Touring - Surly and Jeff Jones H-Bars

I'm new to touring and will be taking a 1000 mile trip next June. I have a new Surly Disc Trucker. Here is my problem. I had brain surgery a couple of years back and it does stress my neck muscles to bend over a set of drop bars quite abit. I can do the 10-30 miles trips ok buy am worried that anything much longer is not good. I just need to sit up more. I have looked at the different styles of bars, ie, trekking bars, mustache bars, but was wondering if anybody has tried Jeff Jones's H-Bars for touring on this forum. Would like to hear what you say. Here is the link to his H-Bars:

http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bar.html

Thanks in advance.

Marlowe
Great Falls, MT

Very interesting set up. I posted earlier about sore hands and different bars. These look nice. they show the old friction thumb shifters. Wonder if they will work with grip sifters? thanks for the link.

Very interesting set up. I posted earlier about sore hands and different bars. These look nice. they show the old friction thumb shifters. Wonder if they will work with grip sifters? thanks for the link.

I've heard some people who really like them, and I've heard even more people complain about how hard they are to set up well. Apparently thumb shifters work ok, but get in the way of a key hand position, the Shimano dual controls work well, but have all the problems associated with Shimano integrated shifting. Really, the only good solution is to run a single speed.

I prefer drop bars but decided to set up my 26" wheeled LHT with Titec H bars for heavy loads. It's a nice set up for slow speed and going off curbs. It's a much better position than straight bars.

LeeG
Can you supply a link to the Titec H bar. I could not seem to find it or who makes it. Does Jeff Jones make the Titec product?

Thanks,
Marlowe

I have had an H-bar for some time... for most of it, it has been sitting in the closet. They are a pain in the ass unless you use bar end shifters (or no shifters).

marlowe, they are the same thing... Jeff Jones designed it, Titec mass produced it.

I just picked up the Nashbar trekking bar and put it on one of my bikes this weekend. 18 dollars seemed like a cheap way to try a position that is more upright with less reach. Maybe you could try that out and see if they work before dropping a ton of cash?

You can make a DIY H-bar using a Tranz X adjustable bar end

http://www.huskybicycles.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=351-580&Category_Code=hb&Store_Code=hbs

and an old steel riser handlebar. Cut a few inches off the end of the riser bar. Then jam the bar end clamp assemblies into either end, then cut a segment of 22.2 flat bar to slide in to either clamp. Hey presto. Looks sweet too if done right, not ghetto. Did it with a chromed Nitto riser bar from the 1980s.

I don't see the advantage of using this over trekking bars. Save 100$, get the Nashbar ones. You have a ridiculous amount of hand positions, including upright.

Also, I'm no doctor, but my wrists are straight, not curved outward 25º. I don't understand curved handlebars with an extreme bend like these H-bars. But I could be wrong here.

User of Trekking bars, now Myself .. even more places to find a variety of hand holds ..
wrist rotations , reach amounts
Mine are set up a couple inches Higher than my saddle..

also compatible with the German grip shifted 14 speed IGH & hydraulic brakes.

Hey AquaKitty I can't private message you back as I'm a newbee and I don't have 50 messages yet. Please email me at sage at mrames dot com.

Or if somebody would help me out and private message AquaKitty above and pass my email address to her/him I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Marlowe