What I wish I knew BEFORE switching to BUTTERFLY BARS

[@SheelaghDaly]

Have you used butterfly bars before? Or would you like to? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

[@laurenmosgrove3368]

Thank you for such an informative video. What brand are your bars? I'm in the market. Thanks!

[@SheelaghDaly]

@@laurenmosgrove3368 I got these ones second hand but I know 49N makes ones (but they don't come with foam) or I've seen some on Amazon too!

[@rjanoni]

A year ago I found out that I have CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), so the pressure on the palm of the hand when using regular bars causes me pain. A friend suggested the butterfly bar to me, I hope it works.

[@SheelaghDaly]

@@rjanoni I am so sorry to hear that. I hope you're able to fins a new setup that feels good for you 🙏

[@YuunaAndCuddles]

Planning to. I had my eye on a newer type of butterfly handlebar that has a vertical kink on the sides. I might get one eventually since I've converted my XC bike into a gravel with a rigid type fork.

[@amitpunjani1426]

A like and a comment to thank you for your time & efforts in making this video. This type of accessories & tools are mostly tricky, we don't learn the negatives until we buy & use them. But videos like this is a big help!

[@tomsitzman3952]

Good points. When you change one variable you create two new variables which create two new variables each. If you have been riding in the same configuration for the past 20 or 30 years and are the same weight. You have created at least two new variables; you are not aware of. One as you age your strength declines, and your center of gravity has shifted. Without being aware over time you have made subtle changes to your riding position. One Moring you get on your bike for an all-day ride, and you come home with aches and pains you have never experienced. You have to change how you ride and how your bike is set up. Sheelagh has gone over the some of the changes you may have to make, and they are not cheap. If you are riding touring tires, lower the tire pressure for a softer ride. Don't lock your elbows and keep your wrists straight. The slightly bent arms are your shock absorbers will pinch the two main nerves going to the hands. Don't squeeze the bars. "Play the Piano" with your fingers to keep the blood flowing. Put thick foam padding on the bars, wear gell gloves. If you have an older bike you can raise the handle bar steam to take wight off the hands. Every hour or less stop, straddle the top tube and shake out your arms, wrists and fingers to get blood flowing. Find a comfortable configuration that is a good balance for your feet, hands and butt weight on the bike. Too much weight on the arms and hands on a tour will stress the nerves going to the thumb and first two fingers. Too much weight on the saddle will pinch the nerves running to the legs and feet. Too much weight on the feet will pinch the nerves on the sole of the foot ( See her talk on flat peddles) I live in wide open Nebraska USA where our mountains are 20 -40 mph winds. Some days I need to ride low on the drop bars and pray for the wind to slow to 20 mph. A pinched never is no fun and can takes months to heal. See your doctor or Physical therapist/ physiotherapist before the problem gets too severe.

[@ifonlyunique]

Another plus of riding more upright on tour is the view - at least 50% of the fun for me is new stuff to gawk at and being upright means it is much better and I feel safer in traffic too.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Yes! Totally agree :)

[@07kenbird]

I had butterfly bars on my bike that I rode from Darwin, Northern Territory, to Geraldton, Western Australia, in 2013(3500km). They were a godsend. The original covers wore out in the first 500 km. I used domestic soft ac foam that lasted the other 3000km. The other major drawback which wasn't the bar's fault was that the groves in the stem were worn and would not hold the handlebar in place over ungraded dirt roads, but were sufficient for blacktop roads of Highways 1 and 95. For my 3000-mile tour across the USA, I had a flat bar as none of the bike shops in Johnson City Tennessee did not know what a touring/butterfly bar was and would not source one in time for our departure. I was towing a 32kg Malamute in a baby trolly, so the dynamics would have been different anyway.

[@tabturn]

Thanks for this video, considering changing from flat to butterfly and this helps.

[@SheelaghDaly]

So glad it could be of help! 😊

[@kevinseversonandhisvizslas8287]

It doesn’t matter what they look like like it’s comfort when you’re riding that counts. 👍🏻

[@SheelaghDaly]

Absolutely!

[@ucanskixc568]

Wifey switched from straight MTB bars to Surly Moloko bars and she loves it for many reasons, including more hand positions, places for the cell and feedbags etc.

