Hybrid Bicycles - what are advantages of different style handlebars

I have a Gary Fisher Nirvana. When I bought it 5 years ago, I switched out the flat bars for risers. I'm thinking I'd like a little more agressive riding position. I've lowered the current bars as much as I can. What are other advantages to going with flat bars besides saving some weight and how much weight would they save?

ive often wondered the advantage of the new riser style bars over flat bars.. riser bars just look like same hand positions but with the riser part in the middle

I would worry about bike weight if:
a) I was a pro/aspiring pro
b) I was at my peak lightest healthiest weight
c) competed in cyclocross
d) the bike in question wasn't a hybrid

You're on a hybrid with a suspension fork. Weight is not an issue, especially handlebar weight. :)

As for different style handlebars. Drops allow you to get lower thus more aero. Forget about drops on your hybrid as you will need new shift/brake levers & possibly derailleurs as well. etc. You can get bar ends that will give you the look & feel of drop bars (http://www.amazon.com/Origin-Bicycle-Drop-Ends-Black/dp/B0013G6PB8) while allowing you to keep your current levers.

You can get a variety of bar ends that are good for helping you to climb, be more comfortable etc etc. Though bar ends tend to work better on flat bars & not risers.

Trekking style bars which I have on my 7.5 FX give me multiple hand positions preventing cramping & allow me to stretch out when I want, stand & climb or ride more upright.

Mustache bars are similar to trekking bars in that respect.

Don't get concerned about bike weight with your hybrid. Hybrids in my mind are meant to be built like tanks & abused lovingly. :)

Sheldon Browns handlebar page. (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/handlebars.html) Much better info than I can ever describe to you here.

I hope I've helped somewhat as I am sure others can chime in & give you more insight.

My trekking bars.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_XLTBaucFbD4/TZfNzdVFV9I/AAAAAAAAAGM/fCaZCGShhNQ/s800/trek.small1.jpg

@DavidLee Your trekking bar setup look great! I've considered getting some trekking bars for my 26" hybrid to replace the flat bar. I have drops on my road bike, and think the trekking bars would be a good way to get me out of the wind while riding the hybrid to and from work. I have Sram X-3 thumb shifters, which are similar to your shifters. Did you have any difficulty getting them to work on your trekking bars?

Thanks. I had no problems at all putting the original shifter & brake levers on those bars. The only thing that I will add is that if you go with the trekking bars set up the way I have unless you get a longer stem your reach on the shifter/brake will be much shorter thus giving you more of an upright ride. With me that's what I wanted & as I stated I can always stretch out on the top part. My favorite hand position is on the sides in what I call the "bus driver" position. You can always flip the bar around opposite of how I have them as well, I've seen a few people here who have done it that way.

You can get those bars at Nashbar (http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175533_-1_201521_10000_200388), I lucked out & got them on sale for $10 a few years ago. :)

Trekking bars FTW!

IGH, trigger shifter, and Ergon grips:

http://i.imgur.com/MPvVql.jpg

Derailleur, grip shifters, and bar tape only:

http://i.imgur.com/iEFSxl.jpg

I'm not sure what the attraction of flat bars is on a hybrid. They are perfectly fine for short rides. They are quite stiff and if they are wide enough they give you a lot of leverage for control in off road situations. My hands always became numb to the point of no longer feeling them after about 20 miles though. I got the Nashbar trekking bars middle of last year or so and they were a big step in the right direction for me. Over this winter I got a Jones Loop H Bar (http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bar.html) and so far I have been finding them better than the trekking bars. Jeff Jones is a single speed MTB rider and while I don't off road much, not at all since getting them, the do feel like they give you a lot of control in tricky situations. The limestone portion of the trail near me is a bit off-roady this time of year with soft surfaces, loose gravel, and horse hoof divots. The Jones bar is great on that section and the extra hand positions with a pretty decent aero position among them works great on the paved section of the trail. For me it is the best bar I've tried so far but of course such things are very personal and best for me is not best for everyone. They are not cheap and I don't know how you could try one without buying one. If you have a really good MTB shop near you they might loan you one for a while, I suppose. I've got the aluminum version, btw. The titanium version will save you some weight on your bike and a lot more in your wallet!

Ken

Titec also has an H-Bar that is half as much as the aluminum Jones bars. I have one, and it is my favorite I've used so far. I'm trying to figure out what to go with on my Trek, and so far mustache bars are sounding the best to me, although I've never tried them.

Drops allow you to get lower thus more aero.
The main reason I use drop bars is because the default hand position (where brake levers and shifters are) is much more comfortable than on flat bars. I'd feel equally at home on some bullhorns, but all the necessary parts are much harder to find.

I'd generally class flat bars and riser bars as pretty equivalent. It's easier to get a hands up high riding position with risers, but they both tend to be straightish. I have no idea how much weight it'd save, but it can't be anything significant (my current bike weighs 35lbs or so unloaded, and it takes 10lbs of cargo before I notice any real handling changes). For my body, they'd be equally bad. My hands and wrists are pretty sensitive, and I can start to have numbness issues in my pinkies and ring fingers in as little as 10 miles with a straight bar. Since I routinely do 15-20 mile rides to run errands, this is... not desirable. Fun rides are often 40-50 miles.

My bars are closest to the mustache bars on Sheldon's bar page. This is a decent bar shape for me and my fussy wrists, and I haven't found it limiting for distance riding or speed. I have occasional numbness issues with the current bar, and it is a pretty decent warning sign that I'm pushing distance too much or that my legs are stronger than my core muscles and arm muscles. So over the very long term, I may find that I've hit a limit in how much core strength and arm strength let me compensate, and I need a better bar choice.

What's your reason for wanting to save weight on your bike?

Thanks for the response. Saving weight isn't the main consideration. A little more agressive riding position is the main reason. I believe I have my bars adjusted to the maximum now.

this has been an ongoing quest for me too. I love my giant rapid, but I need more hand positions. It's not just for the long rides either; I've found that if I go on a longish ride my hands hurt for awhile after it too. I like the idea of trekking bars.. I just dont like the look! I've never seen them on a performance hybrid, but I might yet try them. I like that I would be able to sit more upright or more aero depending on what the wind or my back is asking. I'm also thinking about the sora sparrow bar too, I just can't find much info on them...

I love my giant rapid, but I need more hand positions. ... I like the idea of trekking bars.. I just dont like the look! ... I like that I would be able to sit more upright or more aero depending on what the wind or my back is asking. I'm also thinking about the sora sparrow bar too, I just can't find much info on them...

The Jones Loop H Bar (http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bar.html) has aero positions much like a trekking bar and the normal riding position and something of the looks of the sparrow bar. I rather like the look of the trekking bar. It did not work as well for me as it has for others. The Jones bar is working better for me, very well in fact. It is true that the Titek J and H bars are similar in design, they are made under license from Jones. They do not have as much room for shifters and brake levers though and I like the closed front of the current Jones design because it gives you a good place to mount a headlight or whatever. The Titec bars are cheaper and you could buy an accessory mounting bar for your shifters/headlight and still have money left over. I am convinced that no one bar is the best for everyone, the Jones bar and the Titec versions are worth consideration but ultimately you need to try the options for a while to see what really works best for you. It would be nice if there were a handlebar exchange program setup somewhere that allowed you to try several and then keep the one that suits you best.

Ken

I considered a j-bar, but it seems like trigger shifters wont work very well with one