RoadWearier

I'm getting tired of my hands getting numb and wrists uncomfortable with the flat bar on my trek fx 7.3. I've tried adjusting the existing bars to no avail. Would these work with the shifters and brake levers I have?

SUNLITE Northroad Touring Handlebar https://a.co/d/a0wNHTg



Or.maybe these??

hokiefyd 

The bar shown will work with your brake and shift levers. However, you need to be aware of at least two things:

1. It looks like that bar uses a 25.4mm stem clamp diameter, and your FX likely has a 31.8mm stem clamp diameter. You can get shims to fit a smaller diameter bar into a larger stem, or you can also buy a stem with a 25.4mm clamp diameter. Either way would work, but it's something you'll need to check on. You can also get swept-back handlebars with 31.8mm stem clamp diameters, but they are less common.
2. You'll very likely need to re-route or even lengthen your brake and shift cables, since the back-sweep on that and similar bars will move the levers rearward. Depending on the configuration of your cables, this may require longer cables and housings. This is most likely to be an issue for the front brake, which generally has the most direct routing and, thus, the least amount of slack of free play.

RoadWearier

Thanks so much! Maybe I'll just give bar ends a try.
I Saw there are $20 ones and these ergons for $55 that people on here seem to like. I wonder if they are worth the 150% markup

Jeff Neese

I have Ergon GP5s on all my flat bar bikes (3) plus my wife's bike. They seem expensive until you try them. The combination of the grip itself, and the shaped bar ends, is very effective. They seem to last forever, too.

ClydeClydeson

IT shouldn't be too hard to mount those bars, as mentioned above, but this won't necessarily fix the problem. Excess pressure on the hands leading to discomfort and numbness is often caused by other details of bike fit, especially saddle adjustment.

travbikeman

I like my Ergon GP5's, three hand positions, and very supportive. You just need to make sure they are adjusted properly so when on the bar portion of the grips, your hand and arm align so your not bending your wrists. Otherwise you will still have wrist pain. Following is copied by Ergon's site:

RoadWearier

Food points, all. I've fiddled with the seat and rotated the bar every which way to try to keep my wrists straight but no matter what I do, I still have issues. Fortunately Amazon has a pretty liberal return policy (for now) so I guess the Ergons on worth a shot

Trav1s

Another Ergon user here. One of my favorite additions for sure and greatly improved my comfort. You probably found my Quick 1 thread with pics.

msalvetti

I've always wondered, how does one brake if your hands are on the bar ends? Seems dangerous. On the MUP I ride I have at least one panic stop per week to avoid rabbits. So I've been reluctant to move my hands so far from the brakes. I often ride with my fingers on the brake levers themselves.

Mark

hokiefyd 

You just have to adjust quickly. It's not unlike riding drop bars on the tops or in the drops, where you can't immediately reach the brakes. If you're riding in an area where you think you'll need access to the brake levers, such as in an urban environment or where you don't have much warning of wildlife crossing your path, then riding in a position where you can't reach the brakes in a snap may not be the best idea. On the other hand, there are lots of situations where you don't necessarily need ready access to the brakes and you can ride in a position that puts your hands further from the levers.

Another solution is "hooked" brake levers, similar to these: https://www.amazon.com/22-24mm-Brake.../dp/B08NPGN52K

You can configure those so that you can pull the main part of the lever from the main grips, or the hook or curved part of the lever from bar ends.