blaugrana wrote:I think what I want is to roughly mimic the ease of reaching controls and my posture on the Brompton.
I suggest you:
1. Check the saddle positions on both bikes are the same (measure the horizontal distance of the saddle behind the bottom bracket as well as the saddle height).
2. Measure the distance of the saddle to the bars on the Brompton (probably best to the grips). Compare with the distances to the tops and hoods of your Galaxy.
3. Check if the handlebars on both bikes are the same height with respect to the saddle.
I would be very wary of expecting a significant improvement with butterfly bars on the Galaxy. I suspect that having your main grip position significantly closer to the steering axis (possibly in line with it, or even worse behind it) will result in excessively light/twitchy steering. If you need to significantly reduce the distance from saddle to bars, you may need a bike/frame that has been designed for flat bars (with a shorter top tube/reach than the Galaxy).
Thank you very much for these points, @slowster. All taken on board. I share your concern re the dangers of bringing the main grip position too far back. I'm now inclining towards a Humpert Comfort bar to avoid this. And keeping as much forward reach as possible on any new stem.
blaugrana wrote: In a way, I/the Dawes fit(s) your "doing something very wrong" description. I don't feel comfortable/in control/happy in any position.....
this might sound a bit mad but what you describe is very commonly a problem which has its basic root in the saddle vs BB position. IME if you get the saddle positioned correctly vs the BB, handlebars become much less of an issue.
The goal is to get it set up so that when you are pedalling normally, you are not having to lean on the handlebars. {NB when you stop pedalling, you do}. If you are not having to lean on the bars, things get a lot more comfortable automatically.
[...]
So my advice is to experiment with changes in saddle position; keep notes of what you do (including accurate measurements, photos etc) so that you can easily return to a previous setting if needs be. You may find that just by changing the saddle position, the handlebars mysteriously become more comfortable too; this is never time wasted, because even if you do change the handlebars later, it is 'gravy' all the way.
cheers
Thanks @Brucey, for these suggestions. I shall do as you suggest.