker HTA that puts your front wheel at the same place as your current bike?
That would be beyond the scope of this video. Couldn’t say what the handling would be like.
@@bikersedge I understand. Anyway, that’s my next bike. And I’ll know when the long wait is over to get it. Thanks for your comparisons!
32mm stem. 760mm bars. Perfect.
Spank Spike VibroCore XGT + Renthal Apex
Can I mount a 35mm stem to a 38.1mm (1.5").. The only reason I'm doing this is could not find a 1.5" stem anymore.
If you have a 1.5” steerer tube you’ll need a 1.5” stem. They won’t be super easy to find but I know Thompson makes one.
I went from a 800mm bar to a 770mm and felt I had more control in the tight twisty stuff
I’ve settled somewhere around 780. Feels like the right balance at 6’2”
@@bikersedge I’m 5ft10 I also run a 35 mm stem
Hello, I received the Santa Hightower v2 from my older brother.
It's a bit too big for me as I am 178 cm tall and the bike is XL.
Prior to the modifications (original retail setup), the bike felt amazing, but my brother swapped out the original fork for a 34 Fox with a 51 mm offset and a short 31 mm stem to reduce the reach.
Now, when I ride, the bike feels strange. Do you have any advice?
Is the travel the same as the original fork?
@@bikersedge yea, 150.
@@AxiomXGamingX Couple of things here. First, changing the cockpit is going to have a n effect on body position and handling. It might just take some time for you to get used to it. Second, a 150mm Fox 34 is going to be a bit flexy, especially for someone who's riding an XL.
@@bikersedge Okay, thx. Should I have worried about wrong, big"offset rake angle" ? Do you think that I should buy a correct (as it should be originally) fork and the difference should be clear?
@@AxiomXGamingX personally I think the offset issue was made a bigger deal on the internet than it actually is. It’s a pretty small change in the big picture
50mm stem and 750mm bars are xc? Brother, I have a set of 580mm wide, 25.4mm diameter, carbon bars in the shed with a 110mm stem to match. Now that is early 2000's XC spec!
Ha. Now that’s some old school XC.
@@bikersedge still don't know how we rode with bars that narrow.
New geo made me shorten my stem to get a lighter front wheel on these long bikes but its really a give and take, now the bike doesnt climb as well :/
Are the bar inserts reverse threaded?
Yes.
please note that this test is completely invalidated because the stem and bar brands did not match. i fully expect that this video will be taken down by the government and an apology required. it's not what everyone might want, but for the good of our republic and our expensive outdoor recreation hobby, it is absolutely vital. thank you for coming to my ted talk.
also, anyone who mentions that none of my mountain bikes have matching stem and bar brands or provides any corroborating information of such a condition will be reported to the nearest fisa court.
Man. They should have thrown me in bike jail a long time ago I guess.
You not even a funny troll though
Can someone tell me what the name of the brown handle bars people are using
Don’t know about brown but the gold-ish ones are Renthal.
Just cut my 200mm down to 780mm. Perfect.
are you riding a spur?
Sure am.
i wouldn't consider it long stem narrow bar til ur at 70/700
That just sounds scary.
@@bikersedge could go all the way old school ... 110/600 ... now that is scary
I’d crash before I even left the parking lot.
😎😎😎
That's a gooseneck bro.
Rad
Agreed. The one thing that never was mentioned in the video was the RAD. I have different kinds of mullet combo and various sized frames. But the same RAD across the board. I'm in the middle of swapping all the bars/stems to the same width and reach. So far, so good.
Now get into Rise on the bars….
Good idea.
Wide bars are so much better!
I’m a big fan of something more moderate. Contrary to enduro beliefs there is such a thing as too wide.
Well at least you’re not wearing gloves
Style points
Mistakes are being made🎉
Why do they sell 800 when peeps want 780mm?
Because some people want 800?
@@bikersedge I know only 1 person, Som Yung Gai....
You allow way too many commercials! Please adjust your settings. I can’t even make it past the 15 minutes mark.
They’re either on or off. I can’t pick the frequency.
bruh your “long stem” is 10mm