Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Cutting down handlebars...

...any best way to chop them to length? They are old chromed steel and have already been flipped to create bullhorns.

A vice (or a friend holding the bike with the bars in the stem) and a hacksaw or pipe cutter has always worked for me.

I would guess a pipe cutter, but I could be wrong...

1 - Use a hose clamp as a cutting guide.
2 - Use a nice new hacksaw blade
3 - A nice vice is helpful for clamping them in a workable position
4 - Make a couple practice cuts further down from the intended final cut

I chopped my bars this past winter

http://img221.echo.cx/img221/6926/dcp05478bv.th.jpg (http://img221.echo.cx/my.php?image=dcp05478bv.jpg)

The pipe cutter option is definitely the cleanest way, and less chance for slipping...But I love dobber's idea of using the hose clamp as a cutting guide...probably cheaper than buying a pipe cutter.

Have fun cutting!

I'm wondering - would a shallow pan of water be useful to make sure that the cuts were exactly the same on both sides?

i used a grinder with a cutting blade and eyed one longer than the other, i was going to fix it but now im used to it. dont listen to me

Thank you. I'll go buy a new hacksaw tomorrow.

I'm wondering - would a shallow pan of water be useful to make sure that the cuts were exactly the same on both sides?

Once the first side is cut you can simply hold the severed portion up against the remaining section to get good matching cut. Remember to account for the miniscule amount of blade kerf.

i just eyeballed the bars and put electrical tape on the bars so it looked even and so i had a straight line to guide my cutting and i hacked at it..

How do you plug them once they are cut?

I'm going to second the hose clamp saw guide suggestion. Hose clamps are only like $.79 or something, and if you cut carefully, you can still use the hose clamp after on your kitchen sink or hose or something.
Use plenty of oil when cutting; it makes things much smoother and easier. I used 3in1 oil, real cutting oil would work, as would motor oil, and maybe even chain lube! ;)

How do you plug them once they are cut?
Uhh- Handlebar end plugs? ;)

My sarcasm yet again goes unappreciated

i used tape and a hacksaw. a bit rough, but very functional

Uhh- Handlebar end plugs? ;)

I have the original bar plugs. I am running into a snag though.
I was hoping to use a time trial type brake lever, but the tubing
is just a bit too small in diameter for it to seat into the bar end. :(

i used a friend's rotary grinder. Worked great. And I got the added bonus of lots of sparks.

A couple notes regarding pipe cutters. If you get one, get a decent one. I have one that I used to cut a steerer tube and handlebars and that's about as far as it got before massive chunks came out of the blade. Also, be light-handed and careful using one to cut aluminum bars - it is a lot easier than you think to ovalise the end that you just cut. Finally, if you do ovalize the end of your bars, fix it before you jam a bar-end lever in there or you will NEVER get it out again without about 90 min of work, some spilt blood, and a lot of swearing.

Finally, if you do ovalize the end of your bars, fix it before you jam a bar-end lever in there or you will NEVER get it out again without about 90 min of work, some spilt blood, and a lot of swearing.

I gave up. Bar-end levers weren't intended to be crammed into the curving section of chopped bars. Keep in mind that what you come up with might end up being permanent. And in my case that includes a stem as part of the permanent configuration.

Thank you. I'll go buy a new hacksaw tomorrow.

wouldnt a new hacksaw cost about as much as a new set of cheap e-bay bullhorns?

For machining aluminum, the best cutting agent and lubricant is kerosene.

1. get a pipe cutter at a flea market for five bucks...
2. cut your bars...
3. throw away the pipe cutter cuz it's now toast...

no need for a vice, I just held the bar against the ground and went at it with a hack saw, then filed it a little. The saw went through the bar real easy.

I used electrical tape and a jigsaw.

A couple notes regarding pipe cutters. If you get one, get a decent one....

I have found that a pipe cutter works superbly and is super easy (a hacksaw?!? ugh!). just adjust the tension a little at a time (as per package instructions) and you should be able to get a nice clean cut and still be able to use it again and again. I cut my steerer tube and my bars and it still works/looks fine... just make sure you get a decent/name brand one. they are only about 4 to 8 bucks.

two quick whacks with a sharp axe. Takes 10 seconds.

i just eyeballed it and took a hacksaw to it. had some nice vintage chrome bar end plugs to match the tapeless bars...

I stuck my bars in the vice, eyed a line, marked it with a sharpie and then sawed away. They turned out fine, probably not perfect, but close enough.

Thanks again folks.... I bought a $4.00 hacksaw and had at it. The results look real good.
I wound up using a Specialized in-line brake on the bar end and it works as well as a time
trial type lever. I'll take pictures as soon as I can.

...any best way to chop them to length? They are old chromed steel and have already been flipped to create bullhorns.


turn them upside down and place your hands where you would like them to be at on the bars. too many guys have them too long or too short.

S/F<
CEYA!

turn them upside down and place your hands where you would like them to be at on the bars. too many guys have them too long or too short.

S/F<
CEYA!

now THAT is an excellent suggestion!

Dolface ,Look like I was a little late posting. He cut them already..

S/F,
CEYA!

Dolface ,Look like I was a little late posting. He cut them already..

S/F,
CEYA!

true, but it's sure gonna help me out the next time i cut a pair down!

