Pimp My Halfbike

photo: Nikolaj Lehmann @nikolaj_lehmann

Handle bar mod

doesnt your halfbike tilt more forward though with all the added weight on the front?

Two "improvements" on an almost perfect vehicle: 1. Excenter levers for faster folding 2. Moto Urban pedal. The wooden style fits perfectly to the rest and it is more comfortable than the original one

I have also fixed bare ends to my handlebar and the pedals have been replaced by spd pedals. It takes some getting used to but due to the combination with a hard sole less burden of underfoot.

How did you all modify your handlebars? What extenders did you use (online links to products helpful!)? Did you do it yourself or have it completed by a bikeshop?

@ Rainer L.: The platforms that you've put on your Halfbike are a really neat addition. They look really sleek and blend in beautifully. Just one question, have you tried riding on rough and bumpy surface. What is the grip in such conditions compared to the original pedals?

@Mihail K.: Sometimes I ride gravel ground but only a few hundred meters. So far I had no problems with the grip. In my opinion there is no difference to the original pedals with regard to grip.

I finally took a pic of my handlebar ends. They're working great and I totally dig the available positions for my hands (and wrists). The typical bar ends attach to the end of the existing bar which would take up about 20 to 25mm on either side. I didn't want to shorten the current length so instead, I used bar extenders from Control Tech here in the USA. The Terminator MTB extenders (with 22.2mm diameter) work pretty well and give just enough extra distance to attach most bar ends. To install, all I did was cut a circle hole out of the end of the grips to make way for inserting the extenders. Once inserted they tighten easily with a 6mm hex key wrench. The only issue I found is that they have to be tightened a few times to reach full grip strength. In other words, I tightened them, found them a bit loose the next day and tightened them again. After doing this 3 times, they're now really solid and I bought a second pair to have on hand just in case something goes wrong with these (I like them that much). Here's the link to anyone who wants to try: www.controltechbikes.com/products/item/151.html Control Tech offers two styles, "MTB" and simply "Plugs." Get the MTB as they're the right diameter. The Plugs are too large to fit inside the Halfbike handlebar tube. As an extra bonus I found them on Amazon as an "add-on" item which means they were only $5 if I purchased $20 of other merchandise during the order. It's a promotional thing for Control Tech, I believe. Since I already had an order going, I got the extenders cheap!

Hmm this looks comfortable :)

An update to my handlebar ends - they are a little hard, compared to the rubber grips that come with the bike. So... I’m making my own neoprene covers to soften them just a bit. This prototype is working great so far. I’m making the final pieces tonight.

I've created another addition for my awesome Halfbike - an accessory bar on the back end so I can mount a few more items to the bike. It currently just has my rear light but I'll also be able to mount a GoPro or any other typical handlebar mounted accessory. I cut the materials out of 5mm thick black PC (Polycarbonate) and glued them together with solvent weld glue. Then I mounted them using the same holes as the rear fenders - which I like - and kept by substituting a longer screw and adding a rubber washer underneath the head so it wouldn't damage the black finish on the bike. Can't wait to try out some videos! and maybe add another rear light...

Another pic of the accessory mount ...

Hey Joel, This looks great. We'd love to see some GoPro footage and how you use the mount. :)

Still trying to figure out how to add a little more length to the handlebars. It's really hard to have hands so narrow on some of the hills I tackle. @JoelH, your solution's the best I've seen so far. Why did you opt for the ergo bar ends over bend bars--any specific advantages?

@Peggy - I chose those bar ends because I like the relative location of the original handlebar. It’s thoughtfully positioned and perfect for me. If I used bent bar ends my hands would have been either a little rearward or a little forward of the handlebar centerline. Forward would have me leaning a bit too much to the front and rearward would have my hands closer to my body. Neither are as comfortable for me. These bar ends keep my hands in the same handlebar centerline position and just allow a different (better for me) wrist angle. I like them a lot for longer distances and they’ve really improved my hill climbing, too, by giving me better grip and ability to pull upward with more force when climbing.

Hello! I replaced the pedals. These pedals are platform on one side and clipless on the other side.

I have installed MagPed on my HalfBike and for jump or other trick I have vantage...

Alessio, I like the MagPeds.

I have one more mod. A beautifully designed bell. The Oi Knog is a Kickstarter project as well. It fits nicely under the cable for the shifter and doesn’t take up much space. If you’re right-handed, it’s the perfect placement for your thumb.

That looks like a great bell. I’ll have to check it out.

