JoGLE on flat bar bike?

Pumpkin Positive

I'm planning a JoGLE in May. I have two road bikes (Focus Cayo & Spesh Secteur) a full suss MTB and a Boardman Hybrid which is my everyday run around. I'll be camping but travelling as light as possible with two rear panniers.

The only one of my bikes I'd consider taking is the Boardman, but it's got flat bars! Other than it's flat bars it should work out fine, it's got a rack, I can fit mudguards, SRAM apex should make light work of the hills and the disc brakes offer reassurance.

I'm concerned about headwinds on a bike with no drops. I could have my LBS swap the flat bars for drops but by the time I've paid for all of the extra kit I might as well buy another bike. Is there any aero advantage in butterfly bars, or are they just a comfort item? What about tri-bars on a flat bar bike (although the thought of doing 1000 miles on tri-bars horrifies me)?

Thanks for your help!

Pumpkin Positive

Or do I just bite the bullet get a 'tourer' (n+1 and all that!)?

alfablue

what about "Bull BArs" like these, or even bar ends. Both will give you a more stretched option, and thus head a bit lower.

priory

if you have no bar ends get some long ones and put foam on them, somewhere different to lightly rest your hands
you might consider getting a variable angle stem so thet if you do get the urge you can lower the bars.
2flat bar tourers on the pics of your tourer thread by me this week.

vernonlevy

I'd use your hybrid. There is a peculiar fascination with dropped barred bikes and touring. The received wisdom is that Dawes galaxies and similar are the ideal touring configuration. It is not so!

On mainland Europe the only drop barred tourers that you'll see are being pedalled by Brits. The rest of the tourers are flat barred hybrid/tourer bikes.

Having spent four years touring with Dawes Galaxy and three years with a Decathlon flat barred hybrid I can say with some conviction that there isn't that much difference between the two genres.

I was in the ideal situation to do back to back comparison when my Dawes Galaxy fractured a drop out in Orleans. It was deemed to be a more cost effective solution in terms of time and money to purchase a replacement bike. The hybrid, despite my reservations, proved to be as comfortable and as fast as the Galaxy.

I'm so convinced of the comfort and suitability of flat barred bikes that I am having a bespoke one built by Woodrup Cycles.

eede

Agree with the others, stick with what you've got and a pair of bar ends. These are popular from SJS
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/sjsc-ergo-co ... prod13134/

Plenty of us touring on old steel framed mountain bikes and the like. In a strong wind, just click it up a gear and go with it.

barney69

I did my LeJog in August (www.nigelend2end.co.uk) on my Dawes ultra galaxy which I have tri bars on.
I was doing it alone and unsupported so the tri bars helped lots when the headwind got up (which it did) or when I simply wanted to rest my wrists after doing 100 miles + /day.
So I'd vote for the hybrid with tri bars.

Or just buy another bike

The hills are not a problem at all - the only ones of note are Berridale Brae and Helmersdale but even then I only found them bad as I was into huge headwinds that could stop you on the flat.