Touring - Trekking handlebars on a hybrid

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ecarlsen
01-02-06, 11:56 AM
I was wondering if it's possible to add trekking handlebars to a hybrid bike. I have a Giant hybrid (below), and I was looking at adding the Nashbar trekking handlebars. I'd love to do some touring but I don't have enough for a new bike and I can't handle the straight handlebars for too long.

Giant Cypress '03 (http://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?year=2003&model=10606)

Nashbar trekking handlebars (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=92&subcategory=1049&sku=9756&brand=)

I've read that there is an issue doing this with mountain bikes but what about the hybrid? Especially I'm curious about the brake levers and the grip shifters. Does anyone know how much this might run me at a bike shop? I've tried reading up on this but I haven't had luck in finding the right information. Thanks.

edp773
01-02-06, 06:18 PM
I have no idea how much a bike shop would charge you. Doing a search on this forum for trekking bars or butterfly bars brings up a lot of information. This link shows a picture of the bars mounted on a hybrid/mountain bike.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=74078&highlight=trekking+bars

Here is another option I like that was installed on a Cypress by Bikepacker67.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=126786&highlight=antler+bars
af895
01-02-06, 06:41 PM
I was wondering if it's possible to add trekking handlebars to a hybrid bike. I have a Giant hybrid (below), and I was looking at adding the Nashbar trekking handlebars. I'd love to do some touring but I don't have enough for a new bike and I can't handle the straight handlebars for too long.

Giant Cypress '03 (http://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?year=2003&model=10606)

Nashbar trekking handlebars (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=92&subcategory=1049&sku=9756&brand=)

I've read that there is an issue doing this with mountain bikes but what about the hybrid? Especially I'm curious about the brake levers and the grip shifters. Does anyone know how much this might run me at a bike shop? I've tried reading up on this but I haven't had luck in finding the right information. Thanks.


Only issues you'd run in to are:
- stem clamp matching the diameter of the center of the bars
- shifters/brakes matching the diameter of the bars
(those two likely WON'T be problems)
- cable length

All your gear should just slide off and be able to slide on to the new bar. The actual act of swapping the bars is so easy you should do it yourself.

Depending on where the shifter and brake controls are before and after, the cables may not be long enough.

You could do the cable swap yourself too but if you're not comfortable with it, that's where the LBS could come in handy.

BTW: you could use those trekking bars, Dove/albatross bars, flat bars, risers with bar-ends or a config like edp773 mentions BikePacker67 using. They should all share a common stem clamp size.