tony_merlino

I've been riding an old Specialized Hard Rock, pretty much stock except for slicks and a rack on the back. Right now, it's got straight bars on it, set about an inch below the seat level. I've never been really comfortable on it, but at my current weight and typical riding conditions, the straight bars are so uncomfortable as to interfere with breathing freely.

I mostly ride around town, doing errands, etc. I work from home, so commuting isn't an issue. But a lot of my riding is in fairly dense town traffic (I'm in the NYC Metro Area). Most of the time I'd like a much more upright riding position than what I have now. But I also do some longer rides, and have to deal with headwinds, so I also like being able to get more aerodynamic when I need to.

I've been looking online, and trying to decide what sort of handlebars to swap to. The LBSs in my area don't have much of a selection. I'm trying to decide between riser mountain bars and trekking bars.

The riser bars seem like a very straightforward way to get the upright position, but seem like a less flexible way to go than the trekking bars. But the trekking bars seem to give a lot more hand positions, and might make it easier to get both the upright and the aero positions when I want them.

Has anyone had any experience with converting a MTB this way? Is this the right forum to ask the question on?

Thanks in advance!