Trekking Bars: A Different Question
 

I'm looking into trekking bars, but I have one problem. I know I prefer bars with more sweep, even a lot of sweep. I'm miserable with flat bars, around 30 degrees is usually good, more is often better. Are there any trekking bars out there with more sweep, something a little more wonky than the standard Dimension, Modolo or Nashbar?

Alternatively, anyone have ideas for bending a set at home?

Since trekking bars are a bad design, basically flat bars without even useable horns, your best bet would be to go to some Rondo bars, etc... If you want them for the brakes, I would still probably mount real levers on the tops, but I haven't though that one though, though I have one bar where it could certainly be done...

If you want to bend ones that aren't heat treated, which should be all of them, they are pretty cheap for the most part... Fill with water during deep winter, or freeze water, then bend the frozen bars the way you want them, then melt out. Don't touch the ones that are heat treated, if you can find them.

Really? My 3 years of experience with them tells me that trekking bars are a great design and much much better than a flat bar with 'horns', but to each his own.

A very strange comment and one which would come as news to tourers in mainland Europe whose touring bikes nearly all have these. In addition most riders doing round the world tours use trekking bars. After 40 years of using drops and many thousands of miles bike touring, I've had to change my drops for trekking bars due to circulation problems in my hands. I find the comments re lack of sweep puzzling as Trekking bars are wide and offer many hand positions including one identical to being "on the horns".
Personally, I prefer those bars with no "rise" and mount these perfectly level with the brake levers and gear levers inboard.

**********? I built up by LHT with trekking bars and found them far more versatile then either flat bars or drops. More hand positions then either of the other designs, and has been noted that are very popular in Europe. "Bad Design", I don't think so.

I like my trekking bars just fine. I don't like flat bars, even with bar ends on them.

Aaron :)

I use Nitto North Road bars that have sweep and rise. I love them and definitely prefer them over trekking bars, which I tried, and found limited. If what you're looking for is more rise or want the bars further back you can change the stem.

the grip I use most often is towards the front, not the back, so sweep is all about hand placement, choose a shorter stem, that will move the bars back and make that the most comfortable reach.

options
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/modolo-yu...ack-prod15573/
similar to the ITM ones I got, , NB the sweep is on the front of the bar,
you just move your hands back to brake and , perhaps shift gears,
i have a grip shifter and MTB brake levers on mine,
that slides on the back, open end of the bars. double wrap of padded tape..
BBB's multibar is another one..

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/modolo-du...nds-prod18737/
These are very adjustable, so angle is a choice..

I have a pair of North Roads on the bike right now, and while they are really comfy, I don't really think they have the variation in hand position I want for touring.

Sweep is about more than just reach, it's about the angle your hand naturally rests at; for me it's a rather high one. The angle of the front hand position looks to be a little to shallow for me, but maybe it's time I just buy a pair and try them out.

The Modolo Dumbo does seem like a cool idea, but is rather pricey, and might be one of the most hideous things I've seen on a bike.

Take a look at the titec (Jeff Jones designed) H-Bar, the closed loop model. Google it since I don't have the URL handy. Plenty of sweep, lots of options. Thi sbar is used a lot on adventure touring rigs which is basically touring on any surface, close and remote.

Is there anyone else besides Jeff Jones who makes a bar like the H-Bar?

When I had trekking bars i tilted them in the stem and to raise them. I agree those Modolo Dumbo are ugly, but touring bikes should emphasize function over form. Whatever works is the way to go.

Another alternative is bar ends.

Trekkin bars suck,but I like them :)

My Nashbar trekkin bars have about a 1" rise to them.

How do you measure sweep on a trekkin bar,it's almost a circle.

To crib from the Harris Cyclery webpage
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=218004

It's positions two and four I'm thinking about

Well, Titec makes them under some sort of arrangement.....Joneses bar is Ti I think and about $300 or something like that. The Titec aluminum is maybe $60 ish?

Something like these?

http://puglia2010.files.wordpress.co...erfly-bars.jpg

The Dutch bike maker Santos sells them on their touring bikes. I'd try them but haven't found a source in the US (or Europe via mail order, for that matter).

And those are pretty much exactly what I'm looking for.

So it goes

Bike Friday has an H bar, or at least that's what they call it..
3 piece , to come apart for packing to travel.

On Nashbar's bars,position 2 is about 10-15 degrees and position 4 is 90 degrees.

I guess that since someone decided that trekking bars are a bad design, those of use using them made a huge mistake.

that pre supposes thousands of Europeans who favor them are from another Planet.

"A very strange comment and one which would come as news to tourers in mainland Europe whose touring bikes nearly all have these"

Well obviously the few people who like them will all chime in, as they should. I am not much affected by how many people use them in europe, since one could also consider how many people in NA use flat bars, or MTBs as general purpose bikes. One can learn a lot more about what is wrong about bike gear by looking at what is in general use, than what is right. European riders also have a preference for suspension. Quick check of Tout Terrain bikes Germain site show they use flat bars and drops. I guess they haven't figured out the universal european preference either.

Yeah, I agree; they are a dumb design...like a failed design class student. A lot of mass for essentially 3 hand position on the same plane. But I continue to use mine, with a few changes. They are so stupid they are cool.

For something different, I equipped one of my 700c vintage touring bikes with Salsa Woodchipper bars. Big wide top, very compact drop and exaggerated sweep on the lower position. It is surprisingly comfortably, you can really open up your chest, ...stretch.

Not my bike, but a good visual: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bicycle...op/3952808715/

"They are so stupid they are cool"

Right on, I remember love at first sight when I first saw them, something different, had to have them...

I collect dirt drops, didn't know about the Salsas. Cool.

Seems that the "few" people who like them greatly outnumber the even fewer who do not.

Wonder why that is ?