Narrow bars and leverage

**bars ideally should be equal or greater than the width of your shoulders measured from centre to centre of joints. **
i'm 44cm wide and i find anything narrower to cause the problems you describe.
I once had 38cm bars (cos they look way cooler, and i knew no better), and they were useless for me, climbing, and anything that requiring bar anchorage. Basically by having my arms angled inwards towards the bar, it took away any leverage i had.

God only knows how these hipsters on super narrow bars ride around town. Must be quite uncomfortable.

1+ on bold, as a rules of thumb.

I feel the same toward hipsters on super narrow bars, especially those Nitto track one at a mere 38cm, I should know I used to ride on those bar, it's no fun being very careful of potholes all the time.

Now I ride on 47c with the widest possible bar, potholes? I just ride over them, even no handed.