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review
Handlebars & extensions
BBB Multibar Butterfly BarBBB Multibar

BBB Multibar Butterfly Bar

8
by Lara Dunn
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Nov 16, 2010

2
£18.95

VERDICT:

8
10
Great bar if you like moving your hand & you want plenty of gadget room too
Weight: 
498g
Contact: 
www.greyville.com
How we test

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A handlebar designed with long distance touring in mind, this style of ‘butterfly bar’ is incredibly popular on the continent, and with good reason. The idea is that you’re maximizing the number of grip and hand resting positions available to you without sacrificing useable space.

Made from 6061 T6 aluminium the bar is light and robust, designed to be used together with a padded foam sleeve and adjustable stem, it’s quick and easy to fit. Aesthetically it changes the look of a touring bike completely, but not for the worse, just different. The Multifoam grip (£5.49) that goes with it is slightly tricky to fit, but not too bad.

In use the bars take a bit of getting used to, in that handling of the bike can change radically depending on where your hands are positioned, but the beauty of the set up is its tweakability. The foam can be cut to allow brakes etc to be positioned where you like, and there’s no problem fitting a Rohloff style shifter or more traditional shifters. Adapting the tilt of the bars to suit is going to take a while to get totally right, but the capacity is there for a truly comfortable ride.

On the flat and descending, the flatter section of bar is comfortable and easy, although those with broader shoulders may find it to be a little narrow, but the sides and top section are continuous and easily available. Climbing, you’re pretty much limited to using the side areas, but these effectively mimic bar ends and are incredibly comfortable in use, giving plenty of control.

There are no concerns with lack of mounting space for gadgets and gizmos, indeed this design actually generates useable space, giving effectively double the bar area.

Available in black or silver.

Bar centre diameter 25.4mm

Width: 57cm

All in all, the Multibar Butterfly Bar is an option to consider if you’re a rider who likes gadgets and moves their hands around a lot. The downside is you HAVE to move your hands around a lot.

Verdict

Easy to fit and gives a lot of hand position options, but takes a bit of tweaking and getting used to.

road.cc test report

Make and model: BBB Multibar

Size tested: Silver

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Aimed at tourists and long distance adventurers.

Definitely well suited to this sector where prolonged riding with hands in the same position is challenging.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

trekking handlebar
trekking bars
touring handlebar
BBB
Adjustable bar
Lara Dunn

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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