drop bar width, how to decide?

from google I see the width is shoulders + 2cm, need to have someone measure me tomorrow.

although, does it really matter, and just get the widest?

my stock road bike and stock gravel bike both have 42cm bars when measured where the levers fix to the bars.

advice would be appreciated.
be expensive to get it wrong.

The width that my tent fits between the bars! Not very scientific, but bloody useful

I run a 46cm for off road, as I have a broad chest. I have tried narrower bars and it felt like it restricted my breathing.

Depends what bike and what propose. I’ve got flared 440s on a ‘gravel’ type bike but 400, and would go 380 if I could, on my summer ‘fast’ road bike.

I’d there any local to you that can be grappled with before you decide?

from google I see the width is shoulders + 2cm, need to have someone measure me tomorrow.

This is just old road club myth or guideline, no logic to it beyond making a very average proportion road bike fit a very average rider.

although, does it really matter, and just get the widest?

For off-road use, sort of - I think road bars that are 2cm wider than equivalent road bars aren't as good as something wider with a bit of flare, but then it's like MTB bars - H-bars, 780mm enduro bars, 680mm XC bars - whatever works for you. I've had 48cm with a slight flare on one bike, 56cm with a wide flare on another as it also depends on how high the bars are, whether you ride on hoods or drops most, etc. Not what you want to hear but after tyres it's the area I've experimented with the most.

For what intended purpose on what bike? 42cm on both my road and CX (CX, not gravel, adventure,...) bikes. It was initially odd going that narrow coming from 800mm on my hardtail. I think I'd probably go 40cm or even 38cm on the road bike now for extra #aero #tuck.

42cm is the default so you won't be that wrong. But it needn't be an expensive mistake. A tester set of bars could be had for £15

As wide as possible and flared, for me, for off road curly bar'd stuff. Wide is usually better IMO, unless you're downwizdakidz and running 1m bars on your gnarpoon

The Michel Kwiatowski method - 38cm for a fully grown man.

Interesting. Have a similar issue, having never ridden a drop-bar bike off-road (probably a dumb idea to start with). Not helped by the inconsistency of measurement - I thought CL to CL was standard, but apparently some are using edge to edge.
Running 38 on my road bike, which is comfortable, so thought 40 for the road/gravel hybrid might be right (EC90, with a little bit of flare), but now wondering if I should go for 42...

Moder-dye wrote:The width that my tent fits between the bars! Not very scientific, but bloody useful

Probably the best advice on this thread

ScotRoutes wrote:

Moder-dye wrote:The width that my tent fits between the bars! Not very scientific, but bloody useful

Probably the best advice on this thread

Well, if nothing else I try to be practical