'Butterfly' handlebars

Tumbleweed said:

My LBS has a bike with some strangely shaped handlebars which they call
comfort bars, but I have found on the web as butteryfly handlebars.
As here http://www.gearshift.co.uk/acatalog/Gearshift_Bars_19.html
Any comments on these? Decided I dont really need drops but dont like the
monotony of straights(ie only one position).

(useage will be touring)

I have them on my 2003 Dawes Sonoran; I like them, but they have a
tendency to flex at the ends, esp when hauling up hills. Also, when in
the "forward" position, i feel i'm rather a long way away from the
levers - have to move to brake, or change gear, but that's possibly true
for most bars.

I like the upgright position - good for touring and those of us with
Extra Baggage around the middle, for whom drops are still a wee-bit too
forward.

--
Chris

"Tumbleweed" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

My LBS has a bike with some strangely shaped handlebars which they call
comfort bars, but I have found on the web as butteryfly handlebars.
As here http://www.gearshift.co.uk/acatalog/Gearshift_Bars_19.html
Any comments on these? Decided I dont really need drops but dont like the
monotony of straights(ie only one position).

(useage will be touring)
--
Tumbleweed

I had them on a bike I used for commuting for a while. I took them off
eventually, decided they didn't give as many useful variations on position
as it looked like they might. Straight bars with bar ends were just as
good, maybe even better. Now I have a bike with drops, and find those very
much more useful than either for road use. YMMV. Bear in mind that if you
do get them, you'll probably need a new stem as well, as the way they curve
back from the stem clamp means the part you'll mostly be holding - with the
brakes and shifters - will be much closer to the seat.

Rich

Tumbleweed said:

My LBS has a bike with some strangely shaped handlebars which they call
comfort bars, but I have found on the web as butteryfly handlebars.
As here http://www.gearshift.co.uk/acatalog/Gearshift_Bars_19.html
Any comments on these? Decided I dont really need drops but dont like the
monotony of straights(ie only one position).

(useage will be touring)

I used butterfly bars for a week's touring a few years ago. I was on a
hired Dawes bike. I found them very comfortable and liked the three
positions they gave. You need to alter the angle of the bars to make the
upper bars fit how you like to ride.

My other half has them on her Orbit tourer and this did throw up one
caveat. Because of their design the levers are near the stem than they
would be on flat bars. If the bike is small, particularly if the top tube
is short then it is possible to catch your knees on the lever assembly if
the bars are too low. This did happen to Elfie with her Orbit. We ended up
raising the bars (it was an aHeadset stem) --- the spacer was above and
moving it below did the trick. I think this was just a problem due to the
factory settings of the bike but it may well affect a test ride. Also,
Elfie does need shorter cranks which would add to the distance between
knees and levers.

Colin