@Helen, the bell is great! Thanks for sharing, we will surely look into it. @Helen and Alessio, could you please share a bit more about your experience with the pedals? We always advice people against clipless but we know of a few more people who happily switched to them and it looks like they work just fine for experienced riders. :)

Irina, I learned to ride the Halfbike using the platform side of the pedals. Since I use clipless pedals on my road bike, it was an easy transition to use them on the Halfbike. I prefer the clipless side. I feel like I have more control. Irina and Joel, It is a great bell! Knog also has some interesting design-driven lighting systems that are compact and perfect for the Halfbike.

Thanks Helen, I ordered the bell and the rear light from Knog. I'll upload pics when I have them installed.

Joel, Glad to hear that! I’ll look for your photos. I had to trim some of the handlebar grip before mounting the bell. I wrapped a piece of heavy duty thread around and it made a nice, clean cut. Dental floss probably works as well.

I have also installed the bell. I also trimmed the grip and also slid the gear shifter over. Without that, I found that the shifter cable was resting on the bell and interfering with the very satisfying 'ding'!

Next, I stuck on a GoPro mount. I wasn't sure how well this would turn out! The photo of the mount is below and you can check out my first video here: youtu.be/LEqpHOVHyU4

Matthew, The bell looks great! Nice first video and beautiful bike path.

Thanks, Matthew for the tip about moving the shift lever over before mounting the bell. I'll do the same. I mounted the Knog Cobber light to my rear accessory bar and it's a great addition. I like having both rear lights for visibility in NYC.

I like your new light! Thanks for sharing. Looks like a great place to ride.

OK - it's official - I am obsessed with the Halfbike and this topic! I was inspired by Joel's accessory bar and the idea of using the holes for the rear fenders for mounting something. I designed a small mount that I could 3D print and stick my GoPro mount to...

When attached to the Halfbike the GoPro can be mounted to either film forwards or backwards. Results are here: youtu.be/iUi5fb9xA-U

Nice! love it! I haven't actually mounted a GoPro yet to my accessory bar so it's great to see your results.

All I need is to be able to Photoshop my legs!

Matthew, Very interesting! I’ve been enjoying this thread as well!

I replaced my handlebars like other people in this thread with this ones Lizard Skins Lock-On Shorty Griff, 90mm, see www.amazon.de/Lizard-Skins-Lock-Shorty-Griff/dp/B004NRNE4U

Joel H. : I've been inspired by you man :) I bought Controltech Terminator handlebar ends as you suggested (I love them btw!) in order to install grips I've found on Amazon (see pic). The result is amazing: it fits perfectly in place, it is very comfortable and it is not very expensive (approx 45$ total). Plus, the color of the grips is very close to the green color of my HB (not a perfect color match but close enough to "trick the eyes"). I totally recommand this combination of product! Enjoy!!

Nice upgrade Alex :) How do you feel them while riding?

Cool Alex! Looks awesome!

I recently added Pedal Innovations catalyst pedals to my halfbike to increase the amount of surface making riding a lot easier because you can recruit more muscles to pedal rather than certain muscles balancing (particularly in calf/ankle) and other muscles creating the driving force. These pedals allow you to use your entire leg and are super comfortable.

Hi Duncan - before your post, I had not even heard of these pedals, but I am now fully on board after reading the material on their web site. I've ordered a set, so now just waiting for them to arrive. Would be very interested if you have more impressions of what these are like on a Halfbike.

Hi Matthew, the main thing I notice is being able to easily engage a lot of the muscles in my leg making it easier to focus on pedaling and balance and pedaling in general is easier.

Hi Duncan - got my pedals in black and have now had a few rides. The more I use them, the more I like them!

Are there similar pedals to the catalyst ones that don't cost so much? Had a look and they're close to £80!

HB3 KMC Gold racing chain Aluminum Pedals Silver/Gold RaceFace Half Nelson Grips Gold spray paint QRs/springs NASA decals Awesome riding in Chicago!

Thanks Joel and Alex about the recommendation of the Controltech handlebar extend/Terminator. I got it from a local bike shop and its really the easiest and yet best way to extend the handlebar to the just right length- not too long and not too short

A.C. - I still love mine and still love my bar ends and custom made neoprene grips. It totally changed how far I ride and how much better I can muscle up hills. Looking good in Chicago @Brian!

@Joel What are the name of those handle bar ends? I can find extenders, but the bars seem to elude me..

@Tajs, sorry, I didn't see your message until now. The bar ends are from Serfas: www.serfas.com/shop/products/grips/ddbe-al-stabilizer-al/ and the handlebar extenders I used are from Control Tech: www.controltechbikes.com/products/item/151.html The two issues I've found with the bar ends are that they are a little hard (thus the neoprene covers I made for them) and also that the set screw bumps out just a little bit which causes a little irritation on my right hand. Since the bar ends are identical (not right/left specific), the set screw is on top on my right hand side. The neoprene cover fixed that issue, as well. Hope this helps. Cheers

Loving the tips to pimp the Halfbike. I went with the moto pedals and loving them. Knog Oi bell (small) too is a great addition.