[@SheelaghDaly]

That’s awesome! Those bars seem like a great option 😊

[@tailkinker1972]

I switched to butterfly bars for my general-purpose bike. This bike serves to haul cargo, pull a trailer, and serve as a commuter. The biggest change I noticed was that the more upright position was better for cargo work, and the forward position better for commuting. My biggest issue was getting used to the difference in turn feel when in the forward position.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Nice! Happy to hear you found solutions that work :)

[@omega_profile1]

Thank you for the effort of making this video. My Giant Argento rs came with butterfly bars and with some slight adjustments is the most comfortable bike I ever ridden. Just because the muddy season has started here, I plan on testing out a mountainbike bar.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Happy to hear it! And that makes sense, it can be nice to try something different :)

[@johnperry3105]

Butterfly bars are a less known handlebar, l find them very comfortable for various reasons 1) lots of handlebar positions including sporty position outstretched forward and more relaxed in the normal straight bar position. 2) Then if you want to relax your hands gripping the side angles. As long as you know your reach, these are very good bars , which you don't see these days.

[@jollyandwaylo]

Butterfly bars were OK when I traveled for a couple of weeks in Sweden but I would prefer to have the brakes and shifters on the outside. That way I would be in the most controllable position in rough areas or in the city around traffic. I found the inside position to be more twitchy than I would prefer. My brother on that trip did get numb hands until I had him take off his cycling gloves. With cycling gloves, no matter where you put your hands, you are crushing that nerve in the palm. He recovered after a few days without the gloves.

[@grahambonner508]

I never tried them, I use swept back bars (old roadster style) I really like the upright position, these bars also give me a second more forward, lower position which I use for hills or head winds. Regarding the saddle, I found (after much experimenting) that lifting the nose of the saddle up (something that is contrary to all the advise I've seen) so that it is no longer level, works very well for me. I use Brooks wide sprung leather saddles and can sit in them for many hours at a time with this setup.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Excellent tips Graham - thank you! I definitely plan to give the swept-back style a try

[@recyclespinning9839]

I just put some butterfly bars on my Paramount PDG40, converted to touring bike. I'm waiting on good weather to test out. I used the foam pad and wrapped in bar tape... I mounted some barends as a way to get into an aero position.

[@livetpadyrelykkegaard5002]

Thanks. All I neded to know. Now I'm just looking forward to do the switch.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Glad it was helpful! Hope you enjoy the change :)

[@andreasbergwall9437]

Great video! Grip tape ON the foam is a winner! It's super comfortable and shock absorbing. Don't know if you mentioned but i guess you could put awro bars on the butterfly bars.

[@andreasbergwall9437]

Another thing I don't like about the butterfly bara is that they are very narrow were you've got the controls.

[@jasasyiken5561]

I use a slightly pulled back comfort handlebar with 2 big L bar ends so it actually looks like a Butterfly except in 3 pieces. I tried the butterfly but the angle could not position my wrist properly so I ended up with constant elbow and shoulder pain and numbness. The setting now is great. I had some nerve issues on my wrist so long rides will still give me some numbness and discomfort but I could just swing my arms and shake it off. My bike came with a flat bar so I did not have to change out the components which was good. You’re right, any tweak affecting the 3 contact points (handlebar, seat and pedals), the whole dynamic of the body changes and most of the time, something will hurt. On long hauls, the seat height sometimes drops by few mm if the bolt loosens and the body will instantly scream for re-adjustments.

[@Raveler1]

I love my butterfly bars - but I haven't had a chance yet to take them out on a long tour. Still, for commuting and city tasks, they've been great! One of the other big pluses, as far as I'm concerned, is that they are narrower than the flat bars that came on the bike, so I can ride through some more challenging openings. If I need greater control, the side hand positions offer it.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Nice! Glad you’re enjoying them too 😊

[@briantyhy4880]

I installed the same butterfly bars for my trip to sri lanka. I loved them.

[@samesamebutdifferent563]

Good video! I switched to butterfly bar on my old trusty Trek FX7.3 which tour on and it is great. Apart from moving your seat back, another cheaper and simpler way to get yourself further from the handle bar is by changing to a longer stem. I am adding a pair of bar ends on the inside (between the grip and the shifters/brakes) to give myself another great hand position - may have to swap existing 130mm ergo grip with a shorter 90mm one though.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Yay for more hand positions!! The longer stem is a great option. Thank you James!

