Is this a good idea?

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Anthony

New Member
Location
Wokingham
I am thinking of making some modifications to my Dawes Galaxy to make it more suitable for long tours.

Currently my handlebar set up is as normal for a galaxy: drop down bars, bar-end shifters, drop down brake levers.

I am not happy with the lack of hand positions and I don't really need drop down bars on tour. I want v-brakes (they would fit a dawes) to give me extra braking power, but obviously I would need flat bar brake levers for this. But i want to keep my bar end shifters.

My solution is this: I am thinking about getting a butterfly bar. The flat-bar brake levers (for the v-brakes) will fit on it, and it will give me plenty of hand positions. To solve the problem of putting the bar end shifters on the butterfly bars, I will attach them to the end of some cut down ski bar ends (which will be placed either side of the handle bar stem). It will look like some mini tri bars (kind of...). I have checked at my LBS and they can do all of this.

Is this a good idea? Will I ruin my lovely Dawes? I would like your opinions please.
 
Sounds like a lot of work for not much benefit. If you're unhappy with the variety of hand positions on drop bars you're not likely to be much happier with (hideously ugly :becool:) butterfly bars. V brakes are ok, but then I've had canti's on my Galaxy for years and never noticed them to be inadequate in any way. I'd just leave the thing as it is, if it were mine.
 
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Anthony

Anthony

New Member
Location
Wokingham
I find my canit's fine normally, but when fully loaded going down hill, my breaking power can range from ok to non-existent. I think having v brakes would give me that extra bit of braking which would give me the confidence to go for it on the down hills.

And I think butterfly bars look ok, anyway I have silver mud guards which have already ruined the look of my bike . :smile: Hopefully they will offer some more hand positions too, but you might be right, it may be a lot of work for little results.

But, if they're good enough for Mark Beaumont then who can argure with them: :smile:
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
I was going to say the opposite of RT - go for it. I had drops on my Galaxy when I got it (second hand), and never got on with them, changed to normal riser bars, then when I rebuilt it, to moustache bars. If you're going to use a bike, looks don't matter, but working well for you does.

And it sounds like you're not doing anything you can't undo in future by swapping the bars again. You don't know until you try, and if it doesn't work, you just change back, or find another way.
 

andym

Über Member
It's not a solution to the hand position issue, but you could run the v-brakes with Tektro RL 520s - or DiaCompe 287Vs, but they are more expensive and probably no better.

The only thing I'd say about the butterfly bars is to check the length of your top tube - will you be able to comfortably reach the further position? (I'm assuming you are also going to need to change the stem).

The other possible solution to mounting the bar end shifters would be to convert them to thumbies using bits from Paul Engineering in the States.
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
Anthony said:
I find my canit's fine normally, but when fully loaded going down hill, my breaking power can range from ok to non-existent. I think having v brakes would give me that extra bit of braking which would give me the confidence to go for it on the down hills.

I have found that Tektro 520 or 720 cantis or the Froggleg cyclocross cantis do a magnificent job at slowing and stopping my 22 stone carcae plus bike plus luggage. Koolstop Salmon brake pads assist ethe improvement in braking power.
 
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Anthony

Anthony

New Member
Location
Wokingham
I've changed my plan slightly now, and I can't change my mind because i've just ordered all of the parts.

I've bought a Modolo yuma traveller bar (butterfly) with some soft foam grip. I've completely overhauled my brakes by getting shimano XT levers, v-brakes and cables. And i'm keeping my bar end shifters but turning them into thumbies with a SJSS thumb shifter bracket: (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=10405).
 

Tony

New Member
Location
Surrey
Arch said:
I was going to say the opposite of RT - go for it. I had drops on my Galaxy when I got it (second hand), and never got on with them, changed to normal riser bars, then when I rebuilt it, to moustache bars. If you're going to use a bike, looks don't matter, but working well for you does.

And it sounds like you're not doing anything you can't undo in future by swapping the bars again. You don't know until you try, and if it doesn't work, you just change back, or find another way.
The trumpet of common sense....
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
When you've fitted all that ... the next upgrade is better wheels.

Seriously.

The wheels originally fitted to Galaxy's are not quick.

The group I ride with occasionally are constantly remarking on how I seem to be always free-wheeling on my Galaxy and they are having to pedal to keep up. Handbuilt with Open Pro rims, Shimano 105 hubs, 36 Stainless DB spokes 3X. Schwalbe 25 mm tyres. Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly flash, but they make a huge improvement to the speed (or effort required to maintain a given speed)
 
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Anthony

Anthony

New Member
Location
Wokingham
porkypete said:
When you've fitted all that ... the next upgrade is better wheels.

Seriously.

The wheels originally fitted to Galaxy's are not quick.

The group I ride with occasionally are constantly remarking on how I seem to be always free-wheeling on my Galaxy and they are having to pedal to keep up. Handbuilt with Open Pro rims, Shimano 105 hubs, 36 Stainless DB spokes 3X. Schwalbe 25 mm tyres. Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly flash, but they make a huge improvement to the speed (or effort required to maintain a given speed)


Don't tempt me. :biggrin: I just spent a load of money on the bar and brakes!
Thanks for the advice though, it may the next thing to upgrade. Though I might get a brooks b17 saddle next.
 
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Anthony

Anthony

New Member
Location
Wokingham
roundisland said:
Antony lets see a pic when you have finshed the alterations will be interesting to see.

Right, its all done now! I've got the galaxy back from my LBS and its transformation is complete. :biggrin:

Gone is the drop handle bar, bar end shifter and canti's. In its place is; a butterfly bar, shimano xt v-brakes and shifters, and I have converted my bar ends into thumb shifters using sjs converters

Here are some pics as requested:

View attachment 5929 View attachment 5930 View attachment 5931 View attachment 5932
 

GrahamG

Guru
Location
Bristol
porkypete said:
When you've fitted all that ... the next upgrade is better wheels.

Seriously.

The wheels originally fitted to Galaxy's are not quick.

The group I ride with occasionally are constantly remarking on how I seem to be always free-wheeling on my Galaxy and they are having to pedal to keep up. Handbuilt with Open Pro rims, Shimano 105 hubs, 36 Stainless DB spokes 3X. Schwalbe 25 mm tyres. Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly flash, but they make a huge improvement to the speed (or effort required to maintain a given speed)

That's all very well for weekend rides, but you wouldn't want to tour fully loaded on a pair of lightweight road rims like that.
 
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