chefisaac

Hoping to switch to Treking (butterfly bars) for my mtn bike for touring and commuting in hopes that it will offer more hand positions.

Was curious if there was any disadvantages to trekking bars that you might have experienced.

Thank you.

dbg

I used to use a variant (not quite so curved around -but close) on my commuter bike. I abandoned it recently because it was getting in the way in crowded racks at the train station. I now use a shorter flat bar with bar ends that curve up a bit and make it a little like a smallish cow-horn bar.

staehpj1

I didn't like them much, but it is all personal preference.

FrenchFit 

They're heavy.

They don't give you a low option, no drops; in headwinds or long flat rides you miss the option of getting aero and giving your lower back a stretch, though you could lean your forearms on the bars if your're flexible and a daredevil.

Rob_E

I like them, but I have taken them off of the last two bikes they were on.

I use grip shifters because that's the only thing that works with my current gear hub, and the grip shifter assembly can only be placed at the open, straight section of the trekking bars. I could not work it around the bends for different placement options. So even though that may not have been the hand position I was in most often, I always had to return there to shift.

When I stand up and pedal, it seems a little more cramped. There's no "inside" the bars to occupy. Obviously standing upright is not my usual riding position, but I do like that when I do it on my wide Albatross bars, I can pretty much stand between the ends of the bars.

I feel like the outside position is kind of wide and too straight (almost horizontal with the top tube on mine). I find the angle of the flared A-bars more comfortable.

So much of the bar is given over to different hand positions, that it can be hard to mount much on the bars without interfering with a position. With a crown mounted headlight, a stem-mounted bell, and my computer mounted on to my stem, I was able to make it work, but trying to get all of that on the bars might have been a challenge.

That's not to steer (heh) you away from them. Those are just issues I noticed. If the bars are comfortable, then any other issue is worth working around. I found that A-bars were more to my liking, so that's what I'm using, but every now and then I try out the trekking bars somewhere again because they seem like a good idea. I still think there's a bike out there where I will like them, but for now they're not installed.

oldride

I had trekking bars on my mtn bike convertion. Overall they worked fine but they were too wide with my hands in the outside position, which is what I prefer. I ended up changing to drop bars and then eventually built an LHT with drop bars. Many people really like trekking bars so I wouldn't rule them out. Nashbar sells them really cheap so it wouldn't cost much to try them.

fietsbob

Still OK with mine, have 3 types, 2 are on bikes.. one disadvantage is the set up
may require more than just switching the bars..
I have found a preference of them sitting a bit higher than the saddle,
and somewhat nearer.

When I wanted to get the set up right, I needed to order a particular stem raiser,
[2nd hand bike, if It was a new build uncut fork steerer would do the same]
[Seattle shop had that import distributors account] for double stem stack,
to offer best for me, HB bag mount scheme.
Bar bag has its own lower threadless stem
for accessory add-ons they would go on the 2nd tube in the lower stem.

And extend shift cables, and since bike 1 had Magura hydraulic rim brakes,
extend the tube-lines too.

As to the width Modolo Dumbo, thru SJS in UK is highly adjustable,
but the hardware to do that adjustment is not weightless..

sstorkel

In the future, allow me to suggest that you pick one forum in which to post your questions. If you would like to solicit opinions from participants in a different forum, consider posting a pointer to the "main" thread in those secondary forums (ex: "I just started a thread about XXX in the YYY Forum. Please join the discussion!"). Including a hyperlink to the main thread makes participation even easier. The nice thing about this strategy is that it encourages broad participation, but keeps the majority of the discussion in one place.

I already replied to this thread in the Clydesdale Forum, but it seems that the best discussion is here in Touring. Wish I'd known that before I posted my reply there

Chris Pringle

I have'em in one of my touring bikes. I think they are great alternative for someone who has back problems or can't stand being on the drops on drop handlebars.

A few pointers:

* Do a google search for trekking or butterfly bars, click on images on top of screen and look at the many different set-ups people have used with these bars. Look for something you like and go from there.

* As someone else said, buy a much longer stem or you'll be really cramped in the cockpit.

* Brake levers position is important for some. You'll notice that there is a transition going from the aero position (part of bar farthest from saddle) to the upright position. Your brake levers will be in one of these locations. My best friend sees himself mostly riding in the upright position because that's where the brake levers are. He says it makes him comfortable to know he can press on them at any given moment. Defeats the purpose of these bars though.

* Mounting Ergon grips (the very short ones recommended for gripshifters are the only ones that you can fit) will make a HUGE difference in comfort.

Here are mine - Ergon grips are backwards (couldn't make them fit the "right way"), but function equally well:

fietsbob

Yea posting same thing in 3 threads is a bit Much. or are there More?

cross link the others perhaps..

see people use different setups with the same parts, depending on personal choices.
Brake , road, on the front like Mustache bars..

