Originally Posted by
trailangel
There is no myth, it's why MTBs come with wide bars. It's why motorcycle dirt bikes come with wide bars.
Agreed. I started mtb in the 90s with 560mm bars. Now I am on 750mm - 780mm bars. For actual trail use, I would never go back.
The “bars catching the trees” issue is way overblown, and I say this as someone who rides in the very kinds of places where people say it would be an issue.
EDIT: Oops! I just responded to a 6 month old thread. Sorry.