Handlebar question

[ny biker]

According to the specs on Trek's website, my road bike has these handlebars:

Bontrager VR WSD, 31.8mm

Does anyone know what "31.8mm" refers to?

These handlebars are a good size for me in terms of being able to ride comfortably in the drops, but they are too wide. I would like to get the same model in a narrower width. Unfortunately Bontrager does not show any WSD handlebars on their website, and if they don't sell them then I suppose I will have to look for a different brand. Which really sucks, since I have no idea where to begin if I have to find a different brand.

I appreciate any advice on this.

Thanks!!

[OakLeaf]

That's just the clamping diameter, for stem compatibility.

Do you know how wide your current bars are? Looks like Trek Bicycle Superstore has a set left in 40 cm. http://www.trekbicyclesuperstore.com/product/bontrager-wsd-vr-os-road-handlebar-3382.htm Nebraska store still lists them in a full range of sizes. http://trekbicyclestores.com/product/bontrager-wsd-vr-os-road-handlebar-4823.htm

It might also be that Bontrager has just taken the "WSD" designation off their short and shallow bar which is now coded VR-S? Looks and priced similar anyway. http://www.bontrager.com/model/09192

[Crankin]

Can you measure the width? My hunch is that you have 40 cm bars that are short and shallow, and you need 38s.
My experience with Bontrager accessories is that there is price fixing on everything. Their stuff never goes on sale, and is hard to find in shops. I had a certain model of Bontranger gloves that I loved, and one of the LBSs carried. When I tried to find them anywhere except a Trek dealer (like TE or other web sites), they were nowhere to be found. Then, last year, they stopped making them.

[Wahine]

If you can't find the Bontrager handlebar you want, you may want to consider the FSA K Force compact bar. The carbon bar comes as small as 36 cm width.

[ny biker]

I don't know how wide the current handlebars are. How are they measured? Outside edge to outside edge? How much width does the bar tape add?

Thanks

[Wahine]

I don't know how wide the current handlebars are. How are they measured? Outside edge to outside edge? How much width does the bar tape add?

Thanks

Unfortunately, there is no industry standard on measurement. Some companies measure center to center, some outside edge to outside edge (bar tape not included). However, if you measure center to center and what you get is not 38, 40 or 42 cm, chances are they are measured outside to outside. Then you can just order the next size down if you're going online for your purchase. If you're walking into a shop to buy, measure your handlebars whatever way you like and bring your tape to the shop and measure the handlebar you are considering.

[ny biker]

So. I tried to measure my current handlebars and they appeared to be 40cm, but I wasn't sure I was measuring them correctly.

I have a gift card for my LBS so I would like to get the new handlebars from them. I was planning to bring the bike to them for a derailleur adjustment, so I did that on Tuesday after work, when the fit guy is usually working and often has a few free minutes to talk. He confirmed that the current handlebars are 40cm and that Bontrager's VR-S bars are the same as the old VR-WSD. He also measured my shoulders to confirm that a 38cm bar would work for me. We also talked about carbon bars vs. aluminum, and he showed me some Trek bars that come with gel inserts. Then I left (they adjusted the derailleur while we were talking) so I could do some research and decide how to proceed.

The Bontrager VR-S bars have a reach of 70 mm and a drop of 120 mm. I looked at all the bars available on the LBS website (they carry several brands in addition to Bontrager, and IIRC they carry some FSA bars, too). I found that even those listed as "compact" bars were not quite as compact as the VR-S. Some are close, but since I'm very happy with the reach and drop of my current bars, I decided to go with the VR-S for the new ones. This makes the carbon-vs-aluminum decision for me, since the VR-S are only available in aluminum -- and that's okay with me, especially after reading some old TE threads on handlebars.

So I will get the 38 cm Bontrager VR-S bars.

It turns out that they are quite inexpensive, as road handlebars go, which means my gift card will have a balance left on it after I buy them. And this seems like the perfect opportunity to get new handlebar tape. My bike has a rather dull color scheme, gray with a bit of white here and there. The current bar tape is black, as are the bottle cages. So I think I will get a different color bar tape and also replace the bottle cages to match.

So now the question is -- what color should I choose? I generally like red, but I don't know that I would like it for an accent color with this bike. I think blue might look good, but I'm not sure. Trek used to sell a silver/gray bike with mint green accents and that looked really nice, though I think it might be hard to find mint green bottle cages. I will have to look.

And so the research continues. But at least the handlebar question is resolved.

Thanks very much for all your input!!