MTB bars controls on back, where they fit grips and such
and make them like the bars they replaced, ..

perhaps the disadvantage is for those not knowing what outcome they desire..

chefisaac

Understand but I would rather do it the way I did basically for the reason that people may or may not want to click on the cross reference link. I do this for a reason because 1) I might want to use them for touring 2) I may want to use them for commuting and 3) I am a clyde. All three are different and may require different opinions. For example, I did not post it in the road bike forum. I understand where you are coming from but I respectfully disagree. Thank you though!

sstorkel

Fair enough. Unfortunately, I think you're technically in violation of this site's policy on spam:

I've suggested a way that you can get the input you desire, without being considered a spammer. If you chose to ignore that suggestion, that's your decision...

djyak

I have pretty much the same setup, have a longer stem, and I angled my bars almost flat so that when I grip the bars further out, I'm stretched and laying down more. I've just taken off my straight bar off of my touring bike and put these trekking bars on because of the ease of swapping over the brakes and shifters. So far, I love them! Much more comfortable, and incredibly lightweight, they weigh less than my straight bar!

jaywbee3 

I use Nashbar touring bars on two bikes, an LHT and a Trek hybrid. I have lower back problems, never use the drops and the touring bars offer the best option for multi hand position. I changed the shifters and brake levers on the LHT to Deore brake/shift combo and it works great. I will never go back.

FrenchFit 

I had one 'sort of' picture in the BF archive; here's my trekking bars. As one poster said, the fun thing about these bars is everyone tweaks them differently. I have the bars set low but carbon barends installed as palm rests for sitting up for a break...they work surprisingly well.

djb

Frenchfit, those barends give me the heebie-jeebies of thinking of where they would hit your body in the event of a crash. I have a friend who mounted a bottle cage vertically on her drop bars (she isnt comfortable reaching down for a bottle I guess) and it always makes me cringe too.

safe riding.

aroundoz

I know a lot of people like them but I tried them and never cared for them. They really don't provide a home position for your hands. On drop bars, a person is sized so their hands should rest comfortably on the hoods. A person can stay in that position for a long time without needing to change positions. On a straight/riser bar, the home position would be the grips. This position is also where the controls are. With trekking bars, it seems all of the positions are a compromise: your hands are either too close, too far out or too wide. The only time I placed my hands in the rearward position was to use the controls but it was never a place I would could leave them since it made me too upright. It's a good thing they do provide a lot of hand positions because I had to to move my hands around a lot to stay comfortable. They are not a bar that will work on any frame and you really need a frame with a long TT. Handlebar bags are almost of the question as well. Of course....IMHO.

djyak

I have a small handlebar bag on my trekking bars, I don't like to have a bigger one anyway. Just one of those things I guess, love it or leave it. I've had drop bars on a previous bike, just couldn't get comfortable for me. It did feel a little weird at first putting them on, stranger to look at, but after my first 20+ mile ride to try it out, my wrist pain was gone! Good thing they make so many different types of bars I guess.

Magnus Thor

I have been using butterfly bars for the last few years on my Thorn Raven Tour. Last summer I crossed the Icelandic Highlands and found out that on rough roads, especially going downhill, you don't really have enough leverage when your hands are on the brake levers. The grip is just too narrow. I am going to try some riser bars and Ergon grips with the longest bar ends next. On tarmac and tame gravel roads the Butterfly bars have worked great. You have a lot of hand positions to switch between and you can stretch your back or sit upright depending on where you grip.

Magnus Thor
Iceland

djyak

I think the narrow grip is what felt sort of weird to me at first. Like you said, if I were hitting some rough road, I don't think I'd like them much. But for smooth to moderate gravel, so far so good.

simplygib

I went to trekking bars a few years ago and love them. Had flat bars with bar ends before, kept getting numb hands on tour. No more. I have several layers of cork tape on them so they are ultra soft.

sonatageek

I been using a set of the Nashbar ones on my bike for the past 4 years. They are light (less weight than the alloy straight bar and alloy bar ends that they replaced) and comfortable when riding. The only issue I ever had was one time when the bike rack was broken on the front of the bus and the driver let me bring it on the bus with me. The wideness of them made it a little challenging.

fietsbob

well you dont have to hold your fingers always over the brake levers ,
mounted towards the rear center.
use the sides , I'm usually on the forward 10 and 2 position..
a reach like I had when the hands were on my Brake hoods on my drop bars.

only shift my hands back to reach the brakes occasionally, not going fast anyhow..

AdamDZ

A matter of preference. Personally, I don't get the love for drop bars, I hate drop bars for long rides, they make my arms, wrists and even shoulders hurt. I don't find any position on drop bars to be "natural" and I much prefer flat bars with slight sweep, that is more natural. I never use drops so that's not an issue. So a butterfly bar is the best of both: multiple hand positions and they feel more natural, like flat bars. I have Modolo Yuma which is the real deal, made in Italy for European market and has the best shape IMHO and it is light. The main disadvantages I see is that it may be hard to install some handlebar bags and some gadgets and the main hand position feels a bit narrow, close to the stem, compared to normal bars. But they're very comfortable. I have mine wrapped with two layers of gel cork tape.

Neil_B

In the amount of time it took for someone to argue with you about spamming he could have contacted a moderator. :-)