My new trekking/butterfly handlebar setup :)

[Heifzilla]

I was starting to have some issues with numb hands and in another thread I had posted, someone recommended trekking bars. I found some for $15 at a LBS nearby and decided to give them a try.

I really liked them but my original handlebars had gripshifts and I bought Ergon grips to go with those. Unfortunately, when I changed to this new bar a week after I got the new grips, the gripshifters and the new grips would not fit together on the bars closest to me. I couldn't get them around the bend to the front bars farther away, and I had to move my brakes to the front bars because they would not fit with the shifters and grips. I wanted to keep my Ergon grips so I ended up hacking the ends off them and cutting the gripshifts in half so I could squeeze everything on the bar. After doing that, I realized that it wasn't going to be a truly workable solution, but now I was stuck with these "customized" grips. I also wanted to bring my brakes back to the bars closest to me because I didn't feel safe having to constantly reach forward to be able to grab my brakes (I am using the bars closest to me probably 80% of the time). Anyway, so I ordered dual control shifters and we installed them today. Because I had shortened the Ergon grips, I had to add some additional grip there between the shifters and the grips (the new shifters aren't as wide as the original gripshifts), which I did with this weird electrical tape stuff that DH has. It's not super sticky at first but as time goes on it seems to melt into itself, and it's tacky enough so my hands don't slip around on it. I don't recall what he called it but it works really well and while I have a hackjob for handlebars, I don't care. They are totally comfortable and that's what I was after.

I was also again reminded how DH and I do not make a good project team :P I did, however, learn how to change out shifter cables and I wrapped handlebars for the first time. I think I did a pretty good job for a first timer




I know the brake cables are a little too long but didn't feel like changing them out when I switched to the new dual shifters. They work and don't get in my way so I'm happy. If I get ambitious I might shorten them but if they aren't causing any problems, I probably won't.