Commuting - Nashbar Trekking handlebars

I am seriously considering putting a set of these on my fixed gear commuter. I currently have a set of flat bars that I cut down to about 48cm, with bar ends. I like them for the most part, but I'm always looking for the possibility of something better. The nashbar bars are 55cm wide, which should still be narrow enough for my liking. Does anybody have any direct experience with them that they could share?

Also what would I need to buy? Just the bars and two rolls of bar tape, right?

Thank you very much :)

This question has been dealt with in previous threads - try putting "trekking bars" into the search function…

- Wil

I have done the search in both the touring and commuting forums, and have come up with quite a bit of information. I am specifically trying to figure out if these bars will be too wide for my taste, if they really do offer more handlebar positions than what I currently have, or if I'm wasting my time.

Just put them on the hybrid. Not sure I like them; they feel flimsy, as if I could bend them in half if the hill was steep enough. I don't see what the advantage trekking bars would be for a fixed gear with only one brake. Have you considered the Mustache bars?

Yes I've considered mustache bars, but the cost goes up because of the brake lever issue....

what lever do you run now? mtb brakes? cross brakes? if you have traditional road levers, you couldn't use the trekking bars....

I run a MTB lever. Come to think of it, I DO have a road lever somewhere around the garage, although its a piece of junk off of a 70's sears road bike. But it'd fit....

The road lever would not pull the right amount of brake if you are running mtb brakes. If not, just get the handlebar you want and buy a road lever.
I use the trekking bars every day. They do give a lot of positions, and you can squeeze the mtb lever up to the front, which will extend your arm about 3 inches more forward than a flat bar. The back grip is about 3 inches closer than a normal flat bar. This gives me two distinct positions (aero w/ hands on brakes) and very upright. For climbing and off road, I'm usually on the sides, which are like a typical set of bar ends on a flat bar.
My gripes: 1. the overall width (bar ends) is too wide and its a little twitchy at high speeds.
2. The bends are not tight enough, so the natural forward hand position is a little too wide for my preference. There is 13 1/2 inches between the bands on my levers.
They are a little flexy b/c of the shape, but I've not had any problems riding trails w/ them. They are also pretty heavy.
I kept my mtb grips up front, and used 1 roll of tape for the rest (had some left over). Tape on the narrow bars feel small relative to my taped road bars.

I would love to see a picture of your setup, yes. I installed my brakes and grip shifters on the near-side bars, and it makes me feel as if I'm trotting a pony or something, my hands are so drawn in.

I use these bars on my hybrid and I absolutely love them. I probably will not be able to answer the question about them being too wide, but I do not think they are unreasonable. You can check out this link (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/handlebars.html) which details some info on the bars. You are correct about only needing the two rolls of tape. As for the durability of the bars, mine have held up very well, considering how many times my bike has landed on the bars. Of course, now over half of my bar tape is covered in electrical tape to cover the holes.

The road lever would not pull the right amount of brake if you are running mtb brakes.

Road levers will work fine with Cantilevers, the issue is typically with the linear (V) brakes.

I've had trekking bars on my hybrid for about a week and really enjoy them. They were not necessary for the 12+ mi. commute, but they are fun. I did a mini-tour (80 mi.) over the weekend with the family and they were very nice in that context. There are more positions than flat bars and I found them as stable as my flat bars. Getting up off the saddle does require a little bit of adjustment -- not a bad idea to practice someplace away from traffic. Also the first mile I rode in the forward position was weird, but now I find the forward spot very comfortable. Since the forward position shifts more of the pedalling work to your gluteus I feel that I can pedal stronger and maybe faster than on the flat bar. It didn't turn me into a Lance challenger, but for $10 plus tape what do you have to lose.

I would love to see a picture of your setup, yes. I installed my brakes and grip shifters on the near-side bars, and it makes me feel as if I'm trotting a pony or something, my hands are so drawn in.
that would require taking a pic, moving memory stick to reader, transferring image, and posting. nahh - i'll just try to describe it...
Put the brake/shifter on (bar clamps first, so levers extend to the stem on the close bar). Move clamp around corner (use dobs of grease, and try not to twist much). Move clamp around second corner. This one is harder, but it will go. It smeared the paint a little, but after wiping, there were no marks on my bars. They are now on the forward most part of the bar and levers face outward (normal position). It may help to try to work the shifter/brake clamps open as much as you can (w/o breaking them).