I just watched L-B-L last night, and it looks to me like Tyler’s bars are really wide. Is this a) true and b) for any reason?
I am not really sure on this and I hope that the real equipment guru’s will chime in, but from what I have observered over the years, the really good road racers prefer the wider 44 cm handle-bars. However, most bikes that are available in the shops are speced with the narrower 42 cm bars. I wonder why that is?
Wider bars provide more leverage for out-of-the-saddle climbing and sprinting. The extra 1-2cm might provide you a better grip to rock the bike left-and-right while climbing, for instance.
Besides, one shouldn’t ( or needn’t ) go further narrower than his shoulders’ width. Specially in a mass start race, you won’t get any extra seconds by squeezing in a handlebar one number too short.
Just my 0.02. Hope it helps.
Rick
Tyler rides a 42cm (mid-mid), 44cm (outside-outside) Anatomic Easton EC90 oversized. Quite a normal size for him I would think.
The still pictures I saw don’t make it look as wide, it was just watching it on TV. I guess it was just my imagination, thanks.
I actually go a little wide for that very reason, little more leverage out of the saddle. It comes with a cost though - rounds the shoulders and/or back a bit.