Does size really matter?
The short answer is yes but what is the long answer?
This blog is mostly for road bikes with a bit for cyclecross and gravel. TT bars are a totally different subject and will be covered in another blog.
Let's start with what sizes are important to look at when you're buying a new bar. There are 3 main sizes plus an option. We have the obvious one which is width. Then reach and drop.
Width is exactly that, how wide is the bar? This can be measured from centre to centre, outside edges or inside edges. It's important to know what size you want and where you're referencing it too. The difference between an inside to inside vs and outside to outside could be as much as 20mm+.
The reach is how long the bar is from the tops to where you fit the hoods. This has a similar impact to changing the length of your stem. You could completely change your riding position if you get this wrong. It's also a handy tool if the bike is a bit short or long and you don't want to change your stem.
And the drop, how deep is it? A lot of people now ride on a compact drop. A classic drop is just too deep for most people to be comfortable on. But are all drops made equal? Absolutely not. A compact drop can vary from 115mm to 130mm. This is a very big difference so know what you like and what you can cope with.
Handling always crops up when people talk about narrow bars. You'll hear people comment on an absolute minimum bar width stating that if you go any smaller the bike will be nervous and handle badly. Is this true though? Yes and no is the answer. If you're riding on a road bike where the majority of the surface is good to average then very little difference will be noticeable. You swap that for a gravel bike or cycle cross bike where you're on trails or uneven ground then yes, you want the width for stability and control. This is where the option can come in, flared bars. You get the correct width bar on the hoods that is comfortable for chewing up the miles but when you need that width for control, use the flared drop and stability is there.
So why would you bother changing? The bike has bars that are fine, what difference does it make?
Firstly comfort. If you're riding a bike with too wide or too narrow bars then it can cause issues in your shoulders, neck and hands. Matching the bars to you is as important as all the other elements of the bike.
Aerodynamics. If you can comfortably go narrow, then you will reduce you frontal area and therefore have improved aerodynamics.
Performance. This one is a bit more for the drops but can be affected by the whole bar. If you can use your drops effectively and comfortably, you get performance gains.
A pitfall to watch out for. If you have narrow shoulders but sprinters legs, just be careful not to go too narrow, or knee to elbow contact can occur.
So does size matter, definitely!