Project Handlebar

[Polar Bear]

What is your front mech?  Acera is an mtb spec iirc so you'd need an mtb front mech.  Rear will be fine with 9 speed.

All the above assumes Shimano or Shimano-a-like.

[nikki]

Front mech is Sora...

[Torslanda]

Should be able to sort that for you. If it won't work I have alternatives...

[Polar Bear]

What is your front mech?  Acera is an mtb spec iirc so you'd need an mtb front mech.  Rear will be fine with 9 speed.

All the above assumes Shimano or Shimano-a-like.

Front mech is Sora...

Ah, a road mech.

I'm 99.9999999999%* certain that you will need to replace it with an mtb mech.
As I recall it the rear mechs are 100% compatible across road and mtb shifters on Shimano 9 speed** but the front mechs need a compatible mech as there is a differing amount of cable pull.   

You have imo done this the right way round though as front mechs are loads cheaper than road flat bar shifters.   This mech for instance will probably be perfect for the job but always worth checking first with somebody who has more wisdom than I on the matter.

*  Margin of error  ... 

**  Both mllePB and myself have have XT rear mechs on our audax bike (Shimano 9x3) with road shifters and road spec front mechs.

[nikki]

Suspected this would be a project creep kind of project!

Should be able to sort that for you. If it won't work I have alternatives...

[Work takes me past Torslanda's emporium in a week or so, so the bike and I will pay him a visit for any jibbling/jibblements that still need sorting.]

[nikki]

Right.

Me 'n' Sheldon have been working through derailleur learning...

How critical is chainline spec? For instance, that mech that PB linked to states "Designed for 50 mm chain line only". I'm moderately sure my current set up (http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p3/STRONGLIGHT-Impact-Triple, 46/34/24) is 45mm.

[zigzag]

Right.

Me 'n' Sheldon have been working through derailleur learning...

How critical is chainline spec? For instance, that mech that PB linked to states "Designed for 50 mm chain line only". I'm moderately sure my current set up (http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s109p3/STRONGLIGHT-Impact-Triple, 46/34/24) is 45mm.

it depends how strict their "only" is. it may work, or it may not as the mech can bottom out (even with the low limit screw undone) before it fully drops the chain onto a small ring.

[Polar Bear]

Hmmm, interesting.   To be totally honest I've never ever bothered about chainline before.   

Having read Sheldon my view would be to fit first as generally all Shimano mtb front mechs will be notionally 50mm chainline.   The critical thing is whether the mech will shift the chain onto all three rings when in place.

5mm could be quite significant or it could be of no consequence.  Solutions appear to be a spacer for the bottom bracket or a bottom bracket with a slightly longer axle.   What bottom bracket are you using and have you fitted it to the bike and measured the chainline with the chainset in place?

[nikki]

it may work, or it may not

As I suspected 

What bottom bracket are you using and have you fitted it to the bike and measured the chainline with the chainset in place?

Stronglight JP 400 JIS Bottom Bracket 110.5mm BSA Thread Aluminium Cups, measured as fitted on the bike.

Measured twice more and got 49mm and 43mm! *shrugs*
(metal ruler to project off the middle chain ring, callipers measuring from that to far side of seat tube, minus half the diameter of the seat tube)
Can't remember what's going on in terms of spacers.

[zigzag]

Measured twice more and got 49mm and 43mm! *shrugs*
(metal ruler to project off the middle chain ring, callipers measuring from that to far side of seat tube, minus half the diameter of the seat tube)
Can't remember what's going on in terms of spacers.

better - the distance from the middle chainring until the ruler hits the seat tube, then add half of seat tube diameter (e.g. 31.8 / 2)
for doubles - outer chainring distance plus inner chainring distance divided by two, then add half of the seat tube's diameter

[nikki]

There's too much derailleur in the way!

I've just flipped the bike upside down for a much clearer view and eyeballed it to the centre line. 50mm is too big, 45mm much more realistic.

[nikki]

Progress report, for those who are following along (or for people reading this in The Future).

My Dawes Galaxy is now sporting:

Humpert Contest Narrow trekking/butterfly bars (branded as Ergotec)
Humpert (also branded as Ergotec) Curve 1 1/8" Ahead Adjustable Stem 0/+40 Deg (100mm option) << this is ugly!
Shimano Acera SL-M3000 9 Speed Rapidfire Shifter Pods
Shimano BL-R550 Flat Bar Caliper Brake Levers
and the front mech has been changed to Shimano Deore FD-M591 9 Speed Conventional Swing Dual Pull Multifit Front Derailleur

and it's all working!
(Mostly thanks to Torslanda, who spent a lot of time fettling and teaching en plein air at Long Itchington yesterday afternoon.)

Bar tape is on, but I think I'm going to double bag 'em, as the bars feel quite narrow. Awaiting further deliveries this coming week...