[@tconnolly9820]

I have flat bar's on my hybrid bike which is for almost entirely utilitarian and commuting but on longer rides I have often wished for an easy option to change my position so it's definitely something I have been considering for my next bike or upgrade. You do get additional real estate for your accessories with these new handlebars but I would still add a separate handlebars extension to the front because it gives you so much options because I have mirrors, bell, horn, multiple lights fittings depending on what I want to use plus bags front and back of my handlebars plus various other accessories that come and go depending on my inclination. No, I definitely haven't got a minimalist attitude to my bike or anything else. Better looking at it than looking for it I always say!

[@SheelaghDaly]

I have seen some people add extensions - pretty cool!

[@2wheelsrbest327]

Hi Sheelagh great video. I have tried using Butterfly Bars several times. Rather than buying a set back seat post I have used a longer stem. The problem I had with the bars I used is that they felt too wide. But that said it did feel more comfortable. The only other issue I had was my dropped barred Tourer was mad and designed for me with those specific bars so I sort of worried I was messing up the whole geometry of the whole bike hence I now use dropped bars again. Might be time after watching your video to give them a try again given they are just sitting in spares box. Many cycle tourers also recommend Jones Bars. Looking through these threads I am amazed that no one has mentioned how to solve your front light issue. I too use an Ortlieb Bar Bag and they do an attachment that allows you to fit a light above the bag. In fact I use two of these to give me more light. Stay safe and just in case you don't know Google Cycle Touring Festival as they have some great info and videos.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Thank you for the hot tip about the ortlieb light mount! That’s brilliant 🙏 I’ve heard great things about the Jones bar and am definitely interested in giving that style a try. I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you!

[@nsick]

You just blew my mind with the light mount tip.

[@ercost60]

I like TT bars plus aerobars. You may have to change your stem too to get comfy.

[@johnbutterworth89]

Enjoyed the video, thanks ! Considering converting my flat bar to give more hand positions.

[@johnzee691]

I have a set and like them. some time back I went thru a phase of trying different bars with the objective being making riding more comfortable. what I found was that a stem pretty much had to be changed out as well. heights, lengths all mattered and were all different with different bars. I favered an adjustable stem. on lazy days I kept it higher and on other days I lowered it. another thing I ran into was cable lengths. almost every bike needed longer cables so it meant changing all 4 , both brakes and both shifters. yes there are different bar diameters for shifters / brakes which usually was road bike or mtb / straight bars. when getting a new bike one might be " fitted" for a size, but bar widths, design /shape, and actual final hand position along with seats are not taken into consideration. its just whatever was sourced for the bike. and unfortunately those features aren't truly known or figured out for some time. I need a couple weeks usually unless I know right away it's wrong. I spent a bunch of time with the butterfly bars angled up and angled down. all kinds of different positions. but in the end it has to be comfortable and not painful or it's just not enjoyable.

[@johnzee691]

and regarding seatposts, that can be a unique experience as it seems pretty much every frame mfg's have different diameters for seat posts and then very likely many different sizes within a mfg. one needs to know what size seatpost their frame takes. it can be incredibly frustrating

[@SheelaghDaly]

Very well said - there really are so many factors and intricacies!

[@andyc972]

Thanks Sheelagh, good to know !!

[@leohorishny9561]

Being young as you are, nothing wrong with that, but if a rider has an e-bike, the aero concerns are less. I haven’t delved into this, but, it may still be a level of concern, the non-aero w/butterfly bars w/an ebike, if it cuts into your battery usage? IDK, but that question might be one an e rider channel might have done a comparison.🤔 Seems a potential subject. I’m considering them because the near straight bars on my ebike are almost flat, but the riding position is a little too forward for me. I might like an inch or two of stem height but if not trekking bars, I’ve come to the realization I could use a classic upright bar for comfort on my commutes.🤷🏼‍♂️

[@philiprayner]

Thank you for all your touring bike videos I am considering trying touring and this is very helpful

[@SheelaghDaly]

I am so glad Philip! It is my pleasure :)

[@mrscotchguy]

Switched to butterfly bars on my Trek 7.2FX hybrid. I enjoyed the different hand positions. What I didn't know is my stem wasn't long enough, so the closer grips made steering squirrely. The orientation is the same as this video. I think I would get something like the velo orange crazy bars if I were to do it over again. I prefer drop bars and have since switched to a roadbike, but thinks TT/aero grips are my preference for long rides. Oh, and something not mentioned with butterfly bars is compliance. Because of the length of the handlebar tube, there's quite a bit of play in the bars. This is great for reducing impacts but makes handling in turns a bit more sloppy. Pro/con depending on your needs.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I have actually since gotten Crazy Bars on a new bike and am really liking them so far! I would say they provide more control than the butterfly bars but I'm still a big fan of the hand positions with the butterfly - so I like them both!

