is there something better than a flat bar for comfort.....

Tweener bars (knees between the legs) are very very comfortable in combination with the appropriate bike.



For your bike, Ergon makes a variety of grips that can make flat bars more comfortable.

There are more things better than unadorned flat bars, than you can shake a stick at. Trekking Bars. Mustache Bars. H Bars. Albatross Bars. Bullhorns. Flat bars adorned with any of the many styles of Bar Ends.

There are even drop bars...

Take it that the bike is an MTB or Hybrid and look at why the bars are uncomfortable. After years of MTB's that fitted-I had to change the ride position after the bypass. Riser bars that bought the hands up and to the rear worked for me.

Cheapest cure as it used the same gear changers and brake levers and just required new grips as they split on taking them off.

Yay, verily on the post with the long list of bar types. I like North Road bars on my classic 3 speed machines.
But, before going to the trouble of replacing bars, it might be well to try on some different bike types. The
rest of the geometry definitely relates. Just the stem, height of bars relative to saddle, etc, might make
a lot of difference without the bother of fitting different bars on the existing bike, too.

All the best,
Don

Also just changing bars might make things worse in terms of comfort. You might also need to adjust bar height and reach via a different stem.

And moving the saddle back/forth (along with up/down adjustments afterwards) Fitting yourself to your new handlebar setup is a must, and small changes can make big differences in comfort.

I thought that jacking around with all that stuff was part of the fun of bicycling. The best part is that it doesn't cost anything and you can always move it back if you decide that you don't like it.

You forgot the beach bar, corner bar, sleazy bar, biker bar, salad bar, and (ahem) girlie bar.

I think it's a trial and error thing. Anything other than road bike drop bars would be uncomfortable for me because I like the multiplicity of hand positions they allow. It's really a very personal ergonomic thing.

Yes. Or no.

As you may have guessed by now, a broadly phrased question is going to get a broad range of answers. For more specific answers you'll need to narrow your question and its parameters.


What sort of bike do you ride?

What is the nature of your rides and how do you ride them?

What sort of bar do you have now ("Flat" comes in many variations)?

What is uncomfortable for you now and how long does it take before discomfort sets in?

What else works or doesn't work about your current bike's setup?

Do you have any physical impediments or limitations?

What about your strength and flexibility?


Some more information along those lines will get you some specific suggestions. Meanwhile, the answer remains, yes, or no.

We need many pictures showing all the different kinds of bars with their shifters attached.

then you probably have to either go into a bike shop take a bar off the display ,
hold it over your bike and see what you feel.

or sit at the computer, google sellers of bike parts and guess..

Here ya go.



This is not a picture of my attempt, but I actually did this once when I was a kid. Single speed coaster brake bike, didn't have to sort out mounting hand controls.

Bar ends.

Hey, and I already have a "driver's side air bag". Sort of.