Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Lots of climbing. Drops? Bullhorns?

I'm building up a fixie. My area has lots of hills. I figured out on my roadie, that I would need around 60 gear inches to get over most of the hills and on certain hills, that mashing at like 30 rpm, putting all my weight on the pedal. I figure, I can suffer a little up hills but still have enough gear to go fast on the flats.

So I could use drops with one brake lever and one dummy brake lever, or bullhorns. Which would you guys do?

Personal preference, bullhorns. More leverage.

i second what judah said.

as long as i've loved drops, the week or two i tried bullhorns helped a lot. i've got a set up now with flat bars that curve back a bit, even those are great for climbing. standing up and powering up hills certainly is a breeze with them. nitto flat promenades that curve back, rather than the more square ones. i forget the number on them, but sometimes i think they are called "flat mustache"... www.bikecult.com has them, cut about 5 or 6 inches off and they're perfect! or bullhorns...

For climbing..... bullhorns, drops with hoods, moustache......in that order.

bull horns all the way

Unless you're Pantani, bullhorns are perfect for climbing.

You know, I honestly don't know why flat/riser bars became the mtb standard other than that's what the original clunkers were running. There are so many better choices for climbing and technical work. Someday I'll get me a set of dirt drops.

Bullhorns, get yourself forward and get those glutes in the game.

Bullhorns.

I lived in Seattle and going from say Pioneer Sqr to say Madison Market on top of Capitol Hill was almost an uphill climb all the way. Maybe 3-5 miles with varying degrees, with the most severe in the middle and end of the ride. Running 69" (42x16)

When I switched from track drops to profile airwings I could definitely feel more leverage.

People in hilly places seem to agree, bullhorns give better hill...

Huh. I would think that drops would be better. I've never ridden on bullhorns, but I feel that the lower mashing abilities of drops can really help out on hills...

Huh. I would think that drops would be better. I've never ridden on bullhorns, but I feel that the lower mashing abilities of drops can really help out on hills...

I would argue that the upright you are during a climb, the better.

Seems like you'd want to have more of your weight over your pedals so that you can use that weight to propel you up the hill. Also, with the more leaned forward stance that the drops give, you are actually pointing your body into the hill, rather than up the hill...

Ok, going with Bullhorns.

Now to choose....

A few choices, Nitto, Profile, Syntace... hmmm

I dig bullhorns for climbing, but if I were doing a lot of climbing, and had a lot of money to spend on a set of handlebars, I'd be all over the Jones H-Bar. Its popular among SS mtbers, but they are totally sweet handlebars. Of course, they are 200$ and made of titanium, so a little out of my budget. But cool nonetheless.

http://www.jonesbikes.com/hbar/default.asp

peace,
sam

Ok, going with Bullhorns.

Now to choose....

A few choices, Nitto, Profile, Syntace... hmmm

Ahhh...the luxury of choice. You thinking ergs or aesthetics?

drops plus hoods

Probably more for ergonomics and price. I really don't care what they look like since they would be under bar tape anyway.

chucksbikes has silver syntace bars for 12.50. branded syntace too, not the toros they used to have.

a

I would argue that the upright you are during a climb, the better.

Seems like you'd want to have more of your weight over your pedals so that you can use that weight to propel you up the hill. Also, with the more leaned forward stance that the drops give, you are actually pointing your body into the hill, rather than up the hill...

Center of gravity over the pedals matter, but I don't understand how the drop bar doesn't give this? (you can change stem length. Not all stems are -32 Nitto decline stems either)

If you say you like Bullhorns better because the grip gives you better leverage then that's a different story.

Center of gravity over the pedals matter, but I don't understand how the drop bar doesn't give this? (you can change stem length. Not all stems are -32 Nitto decline stems either)

If you say you like Bullhorns better because the grip gives you better leverage then that's a different story.

'cause the drops get your center of mass too far forward 'cause they're lower than the saddle (unless you have a riser stem, in which case why do you have drops?).

I'm building up a fixie. My area has lots of hills. ...


Bullhorns... but you'll suffer anyway.

yeah I know. But during the school year, I'll be away from the hills, so it'll be good for riding to class, going to the store, recovery rides.

If you can pull off your climbs seated, go for drops, if you have to stand, bullhorns.

You know, I honestly don't know why flat/riser bars became the mtb standard other than that's what the original clunkers were running. There are so many better choices for climbing and technical work.But it's not even that. Those old clunkers didn't have flat bars. Not sure where that really developed.

Note this picture. Up top is an old cruiser, check the sweep of the bars. Then look at the Jones H-bars (pink arrow). Pretty similar sweep, eh?

Yeah, but when they adapted them for downhill runs, they'd even kit 'em out with motorcycle bars and levers. Take, for example, Mr. Scot Nicol (Ibis) here attacking Repack Road.

http://www.firstflightbikes.com/_borders/nicol1982.jpg

Maybe that's really what it's about. Flat bars are fine for an upright downhill stance. Plenty of visibility and control over the bumps.

