Why do people cut bars down?

[Bfellows]

Now don't laugh, but I was wondering why people cut handle bars down and can't be arsed to google it....... How are you supposed to fit your brakes properly...., or am I missing something?

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

bar spins

length of arms

just find them too big to ride

in 2000 bars were cut so bloody short they gripped them on the bend of the bars 

then in 2009 the bars went massive again ?

[kev-s]

cause it looks cool

[stidds]

I think the main reason people cut their bars down is to make them narrower 

[Bob_Acid]

It was all the rage during the 00's

[pickle]

The funniest thing though is if you watch the 'kids' ride now with their mega wide bars, they still grip them on way inwards on the bend

[Retrodan72]

Maybe because they'd cut their brake cables too short.??

[Dannywhac]

Started big-style in 1998. Did it once - cut em down so much I couldn't jump and kept going over me bars. Never did it again other than the usual 1" off either end.

[griff]

I think the main reason people cut their bars down is to make them narrower 

 

[insectbones]

Was it just a 'fashion' thing? 

[pickle]

don't think so, i think it was the time when bar spins started to become popular and it's easier to spin narrow bars i guess 

[insectbones]

Makes sense I suppose...less chance of walloping your nuts with the bar ends.

[Jaan]

Some of the sponsors only produced Pro or Expert sized bars so typically they'd cut them down for the rookie classes, plus it was safer snapping out of the gate.

[Bfellows]

Thank you all for your varied answers........ 

I think the main reason people cut their bars down is to make them narrower 

By far the best........ I am at least a little wiser..... (I think)

[markyp]

the old school bars that are cut down is generally because they were too big for the kid who had them,i bought a set of snide star bars from my local bike shop back in 84 and my day had to cut them down slightly as I was and still am a bit taller than Spen.also I was told that some of the serious racers cut them down so that they could sneek through a smaller gap,makes sense but not sure how true this is

[sawzall]

so it gives me something to do

[BMX1973]

I agree. I knew a few kids BITD who had their bars cut because they were too wide for our little arms. Kept them a couple of years and then bought wider ones again. 

the old school bars that are cut down is generally because they were too big for the kid who had them,i bought a set of snide star bars from my local bike shop back in 84 and my day had to cut them down slightly as I was and still am a bit taller than Spen.also I was told that some of the serious racers cut them down so that they could sneek through a smaller gap,makes sense but not sure how true this is

[Cleedubber]

I think the main reason people cut their bars down is to make them narrower