Why Trek/Bontrager bars are very long in reach?

[cyan]

Was browsing the newer Trek bikes and noticed their stock handlebars (e.g. Bontrager Elite VR-C) have 93 to 100mm reach. I don't think any other bars released in the past few years have such long reach, most are now between 70 to 85mm (even my older Bontrager ones are 85mm).

Looking at the geometry charts of these Trek bikes, they don't look unusual to ones of the same sizes from other makers and their stock stem lengths look normal too, while the handlebars will cause an increase of 10-20mm in overall reach. Is it just a different fitting philosophy by Trek? I'd imagine such increase will throw off most people's fit if they buy based on the frame geometry.

[rustychisel]

Well, having identified the discrepancy I expect you'll be able to factor it in to the equation.

I mean, what if they also jumped the shark and offered them in 46cm and 44cm width now that narrow is the new wide?

In 3 years when the entire bike fitting zeitgeist has tilted back, as alarmingly as the earth's magnetic polarity reversal, your bike will be in the forefront of evolutionary thinking.

Perhaps not. What colour is the frame?

[ultraman6970]

I really doubt there's a scientific reason for that super long reach handlebars but probably being literally different and be able to adjust their MTB like in disguise road stuff to people.

[benb]

Choice is good..

If you want the same hood position you take the longer bar with a shorter stem, now you get a super relaxed tops position & the same aggressive hood position.

Not that I did that, I have 80mm reach bars. But choice is good.

I think there are some positions on some bikes where the long reach bars are going to help you get into certain positions. If you need the stem at a positive angle that shortens the reach a lot, often by > 1cm, so you could have the bars higher and keep the reach longer with one of these long reach bars. Pretty sure I could make that work.

[Mark McM]

Are you sure the Bontrager bars really have a longer reach than average? Or could it be that they use a different measuring system on their handlebars? For example, when road bikes all had horizontal top tubes and frame sizes were designated by seat tube length, the exact same frame might be labeled with different sizes, depending on the method to measure the seat tube* (center-to-center and center-to-top were the two most common).

Handlebars all have unique shapes, so there is no absolute standard way to measure them. Sometimes handlebar reach is measured center to center, and other times they are measured front to back; sometimes handlebar reach is measured with drops horiztonals, and sometimes they are measured with the tops horizontal.

Unless you know the measuring systems used, comparing handlebar measurements can be a bit apples-to-oranges.


*Trek took this to extreme with their Lemond brand OCLV frames. Trek sold a line of Lemond branded bikes, and one of the differentiations between Trek branded and Lemond branded bikes was that Lemond frames had longer top tubes, to reflect Greg Lemond's bike fitting philosophy. Trek sold OCLV carbon frames under both the Trek and Lemond brands. But because it would be too expensive to have a completely different sets of molds for Trek and Lemond carbon frames, they used the exact same frames for both bikes, but with Trek branded frame sizes measured center-to-top and Lemond branded frames sizes measured center-to-center, to make it look like the Lemond branded frames had longer top tubes for a given frame size.

[cyan]

Don't really want to make the compromise of getting a shorter stem to compensate the longer reach bars. This will put the top bar too close when climbing or out of saddle.

Speaking of how different brands measure reach differently, there doesn't seem any Bontrager drawing of their bars.

[benb]

This kind of thing is why I got my Domane as a frame set. So I could have 53/39 rings on 175mm cranks on a size 56 and the handlebars I wanted, etc..

[kgreene10]

The long bar reach really got me on a first gen Madone 9 with integrated bar-stem. I spoke with a rep about it but can’t say I heard a particular fitting philosophy in what he said.

[mhespenheide]

I can't speak to the underlying philosophy, but they are longer. I like it, as an option. One of my bikes is set up with the hoods in basically the same place as my other bikes, but the longer reach of the tops of the Bontrager bars lets me run a shorter stem and bring the cross-section of the handlebar closer to me for a more relaxed position.

[mhespenheide]

I mean, what if they also jumped the shark and offered them in 46cm and 44cm width now that narrow is the new wide?


Joking aside, they do still come in 46cm center-to-center for those of us that still like wide handlebars. :cool:

[Alaska Mike]

I have a friend who bought one of their super-blingy, integrated Madones a couple years back, where the cables were routed through the handlebars, stem and headset. Basically, a nightmare to work on.

She has back issues that made the reach too much for her to sustain, especially during a stage race. She went with the shortest bar/stem they had, and it was still too much. I compared reach to my ENVEs (which I chose because of the reach), and was amazed how deep hers still were. There are adapters to use standard bars/stems with them, but I think she hasn't ridden that bike since, preferring her older Madone and its fit. Maybe I'll convince her to let me tinker with it one day and make it work for her. Shame an umpteen thousand dollar bike is collecting dust.