That's what I did anyway...and marked the distance with masking tape.
The end result looks and feels nice.

i just did this the other day with some new drops, flipped em, rode around with my hands where i'd want them, added an inch or so, and cut with a pipe cutter, then lined that chopped piece to the other bar, and started cutting there

they're not EXACTLY even, but they're close enough that you wouldnt notice

i did this last night at 5 in the morning after a long night of partying. probably THE worst time to try and cut something clean. my brain wasn't functioning, and i ended up doing this with an old hacksaw (no lubrication) in my parent's bathroom while they were out of town. once i got about halfway through the bar, i'd just kind of wrestle and karate chop at it until the ends snapped off. the plugs cover up all the imperfections, so it's really not even a big deal. i'm actually way pleased, even the next day with it. i left them a little long on purpose, because although i wasn't completely there, i was there enough to know i wouldn't be doing the world's greatest chopping job. i plan on going back with a file and smoothing out the rough spots, but yeah. cutting them was kind of fun. i'd do it again.

Funny story man. Same thing happened to me last night, came home around 4am from partying and decided to primer up my frame a little. I woke up this morning and found out that I had wasted half a can of primer on the fence in our backyard, totally missing the bike.

Wow another I was drunk and didn't know what the freak happen story. Alot of that is happening lately with bikers I know..Go figure. At least you got a new paint job for the fence..

S/F<
CEYA!

i tried for awhile to find some sweet handlebar setup with upside down and chopped bars, but in the end all were less comfortable than bars which were mounted the way they were designed to be mounted. i kept on trying different types of upside down cruiser bars to try to get the effect of old track bars pictured here:
http://i15.ebayimg.com/01/i/04/45/8a/ea_1_b.JPG
I could never get any bars to look like this so I finally just bought some vintage track bars like the ones pictured, (and paid a premium price). Kind of like track drop/moustache bar, or "dropstache bars" as I refer to them.

...any best way to chop them to length? They are old chromed steel and have already been flipped to create bullhorns.

This is how they turned out:

Lotus Elan:the Remix http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=10373

as far as plugs go, i highly recommend a pair of matching wine corks. my "bar-ends" are my favorite part of my bike. they look rad, and the soft squishy bits on the ends of the bars are my favorite hand position too.

as far as plugs go, i highly recommend a pair of matching wine corks. my "bar-ends" are my favorite part of my bike. they look rad, and the soft squishy bits on the ends of the bars are my favorite hand position too.

I just used the bar plugs that came with the tape.

Ditto. Electrical tape for a cutting guide + using the stem as a vice = a functional (if not gorgeous) set of bullhorns. A little filing and it's smooth as a baby's ass. As for the brake, I used the old lever that was on the bar (no hoods), and put it near the end like the TT-style brakes. Charming.

awesome. i was going to buy a cutting tool & chop mine but I was able to talk the guys building a fountain in our courtyard at the office to cut them & smooth the edges for me. they're perfect!

I found a set of FSA K-wing carbon bars in a dumpster yesterday. Unfortunately the end of one drop is crushed, which is presumably why they were tossed. However, the rest of the bars are just fine, so I'm thinking of cutting them into bullhorns, just to freak out anyone who sees them and is forced to wonder, "Why in gods holy name did he flip and chop a 180$ set of bars?!?"

Any tips for cutting carbon fiber?

peace,
sam

Any tips for cutting carbon fiber?

peace,
sam

a friend of mine did this. i think he just used a hacksaw. just make sure the blade is really sharp 'cause you want to have a clean cut & not make the ends fray. after he cut it, he covered the ends (that were cut) in epoxy to keep them from fraying/cutting his hands, etc. it was badass.

i've cut a few carbon fork steerers to length, as well as trimming some carbon mountain handlebars.

i use a sharp, fine toothed hacksaw blade. measure carefully and make a level and even cut. it cuts easily.

you can smooth the edges off with some fine sandpaper or steel wool.

Ok, thanks guys. Time to find an oversize stem and bling out the beater. ;)

peace,
sam

I found a set of FSA K-wing carbon bars in a dumpster yesterday. Unfortunately the end of one drop is crushed, which is presumably why they were tossed. However, the rest of the bars are just fine, so I'm thinking of cutting them into bullhorns, just to freak out anyone who sees them and is forced to wonder, "Why in gods holy name did he flip and chop a 180$ set of bars?!?"
Any tips for cutting carbon fiber?
peace,
sam

Respectfully, there's no way to be sure that "the rest of the bars are just fine". If they were crashed hard enough to crush the end of the drop, there was certainly a lot of force transmitted to the stem clamp area. Focused impacts can telegraph damage to areas that one might not expect. Inspect these bars carefully for tiny cracks and stress marks in all sections. Twist and pull like crazy whilst listening for splintering sounds. Flex and push, test with care before slapping onto the bike, before yanking and hammering up and down the steepest hill in town, be careful with these salvaged damaged bars.

Carbon Fiber is strong, until it's not, then it offers no strength at all, and does so in an unexpected fashion.

Like an old towel you rip into smaller pieces before washing the car, it's hard to tear, until a rip starts. Then it's hard to predict how smoothly or quickly the tear will manifest itself. What you'll be left with when the tear is complete cannot be known until it's finished. Wax on, Wax off.

when you cut the CF, make sure you wrap it with masking tape first OVER where you are going to cut it. its best to use a rod saw blade, but a regular blade will work also. the tape makes it so the edges don't fray. just wrap it like 2-3 times around, and draw your cutting line on the tape. the tape is probably the most important part of the cut, so don't skimp!