(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best bike handlebars

If you do the MTB conversion route, the easiest way to keep costs down and get hand positions is to use trekking/butterfly bars. That way you don't have to buy new brake levers and shifters. Clip-on aero-bars might also be worth considering, they are a revelation when riding into the wind and pretty comfortable if set up a bit higher than the typical triathlon setup.

Consider the choice of MTB carefully; some have really long top tubes and you might be stretched out too much for your liking. Some have all sorts of braze-ons, others won't have rack mounts. I've done a few MTB conversions and they work out alright but the trick is to find one that's in great shape and lived most its life in someone's garage so the parts aren't rusted together. Check for stainless spokes and a cassette hub, no point in dicking around with entry level stuff. There are a lot of decent 26x1.5" tires out there and they make for a quick enough ride. If you want ultimate reliability friction thumbshifters are hard to beat and are still easy enough to use on 8 speed and are cheaper than bar-end shifters for drop bars, so sticking with a flat-bar setup has advantages.

Some hybrids can also be great places to start for a touring bike, just avoid anything with a suspension fork or anything in the "comfort-cruiser" category, they're heavier and generally lower-end parts. An older "fitness hybrid" like a specialized sirrus can be a good starting point... but generally I'd look for something like a 3x8 with mtb gearing, you'll save the expense of converting the drivetrain. I did my first tour on a sirrus conversion and it was a treat, I wasn't worried about it being an aluminum frame.

The bike started life as a 2012 Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro, which came with some good components already. SRAM Rival partial group,
FSA crankset, and Mavic Aksium Race wheels. I've had good luck with this bike and it's got almost 2k miles on it, so I kept most of it, but not all.

Once I decided to make it my commuter bike, I started adding things.

For lights I picked up the Cygolite Hot shot rear light and use one of my MTB lights if needed for the front, a
Chinese knock-off CREE XM-L2 front light

For tires I went with the Panaracer RiBMo 700x32c based on feedback from users on here.

You can't go wrong with a Tubus Logo Evo Rear Rack and Ortlieb Back Roller Classics.


I wanted some extra gearing for those climbs along the way, so I went with the SRAM FORCE Rear Derailleur so I could run a SRAM PG-1050 11-32 Cassette.

Of course, I needed a new KMC X10SL chain for the new gear combo.

I picked up a new road bike and pulled the Ritchey Pro Streem Saddle and Ritchey Pro Biomax bars off of that bike and used them on my commuter, along with some new Lizard Skins DSP 3.2mm bar tape and some Soma Road Flares for added visibility.

For a little less weight and possible shock absorbtion, I threw in a Chinese knock off carbon seat post.

I also wanted something besides my regular riding shoes, so I opted for the Shimano Click'R PD-T700 pedals and
Shimano SH-CT40 Cycling Shoes
, which I love and highly recommend.

I also needed to adjust the fit so I picked up a Kalloy Uno 6 90mm stem because I've had great luck with them on other bikes.

And for added safety, I picked up two rolls of 3M Scotchcal Reflective Striping Tape in white and black, and added white stripes to the white frame and black stripes to the rims and the back of my helmet.

>...am I better off getting a cheap used road bike to see if I like it...?

​

Honestly, it sounds like you and I are coming from the exact same place. So I'm going to answer this with a conditional yes. That condition is this: I may be biased. I say that because that's what I did and I'm VERY happy with it. Now, I truly do prefer my 37 yo 10-speed over my hybrid any day of the week... but I pretty much only ride on paved roads. I currently ride on these tires but I used to ride on these, which worked well for local hardpack trails and nearby greenways. So it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

​

I checked out the Rochester Criagslist (since you linked to it, I assume that's you area) for some older road bikes, and there are quite a few available, but many of them are $200+. Occasionally you can find one like this one for $20. That's cheap enough that you can get a new seat (the originals were like medieval torture devices), pedals (I like these), brake levers, cables, chain, etc. all for under ~$100. (Of course, I also would do my own servicing of the bottom bracket, which saves the cost of an LBS doing it.)

Then I'd give it two weeks' worth of riding to see how it feels. If you don't like it, then you're out $100 and you post the upgraded and improved bike back on Craigslist for $200-300 like most people seem to. Then turn those profits into upgrades for your hybrid.

If you decide to keep the hybrid, but are uncomfortable with drop bars, you may want to consider butterfly bars. If I hadn't made the move to a road bike, I would have done this with my hybrid just to have more hand position options.

Hi - I bought my bars in 2016 but they are still going strong. I think they were around $40 and they were carbon too. Here is the link
Lixada Carbon Fiber Road Bike Bicycle Aero Bar Rest Handlebar Aerobar 31.8mm https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EAAC43G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_4GbqbjrzEfcCW

Yes, still racing today but after about 7-8 years I upgraded to a Canyon Carbon Fber bike. Love it and they are fairly inexpensive because they only sell online. I have not converted this bike for Tri’s yet. Not sure I will. I have Ironman Santa Rosa coming up May so we will see. Happy training to you and good luck.