[@veloworks9266]

I love my butterfly bars after a shoulder injury ! 🎉 No cons for me. Sarah

[@SheelaghDaly]

That’s great to hear!

[@katjasendmayr1342]

Super video! Every cycle-youtuber uses drop bars, Sheelagh goes like this! Like us normal people! Yay! Celebrating this! 😆

[@SheelaghDaly]

Ahaha happy to be part of the crew 😄 Thanks Katja!

[@stevemullin1195]

I've put a butterfly bar on my BC. I've also put on long bar ends up on the front to act as an aerobar. And I moved my barend shifters to the ends of them. Now I need to do something with the hydraulic brakes. Want to go mechanical like your bike for bikepacking and touring. Could you tell me which parts you got for your build and if you are having any issues with them while touring. Thanks

[@BarronFujimoto]

I put butterfly bars on my old mountain bike and converted into a nice touring bike. I loved those bars but unfortunately the bike got stolen. 😭 I'd definitely get another set though.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Aww I’m so sorry! I’m glad it served you well while you had it ❤️

[@johnlindsay6270]

Hi Shelagh, the first "proper" tour I did was a few years ago on the Danube from Passau to Vienna. The only bike I had was a Specialized Rock Hopper mountain bike and I changed the flat bar to butterfly bar for the trip. A good choice at the time. However I now have a drop bar touring bike with an increased steerer height which is much, much better for me. I like to be able to use the drops on the occasional day of headwind!. Otherwise my riding position is fairly upright. I think that bar bags, lights, bells, computers, sat navs etc are always in a constant state of flux! And are never perfect! Trouble is it costs too much for this pensioner to keep changing and trying different set ups!

[@SheelaghDaly]

Oof I hear ya! It's costly to make those swaps! Sounds like you've arrived at a pretty cool setup for yourself though ☺ thanks for sharing your experience!

[@stevemullin1195]

I have butterfly bars for my BC but currently have the VO crazy bars on the bike. Still trying to find a bar for my hand issues (CTS) so I can start touring on my bike. I have a cane creek shock stem and seat post but the stem is 100mm...which increases my reach which affects my lower back. Just heard that redshift is now coming out with a 55mm and 70mm shock stem so may get the 55mm to reduce the reach. I'm using redshift aerobars on the crazy bar to be able to rest my hands and wrists on long stretches of road but want to see if the butterfly bars could be fitted with an aerobar to help with those headwinds while on a tour. I'm getting the bike setup for the PCBR next year...maybe May or July.

[@bobsmith1198]

I use butterfly handlebars on all my bicycles to help with arthritis. Recently I converted a 2x10 road bike to have them using a combo of Specialized Comp Multi Stem 75mm, 24 Degree (at 28 degrees), Shimano Sora BL-R3000 Brake Lever Set, and Microshift Flat Bar (thumb) Road Shifters. For a hill-friendly setup: I use Wolf Tooth Roadlink, Sunrace 11-40 10-Speed Cassette, Praxis Zayante Carbon "S" Crankset 165mm 48/32, and Shimano Deore RD-M592 Rear Derailleur (9 speed RD is compatible with 10-speed shifters) with JAGWIRE Inline Adjusters. Just sharing my configuration in case it ever helps someone. My question is, do you have a link to the ego grips you are using? Most ergo-style grips have an issue installing on butterfly bars. I currently use Cinelli cork handlebar tape, but adding ergo grips would be nice. Thanks!

[@SheelaghDaly]

Thanks for sharing your setup! The ones I got were from 49N. They were slightly too wide but my mechanic cut off the ends and they fit perfectly :)

[@biking-places]

Thanks for sharing. Drops to butterfly bars is a pretty big change. People often use a much longer stem since your bars are moving considerably closer to you. I put some bar ends on my butterfly bars to add a few more hand positions and allow a bit more of a forward position. Made a vid about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpikoWeviZmsqqc

[@SheelaghDaly]

Thanks for sharing! Super creative and cool solution you came up with - love it! And such a great and informative video!

[@BuffertheTourist]

Do you have other social media. I’d love to see more. You’re incredibly talented and entertaining.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Thanks so much! I’m on Instagram @sheelagh.daly :)

[@horaciodedona3912]

I find them ideal for long rides.

