Bullhorns: What do you think?

[Bicycle]

I put together a fixed-wheel road bike some months ago.

I kept the old dropped handlebars until I was knocked off and the motorist's insurance was paying for the frame to be straightened.

While the bars were off I took a hacksaw to both ends and made bullhorns. I think I must have been bored that day.

My own personal jury is still out on them... Like... Don't Like.... Like.... Don't Like...

Initially I used a pair of hooded brake levers from the old drop bars, but the tight bends in the cables led me to swapping them for a pair of tri-bar brake levers (v cheap ones) that fit into the cut ends of the bars.

The cables are now better routed, but I really did like the feel of the old, hooded levers. They looked bizarre and slightly insect-like, but they worked and felt right.

The new ones are less pleasing to use and offer (even) fewer hand positions now that most of the handlebar is in the bin.

I accept 100% that I only cut the bars down because I'm a fashion victim who saw a couple of Shiftless Bastard clips on Youtube...

I have a terrible feeling that if I still had the original bars, they'd go back on with all their curves in place... although I won't admit that in public.

So... the question:

What do people think of d.i.y. bullhorns (by which I mean dropped bars cut short and inverted)?


Good idea? Bad idea? Last resort of the clueless fashion victim?

I feel something of a fool for having gone this way; honest replies will cause no offence.

 

[Ibbots]

If it works for you don't worry about it. You could always join the Hoxton Wheelers:

http://hoxtonwheelers.blogspot.com/

 

[Pennine-Paul]

I've tried flat bars,risers,drops and bullhorns and the bullhorns are by far

the most practical in terms of different hand positions and offer the best

position for climbing,I found holding the hoods on drop bars too stretched out

and risers too limited in hand positions,I use a crosstop brake mounted near

the stem as i tend to rest my hands on the top of the bar in traffic and use the

end of the bars when climbing and when the roads are quieter

So no your not a fashion victim,just use what you find most comfortable

 

[TheDoctor]

I've got them on my SS. I like them.

 

[Manonabike]

I've tried flat bars,risers,drops and bullhorns and the bullhorns are by far

the most practical in terms of different hand positions and offer the best

position for climbing,I found holding the hoods on drop bars too stretched out

and risers too limited in hand positions,I use a crosstop brake mounted near

the stem as i tend to rest my hands on the top of the bar in traffic and use the

end of the bars when climbing and when the roads are quieter

So no your not a fashion victim,just use what you find most comfortable

Spot on

 

[skudupnorth]

Bullhorns rock ! Fitted Pro-file aero's to my Boardman after not enjoying the ride with drops.Managed 148 mile ride with them last Sunday to Blackpool and back and had no issues at all.

 

[GrasB]

I run bullhorns/TT base bars on everything but my road bike! I like to ride with a very low hood position rendering the drops almost completely useless on even the shallowest of compact drops, the only reason I went for drops on the road bike was because the steerer wasn't high enough to go for my favoured torso position & I was thinking that I might want to do racing where (from what I understand) bullhorns aren't legal.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I first cut down a set of drops in the late eighties, Pearson don't call theirs bullhorns, they call them courier bars, they were an option I took up when I brought my Pearson three and a half years ago. I have short arms and I ride drops on the top nearly all the time so bullhorns/courier bars tend to suit me better than drops.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've just put a set on my Langster Steel. First impressions are really good. Gives a much better choice of riding postions than the stock track bars.

I'm so taken with them that I've now ordered a pair of Sram TT500 Brake Levers to compliment the bars. I spend most of my time towards the ends of the bars anyway so these make more sense than the coss top levers I'm currnetly running.

 

[skudupnorth]

I've got the Sram TT500's on my Boardman and they are just perfect.Bit fiddley to get the cables through the eyelet and down the outer cable but once in,they look and strangley feel very good.

 

[MacB]

I looked at these and have revisited the idea a few times, ideally I'd want:-

bullhorn bars of some flavour - perfectly diable
TT style brake levers - no problem
Add in a crosstop lever for the front brake only - no problem
Bar end shifters - that's where I run into the problem

I've seen a couple of workaround that get the shifter and brake lever mounted at the bar end, but nothing that has really grabbed me.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've got the Sram TT500's on my Boardman and they are just perfect.Bit fiddley to get the cables through the eyelet and down the outer cable but once in,they look and strangley feel very good.

I've just put the TT500's on mine today and rode home on them for the first time. Gotta agree skud, for a very slender lever they do feel surprisingly sturdy. I went and got a set of red cables to compliment my Langster too

Got them both from highonbikes on ebay, link to the TT's here;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150575332327&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I've always received excellent service from them when I've ordered anything.

The levers look great, not sure what excited me more though, the levers themselves, or the red anodised cable ends

 

[deggers]

If it works for you don't worry about it. You could always join the Hoxton Wheelers:

http://hoxtonwheelers.blogspot.com/

this video always makes me chuckle. No offence to fixie riders meant! (i'd love one).

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_5uVdy5YmA

 

[skudupnorth]

I've just put the TT500's on mine today and rode home on them for the first time. Gotta agree skud, for a very slender lever they do feel surprisingly sturdy. I went and got a set of red cables to compliment my Langster too

Got them both from highonbikes on ebay, link to the TT's here;

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...e=STRK:MEWNXT

I've always received excellent service from them when I've ordered anything.

The levers look great, not sure what excited me more though, the levers themselves, or the red anodised cable ends

Glad they work well for you,i really find them comfy to ride with,did a forum ride to Blackpool which ended up a 148 miler with no dicomfort issues.

 

[rustychisel]

Same as the OP, I swap from drops to chopped n flopped all the time.

Setup position is different, you want to get the 'bullhorns' lower than drop bars so when you stretch out forward you get good position and balance. May need slightly longer stem.

Don't cut the bars too short, you need a bit of the 'hook' left to nestle your hands and provide safe purchase. WWith this you can angle them down, about parallel to your forearms, rather than angling them up. Considerably more comfortable.

Drop bars are far better for longer distance rides, providing many more hand positions. Need brake levers (yes, 2) on drop bars to get a good road going experience.

Pursuit bars are great for traffic jamming in the city.

If you want to use a regular brake lever with flopped bars mount it back to front, ie brake lever underneath bar but with the lever itself facing forward... gives a comfortable usage point.