Fifty Plus (50+) - new handlebars on my trek 1000 ( tim allen special)

well i just couldn't sit by without changing something so i modified my bars. I like it because frankly i don't see myself using the traditional bar any. Almost like a straightbar... Whatcha think

Whatcha think

I'm thinking that you need to be the one to tell us how it works. I'm assuming that the shifting is fine, can you get full pressure on the brakes?

You've obviously acquired CBTD (compulsive bike tinkerers disease).

Nice. You took bullhorns and inverted them, correct?

What's wrong with drops?

Nice. You took bullhorns and inverted them, correct?

It looks to me like he chopped his road handlebar.

It looks to me like he chopped his road handlebar. That was my initial thought. ....he simply chopped off the drops.
But after looking at how the bar tops are swept up it looked more like inverted bullhorns to me.

looks like he chopped the drops to me..... cool.

be well,

jim

I like the looks how does it ride?

That set up is dangerous for braking. What is wrong with mounting bullhorns in their designed position, far better for hard braking?

That was my initial thought. ....he simply chopped off the drops.
But after looking at how the bar tops are swept up it looked more like inverted bullhorns to me.

He's just nipped the drops off. He's left the brifters in the same position as they always were.

I don't see any particular issues with braking, simply because most braking is done from the hoods anyway... and the drops wouldn't form any part of that process even if they still existed.

I'd also make sure that I had bar-end plugs well inserted so they could not fall out. A gored thigh might result otherwise.

After much thought they still look like inverted bullhorns to me.

SAy it ain't so, Joe

After much thought they still look like inverted bullhorns to me.

Yes... I can see what you mean by the length of the bars from the bend to the levers.

Oh well, whatever has been done, it's an individual experimenting, and I like that.

actually yes. No problem with braking. it feels great. Took it out several times for riding but only time will tell. i just didn't care much for the traditional handlebars. Almost like having a straight bar but the shifter brake leveler is just awesome to use. Wouldn't trade it for anything. If you look where the shifter is you will understand why i chose this bar. There is a 90. bend on the ends just enough to place the shifters at.
And yes i have the disease..I like building things. Goes back to the days when i use to build models.
Then when I got older I did interior framing in Florida for a living, sub contracting. Now i have a carpet cleaning business and i build my own truckmount as well. Tinkernitus is contagious. Be careful it can be hazedoud to your health . Oh by the way if your reading this you may have the disease allready...:thumb:

I spent some time looking at your setup and it just seemed to me that you brake levers are very exposed right now. I'm not talking about exposure from the front or bottom as much as I am from the side. I typically lean my bike against things, and the drop section of my bars tend to flair out just a wee bit. So they are the part of the bike that touches the surface area of whatever I'm leaning the bike against. With your set up, I fear that the levers might take a beating. I know this is a minor thing, but it's usually the minor things that drive me nuts. One things for sure, you're bound to get some interesting looks with the thing.

i have a back kickstand also i am not sure about this handlebar either. Maybe looking to send it back. David

i am not sure about this handlebar either. Maybe looking to send it back. David

How about mounting it the way bullhorns are supposed to be mounted? You can still use your levers on them.

Oh by the way if your reading this you may have the disease allready...

reading this thread may prevent some of us from the disease. but whatever floats your boat is fine with me. After all, if no one challenged traditional thinking innovation would be non-existant.

Waht i will need to adjust is the angle on the bar. Its to far forward. Needs to come up more. No i didn't cut the handlebars the ones i had were to small. I needed a wider set. Still contemplating my next move. I may go with the 44 mm bull horns instead. Heres the bars i have now. http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600092&subcategory=60001050&brand=&sku=8448&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Road%20Handlebars

I don't see any particular issues with braking, simply because most braking is done from the hoods anyway... and the drops wouldn't form any part of that process even if they still existed.

You must ride very differently than I do. It's extremely rare that I even touch the hoods, let alone brake from them.

You must ride very differently than I do. It's extremely rare that I even touch the hoods, let alone brake from them.

OK. I'll bite. Where are your hands and where do you brake from? The drops?

You must ride very differently than I do. It's extremely rare that I even touch the hoods, let alone brake from them.

I think you'll find that most people ride differently from you as most people ride on the hoods most of the time. Braking from the hoods is good enough for general slowing, but not nearly as effective for hard braking as from the drops. That is what bothers me most about the OP's setup. The most effective braking position is missing.

