When I was trying to decide on touring bars for my Trek FX4 sport, I struggled endlessly between these Jones and Surly bars. I wanted two things: a more upright comfortable riding position and more bar real estate for random touring gear. (The idea of having multiple hand positions was simply an added bonus, but not a primary concern for me.)
After much debate, I ultimately went with the Jones H Bar - 2.5 loop Aluminum (retail $149). Having no mechanical skill, getting them on the bike took over 3 hours and involved countless Youtube videos. In retrospect, this was clearly a 20 or 30 minute job, but with limited slack in the cables, it took some time to figure out how to make them work. Ultimately I shortened my stem from a 110mm to a 65mm, and switching the order of the brake and rear detailer levers, which gave me just enough slack to get the job done.
In short, I love the Jones Bars. Although they took a few rides to get used to, they're pretty comfortable and the ability to look behind you in traffic or start up from a stop easily makes these a great commuter bar. I suspect they will also be perfect for riding with my grandson!
That said, the Jones bar is pretty big (though I ordered the smaller 660mm version). The bar feels quite natural while riding (not at all too wide), but out of the saddle, they take up a lot of space. For example, I'm not sure that two bikes will clear each other on my Kuat Serpa 2.0 hitch mounted rack, and the Trek now needs to be place on the outer tray, to prevent the bars from hitting the van.
The other slight drawback I've noticed is that Jones bar make it more difficult to lean your bike against something. Given the 45 degree sweep, and the bar's position relative to the center of the bike, if you're not careful the bike will roll, turn, and fall over. - pretty much every time! (especially with added weight on the front). I've also found that I naturally ride slower with this set up. Granted I'm not a fast rider with any set up, but the Trek FX4 sport is now a meandering - touring - riding with my grandson bike.
Which, of course, is exactly what I wanted.
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