Handlebar reach: the forgotten measurement

So here's the thing. You know (or you should know) what the reach of your frame is, right? And you know what stem length you're running, but do you know what the reach of your bars is? Because not all road handlebars are created equal, and the reach between different models and brands can vary a lot more than you think. Some manufacturers make bars with 65-70mm reach, and you can get up to 100mm from others. That's a big difference. 

For example, you buy a new frame with the same reach as your current bike and use your current stem too. Makes sense. But you treat yourself to a new set of bars with an 80mm rather than 70mm reach without checking and that means that you've effectively increased the reach of the bike by a whole centimetre. That might not sound like much but can easily be the difference between comfort in the saddle and constantly shifting around trying to find a position you can hold for any length of time. 

One obvious way of accounting for handlebar reach is to choose a shorter stem. Although changing stem length will have an effect on how the bike handles at the front end (although in the case of 1cm probably not enough to worry about), it's far more important to get reach right. And yes, a shorter stem might not make the bike look as cool, but looking cool is nowhere near as much fun as riding pain free. 

To make sure you're getting it right, take the reach of your bike (hopefully correct after being determined by having had a bike fit) and add stem length and bar reach and that's your number. So, for example, our bike is 375mm reach, stem is 120mm and bars are 70mm. That's a total of 565mm. If you want to change bikes you really want to make sure that number stays the same, so if the frame reach is 10mm longer at 385mm, then you're either going to want a 110mm stem or 60mm reach bars, dont just take your current finishing kit and chuck it on the new bike, it wont be long until you're wondering why things aren't as comfortable as they were. 

To make life a bit easier, certain brands have started to do bar/stem integrated options with different stem lengths. PRO, for example, offer the Vibe EVO bars/stem with 105/115/125mm equivalent stem lengths rather than the more traditional 110/120/130mm. That means if you find your fit needs adjusting by 5 rather than 10mm then you can have that, rather than picking the nearest and hoping for the best. 

Basically what we're saying is to make sure your bike fits your properly, and it's a little more complicated than just looking at the geometry of your frame. But next time you go to switch bikes you're going to be fully clued up on how frames, bars and stems work together to affect reach.