# Butterfly Bars



## Muddyfox (6 Apr 2008)

Does anyone use butterfly bars ? and if so are they comfy for day rides ? 

My mountain bike is slowly being transformed into a day ride tourer type thingy, i've put some slick tyres on and i've ordered some mudguards and a rear rack but after about 15 miles or so i find the riser bars that i have on it to be a bit on the uncomfy side and would welcome a change of position (oooh er missus) i've thought about buying a Dawes Horizon or Revolution Country Traveller but the mountain bike is of good quality and relatively light so i thought i'd use it for this year and if i really enjoy the long day out touring thing i'l have a new "proper" touring bike for next year 

Simon


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## domtyler (6 Apr 2008)

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=9954


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## Muddyfox (6 Apr 2008)

Thanks Dom ...

I'm still none the wiser really ? it would seem that they offer less than conventional drops do but when you are converting a mountain bike drops are'nt really an option unless you spend a good few quid altering everything 

But as they are cheap maybe i should try some ? and if they dont work out i can always fix them to the rafters in the garage and hang stuff from them 

Simon


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## Danny (6 Apr 2008)

As was mentioned on the other thread, they are supposed to be a good thing to use if you have back problems, and I know a couple people who love them for that reason.

But personally I would go for conventional drop handlebars unless you have a good reason to have butterfly bar, as drops give you a better range of positions.


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## redcogs (7 Apr 2008)

i've got periodic back issues, and can confirm that shifting positions regularly (on butterfly bars) helps me. But i can't say whether drops would be as beneficial in terms of comfort because i've never used them. 

Some suggest that butterfly bars look a bit odd, which may be a fair point, but there are more important criteria to consider before ruling them out. Elsewhere in this section(Mountain Biking and Off Road) there is a photo of my Thorn Raven (under thread entitled 'Thorn Sterling') with butterfly's which might give you an idea on whether or not to reject them visually.


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## PaulSB (7 Apr 2008)

Jakes Dad said:


> Does anyone use butterfly bars ? and if so are they comfy for day rides ?



Yes I've used them regularly and liked them. I was moving from riding a hybrid to a road bike with cyclo-cross frame and was nervous about making a move to drops. My LBS suggested butterfly bars which I used for about a year before moving on to drops. Having moved from straight bar to butterfly to drops I hope this will help. If you like the more sit up position of a hybrid / mountain bike the butterflys will give you different options - especially by rotating them as this raises or lowers the upper part (I'm not very technical). I've done 100 milers and been very comfy. In the year I used them I met a few people who also had these bars and all commented on the comfort.

I made a move to drops about 3 years ago find these are by far the most comfortable position I have used but I'm on a road bike these days. Better control and extra power when out of the seat are the two main benefits for me. 

On a hybrid / mountain bike I'd say butterflys are good and provide extra positions. Most of your grip will be on the bar closer to you and round the curved part. You can grip the bar further away from the rider but for me it felt less stable. It's similar to having bar ends but with more postions.


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## Creamcrackered (7 Apr 2008)

Mrs Creamcrackered and I have them on our Dawes World Tours and have done some big trips with them. We're pretty happy with them - they give you about three different hand positions (one is particularly good for cranking up hills). We hardly ever used the drops bit of the drops on our old bikes so they're and improvement in that respect. 
The only down sides we've found are that it can be difficult to fit a bar bag (you may need a click-fix extender) and the foam grips wear out quite quickly from where the handlebars are leaned up against walls and the like.


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## CycleTourer (7 Apr 2008)

Another vote for butterfly bars, ours came as standard on our Giant expeditions and we have found them useful to change hand positions to relieve the pressure on the wrists and hands. Also combined with an adjustable stem, it makes it easy to adjust the position of your arms for a more comfortable riding position.

I have used drops in the past and spent most of the time riding with my hands on the tops. With flat bars on our previous bikes we had to add bar ends just to give some variation of position. 

The Butterfly bars are slightly wider than drops which can aid to greater leverage in coping with rough terrain, but can make them slightly more difficult to get through the doors of trains and into the bike storage on trains. These are minor downsides against the greater benefits.


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## Muddyfox (7 Apr 2008)

Thank you for the replys Gents 

I think i'l give them a go after reading your responses ... Drops are'nt really an option as they'l be going onto a mountain bike with hydraulic disc brakes and i really dont want the expense of changing the braking system and next year i will probably buy myself a proper tourer (with drops) and Jake will have my mountain bike so i dont want to change to much stuff on it 

Cycletourer ... thats a pretty impressive website you have, im going to sit and have a proper read later on this evening 

Simon


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## Kirstie (9 Apr 2008)

As a really cheap solution have you thought about fitting ergonomic bar ends (Bontrager do them)? Also think about ergonomic grips which have extra padding where it matters. Even more, fit a conventional flat bar rather than a riser - one without much of a sweep? You could probably pick up a cheap one on the bay. Similarly, have you altered the spacers on your headtube?


