Butterfly / Trekking bars on my commuter / everything bike
09-22-19, 07:23 PM
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Butterfly / Trekking bars on my commuter / everything bike
Hello Bike Forums- This is my first post. I thought I'd share a mod I did this weekend because I couldn't find an example here or elsewhere where someone did it quite the same way.
My 2007 Redline Conquest Pro cyclocross (CX) bike has been an admirable performer for the last 12 years. I use it for commuting, fitness and recreation, and it does great on the roads and occasional hard packed grave, dirt or chip trails. The only substantial mods to date have been a Brooks saddle Kevlar armored 32C tires, and the usual commuting accessories (lighting, lock, bike computer, seat bag with spare tube, CO2 inflators, etc). After 12 years, I find that I use the drop position on the handlebars almost never. I was curious about these butterfly / trekking bars that you see occasionally on touring set-ups, and I was wondering if there was a configuration that would allow me to use the stock Ultegra integrated brakes / shifters and the bar top "interupter" brakes.
Well, I decided to order a $15 bar from Amazon and go for it! Below are the results. The integrated brake/shifters and in the forward position and the secondary brake levers are in the aft position. In the forward hand position, my body lean is approximately the same as riding on the hoods on my drop bars. The brakes have lots of great leverage and operating the gear shifters is smooth and intuitive. In the aft position my back is practically strait -- almost no weight on my hands. In-between there are numerous other ways to grab the bars including a nifty tuck posture that allows me to rest my forearms on the aft part of the bar why my hands can still reach the forward brakes and shifter. It took a lot of staring and pondering, but the execution was easy. The only substantial change to the bikes other equipment was that I had to replace the brake cables and fit a longer cable housings between the main brakes and the secondary brakes.
Alas, I cannot post images until I have made 10 posts... Adding photos:
Cyclon raider....
My 2007 Redline Conquest Pro cyclocross (CX) bike has been an admirable performer for the last 12 years. I use it for commuting, fitness and recreation, and it does great on the roads and occasional hard packed grave, dirt or chip trails. The only substantial mods to date have been a Brooks saddle Kevlar armored 32C tires, and the usual commuting accessories (lighting, lock, bike computer, seat bag with spare tube, CO2 inflators, etc). After 12 years, I find that I use the drop position on the handlebars almost never. I was curious about these butterfly / trekking bars that you see occasionally on touring set-ups, and I was wondering if there was a configuration that would allow me to use the stock Ultegra integrated brakes / shifters and the bar top "interupter" brakes.
Well, I decided to order a $15 bar from Amazon and go for it! Below are the results. The integrated brake/shifters and in the forward position and the secondary brake levers are in the aft position. In the forward hand position, my body lean is approximately the same as riding on the hoods on my drop bars. The brakes have lots of great leverage and operating the gear shifters is smooth and intuitive. In the aft position my back is practically strait -- almost no weight on my hands. In-between there are numerous other ways to grab the bars including a nifty tuck posture that allows me to rest my forearms on the aft part of the bar why my hands can still reach the forward brakes and shifter. It took a lot of staring and pondering, but the execution was easy. The only substantial change to the bikes other equipment was that I had to replace the brake cables and fit a longer cable housings between the main brakes and the secondary brakes.
Cyclon raider....
Last edited by spindlehead; 09-29-19 at 01:54 PM. Reason: Adding photos now that I have 10 posts
09-29-19, 10:04 PM
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Now there's something you don't see everyday. Thanks for posting.
How long/many miles have you been running it like this? Are you satisfied?
How long/many miles have you been running it like this? Are you satisfied?
09-30-19, 12:52 AM
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Did it take very long to get the hang of shifting at that angle? You said intuitive, but the finger movement is different isn't it?
Beautiful bike, really well put together. I love the combination of interrupter brakes and trekking bars, that's a new one to me.
Beautiful bike, really well put together. I love the combination of interrupter brakes and trekking bars, that's a new one to me.
Last edited by rseeker; 09-30-19 at 01:00 AM.
09-30-19, 08:59 PM
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@AlmostTrick: I haven't ridden more than 30 min at a time so far. I had to travel last week and had other chores this weekend, but so far so good. I will update after a more substantial ride. Got summoned to jury duty tomorrow...
@rseeker: Thank you very much! The shifting is pretty much like shifting from down in the drops, just with everything rotated 90 degrees. It is totally natural.