Most people around here seem to like lobster gloves

Wind mitts and other styles of cycling gloves seem to be solid if not better

I'm from fucking Florida in the states so take my input with a few pounds of salt, but first I'd look into sportier earmuffs/headbands to keep the wind out of your ears and make sure you have a good pair of sunglasses (even if clear) to keep the stinging out of your eyes. Skullcap or similar if you really can't retain any body heat, otherwise it'll just turn into a sweatbox.

You could also be a gigantic meme and use handlebar mittens like these. People seem to like 'em. Keep in mind all the links I just sent you are examples and I'm not sure if they're even available for you over in Wales. Check out Amazon and other retailers on your end.

Enduro, Pearl Izumi seem to make well-regarded thermal conductive gloves; lobster claws are made by a bunch of well-respected brands, and I don't know shit about handlebar mittens. Good luck!

Honestly unless you're super committed to that frame I'd find another bike. However there are some considerations if you're pressed on budget.

The bars, here's a flat bar on Amazon:
Bars
New Stem:
Stem

Some tektro levers, and brakes are your best bet. Good value and performance.

Levers:
Tektro levers
Calipers:Calipers

Shift levers for the new bars:
Levers
These may not fit the bars, the clamp diameter wasn't listed.

Of course then all new cables, grips for the bars, and a new chain might also help. I just gathered those components on price alone. So if you have money to spare then I encourage it. As is, that bike wouldn't have my time or money, however if I were to upgrade it that's the way I'd do it. Cheers.

Honestly, if your commute is flat and you ride slowly, I'd recommend some sort of single-speed frame with whatever kind of handlebars you feel are comfortable. Your local bike store should be able to go over some options and make recommendations, but I like swept-back bars like the Nitto North Road for commuting.

A single-speed will easily shave 10lbs from your bike, and you can work with your bike shop to ensure your gear ratio is fine for an easy start and a good cadence at your average speed.

An Ogre is an extremely versatile bicycle and the people who use them come in all shapes and sizes. It's a lot of bike for the price, and a great choice for returning to the world of biking.

You could configure it with a do-it-all build, or select components that excel at road touring, expeditions, commuting, etc.

I only recommend investing in a great saddle. Something like the Brooks B67 suits an upright riding position. Which I, personally, love for touring. Combine a B67 with Soma Oxford handlebar and you've got a winning combo! The handlebar upgrade lends itself well with an ogre because the equipped shifters and brake levers are compatible.

Stems are universal between brands, nothing to do with Trek or not.

Your bike uses the older quill standard for stems though. It either uses a 1" or 1 1/8" stem, from the photo it looks like 1 1/8", if the bike is from after about 1995 that's what it will be. These are fairly rare but there are some available on Amazon and eBay etc, there are also adapters available that let you run a modern threadless stem, though it might be hard to get high bars using one of those.

I would say though I would look at changing the handlebars more than the stem, to some riser bars, this was the thing to do back in the day when the bike was newer to change it to a less racey position than stock for greater comfort and control.

Riser bars add some sweep backwards and upwards as well as raising the bar height which helps more with getting a better ride position and reducing hand cramp, they also should be stucturally more safe/strong than using a really high stem or a stem extender, which often include usage warnings. These bars from Amazon are the sort of thing I'm talking about and would work - you would want the 25.4mm version to fit your current stem

Something like this might bring it up a little further. It's a 90mm long 45 degree angle stem.
https://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Mountain-Handlebar-Extender-Components/dp/B075XJJ4CJ/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1506605322&sr=8-12&keywords=31.8%2Briser&th=1&psc=1

Combine it with something like this and it would get even higher.
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=51573

5.5" rise 31.8mm clamp bars
https://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Group-BX-HB1331855-BK-Maximus-Handle/dp/B00B90HCKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506606474&sr=8-1&keywords=BX-HB1331855-BK&th=1&psc=1

Another issue you're going to run into is cable length. The cable on your left hand brake looks like it's just long enough to fit the current height. If you push it up with new bars you're going to need a new cable. With a 5" rise I'd be willing to bet you're going to need all new cables. Unless you can do it yourself you may want to sell your bike and buy a Roll like your friends. That's going to get expensive if a shop is doing it.

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Cycle-Alloy-Bicycle-Raiser/dp/B000FGYKWS/ A stem riser might help get your existing bars up higher.

I got them off of amazon for about $32 Here’s the link:
Sunlite D-Cruiser Handlebar, 32" W x 25" H x 7/8", Chrome Plated https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002I7MAEW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5sRADbJ33ZZEG

To get it to fit my stem I had to order shims to go between the stem and the bars:

Sunlite Handlebar Shims, 22.2 to 25.4mm, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0065URKQ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AvRADb7AKZBSP

You have to do a lot of modifications to get such big bars to work, since I never could find a brake line big enough to reach the back and the throttle cable from the kit wouldn’t reach. The throttle setup is a bit odd and looks like it would fall off, but it hasn’t fell off once for me. I used 2 go cart throttle cables off of amazon also and a clutch cable lock from a 2 stroke to make the setup work. Here’s links to those:

HURI 3 Clutch Cable Lock Locker for Motorized Bicycle Bike 49cc 60cc 66cc 80cc 2 Stroke Engine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X9G5W2Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wzRADbQABE3JR

WOOSTAR Throttle Cable fit for 150cc 250cc Go Kart Sunl Roketa JCL DUNE BUGGY Go Kart https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5FYDYF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hBRADbX2FXTT6

Good luck with yours if you decide to go with ape hangers, if you have any more questions about how I did it feel free to ask

Basic profile T1 bars which were under $100 at my LBS but looks like they’re $150ish online.

