Grips for butterfly bars

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Bice
Posts: 293
Joined: 18 May 2020, 7:33pm

Grips for butterfly bars

Post by Bice »

I did about 30 miles today down to SE London on my MTB tourer, which is fitted with butterfly bars.

Image

I just have foam on the bars and it is not enough. On the way back through central London, I was being raced along the Cycle Super Highway all the way from Limehouse to Westminster, so I pushed it hard. Now my hands hurt a bit.

I was thinking a pair of Ergon GP1 grips would be good.

Whichever grips I get, I have got to fit them on the butterfly bar outwards first. So they also need to be completely hollow (ie not blocked at the outward end).

Any thoughts?
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djb
Posts: 435
Joined: 24 Mar 2013, 9:27pm
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Re: Grips for butterfly bars

Post by djb »

My commuter has these bars, bought them as I thought of using them on a touring bike and went back to drops.
On the commuter, I used generic ergo type grips, but found that due to the curve, which restricts how far out to the outer sides the grips can actually slide out to, I had to cut the grips down so as not to have the brake levers and trigger shifters not too far inwards.

I've put trekking bars on my wifes bike, and she likes them. I did however forego grips and simply double wrapped the bars, and it works well for her.

what i find a bit annoying with the grips is that using them, I find my hands a bit too far inboard, so to speak. Going gripless allows you to be more adjusting with where you place your hands.
Just my view.

no matter what you try, you'll see that the curve is a limiting factor, but by all means, try some and see, but be prepared to go back to just double wrapped bar tape if you find you prefer more free positioning of your hands.

Personally, from how your wrote your question, it sounds like you perhaps should live with the bars as is for a while.
Double wrapping is easy to do, and you can use old bar tape for the underlayer.

good luck experimenting and living with options for a while. At least changing stuff is relatively quick.
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matt2matt2002
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Joined: 25 Oct 2009, 7:45pm
Location: Aberdeen Scotland UK

Re: Grips for butterfly bars

Post by matt2matt2002 »

I had foam on my second hand Thorn Raven Tour butterfly bars.
Quite happy with the bar shape but when the foam needed replacing I found that it had been glued on so well I was unable to remove it easily. It became one of those jobs that multiplied in complexity as I struggled to solve the issue.
Long story but I ended up going back to straight bars.
Good luck. I hope your foam slides off
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st599_uk
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Joined: 4 Nov 2018, 8:59pm

Re: Grips for butterfly bars

Post by st599_uk »

I've fitted Ergon GL-1 on mine, there's a small lip that requires removing, but they go quite a long way on to the bar, enough to get the shifter and a bell on.
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Bullsnut
Posts: 18
Joined: 26 Dec 2016, 8:43pm

Re: Grips for butterfly bars

Post by Bullsnut »

I fitted these Ergon GP1’s after getting significant hand pain after a tour where I just had the foam sleeves on my bars.
I shortened the grips ever so slightly (around 1cm) to allow room for my brakes and gear changers. Shortening them also removed the lip mentioned in an earlier post (though this lip can be filed away easily enough if you don’t need to shorten them).
The GP1’s are really comfortable and I found the increased comfort more than offsets any negatives. I’d highly recommend them.
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simonineaston
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Re: Grips for butterfly bars

Post by simonineaston »

I was thinking a pair of Ergon GP1 grips would be good.
I have had Ergon grips and can confirm that they are good for at least another mile per hour - boy will those racers regret they ever picked on you!! :wink:
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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