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## Muddyfox (9 Apr 2008)

Kirstie said:


> As a really cheap solution have you thought about fitting ergonomic bar ends (Bontrager do them)? Also think about ergonomic grips which have extra padding where it matters ?



Strangely enough my LBS advised this as well before fitting the Butterfly bars to see if it helped ... so in answer to your question, No i had'nt thought of doing that but yes i will give the bar ends a bash 

Simon


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## CycleTourer (9 Apr 2008)

Jakes Dad said:


> Cycletourer ... thats a pretty impressive website you have, im going to sit and have a proper read later on this evening
> 
> Simon



Thanks Simon, glad you like the site. Enjoy the read and hope you find it useful.


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## Muddyfox (9 Apr 2008)

CycleTourer said:


> Thanks Simon, glad you like the site. Enjoy the read and hope you find it useful.



It's a great read and some cracking photo's as well (thank you for creating the site and allowing us to read it) ... i would love to have a level of fitness & enough time & money to do the North Sea Cycle Route (maybe one day i will) but for the time being i'l enjoy getting my fitness up and hope the other 2 fall into place  

Simon


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## byegad (10 Apr 2008)

My Club Tour has Butterfly Bars, My wrist wouldn't stand drops anymore so I bought it with a straight bar and fitted them later. There are more positions than a straight bar + bar ends. You can set them for a higher hand position and there is loads of spare room for bell, GPS, Computer and yoy can easily fit a bar bag! 
I'd still be riding it but for vertigo.


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## ColinJ (11 Apr 2008)

PaulSB said:


> Yes I've used them regularly and liked them. I was moving from riding a hybrid to a road bike with cyclo-cross frame and was nervous about making a move to drops. My LBS suggested butterfly bars which I used for about a year before moving on to drops. Having moved from straight bar to butterfly to drops I hope this will help. If you like the more sit up position of a hybrid / mountain bike the butterflys will give you different options - especially by rotating them as this raises or lowers the upper part (I'm not very technical). I've done 100 milers and been very comfy. In the year I used them I met a few people who also had these bars and all commented on the comfort.


Paul - wasn't it you I met on the _Pendle Pedal_ a couple of years ago? If so, I seem to remember you (or whoever it actually was if it wasn't you!) having a near miss on that right-angled RH bend on the fast descent off Waddington Fell ! I thought at the time that I'd rather be down on dropped handlebars when descending quickly because the weight distribution on the bike is much better. I can see that the bars might be very comfortable on the flat though.

*PS* I almost came a cropper on the same bend last October on the _Season of Mists_ audax!


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## PaulSB (12 Apr 2008)

Hi Colin - yes that was me and yes it was a tight bend, in fact the closest I've come to a serious fall!!

I enjoyed my butterflys and think they will suit what Jake is looking for. Having said that I had drops fitted a week or so after the Pendle Pedal - nothing to do with the near crash - and wouldn't change back. The extra control, manoueverability and ability to really push it up that last bit of hill makes a big difference.


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## bobg (12 Apr 2008)

This might be useful? http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3812


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## Dayvo (13 Apr 2008)

I did 4,000 km (approx. 100 km a day for six weeks) on my hybrid with bog standard flat bars. I had simple bar ends and four comfortable positions. Didn't experience any back problems or discomfort at all.


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## orbiter (13 Apr 2008)

I echo everything that Cycletourer says. I used to tour with drops, then tried butterflys on my hack bike - and switched to them very soon for touring. Better view and more hand positions.

Butterflys are standard issue on almost all German touring bikes nowadays.

I have ergonomic bar extensions on my off-road bike, which are very comfortable for long rides but I'd still prefer butterflys for touring. 

My only reservation is that most butterflys available in the UK are quite wide. The 52cm bars on my hack bike are a little more comfortable than the 58cm, which was all I could find when I converted the tourer. The only good range I can find is Modolo in Italy. [Good excuse for a tour there!]


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## biggs682 (18 Dec 2018)

Sorry to drag an old thread out of the dust , but i have had a set of Butterfly Bars hanging up in my garage for a couple of years and have just been waiting for the "right" bike to come along which looks like it has in the shape of the Falcon Explorer 12 .

I find them really comfy to use so far with loads of various positions for my hands to sit on as well and would certainly suggest they are worth a try for sure .


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## Gravity Aided (20 Dec 2018)

I also find "H" bars work well in the same applications, but butterfly bars are also quite good for shorter range touring for me. Longer range, and I think my back would prefer drops. The nice thing with "H" bars is that then you may use a bar bag, etc. Here's some with a bar mitt fitted.





They are made by Jones.


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## steveindenmark (24 Dec 2018)

I had butterfly bars for a long time and they were fine but you spend a lot of the time being very upright.

I then tried tri bars on my Genesis cdf and found them more comfortable and more aerodynamic.

I am not a fast rider but being on the tri bars makes riding into the wind much easier and faster. I can still see whats going on around me and have additional hand positions. I also have extra space to store gear.

Its not for everyone but it is an alternative to look at.

https://www.cyclingabout.com/bikepacking-aerobars-comfort-speed-bike-adventures/


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