Daddy Wags

The most distinguishing feature of a hybrid bicycle is the flat handlebar, however, there can be many variations of bars that are not drop bars.
I am fixing up an old Raleigh bike of mine into an easy riding commuter I can use for my 15 mile trip into town. I am considering a handful of handlebars and would like feedback from those who have more knowledge and/or experience than I do.
The bars I am considering are:
Trekking bar
Jones bar
Albatross bar
Mustache bar
I am posting this thread here on the hybrid forum because I am familiar with many posters, and as a hybrid rider myself, I know where you are coming from......that is, most of you are already riding a flat bar hybrid. I have absolutely no experience with the handlebars I listed above.

Little Darwin

I bought a trekking bar (I believe it was the Nashbar model) and it is honestly interesting to me, but it is a bit wide for my taste. I haven't actually mounted it yet to see how I would really like it, but I do have an old Giant Sedona I may be putting it on as an experiment on my backup bike. Part of my issue, and why I haven't mounted it yet is that there are so many possibilities to configure it, that I can't decide what to try first...

The trekking bar seems to be a good bar for varying hand and body position depending on condition, but right now al of my bars have a 31.8 mm clamp, and I don't know if it is that, but the Trekking bar doesn't look stout enough to me. I have large hands, so I would really like to see a trekking bar with 31.8 mm clamp that doesn't narrow down until
about the 3rd of the 4 bends that they typically have.

The Jones Bar (the loop H) has always looked interesting to me, so I am curious about comments. The amount of sweep looks like what I would like, and the extra possible hand positions or mounting points look interesting as well. I have been looking for a bar with a sweep between the cruiser type bars and the usual flat bat, since I think it would match a natural hand position a little better. When I hold my hands up in front of me naturally, my wrists are in between, and that is why I am looking toward a sweep like the Jones. It may end up to be a terrible position for riding, but it seems intuitive to me to seek a natural position. My main issue is the cost... but if it works well, it would probably be worth it.

As far as the swept back bars like the Albatross and various mustache bars, I prefer a Northroad type of bar to those, since they seem more natural with a rise than either flat or slight drop. That may just be a factor of what I was used to growing up.

MRT2

We put a Velo Orange Postino bar on my wife's old Peugeot. She really likes it. No drop and the bars are bent about 20 degrees. I really like the bar but if I were installing a bar on a bike I would primarily use, I would go with something a little wider. VO Postino Handlebar
I am intrigued by the Moustache bar and the Jones H bar for different reasons, but have not used either. Another bar I have considered is the Velo Orange Casey Crazy bar. Crazy Bar For Logical Persons | Adventure Cycling Association

Daddy Wags

Like Little Darwin said, there are many possibilities (or entanglements) to many of these bars. One has to decide on shifters and brake lever placements and types. I tend not to like wide bars. When I purchased my XL Escape, I ended up cutting off my bars several times to get the right feel. I ride better when I feel my bars out about shoulder width rather than off at an angle.
As of now, the Jones H bar is the most intriguing to me. I notice they come in two different sizes. I am a real fan of Ergon grips and they could be used on a Jones bar. Some riders pad the bar closest to the rider for gripping or arm rests, I believe. I met a rider with a Jones H bar on his bike last summer, and he was all smiles about it.
A dilemma is that most of these bars are expensive and they aren't easy to find to test ride. So friendly advice is most welcome.

MRT2

I asked my local Surly dealer if they would let me test ride a Surly with a Jones H Bar, but they don't currently stock the Ogre or the Troll, which are the only Surlys that come stock with an H bar.

Daddy Wags

Yes, MRT2, I know several dealers over in Seattle who stock Surlys. So the next time I get over there I will try to locate an Ogre to try out. Also, might just hit as many bike shops as I can and ask their advice.

WarrenR

I went from a straight bar to a treking bar last summer and I like it a lot. I did have to switch it upside down from the way my LBS installed it. I found in order to get into an aero position holding the front most part of the bars the back part of the bar was to high and got in the way. With the upside down position my wrists now can rest on the back portion when I'm tucked in.

BrockLee

I wish, oh how I wish, I could find a handlebar similar to the Bontrager Satellite Elite blah blah blah Handlebar. Most of the other alternate bars are repulsive or just plain ugly in my opinion.

BrockLee

Thanks for posting links. I'm always appreciative if I don't have to look up something myself that someone else has already looked up and not posted links to.

MRT2

This is what frustrates me about Trek. They come up with something cool, then only offer it in carbon fiber and only on one model. How hard would it be to sell an aluminum version, and/or make it an option on their lower end hybrids?

BrockLee

I agree. I certainly don't need carbon, but it would be nice to have these available. I think they're pretty cool and they'd suit my needs quite nicely.

MRT2

The Jones cut H bar has some of the same functionality and hand positions as the Bontrager.

BrockLee

True. But I don't like the way the Jones Cut H looks. Too much of a bend in it. Personal taste, I guess.

slowpacer

I changed from flat bar to FSA Metropolis bar and like it a lot. Had to swap shift cables to longer ones though.

Steve Urquell

Beauty is in the eye of the barholder. Love my trekking bar.

Craptacular8

Not on a hybrid, but did go with a Nitto trekking bar on my old Gary Fisher MTB turned touring bike. I kept the same brake levers/shifters that it had on it with a flat bar. LBS had to mount the trekking bars upside down because otherwise my knees would have been hitting the bars. I've had it out on a couple longer rides, like them quite well. Found that I was frequently moving my hands around to different holds.