When you measure bicycle handlebars center to center do you double the length to get the entire width?

Answer 1

For handlebars, "center to center" means the center of the bar (the tube) on one side to the center of the bar on the other side. So, no, you don't want to double it because it already is measuring the entire width of the handlebar. I am assuming you mean drop bars (road racing bars), not mountain bike bars, where there is no center to center measurement. There is a lack of uniformity in handlebar measurement. They can be measured at the lowest part, the drops, at the top part near the stem, or the part farthest forward, where the brake levers are mounted. Some handlebars are a uniform width at all these points, while others vary. If they vary they are usually widest at the drops and narrower further up. Some manufacturers measure handlebars from the outside of the tube to the outside of the tube on the other side, while some measure center to center. Besides width, handlebars also vary in reach, drop, and shape. For all these reasons, two handlebars that are the same official width may be very different.