Bar End functions
 

Hi, I bought a hybrid (Trek 7.2fx) about 2 months ago and have been riding a lot. I'm starting to take longer rides and am trying to get a little more speed out of the bike. I'm thinking adding the ability to change handle positions to bend my torso closer to the handle bar (like road bikes)would improve aerodynamics and speed. Would adding bar ends allow me to do that? Everything I've read links bar ends to mountain biking - which led me to second guess putting them on a hybrid. Any advice/insight/recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Barends will work on any flatbar bike and will give the same benefits: more hand positions, more leverage when climbing out of the saddle, and in the case of 'L'-bend barends, a more aerodynamic forward position. Just don't expect it to work like a clip-on handlebar for a tri bike. ;)

I have bar ends on my flat bar road bike. I find they give me plenty of options which helps the comfort level on longer rides, and that actually helps on climbs. I have mine at about a 30 degree angle up, and they are the longer "L" style.

I see that there are also drop down Bar Ends - what do you think of those vs. L-bends in terms of what I'm trying to accomplish?

Drop downs can also work, but try a set if you can before buying.

They are not a true drop bar conversion and are a bit odd in fit. Unless you have extremely narrow bars to mount them on, they'll be much wider than drop bars (wider drops are 44-46cm, average flat bars are 58+cm), negating some of that aerodynamic advantage.

Another issue is that you will not have a brake within easy grasp while in the drops. The transition from forward position on standard barends to brake is a bit awkward, but still more natural than from drops to brakes. I haven't seen anyone mount brake levers on drop downs. It could be done with interrupt levers replacing the standard levers, but cable routing would be wonky.

I'd recommend the barends first, and if you feel you've outgrown them, switch to a full drop bar (which can be an expensive conversion) or even a new roadbike. Barends are cheap (you may even find some secondhand) and can give a lot of performance and relief for the buck.

My rule of thumb for setting them up is to draw an imaginary line from the bars to the top of the rear tire and align them with that. This seems to be a good neutral position to start with for most folks, regardless of frame sizing.

Here's an example of bar ends set too high:

http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/cl...xplorer100.jpg

Here's one that follows my formula:

http://www.totalcycling.com/images/c...isport_xtr.jpg

Awesome advice guys. Thanks. I'm going to pick these up for around $20 for the set. I did the NYC 5-Boroughs tour yesterday (42 miles) and my wrists are actually sore today. I think these should help alleviate that for my next long ride.

http://media.rei.com/media/690765.jpg

Have to agree on the alignment of the bar ends. A line from the bar ends to top of the tyre works. And I just use a short stubby bar end. That one change of position works for me.

I second the motion for short stubby bar ends. I have mine set up so my wrists are set pretty much like they are when riding on the hoods with my drop bar bike.

There's also the idea of putting bar ends inboard of the grips. That way you won't have to splay outwards so far and still have another hand position.

I have bar ends on my hybrid, although recently someone told me that "those kind of bar ends are for crackhead bikes"...

I was blissfully unaware that they were anything but practical for wrist positioning...lol.

7.2 fx
 

I have a Trek 7.2fx and added the bar ends which really give you an alternate hand position. As far as aerodynamics, they actually hinder as they put you in more of an upright position. Its a bit of a trade off but the alternate hand position is a positive.

Thanks all.