Using profile bars

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Outandback from Overland Park,KS on 8/4/2021 4:11:53 PM:

I'm going to be doing multi days on the Katy and I worry a little about hand numbness. I have profile bars on my road bike for that reason. I'm thinking about transferring them to my trail bike, but wondering if I'm asking for trouble as far as bike stability on that rougher terrain. I also wonder if the bars might loosen up on a non paved surface. Go? Or no?

Don from Dallas on 8/4/2021 4:39:57 PM:

I really like that alternate position too, but on gravel, and even on the Katy Trail's forgiving surface, I wouldn't use them.
There's too many places where you might get surprised by a washout and being on the Profile bars might cause you to lose control. I could see your bolts loosening and your profile slipping too.
I think there's enough interesting stops to give your hands periodic relief.
Have fun!

BikerBoy from Maryville, IL on 8/4/2021 8:32:33 PM:

Hand numbness can be minimized with a little practice. Watch your knuckles when you ride -- if they are often white, you may be gripping the handlebars too tightly. This not only affects your hands, but can make your arms and neck tighten up as well. It's good to mention to your riding partner to look over at your hands occasionally to remind you to "loosen up a bit".

Riding gloves can help a lot, but I realize that you may not want the extra warmth on your hands.

Another trick is to take thin foam and wrap it around your handlebars with electrical tape. That will dampen the vibrations fairly well.

John H from Pacific MO on 8/5/2021 6:41:20 AM:

I ride a Fugi Touring bike that I added Profile Design aerobars to several years ago for the same reason you mentioned. I've used them on the C&O Towpath/GAP and the Katy (several times) without any problems. You just need to keep an eye out for trail conditions, which are much worse on the C&O than the Katy. You'll be doing that anyway. I highly recommend aerobars for long distance touring.

You might also want to look into getting a nerve test for carpal tunnel. I had carpal tunnel release surgery on both hands last year and it practically eliminated my hand numbness while riding.

Jerry Whittle from Belleville on 8/6/2021 8:27:55 AM:

I've used Profile aerobars on my road bike since 1990. They are great for my hands when doing things like century rides. The Katy is rougher than most roads for one thing plus it's easier to lose control on gravel.

I'm impressed that John did the C&O using aerobars as it's much more difficult than the Katy with puddles, mud, and narrow sections. I'm sure that he was off of the aerobars than on them. My wife and I did the C&O on a tandem in June and that was quite an adventure. The GAP was nicer with a surface much like the Katy.

Ron_S from Overland Park on 8/10/2021 8:36:31 AM:

I added “bar end extensions” to my handlebars for additional hand positions. I also switched to a “North Road” style bar. These have a 45° sweep back. They also go forward before the sweep back. Much more comfy than a straight bar but similar control. Raise your arm from alongside your body and you will see that when it is in normal riding position the hand/wrist is at 45°, same as the North Road sweepback. I rode 2000 miles in Scotland with this setup with no issues. The late Sheldon Brown on his site, still active, wrote that the real reason for the curved drop handlebars is to offer 6 different hand position options to relieve stress.

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