You know, I honestly don't know why flat/riser bars became the mtb standard other than that's what the original clunkers were running. There are so many better choices for climbing and technical work. Someday I'll get me a set of dirt drops.
Me, I've had bullhorns on my mountain/beater bike for fourteen years now- not much gonzo downhilling where flat bars shine, more technical and road use. My track bike has a Salsa stem and bullhorns too.

Seems to me, the problem with track bars is that they have little in the way of flats on the top since they expect you to be in the drops all the time so it bends a lot at the top. Not like they'd ever expect you to be on the tops of the hoods....

Yeah, but when they adapted them for downhill runs, they'd even kit 'em out with motorcycle bars and levers. Yeah, I figured it was stolen from the motocycle world. They were lacing up moto drum brakes on their rims too.

I was just at the MTB Hall of Fame. You should have seen some of the first generation brake levers. they were monsters!

One gets up hills by pulling with his or her heels and not by mashing.
Bullhorns allow the rider to lean way forward on the bars and extend the legs for maximum pulling.

You know, I honestly don't know why flat/riser bars became the mtb standard other than that's what the original clunkers were running. There are so many better choices for climbing and technical work.
Well, in the early 90s, it wasn't unusual for XC racers to use drops. As courses became more technical, though, they fell out of favor. Personally, I don't think they're that well suited to technical off-road riding anyway. Flat bars + bar ends are where it's at.

I have Profile Airwing bars on my Benotto road conversion and I think they're great for climbing. On my '04 Pista, I just put some Syntace 'horns on 'em, and they feel so much lighter than the stock Deda bars. They also feel more responsive than the Airwings, maybe the weight of the Pista compared to the Benotto is the deciding factor.
Drew

Nitto Bulls all the way

'cause the drops get your center of mass too far forward 'cause they're lower than the saddle (unless you have a riser stem, in which case why do you have drops?).

Well if you are talking about the typical "track drop" bar and stem you are probably right. I'm thinking more along the lines of *gasp* a road bar.

[To everyone else] What is your favorite track/pista bar for road use?

If you can pull off your climbs seated, go for drops, if you have to stand, bullhorns.


It always cracks me up watching newbie roadies or fixied riders with pista bars climbing hills with their hands in the drops... its even funnier if they are standing at the time.

Climbing- use bullhorns...

I wonder why nobody mentioned bar width here... IMHO, if you do a lot of out-of-saddle mashing/sprint/whatever, make sure your bars are as wide as possible to give more leverage... That's why SS MTB-ers have 60+ cm flat bars, and that's why I picked 44 cm bullhorns (largest available) for my SS townie being built right now. I will need them at red light sprints, but they sure come in handy on climbs as well.

It always cracks me up watching newbie roadies or fixied riders with pista bars climbing hills with their hands in the drops... its even funnier if they are standing at the time.

Eh, I used to do out-of-the-saddle climbs from the drops. It can be very effective, especially if you're going anaerobic. I still do when I'm on my drop bar fixed gear.

It can be very effective, especially if you're going anaerobic.

I'll have to take your word for it ;)

It always cracks me up watching newbie roadies or fixied riders with pista bars climbing hills with their hands in the drops... its even funnier if they are standing at the time.

Climbing- use bullhorns...

Well yeah ......grapping the grabbing the drops is pointless because you don't need to be aero and it hurts power because it closes the hip angle.

But the beauty of the drop bars is that you don't have to set them "ultra low" if you don't want to. This way you can have a much taller "tops" position for climbing.

The first big hill stage of this year's TdF has just ended, Alejandro Valverde won. He climbed quite a bit out of saddle gripping the drops. So it's down to personal preference, just like cadence.

The first big hill stage of this year's TdF has just ended, Alejandro Valverde won. He climbed quite a bit out of saddle gripping the drops. So it's down to personal preference, just like cadence.

He raised his bars up? (sometimes Pros will change stem length and bar position depending on if it is a flat stage or climbing stage)

It seem to me the same thing applies to track bike drop bars. What position works in a velodrome obviously wouldn't be the combo for climbing.

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/productimages/fullsize/Pista.jpg

This is a nice bar. I like the oversize stuff and the shape doesn't look bad either. Pretty reasonably priced.

i like drops... and i live on top of some huge sf hills. I have to climb the hills every day and digging in the drops seems effective.

I'll have to take your word for it ;)

I'm backing up BostonTrevor on this one. It might vary greatly for others' setups, but the location (relative to the bike) of my grip for climbing isn't far off with drops over bullhorns. I haven't measured but it certainly feels this way. To note, I use a 145mm stem with the drops and a 110 with the bullhorns.

I'm backing up BostonTrevor on this one. It might vary greatly for others' setups, but the location (relative to the bike) of my grip for climbing isn't far off with drops over bullhorns.

That's what I'm talking about. The cool thing about the drop bars is you have two levels (high/low) to grab.

when i climb hills on my track bike i grab the ends of the drops, hold on tight, and pull away (with my heels, like ken said). on the flats, my hands go in the hooks for better forearm position.

"when i climb hills on my track bike" - that sounds kind of stupid, doesn't it?

Personal preference, bullhorns. More leverage.
Werd.