Cool!

Added smart rear brake light that fits perfectly with a screw. Brake sensing, daytime power saving, Auto on motion sensing. Waterproof IPX6, easily remove for usb charging.

Unscrew from threaded holder.

Thanks Kee, looks like a good one :)

Looks really cool, Kee! Any chance of a video seeing it in action?

Another vote for Catalyst pedals here! They made such a difference. Balance and control is greatly improved compared to the standard pedals. It handles better all round and my legs immediately felt less strained. Am also tall, but I don't know if that made the standard pedals more of an effort compared to others.

I've modified my fenders a bit. It was really annoying that much water spray was going between my legs from the front wheel or directly on my leg calf followed down into my shoes. With this little modification, I was able to make it way less annoying. My favorite would be to have fenders that go way more over the whole wheel, but especially for the back wheels, I have no idea how to fix them.

Here is a picture from my changes on the back. At the end, I just sliced a plastic package for tomatoes into pieces and fixed them with duck tap.

Hope it is not threaded as spam but I found my videos from my self made lights (LED-Strips). I had them on my Halfbike 2 already and migrated them to the Halfbike 3. Sadly, since the winter was not that cold, I was able to right with it during the cold season. Around mid of April, the result of "to often riding in the cold and wet world" compared with "the frame of the Halfbike 3 is not wide/thick enough" (so the led strips simple fall of after a while) results in "I just buy the regular lights and that is it". Anyway, I liked them and if anyone has an idea how to recreate this effect, give me a wave for a collaboration session. Video right after finishing the installation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BspER81Icik Video from inside the dark: www.youtube.com/watch?v=69lpf2gmQbk Cheers, Stev

I'm not sure if this has been suggested already but here's my pimp for the half bike. I think it's probably the cheapest and quickest pimp ever with a huge ROI. The problem: When you get off your halfbike it has a tendency to wonder off and fall over. The solution: A handbrake made from a piece of inner tube.

Here's the handbrake in the off position!

Has anyone on here done a comparison of the Moto Urban pedal and the Pedaling pedals which are both mentioned separately in this forum?

@Simon - brilliant idea on the 'handbrake' - and I'm not just saying that because you're my brother! I have a sloping driveway and I'm often chasing my Halfbike.

Yes, I did. First I had the Moto urban. They are nice. And they look beautiful, but when I went distances longer than around 10 km, my feet started aching. Now I have mounted the pedaling innovations catalyst Evo. Since then I didn't have any problems, but I had only one ride with roughly 20 km. For better look, I would choose the Motos, for better feel, the pedaling are the first choice.

@Simon - on the pedals question - I have the Pedaling Innovations Catalyst pedals and the thing I like (in addition to the size) are the pegs on the pedals. I have changed them to the longer version they supply and with flat bottomed shoes (I have Adidas Five-Tens) they really keep your feet stuck on the pedals - in a good way.

@Simon, great idea for the handbrake! Thanks for sharing it.

Just got back from my first ride with the handlebar mods suggested by Joel H months ago, above: "The bar ends are from Serfas: www.serfas.com/shop/products/grips/ddbe-al-stabilizer-al/ and the handlebar extenders I used are from Control Tech: www.controltechbikes.com/products/item/151.html " Fantastic addition! Much easier to maneuver and make quick sharp turns, and hand position easier on my aged joints. Thanks for the suggestion.

Excellent, Martin! I've enjoyed that set-up for quite a while. It feels just right for hand placement. However, after I fell and damaged one of the bar ends I replaced both with a different style and have been enjoying them, too. I'll post a pic ASAP. Cheers!

Here's my current handlebar set-up, Martin. I still use the Control Tech extenders but swapped out the bar ends after damaging one of the Serfas ends. I'm in the process of making custom neoprene covers for these new bar ends but have installed temporary rubber grips in the mean time. I'm giving this a go for a while but may switch back to the Serfas ends eventually. They work REALLY well!

@Rainer - thanks for the pedals review. @Matthew Having difficulty finding Pedaling Innovations Catalyst pedals here in the UK!

@Joel Apology for the still missing brake light video. LOL I got thrown off the halfbike while going down a slope. I panicked & got on the brakes hard when the bike starts to wobble. Lost some skin to the tarmac which took 2 months to fully heal. Also got the handlebar extended in the mean time. Shifted the gear level & added more spacious grip. Haven't got the opportunity to they it yet. I notice that the handlebar support flexes more with the extension. Is that the reason for the narrow handlebar design?