Can anyone comment on Bar Ends for a flat bar road bike? I was wondering if they help out or just add weight. Thanks

If you are looking for more hand positions I would recommend getting a set of Trekking bars. Nashbar, REI and few other places carry them. They are also called butterfly bars. I recently swapped out the straight bar on my everyday rider (old rigid mountain bike) and I could not be happier.

The bar weights less than the straight bar with bar ends on it and has WAY more comfortable places to grip.

When they go on sale you can pick them up for about $15.00. Nashbar cycles through 3 levels of pricing and last time I looked they were at the high point of $23 or so.
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...B%20Handlebars

Yelp, they'll help. All different sizes, shapes, materials. Everybody will have their own opinion, mine is for ergon's w/integrated ends.

Loved my bar ends for the last 9 years. they gave great alternative hand positions for the long flats parts of my commute and helped lever me up the hills when I would take the mountain bike trail home. I recently gave them up for an origin8 space bar(on-one mary knockoff) with some ergon grips, and I couldn't be happier. Way more comfortable wrist position. I don't even miss the bar ends now

I definitely appreciate the extra hand positions. Sure they do add a little weight but I think it is worth it for the extra comfort. Similar to madcow I really like them up long hills.