OK. I'll bite. Where are your hands and where do you brake from? The drops?

In the curved portion of the bars between the brake levers and the drops; i.e., the portion of the bars that projects the farthest forward on the bike. If I were riding the bike in this picture from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Handlebar_with_fancy_wrap.JPG) the palms of my hands would be against the inside of the curve of the bar just below the hoods, with my thumbs curled around the bars and my fingers curled around the brake levers.

Most of the time I ride with the heels of my hands at beginning of the curve between the straight top portion of the bars and the hoods, and my fingers stretching along beside the bars so that they almost, but don't quite reach the hoods. I move them into the position described above for braking.

I think you'll find that most people ride differently from you as most people ride on the hoods most of the time. Braking from the hoods is good enough for general slowing, but not nearly as effective for hard braking as from the drops. That is what bothers me most about the OP's setup. The most effective braking position is missing.

The few times I've tried riding on the hoods it felt very awkward to me, like I was leaning either too far forward or not far enough, both at the same time. Braking from the hoods seemed even less effective than those silly brake lever extensions I had in the '70s and '80s.

The few times I've tried riding on the hoods it felt very awkward to me, like I was leaning either too far forward or not far enough, both at the same time.

I'm curious to see your bar set up and how your bars are set up in relation to your saddle.

I'm curious to see your bar set up and how your bars are set up in relation to your saddle.

I'll try to get a picture uploaded in the next day or two. But basically, the bars are oriented similar to the ones in the picture I linked to earlier, and the saddle is just a little higher than the bars. Everything is very comfortable for me in my normal riding positions (especially after getting my lovely B-17 saddle), but riding on the hoods just feels weird. Partly, I suppose, it's due to riding for years on a bike that had brake lever extensions and no hoods, so I never used that hand position; and maybe I subconsciously worry about pushing the brake levers out of position (although they're way too tight on the bars for me actually to move them that way). Mainly, though, it just feels awkward to lean that far forward with my arms that close to being straight out in front; I'm more comfortable being more upright and reaching down at a steeper angle, or else leaning way down and having my elbows bent to reach forward. It's taken months to get everything tweaked just right and I don't want to start messing with it now.

^^^ Hmm.....riding and braking on the hoods should be as natural as doing the same in the drops for you if everything is set up just right.

^^^ Hmm.....riding and braking on the hoods should be as natural as doing the same in the drops for you if everything is set up just right. It's usually the other way around for most people.

I tried once moving the hoods further up on the bars, so that I could reach them comfortably from my preferred hand position, but that got them too high on the curve and angled the levers too far away from the bars, so that in the drops I felt like I'd have to drag my elbows along the ground to reach up to the brakes. So I moved them back to their current position.

I can grab the hoods and ride that way just fine when I have a need to do so, but I always return to a position just behind the hoods when I'm cruising along, because it feels more natural.

Whatever works for you. :)

The few times I've tried riding on the hoods it felt very awkward to me, like I was leaning either too far forward or not far enough, both at the same time. Braking from the hoods seemed even less effective than those silly brake lever extensions I had in the '70s and '80s.
Do you have very small hands or something? Some levers are awkward for smaller hands.

I have to wonder if you have a fit problem or some sort of physical limitation. The hoods normally should be a comfortable place to put your hands.

http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq165/shooters_desire/ridersviewofbar.jpg

http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq165/shooters_desire/fronviewofbar.jpg

http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq165/shooters_desire/sideviewofbars.jpg

any thoughts or ideas would be helpful. (For the creative mind especially)

any thoughts or ideas would be helpful. (For the creative mind especially)

I personally wouldn't be comfortable resting my hands on the swept up flat areas. For me, the flats need to be level, swept down, and/or swept back so my hands will rest at their natural positions.

You'll be better off with zero degree drop bullhorns and not inverting them.

Looks like they used to be randonneur bars, Nittos maybe?

http://www.ebikestop.com/prodimages/HB1021.jpg

Chopped & flipped they'd look something like this :

http://www.cambriabike.com/Images/product/syntace_stratos_aero_bar.jpg

Flipped, the forward parallels might be a little too short. But the center positions would be nice.

http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq165/shooters_desire/davidonbikeprofileR.jpg

Now you can see how i sit on the bike and where my hands end up. I have full control of bike also the biddle bars on the last post is what i have. If not pretty close to it. David