Hat tip to the customer service bods at SJS Cycles: the first set of bars I received were all wonky and asymmetrical - the clamping area wasn't central - but they immediately sent out a checked replacement set via next day delivery and didn't ask me to faff with sending back the first ones.

[Polar Bear]

And Nikki forgot to mention that it's a very elegant and purposeful looking machine.

[Kim]

Humpert Contest Narrow trekking/butterfly bars (branded as Ergotec)

From a brief ride on a bike that's clearly too small for me, I rather liked the width of these (though I'd want the controls somewhat more inboard for extra hand room).  My butterfly bars are the usual slightly-too-wide ?560mm and while the side position is admirably effective for laden honking, the forward position feels a bit splayed.

Hat tip to the customer service bods at SJS Cycles: the first set of bars I received were all wonky and asymmetrical - the clamping area wasn't central - but they immediately sent out a checked replacement set via next day delivery and didn't ask me to faff with sending back the first ones.

Does that mean you're going to turn them into Art?  Or that someone already has...

And Nikki forgot to mention that it's a very elegant and purposeful looking machine.

I think that was covered in a previous thread.  The purpose may have drifted somewhat from the original "how do I fit these racks to these forks?" remit 

[Torslanda]

Gear fettling in return for veg prep. Fair exchange. 

[clarion]

It does look just the ticket. And Nikki's full beam grin was testament to the success of the operation.

[Polar Bear]

It's just a pity that she didn't arrive much earlier in order to enjoy riding the beast with us. 

[Cudzoziemiec]

It does look just the ticket. And Nikki's full beam grin was testament to the success of the operation.

Yebbut it is extremely rare to see Nikki without a full beam grin.

[BrianI]

Are you finding the butterfly bras a lot more comfortable to ride than the drop bars Nikki?

When i rebuilt my dawes horizon tourer last i went for bar end shifters on drop bars to replace the worn out stis.  I still don't find it particularly comfortable though. Perhaps a butterfly bra bar is actually what i need...

Hmmm... I'd need to replace the bar end shifters, drop bar vbrake levers and possibly front and rear mechs. So a bit of additional cost...

Can you post some photos of your bike with the butterfly bars on?

[PaulF]

Are you finding the butterfly bras a lot more comfortable to ride than the drop bars Nikki?

That's quite a personal question Brian

[Kim]

Are you finding the butterfly bras a lot more comfortable to ride than the drop bars Nikki?

That's quite a personal question Brian

On the other hand, I think we've worked out what the Art Project for the wonky bars will be.   

[BrianI]

Are you finding the butterfly bras a lot more comfortable to ride than the drop bars Nikki?

That's quite a personal question Brian

[nikki]

Right, have now had a chance to go out for a ride with the new handlebars (and brake leves, and gear shifters, and front mech, and...)

Can you post some photos of your bike with the butterfly bars on?

Sure thing.

With butterfly bars on:




Looking purposeful:






First impressions:

• They're a lot warmer with bar tape on!
• I seem to move around the different positions on the butterfly bars quite instinctively, so I got a lot more variation than I did just on the tops and hoods with the drop bars.
• Ooh! You can have some fun when you know you can brake if you need to, can't you!
• When you're parked up on the stand and the steering flopulates, it's nice not to have the chink of bar end shifter hitting toptube. (On the other hand, the steeping can flopulate much further round now.)
• I was out on my bike for about 7 hours and I don't have any bar end shifter induced bruises on my legs!

I think we're going to get on okay! 

Gear fettling in return for veg prep. Fair exchange. 

Ace: I'll put the port and brandy down as advance payment for some future mad-cap fettling then 

Are you finding the butterfly bras a lot more comfortable to ride than the drop bars Nikki?

Changing bars was more a question of function and safety for me, rather than one of comfort. As above though, I'm getting more variety in my hand positions and the overall reach seems to suit me better as well. (Still considering whether I'm a bit too upright now...). Yesterday's ride was about 80-90% off-road on a variety of different surface qualities and we seemed to cope fine with all that entailed in terms of steering, braking (yay!) and vibration.

No reported issues with bra so far.

Are you finding the butterfly bras a lot more comfortable to ride than the drop bars Nikki?

That's quite a personal question Brian

On the other hand, I think we've worked out what the Art Project for the wonky bars will be.   

I was pondering the feasibility of Pancho-ing them up and giving them a new home on NCN2 somewhere...

[Cudzoziemiec]

Right, have now had a chance to go out for a ride with the new handlebars (and brake leves, and gear shifters, and front mech, and...)

Can you post some photos of your bike with the butterfly bars on?

Sure thing.

With butterfly bars on:




Looking purposeful:

So it seems the purpose of these bars is to attract their entomological namesake and to go for a wee!

On a serious note, I reckon if you're instinctively moving around on the bars, that's a very good sign. Wishing you many thousands of miles of happy, safe, confident and comfortable riding (you can try for fast if you want to but I didn't reckon there was much point ).

[Kim]

Fast is a lot easier with functional brakes, so there's potential there, too.