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There was a time when bike handlebars were 580 millimetres wide and stems were 150 millimetres long. You lay more over the top tube than sitting on the bike. Was that nice? "Yes", some retro admirers may now exclaim and reminisce about the good old days. Was that ergonomic? United silence from all.
Today, even the "narrowest shirts" hold 800 millimetre wide bars in their hands when shredding in the bike park. The stems have also atrophied over the years into small stubs. And that's a good thing. After all, the handlebars are also the lever on which the rider leans and through which the steering impulses are transmitted.
Stem, handlebars and grips are the elementary components of a bicycle cockpit. These three components come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and dimensions. If you have problems or pain, it is all the more important to find the right components for your bike and your needs. But you can also achieve and change a lot with the right setting.
Handlebars that are too narrow constrict the chest area and prevent you from being able to breathe freely. In addition, bike control suffers on technical terrain with handlebars that are too narrow. Wide MTB handlebars are an advantage here and provide safety and control. For beginners and experts alike. This significantly more ergonomic position also relieves the hand. However, handlebars that are too wide become unwieldy and require more physical effort than is sensible.
The right handlebar width for you depends on your stature, specifically your own shoulder width. The MTB handlebars should be wide enough so that your wrists do not bend when you grip them. The shape of the handlebars also influences the position of the wrist. The corresponding parameters backsweep (back bend) and rise (handlebar rise) are usually specified by the manufacturers.
Backsweep and rise: The backsweep is the rearward bend of the handlebars and thus shortens the seat length. The rise raises the end of the handlebar compared to the stem. A rise of 20 millimetres, for example, increases the height by exactly these 20 millimetres compared to the stem.
Alarm signal for numb fingers
Similar to the foot, a large number of bones in the hand (27 bones) are held together and kept mobile by tendons. The nerves in the hand are supplied and controlled by the carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve. If there is numbness in the hand, one of the two nerves is often affected.
If the ring finger and little finger become numb, the ulnar nerve is damaged. If the diameter of the handles does not match the size of the hand, this results in increased pressure on this nerve. If the thumb, index and middle fingers are numb, the carpal tunnel is painful.
If you experience frequent tingling and numbness, you should definitely react to this alarm signal, as a permanent kink in the carpal tunnel will lead to damage. In the worst case, an operation will be necessary.
To prevent this from happening in the first place, we have The most important tips for cockpit adjustment packed into a video.
Find & adjust the right MTB cockpit: Instructions
To-do list on the way to the ideal MTB cockpit
One part of the cockpit setting, but usually the last: the position of the controls such as the gear lever and brake levers.
- Find a handlebar shape that suits your shoulder width and riding style
- Find a stem (inclination and length!) that suits your sitting position
- Mounting in basic setup and testing / playing with spacers if required
- Customisation options: Turn stem or turn handlebars slightly
- Handlebar width Test wider handlebars and try out different grip widths - then shorten them
- Grips: vary adjustment depending on model / test Ergo grips if problems occur
- Align brake levers/shift lever and handlebar remote(s)
