ISO: Packalope Bars Reviews/Opinions

[Genna deVries Mann]

My recent acquisition of a Pocket Expedition (thanks Becky!) has me wanting a different bar that is similar to my Surly Moloko on my bike packing bike. Since traveling with this bike is in it's future, I need the bars to be splittable.

Anyone here install the Packalope bars on their Friday, and if you're using it with Grip Shift, that would be helpful to know.

Thanks!

Genna

[Carl Hemmings]

Hi Gemma,

I have found that most bars don’t need to be splittable to fit in a Samsonite case. I have copies of jones bars on my New World Tourist and they fit fine as is , in a Samsonite case. It helps if you had a head stem with a four bolt face plate which allows easily removal of the handlebar from the Stem.

Regards Carl Hemmings Melburn VIC AUS. 

On 2 May 2026, at 17:59, Genna deVries Mann <gdv...@gmail.com> wrote:

My recent acquisition of a Pocket Expedition (thanks Becky!) has me wanting a different bar that is similar to my Surly Moloko on my bike packing bike. Since traveling with this bike is in it's future, I need the bars to be splittable.

Anyone here install the Packalope bars on their Friday, and if you're using it with Grip Shift, that would be helpful to know.

Thanks!

Genna

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[Jay Lonner]

I have Packalope bars on my NWT equipped with a Rohloff grip shifter and Ergon handlebar grips. I like the extra hand positions, and I do find that the splittable-ness makes packing the bike meaningfully easier. Another change that I recommend highly is the addition of self-extracting crank bolts — removing the drive side crank prior to packing really simplifies things. My bike is large enough (I’m 6’3”) that the spider otherwise abuts the side of the suitcase when packed, and I could foresee a situation where rough handling might damage the chainring. Removing the crank prior to packing eliminates that risk, and greatly eases the Tetris game of getting everything to fit in the suitcase.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On May 2, 2026, at 12:59 AM, Genna deVries Mann <gdv...@gmail.com> wrote:

My recent acquisition of a Pocket Expedition (thanks Becky!) has me wanting a different bar that is similar to my Surly Moloko on my bike packing bike. Since traveling with this bike is in it's future, I need the bars to be splittable.

Anyone here install the Packalope bars on their Friday, and if you're using it with Grip Shift, that would be helpful to know.

Thanks!

Genna

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[robert clark]

As long as the tubes they built it from are 7/8 inch diameter  then the grip shift should fit...

pushing bar ends towards the center of a straight bar then putting brakes the grip shifters and the grips on is another option.

[robert clark]

I fit figure 8 bend trekking bars on   my grip shifter Rohloff..

[Genevieve Mann]

Thanks for all the help so far! 

I’m thinking of upgrading to sram trigger shifters and dumping the Grip Shift to open up more flexibility in handlebar choices. Never have been a fan of Grip Shift, but initially I didn’t want to go down the upgrade rabbit hole, so I was going to leave them on there.

~Genna deVries Mann

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/bikefriday.com/d/msgid/yak/1d51adce-5614-4087-b1b9-f0a254e3779en%40bikefriday.com.

[Walter Lapchynski]

If you have a Shimano rear derailleur (or one of the SRAM ones that are compatible that have a more readable name like e.g. Centera than e.g. X7) then you can just swap the twist shifters for Shimano triggers or SRAM ones that are Shimano compatible. Chances are, that’s what you have. There are also Shimano compatible options from SunRace and microSHIFT. 

Walter Lapchynski
Sales Consultant | Information Services Assistant
Green Gear Cycling dba Bike Friday
direct line +1 541-234-5126

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/bikefriday.com/d/msgid/yak/CAA%3DGBy__NO8qRKCxEB7XLwQn5m1bAbvPFtN-wM3%3DC2bJucXO%2BQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Genna deVries Mann]

The rear derailleur is a SRAM X4 1:1 ratio, so the trigger shifters on the SRAM site indicate those would be compatible. Fortunately, sram X4 series works well with much of the entry/hybrid level components on the bike. The crankset and front derailleur on the bike is an unbranded version, so it’s a crapshoot if the front trigger shifter will work, but it’s worth a try.

[Walter Lapchynski]

The only things you really need to concern yourself with is that the number of clicks in the shifter matches the gears in the back and that the pull ratio matches the rear derailleur. You have SRAM’s 1:1 so you need the X-number series parts. 

Walter Lapchynski
Sales Consultant | Information Services Assistant
Green Gear Cycling dba Bike Friday
direct line +1 541-234-5126