Tandem Tom

One of my bikes is a Giant Escape that I have riding the GAP and C&O a few times. It is very comfortable to ride. I alos ride it on the roads and bike paths around home. Maybe about 2500 miles last year.
I was wondering about changing over to treking bar to have more hand positions. Plus I might do some more touring using my BOB trailer.
Would appreciate your input.
Thanks

Northwestrider

Well my wife likes her's on a Surly LHT, and lots of riders in Europe, where they are more popular, do as well

OndrejP_SK

A quick search of "giant escape" shows it originally has flat bars or slightly rised ones. Trekking bars would offer you more positions and the brake levers and shifters are compatible so it should be pretty easy to swap. Or you could also just buy some MTB bar ends to enable more positions.

I don't have personal experience, but I'm sure other members will give you their experience.

Also see what Sheldon Brown has to say about handlebars https://sheldonbrown.com/deakins/handlebars.html

Cyclebum

If that were my bike, I'd first check out bar extensions and Profile Design Airstryke Aerobars. Lots of hand positions, easy install. The aerobars provide a comfortable, aerodynamic profile in headwinds. No bar space is lost with the flip-up arm rest. Used the aerobars on my DF touring bike.

Lake_Tom

I replaced the straight bars on my wife's bike with the trekking bars from www.nashbar.com . She loves them. Her bike has Rapidfire (R) shifters. She loves them. Bar ends are not a substitute for touring bars.

I am in the Chagrin Valley, we may be neighbors!

Lasse

Do you already have barends? They add some very nice hand positions.

wahoonc

IMHO the best way to go...

Aaron

Cyclebum

Wahoonc, that is one class act touring bike! I was thinking the flashy yellow fenders would attrack thieves, but really, I guess they'd repel thieves. The treking bar would take my aerobar just fine.

Nigeyy

I've toured on flat bars with bar ends, trekking bars and drops.

To be really honest, each seemed pretty comfortable to me. I think so long as you don't have a physiological issue for a setup, I think the body just adjusts to a level of comfort. Having said that, there is little doubt that trekking bars offer more hand positions than a flatbar with bar ends (though, again, to be honest, I don't really use the extra trekking bar positions anyway.) I suppose another advantage is that it gives you extra real estate on your bars too. Anyway, bottom line is my preferred bars for touring are.... the ones I currently am used to using, whichever they are.

However, one issue that's easy to overlook is that you will more than likely have to have a new stem -probably longer than your current one for the trekking bars. You will also likely have to invest in some extra bar tape too unless you're OK with resting your hands on unwrapped bars.

Good luck!

Nigeyy

edit: dupe post

fietsbob

2 bikes I use most have Trekking bars on them. I use 2 layers of padded tape .

almost as good, though lacking the front position of a solid grip in a Far reach position,
is the Ergon GC3 grip set I put on my Brompton..,
there, the easy 1 bolt bar end flip, aids the fold down of the steering mast.

+1 on the fit .. i say ,may require a different stem perhaps shorter and more UP.
but that is, perhaps, due to my old bones.

ijsbrand

I have a bike with a straight handlebar and barends. And I have another bike with what we in Yurrup often call a butterfly bar, and you name trekking handle bars.

The butterfly offers indeed more hand positions. However. Even though I am tall and broad shouldered I find 59-60 centimeter wide bars too wide. And most are of that size.

And with flat bars it is possible to chop a bit off on both sides. No trekking bar allows that. So, instead, I now have a thing marked as a children's butterfly bar on that bike, with a 54 centimeter width.

50-51 centimeter would have been ideal though.

fietsbob

ITM supplied their 'freetime' to the OEM build, ['04 KogaWTR] those are about 51 to centers at wide point,
the 1st bends from the bar center , are different to get them to slip thru non open face stems.
the ones I see in the $20 kalloy /nashbar range start out wider by the 1st bend.
the bar bending production machine may be completely different, to do the 2 products.

sonatageek

Have been using trekking bars for the past 3+ years on a converted mountain bike. They are great and I am in the process of building up a few more bikes with them for the upcoming season.

digger531

My wife tried them and also thought they were too wide. They do offer alot of real estate but made it hard to use a handle bar bag. The problem with narrower bars might be cluttering the controls. I remember them being somewhat cluttered as it was

thestoutdog

I'm another convert to trekking bars. I have them on my main bike and I plan to get some for my hardrock too.

VT_Speed_TR

I liked mine that I mounted on my Surly LHT, had many miles of enjoyment and comfort.

bktourer1

If you go with trekking bars, get the gel strips from Nashbar to go under your tape.

Lake_Tom

I converted my mountain bike to Ritchey Ergo drop bars with bar end shifters. I am quite happy. There is no place to put a mirror, so I now use a helmet mirror. Try the one from Hubbub Bicycles in Chesterland, Ohio. It's da bomb!

I bought Cane Creek brake levers that had a "longer pull" since cantilever brakes need a bit more pull. I was not good with the arrangement until I dumped the original cheap Shimano cantilever brakes for Tektro Shorty cantilever brakes. The braking geometry works better with short arms. I only changed the front, because the front does most of the braking. I have new brake pads now, and the braking is fine.

I also changed the fork and bought a stem that I probably didn't need; I spent $400 on the project.

A bike with drop bars is harder to place into the back of the car, though.

mr geeker

get them, you won't regret it. Honest.