Those are some gorgeous loaded bike pics. Makes my heart just flutter.
On the OP front, Mr. Maelochs covered matters nicely. To pile on, there is also a whole segment of cycle tourists who ride on dirt and call themselves 'bikepackers'. Many bikepacking rigs run some sort of flat bar, the routes can get pretty epic in terms of distance. On something like the Great Divide Route, that can look like 2700mi of mostly dirt roads. People race and ride it on flat bars every year. I have also read a few accounts of cycle tourist/bikepackers who did the Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego (extreme tip of South America) ride with flat bars.
For myself, I love flat bars for playing in the dirt. Riding pavement, I still really like them but have run into problems with hand numbness and wrist pain on extended rides. That doesn't happen to everyone, but it is an issue for me. I resolved it back when by going to trekking bars. Eventually, I bought the touring bike I did (2011 Novara Safari) in part because it came with trekking bars where all its competitors featured drop bars. I'm fine with drops for other people, but they've never worked for me.
One potential alternative to flat bars might be something like the Jones H Bar or Surly Moloko. These are both reminiscent of flat bars, though with an ergonomic back sweep and added structure to provide multiple hand positions. As something of a bonus, both offer added real estate for the attachment of bags, lights, and so forth.
In the end, if flat bars work for you, that's awsome. I'm a bit jealous. I love the flat bars that came on my Surly Ice Cream Truck, but it appears my hands and wrists may not. The discomfort is different than I've experienced before, but I have begun considering alternatives. If your bike is comfortable, it will get ridden. Make it comfortable. Whatever that looks like.
On the OP front, Mr. Maelochs covered matters nicely. To pile on, there is also a whole segment of cycle tourists who ride on dirt and call themselves 'bikepackers'. Many bikepacking rigs run some sort of flat bar, the routes can get pretty epic in terms of distance. On something like the Great Divide Route, that can look like 2700mi of mostly dirt roads. People race and ride it on flat bars every year. I have also read a few accounts of cycle tourist/bikepackers who did the Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego (extreme tip of South America) ride with flat bars.
For myself, I love flat bars for playing in the dirt. Riding pavement, I still really like them but have run into problems with hand numbness and wrist pain on extended rides. That doesn't happen to everyone, but it is an issue for me. I resolved it back when by going to trekking bars. Eventually, I bought the touring bike I did (2011 Novara Safari) in part because it came with trekking bars where all its competitors featured drop bars. I'm fine with drops for other people, but they've never worked for me.
One potential alternative to flat bars might be something like the Jones H Bar or Surly Moloko. These are both reminiscent of flat bars, though with an ergonomic back sweep and added structure to provide multiple hand positions. As something of a bonus, both offer added real estate for the attachment of bags, lights, and so forth.
In the end, if flat bars work for you, that's awsome. I'm a bit jealous. I love the flat bars that came on my Surly Ice Cream Truck, but it appears my hands and wrists may not. The discomfort is different than I've experienced before, but I have begun considering alternatives. If your bike is comfortable, it will get ridden. Make it comfortable. Whatever that looks like.