Unless you know you want something else, just go for a basic shape and get them used or non name brand to get them for under $100. This would do the trick just as well as the Profile ones but only costs $25. The extra $200-400 doesn’t make you any more aero.

Aerobars are absolutely necessary to save a free 2mph/3kph so literally any style whatsoever will help your speed substantially.

I have lizardskins and really don't like them, which is unfortunate because they are expensive. I find they get slippery when I sweat and my gloves tear them up. Cork tape also gets worn out pretty quck the best thing I can recommend is cinelli jelly tape and then wrap over it with cloth tape. If you end up doing this it lasts a long time and is cheap to replace the cloth tape I find it to be the perfect thickness for me. You'll need two rolls of the cloth tape on drops but that works well because you can tape two differently color rolls at the same time and make a neat spiral. Cheers.

I have a couple ideas:

First, see if there are adaptive bike resources in your area. If not, you could email some in other areas. They'll probably know of systems that have been tested and work well for riders needing a similar accommodation. Maybe these people would have some ideas: http://www.notbroken.co.uk/2016/06/15/bike-check-tom-wheelers-mojo-nicolai-geometron/

Togs would create a thumb hook that could be used in combination with just about any setup



I'd like to make a suggestion other than an expander plug or pipe plug, because it seems a little dangerous given that they are generally made to resist vertical loads (or loads in line with the fastener) like a cork. wiggling a cork sideways is a good way to loosen it, and that's essentially what would be happening every time the pedal is pushed or pulled. I also think it's going to be hard to find a proper expansion plug that will accept a 9/16ths threaded pedal (unless you're planning on replacing the axle with a custom bolt that serves both purposes).

However, if a nut was welded into the end of the bars, a pedal could simply screw in. You might want to consider a pair of steel bars that are on the heavier side with thicker walls, so there's more meat for welding. I could see the nut on a thin walled set of bars just cracking or ripping out since the force is going to be distributed differently than designed for.

you could try welding a nut into the end of something like this. But honestly, if a non permanent plug comes loose, your friend might be headed straight into the ground head first with no warning.

I don't think you'd have any issues with safety with the cheaper ones.

I think the biggest thing is comfort. I had ones very similar to the ones you linked and I just couldn't get comfortable on them, though YMMV.

I got a bike fitting and he recommended these:
https://www.amazon.com/Profile-Designs-T3-Aluminum-Aerobar/dp/B01KGAUB0W?keywords=aero+bars&qid=1535808207&sr=8-6&ref=mp_s_a_1_6

Even though they're much more expensive, they were much more usable for me because I could settle into a comfortable position.

As others have mentioned since the distance is short the benefit is debatable. I'd also check out the course profile. If you have a lot of climbing to do or very windy sections, you might not have enough time in the aero position to make it worth it.

HTH

> What problem does that present, besides aesthetics?

None, it's just ugly.


> The Tourist bars seem pretty close. http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/handlebars/vo-postino-handlebar-22-2mm.html They rise more than your picture, but the 7cm rise is consistent with your "2-3 in" requirement.
>

Yeah I thought they were close. But I just found the Wald 872s and I think that they're the ones.


Thanks for the help though.

They are some fairly cheap chinese ones I picked up on amazon to see if I would like butterfly bars.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KZRSCYS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IsqQDbT7PSB3D

I haven't gotten to ride with them yet but I think having a few extra hand placements is going to work out nicely.

I personally do not like flat handlebars. It also sounds like you are too stretched out on the bike. Have you thought a out changing the handlebars to something that sweeps back? And adding ergo grips?

Some of the wrist pain is likely related to putting too much pressure on the bars. The ergo grips will make a big difference. Swept back bars put your wrist in a neutral position, which will likely be more comfortable.

Here is a cheap handlebar option: https://www.amazon.com/d/Bicycle-Handlebars/Wald-Touring-Bicycle-High-Rise-Handlebar/B00IDCHULE

And here are some really comfortable grips: https://www.amazon.com/Ergon-GR9546-P-GP1-Grips/dp/B00PUG828Q

You can get the bars replaced pretty cheaply at a shop and grips are a breeze to do yourself. Or you can do both if you do not mind fiddling.

Good luck.

Last thing bro but I saw you bought a used road bike. I would recommend buying some aero bars to clip onto that bad boy. I'd recommend the T1+ Profile ones you can get them
here

Especially if you're signed up for so many tri's already. That aero position helps tremendously

I don't have aero bars but will get some soon based on the reviews for the T1 and T2 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Profile-Design-Aero-Bar-Black/dp/B0036CE2O4

http://www.amazon.com/Profile-Design-Carbon-Cobra-Aero/dp/B000R3VJV4/