[@squashit339]

I am considering these to alleviate neck pain. I am new to a road bike and wow, my neck is killing me. I have about 130 miles on my new bike. I am positive that my neck muscles were weak and I am a lookie loo for sure, I am also worried about what's up ahead so I'm constantly lifting my head. I have watched a ton of videos and have adjusted the bike to fit me. The only reason I got this bike is to ride on Ragbrai. I want to be able to look around and enjoy my surroundings during this ride and I'm not confident I can do it with drop bars. I feel great on my ride, no knee pain, the only thing is my neck. I have called a lot of bike shops for a bike fit and keep getting told they don't do them. One guy said his bike fitter quit during Covid. Another said he used to do them and would help me with a basic fit and to send him pics, and he never responded 🙄 The bike shop I've been using doesn't do them. Thanks for the video!!!

[@michaelleong9015]

Hi there, hope you've managed to solve your neck problems by now. If you haven't, you might want to check out what Grant Petersen of Rivendell bikes has to say about these bike fitting and discomfort problems that you've described. I don't ride his bikes as yet but I found most everything he said helpful to make my rides super enjoyable and discomfort free.

[@squashit339]

@@michaelleong9015 Yes actually I did! I was telling a different bike shop about the neck pain and he said to try an adjustable stem so you can raise the handle bars slightly and boom....solved all my problems!

[@markperry222]

I have butterfly bars on both my bikes. Being a bit older and stiffer, and having a big belly that gets in the way, drops were not really an option, as a squashed trunk affects breathing. and straight bars lack the hand positions. One downside I found is that the wider handlebar bags might not fit unless the bars were angled upwards.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Ahh that's an interesting point about the wider handlebar bags - thanks for mentioning that. I'm glad it sounds like they're mostly working well for you!

[@MarcMallary]

I use a Humpert AHS bar, which is similar but more adjustable. They are hard to get in the US.

[@SheelaghDaly]

I just looked them up - very cool!

[@anneupshaw4708]

Just a possible problem with these bars - i installed butterfly bars on my bike and they worked great, until i had a minor crash. The bars bent very easily and made the bike almost unridable. I think that the bend near the stem attachment weakens the butterfly bar - though I may have just bought a bad handlebar.

[@SheelaghDaly]

That’s interesting to know! I haven’t had that happen to me personally, thank you for sharing your experience!

[@seanlee7670]

Will change to a longer angled stem help? Is definitely cheaper and easily available than the angled seat post.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Yes certainly the cheaper and easier option if it’ll do the job! Depends on the fit. I went with a long angled stem which helped my arm position but the angle of my knees/legs pushing down on the pedals was off without an angled seat post

[@Insolation1]

I didn't move the saddle, I just got a longer handlebar stem.

[@pppjourneyonabike5992]

Strap on space is important

[@rainbowhiker]

If your knees are uncomfortable, try raising the seat post. Your knees should be almost, almost, almost straight at the bottom of the crank stroke--with your foot level. Your knees are always too bent from the video shown. You're not getting the full power of your leg that way, especially for touring. This is the way I was taught.

[@jimromero5625]

That's old-school; current thinking is you should have roughly a 20 degree bend in your knee at bottom of crank. Avoids injury and more efficient due to reduced upper body movement.

[@rainbowhiker]

@@jimromero5625 If yours legs still hurt, perhaps it's wrong for your frame and build.

[@JoyfulCyclist57]

Thank you!

[@andrewmandrivnyk]

What I wish I knew before subscribing to your channel 😝joking more tour videos please 😁

[@SheelaghDaly]

Haha I’m working on a video about one of my recent tours now :) thanks for the support!

[@TimEristavi]

Thanks, wonderful explanation... all bricks come to fit now... :)

[@KevinHowe-hb4ri]

I just ordered a pair of surly corner bars butterfly bars. Not a big fan

[@AlexanderClark-zv9ne]

great exercise and great for pulling kids in a trailer

[@MaheshbhaiTrivedi-fd7uv]

I am from India your all videos are very nice i am your subscriber I intrest in cycling

[@frankp.w.schindler3234]

You're frame is way to small!

[@4336aaa]

Why waste time with the tease at the beginning

[@blackspruceroutes]

If you regret just change back😂...

[@freespeechoneeach]

butterfly bars all day long. ive tried the rest always gone back to butterfly bars.

[@SheelaghDaly]

Happy to hear they've been good to you too :)