Chef,
I have been toying with the idea of trekking bars for a while. I got inspired by your first post and bought a pair of butterfly bars.
Here is my setup. I have only ridden it 12 miles so far.
I have been experimenting and here is what I have so far.
Pros: I am riding a frame on the large size of the range for me, a 21". The trekking bars bring the reach for the controls in closer to me and make for a pretty comfortable location for the brakes and shifters.
Less likely to hang up or "hook" on stuff than flat bar with bar ends.
Cons: I had to buy a longer stem with less angle to it. Because of the location of the open side, I needed less angle to get the bar at an angle that was more to my liking. The initial stem had a steeper angle and put the whole bar at too steep of an angle. I did not like the angle of the "side" hand position until I got the lower stem.
Also, the cabling was a bit of a trick due to the fact that it is right below the stem. There is not a lot of clearance between the two and I have a lot going on in that two square inches of space under the stem.
Undetermined: I am not sure if I have any more hand positions than a flat bar with bar ends. I am also not sure if offers more flexibility than the flat bar yet. The flat bar appears to be more adjustable. The economics of the change are about a wash so far.
I will leave them unwrapped as noted in an earlier post by Bud until I am farther into the experiment.
I will let you know if I stumble onto any gems of wisdom.