I told my wife I was going to get a trekking bar. She said since my birthday is this week to let her get it for me.
So, to make it a little easier on her, I decided to hunt one up here in town. I went by a bike shop, (I dare say the most popular bike shop in the Dallas area) to look at their large assortment of handlebars. There is a whole wall of flat and riser MTB bars, drop bars, aero bars and comfort bars. When I didn't see any trekking bars, I asked a sales rep, thinking he could order one.
He gave me this weird look, so I told him they are also called butterfly bars.
He still didn't know what I meant. I then said I had seen at least one manufacturer call them ATB/hybrid bars. "Ohhh, come over here." I thought he must have figured it out...
He showed me a hybrid bike and said, "These are hybrid bars."
"No, that's a riser bar." I said. "Do you have a pen. Let me draw one for you."
While a scribbled out a crude rendering of my desire, he began asking the other employees if they knew what I was talking about. They all had question marks flying around over their heads.
When I finished my pen and ink illustration, I offered up that they are quite popular amongst the touring crowd. One of the other sales reps said, "Oh yea, I've seen those before. You can't buy them after-market. Either they come with the bike or you're out of luck."
I sighed, pursed my lips and looked at the counter with my eyes slightly bulging. Then one of them asked, "Where have you seen these?"
"They sell them at nashbar.com, harriscyclery.com, rei.com and several other websites. They sell for anything between $20 & $30. There is even one made by Koga, with aeros built onto it that runs for about $130. I can easily order one online, but I would rather support my local bicycle shop."
That's when my original rep said, "Well let's see here..." As he grabbed one of their supplier's catalogs. He thumbed through to the handlebar section, but no luck. "He said that must be some obscure, specialty item, because we can't even order it."
I thanked them for their time and scooted out the door.
Two days until my birthday and I am crossing my fingers that my wife has ordered one for me.