More mountain-bike testing...

I finally just realized why my new mountain-bike has been mean to me and has already thrown me in the dirt. It's not that it is faster – it is, not that it's not as nimble as my 26” wheel bike – it isn't. It is simply because its handlebar is so wide that it's catching trees or branches that stick out on the narrow, single trails I go to.

It happened to me the other day when I bit the dust and it happened again to me twice yesterday as I was riding for the first time a narrow, heavily wooded trail that we usually reserve for the weekend. That's right, the extra wide handlebar caught some trees or some vegetation and almost threw me down.

Compared to my former bike, the handlebar on this new bike is a good 2 inches wider, to 27.5”. That makes a huge difference where tight clearance is a factor. I did some quick and exhaustive research and determined that for my body-built, I only require a 23” width, so tomorrow, I'll happily cut 1 inch on either side and I will be back to normal, or at least to my older bike's width, something I learned to live with for 9 seasons.

In a next blog, I'll try to explain the ins and outs of handlebar width. In the meantime, hang on tight to your own and pay attention to where you're riding!