Hello and thanks in advance!

I recently purchased two Treks from a garage sale. One is a 1983 model 520 according to Trek Vintage site and the serial numbers. It has handle bars I've never seen and my internet researching comes up with nothing. If someone could explain how to post a picture of them in this thread I'd appreciate it. For now I can only describe them. The handle bars are drop bars but instead of ending where the usual drop bars end the left side makes a 90 degree turn towards the stem perpendicular to the top bar then ends and the same goes with the right side. What is that all about?

Thanks again and if someone could explain how to upload pictures I will ASAP.

When you post a message, click on the "manage attachments" button and you can upload pictures up to 100K in size. If bigger, you need to host elsewhere and link them.

I know the bars you are speaking of, but I forget what they are called. They were not stock on your bike, but are aftermarket.

Like these?



Scott Drop In 2 bars

I'm pretty sure it's called a Drop-in bar made by Scott. It was meant to add another hand position option, but many riders (including me) found it a little too awkward/uncomfortable to use. I imagine anyone coming from a flat bar (mtb or hybrid) background would like it since you can get aero and still have your hands in the tops orientation.

edit: ruppster beat me to it. Did you use altavista to find that pic? It was the first one to come up in my search.

Yahoo images

The nice thing is you can clamp on aero-bars to the lower parts of those bars. Gets you into a nice low aero position.

@ Little Darwin - thanks for the tip about the pictures. I figured the bars were not stock because I downloaded the brochure and never saw any bars like that in any pictures/models.

@ ruppster - exactly like those! Thank you very much for the clarification. I was beginning to think the person that owned that bike before me was a plumber with a great skill of pipe bending. Ha-ha.

@ urbanknight - well, maybe ruppster beat you to it but you gave more information.

@ DannoXYZ - I agree but me getting "into a nice low aero position" is forbidden according to my birth certificate. Ha-ha

Personally, I think they would make great chop and flips for an old Nishiki I've converted into a single speed. Unless they are hard to find/get and I can sell them for a decent/fair amount and of course they go to a good home.

Thanks to you all you’ve solved my situation.
Art

The Scott bars pop up on eBay occasionally

*smacks forehead* Why did I never think of that? As a person who always did time trials on his road bike and had to run a size large to get the longer top tube and seat angle, I would have loved to get my aero bars lower. You'd have to reach under the tops to get there, though, wouldn't you?

Also a good sounding plan. I don't recall them going for more than any other old, used handlebar out there. They just weren't a success. Even the rake bars and later the Cinelli Spinace were short lived fads.

I see those bars, and all I can think about is how Greg LeMond is slowly turning into a marshmallow.

I wasn't too tough, just do one arm at a time. It ensures you have one hand on the bars at any time for control. Really comfy too as my forearms were horizontal and I could put all my weight on them.

Absolutely great information! Thanks again to you all.

as i recall the drop-ins came in two different weights. i had the lighter bars and they were flexier than i like.

ed rader

spinacis were outlawed for mass start races....but prior to that they enjoyed their 15 minutes .

ed rader