Trekking bars on a DB Insight...worth trying?
 

Anybody have any experience with trekking bars? I was thinking about putting a pair on my DB Insight. I lean forward a little on this bike, although it is the correct frame size, and thought these might be a comfortable option for 30+ mile rides. Any opinions on this? Thanks in advance.

Will your controls adapt easily?

They would certainly give you more hand postions to try out....

Just remember to fiddle around with the setup till you find that perfect height, tilt, and riser/drop positioning for you. One note I'd add is to remember to position the brake levers far enough outward that you can "fingertip" operate them while your hands are on the sides.

I have mine setup up perfectly to my taste now, so that I can ride "prairie-dog" style with fingers on the near bars, all the way to ersatz aero-bar mode by gripping the inner elbows of the far bars, and resting my wrists on the near bars.

Here's my baby:
https://c5.staticflickr.com/4/3943/1...759bf64a_c.jpgCRW_0613 by David Bierbaum, on Flickr

https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7762/1...d3602d96_c.jpgCRW_0782 by David Bierbaum, on Flickr

Looks great, and the trekking bars fit in nicely.

Going to give it a try.

Just bought a Insight 1 myself, was looking at bar ends but I may look into something like these too. I'm not uncomfortable or anything but another hand position every now and then would be nice. Loving the bike though :thumb:

I came to that conclusion long before I arrived here. It's understandable though, just look at skydivers, para-gliders, light plane operators, they are all arrogant. It seems to be a trait among participants who put their life on the line every time they practice their sport. :lol:

If you plan to ride over 1-2hrs - do it. I did it on my trek and it was the best $20 I've spent on the bike. I also upgraded the grips after some time.
I've done a slow 80 mile ride that talk almost the whole day with a big lunch break and a fast half-a-day 70 miles ride and my back/arms feel much better then after 20 mile ride before the trecking bar.

Thanks for the feedback. I went ahead and installed a pair of trekking bars on my Insight. I just finished giving it a quick test ride. My initial impression is that it is easy to move your hands around on the bars, quickly getting to the controls when necessary. I am used to drop bars, so it seems to be an easy transition for me. However, they definitely do have a different feel to them. They are also a little narrower than the original riser bars. Right now I am looking forward to finding out what they are like on a long ride. I will then move the controls and bell around a little, wrap the bars, and reinstall the end plugs...change the pedals...add a Blackburn rack....you know the drill! :thumb:

Are you using the same stem? I swapped drop bars for these on one of my bikes, and the first thing I noticed was how cramped the cockpit was, as the default position on the bars is almost even with the head tube (as in your pic). Luckily I had an old 120 or 130mm stem laying around and swapped it out, flipped down, to increase reach to a comfortable point.

I am using the same stem, and reach is (and was) one of my chief concerns. I will probably be keeping my eyes open for a new stem.

Next little project .... replace the plastic pedals with ....

I see yours are in the default upright position. When my LBS installed mine he installed a stem which but the back grip position at the same reach as my flat bars. He told me to try them for a few days then come back and he would make any adjustments and then wrap them. I noticed that I wanted to be able to get more aero so I tried dropping the front grip position and saw that as I dropped the front the rear would rise too far. So I flipped the bars upside down and then I could lay out with my wrists resting on the rear grip position. Overall the bars have certainly improved the cycling experience!

Here's mine:

This is the advantage, and the problem, with trekking bars; they are infinitely adjustable, so they take a lot of fiddling to get that perfect setup just for you, but the result is a setup that is just perfect for you.

I started off with the bars okay feeling, but adjusting the seat a bit forward and raising the quill stem a bit (and readjusting the tilt for my resultant posture), gave me a feeling of perfection. I can ride sitting straight up to gawk at the scenery with my fingertips on the near bars, ride comfortably on near bars and the sides, ride into the wind and up hills by gripping the far bars, and get "ersatz aero" by gripping the inner elbows and resting my wrists on the near bars. What I never expected though, was how much I'd just ride by gripping the inner elbows instead of the sides, when I feel like pushing the pace of my ride while still being comfortable for long distances.

So be sure to "get grabby" with your trekking bar as you get used to it, to find new and innovative ways to set up and use it. You may surprise yourself by using it in a way you never even thought about initially.