mattbicycle

I have always used/liked mountain bikes and hybrids for touring and used a flat bar with bar ends.

I have an opportunity to cheaply buy a new butterfly-shaped handlebar. I've always thought they look great, but I am now wondering if, realistically, it will give me much benefit in the way of additional hand positions.

Does anyone have experience with this type of handlebar on tour? Is it worth the effort for me to purchase this item; or, if I am currently happy with a flat bar + bar ends, would the butterfly style produce no real benefit?

KLW2

There are loads of posts on these bars. I have and love them for the hand positions, there are some folks who don't, preferring drops or straight mtb bars...

sonatageek

I have been using them on a bike for the past 2 years. I found them to be much better than a flat bar with bar ends. They are also cheap and easy to set up --

wahoonc

I have toured on flat bars as well as drop bars. I am setting up my expedition tour bike with trekking (butterfly) bars. I am still fiddling with the set up right now, but I have many more hand positions with the trekking bars than with the flat bar/bar end set up. I know I am going to like them much more than the regular flat bar once I get them dialed in. FWIW I am a bit fussy about my bike fit and sometimes it can take me a couple of months of fiddling to get one dialed in, but once I get it set I am good to go.

Aaron

mattbicycle

Thanks guys. I think I will probably end up buying one. Even if I decide not to use it now, it will go in the shed and I imagine I'll get some use from it on a bike of mine over the next few years. I was just curious about how popular they are with other members as most touring bike pics I see have either bar ends or various types of drop bars.

Bentley6

Go up to the Pics of Loaded Rigs post and look at some of them and how they're set up. I'm setting up my bike with them for an upcoming tour and so far I really like them.

bktourer1

Keep this in mind if you use a mirror, the 2 mirrors that work well with trekking bars are the Zefal "SPY" and a mirror from Germany that can be found on the REI site. I have one bought via Ortlieb but they stopped carrying it. (Ultralight?). Before using a bar bag check to see if there is enough space in the bends. add some gel pads under the tape you are going to use

eric von zipper

Just switched over from drop to trekking (butterfly) and I'm liking it. I'd tried them before on a different bike that wasn't as upright as this one and didn't like them.

I've double wrapped the bars since this picture and it helped with keep my blackburn road bike mirror in place. Single wrapped, the mirror was loose on the bar even with two velcro straps.

mylesau

I use Modolo Yuma Traveller bars with soft foam grips wrapped in tape. I find the extra padding to be great on long trips.

The mirror is a Zefal Spy mirror.

freebooter

I am thinking of doing this but it seems to involve swapping a lot of components. I have read that the front derailleur will have to be changed as the road ones have a different cable pull to the mtb ones. Did you change yours? I am currently running a Tiagra.

Also it looks to me as if the most comfortable and usable position is on the side bits and I was hoping hence to fit the brake levers there. What parts of the bar do people use most?

mylesau

Hard to answer as it depends a little on the type of riding I'm doing and how tired I am.

Normal good road/dirt I typically move between sides and front (furthest from me), sometimes the back corners for a change, with a headwind I'll typically be on the front crouching down, but towards the end of a long day I'll be slowing down a bit and may use the back area (closest to me) a bit more.

In traffic or technical stuff I'll typically use the back section so I have easy access to brakes and gear changes.

VT_Speed_TR

I also made the switch to the butterfly/trekker bars. I picked mine up from Nashbar 2 years ago and have never felt so comfortable on a bike.

It took a little doing to switch over the shifters (Paul's Thumbies) and new brake levelers, but everything came together.

eric von zipper

I agree 100% with mylesau with the assessment on where my hands are.

As far as changing things out. I had an all Shimano XT drive train to begin with, so nothing was switched out there. I picked up the XT brake levers and XT shifters used from someone on crazyguy. I think I paid $40USD for everything, which included some housing and cables. I had to get a longer stem but my lbs just let me trade even with that. $16 USD for another set of bar tape from lbs and I think that is it. Oh, I picked up the handlebars from Harris Cyclery for $20 USD. I'm not sure if people think that's a lot to switch out, but I'm glad I did it.

jscotkey

Except for going black-on-olive instead of Brown, my new Trucker is an almost exact replica of VT_Speed's Surly above. I admit I haven't used the butterfly bars quite yet (LHT build completion T-minus five days and counting) but having seen similar bars throughout Europe last Summer it just seems to make such good sense. Never have cared for drops myself, although I know others swear by (at) them.

VT_Speed_TR

Great minds think alike ;-)

kevanqmalone

How did you fit the brake and shifter clamps on the bars with the Ergon grips? Did you cut the grips?

fietsbob

Like #9 Im using a Rohloff Grip shifter,the setup is similar shifter slides over the open end of the bar, then the Brake lever.

open face stems make the removal of all easy, for Packing in a carton to go somewhere onTour.

I often have the palm of my hand, open, laying along the side ,
and heel of my palm on the back inward bend, fingertips on the front curve.
so the angle of the whole bar is pretty flat..

Ergon has a double grip shifter version, they are made shorter..

I have a set of those on My Brompton M bar. Know I couldn't stand them on the Trekking bars ,
because of the open palm non grip preference.. that hard alloy clamp .

.. seen other people [posted pictures] put them on backwards to avoid that..

DerekMcC

I love mine and they do offer additional hand positions that I use.

rzldzl

DerekMcC-
Could you tell me which bar that is and what front to back center to center dimension is?
Thanks

DerekMcC

I'll do this tonight as I was too lazy to ride it to work today.

DerekMcC

They are "Dimension" brand trekking bars which I think my LBS got from QBP. They are 6.3" (16cm) front to back, center to center, and 2.6" (6.6cm) stem clamp to back, center to center.

fietsbob

That bar, in particular, seems sold through multiple Importing Distributors, so Check with your LBS.
J&B has them too .. (as I recall) various color finishes.

irwin7638

I think anything is better than flat bars. I've used trekking bars and think it's kind of a toss up between that and drops. I recently switched my touring bike to Riv Bosco Bars after using them for a season on my hybrid. They provide a better aero or drop position than the butterfly bars without compromising the other advantage of multiple positions. On the other hand, they are Riv, Nitto, new and that ain't cheap.

Marc

seeker333

VO has several bars, many in either 23.8 or 22.2 grip diameter, prices are reasonable.

https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...andlebars.html

jeneralist 

Bump...

Most on-line stores that I've found that carry trekking bars carry one or two styles at most. Does anyone know of a source that has several different kinds to compare?