We report on the characterization of long-range surface plasmon waveguide bends at telecom wavelengths (λ=1550 nm). The structures consist of a thin Au stripe embedded in a transparent polymer film. When the polymer thickness is larger than the lateral extension of the plasmon, the stripe sustains a conventional long-range mode; in the opposite case, the mode is hybrid because its field distribution is confined by total internal reflection in the dielectric cladding. This hybridization increases the damping by absorption but dramatically reduces the radiation loss that occurs for curved geometries, such as bends. Our results are supported quantitatively by full-wave finite-element simulations. © 2008 The American Physical Society.