Back in the late 40s early 50s when racing for the Midlanc C&AC in Brum, I allways had my bars at an angle down,I rode with my wrists slightly in and my elbows out, this lowered my back left my chest open for better breathing, the bars then seemed around 15" wide this gave a narrower profle againt the wind and elements, Rain mostly!!! I also used a deep drop bar, one thing we all seemed to do was chop off about 2" off the end of the bars??? WHY who knows a fad I guess, SAVE WEIGHT??? all the racers I rode with in thoes days, Jack Simpson(Decesed), Les Wilmott, John Pottier 75yrs old still races), John Chance John Bradbury(Now Decesed) myself John Crump, (Three fast Johnnys) we all had similar equipment, our bikes mostly built by local builders, (I had a Claud Butler) had 531 BD tubes Lugged etc, had standard size top tubes, I did try a welded frame and I KNOW this had anoversize top tube!! I did not like the way it rode and went back to a Lugged 531 frame. In 1951 I did a 58mn 25tt and beat the hour several times like Don and Norris, (all reported in Cycling for 1950 and 1951) ALL on pretty standard bikes, BECAUSE I could NOT afford thoes new fangled machines, Bates Hetchins Baines etc, who knows maybe I would have gone faster on a different machine, I still have my bars angled down, I am 5"5" 130 lbs, I have found that it is hard to find narrow bars anymoore, seem they are all 16'17" now, I did for my new Mercian find a pair of Cinelli 38s groved bars that I like very much, wider bars seem odd to climb on the brake lever hoods seem to far spaced out, BUT I guess for breathing they could be better, Cheers John Crump OldlikestheoldwaysBrit, Parker, Co USA