I spoke to a chap in Cyclezone; he said the same as the guy in Evans yesterday. Estimated that to change to butterflies would cost around £100 to £150 minus the amount I could get on Ebay for the current levers and shifters. I then braved it and went up to AW Cycles for their opinion; how predictable it was! They told me it was not a good idea for all the reasons that I thought they might give me (get used to the riding position of the drops first, body will adapt, bike set up is as it is for those handlebars……). So exasperating! They are all into their Audax racing (they are all built like sticks) and used to advising their Audax clients. I am not an Audax cyclist. I don’t want to be an Audax cyclist. I am never going to be an Audax cyclist! I want to do a long tour and have bought a cracking bike to sit on. I don’t want to go the maximum distance in the minimum of time. My vertebrae survived in perfect shape when I cycled the 350 miles on the Trek (with its upright position and straight bars) last summer and continue to do so every day of the week on my 12 mile round commute to Henley and back. What is the problem with replacing a set of drop handlebars with butterflies when the person who rides the fucking bike never uses the drop bit and when the horizontal bits of the butterfly bar (which is the position used for most of the time) are in exactly the same position!? Added to that, on the butterfly bars the brakes and shifters are in a place where you need them; next to where my frigging fingers are for 90% of the time!!!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! (I hope that implies frustration quite well 🙂 )