Bicycle Mechanics - Brakes and shifter (internal hub) on bullhorns

Hi all,

I am rebuilding my old road bike, and I really want two things: an internal 7- or 8-speed hub, and bullhorn handlebars.

Unfortunately, over three days of searching on the web, I'm finding that there's no standard setup for having both brakes and shifters on bullhorns, and most people's solutions are jerry-rigged, one-off solutions for their particular setup.

I think I've come up with a solution that I'm happy with, but would love to hear your comments.


Basic cheap Origin-8 bullhorns (http://www.origin-8.com/?page_id=91&short_code=Pro-Pulsion+Bull+Horn&cl1=HANDLEBARS), 24mm, 20.1 mm Inner diameter
A JTek 7- or 8-speed bar-end shifter (http://jtekengineering.com/jtek_bar-end_shifter.htm).
A single time-trial style brake lever for the other bullhorn, like one of these Crane Creeks (http://www.amazon.com/Cane-Creek-Trial-Levers-Black/dp/B000ZTNXCS/ref=pd_sbs_sg_2) for the front brake.
One (or two?) cross levers like these Soma levers (http://store.somafab.com/urcrle.html).


The idea is that, in the hands-forward position, I'd have access to the shifter and the front brake, and in the upright position I'd have access to the other (or both) of the brakes.

Mostly this is a compromise because the bar-end JTek shifter seems like it is the only shifter that would work with bullhorns and an internal hub. Since that takes up one of the holes, I can only have one other brake on the other horn. I've read about Paul's Thumbies, but as far as I can tell they wouldn't work for 7- or 8-speed internal hubs.

Also, because I'm a newbie at all this, I can't work out whether the cross brakes work as interrupter brakes -- that is, whether I'd be able to have a second lever for my front brake. Also, do interrupter levers even work on center-pull brakes?

So, any thoughts? Any better way to have both the shifter and brakes on the bullhorns? Do the components listed above all fit together?

Thanks! First time trying to do bike work at this lever, and I've been in a paralysis the past few days with all the (mostly incompatible) options, and I'm trying to finally settle on something!

(There's also a nice setup here (http://road.cc/content/review/15664-bionicon-urban-road) with bar-end shifters and what look to be timetrial brake levers, but I can't find any information on what the levers are.)

Are you talking a 7-8 IGH with a coaster, or are you running a rear centerpull as well? I don't know if my personal experience will help or not, but I had a centurion a little while ago that I put bar end shifters at the ends of some chopped drops converted into bullhorns, I was able to use some non aero levers I had laying around with a pair of mafac racers, mounting the levers on the bottom at the tips of the horns, it was actually quite nice. You want to run interrupters so you have levers available in the flats I take it?

there are cable doublers, then the 1 lever will operate both brakes off one lever.
Back in the day tandems had both rim brakes on a 2 cable brake lever,
and the drum drag brake on the rear hub, operated on the other lever..
so it's not un heard of..

A bit of a set up challenge, of course...,
its hard to be abnormal..

interruptor levers spread the Housing, that they interrupt.
the cable passes straight thru
to the brake at the end of the cable..

I'm thinking now it may be simpler to go with just the bar-end shifter and two cross levers on the flats. If that all works out, maybe I'll get more advanced and upgrade one of the cross levers to a TT lever+interrupt.

My main reason for wanting the TT lever was efficiency -- it seemed silly to let a bar-end go unfilled while I was putting something in the other. But I think for a first-time big conversion I should go for simplicity first.

Well, stay tuned to find out how this works out, but I'm in the midst of a build like that right now. 3 speed Sturmey Archer, bar end shifter and bull horns. I'm using interrupter style levers in the upright part of the bar.
should have it together tomorrow and be able to post some pictures.

Instead of the bull-horn specific brake levers, which mount in the end of the bars, you can also use standard drop-bar brake levers, like a cheap pair of Tektros. Most bullhorn bars have enough curvature so that the levers have enough clearance from the bars to give them room to operate before touching the bar, although with flatter bullhorns, without much of a hooked end, then this will be a problem. The other problem is routing of the brake cable, which comes out of the top of the lever, and so this would then be going forwards. I solved this by filing away some of the brake lever body to allow the cale to exit a little differently, then also using a "flexible noodle" designed for V-brakes to make the tight turn to direct the cable under the bar tape; this causes a bit more friction in the housing, so you might need to increase the tension in the brake's springs, if that is possible with your model of brake.

You could also go for an integrated brake/shifter, there is a model called the Versa-8 (http://www.sussex.com.tw/versa.html) that is similar to a Shimano STI, but is designed to operate an Alfine or Nexus 8-speed hub (there is now another model for an Alfine-11 also). Again, you would need a bull-horn with a sufficient amount of bend at the end to mount these and have sufficient range for the brae lever.

In-line brake levers can be had cheaper than the link you show (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1032732_-1_1534003_20000_400198)

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. Dan Burkhart (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php/19437-Dan-Burkhart): I'd love to see that build when you're finished with it.

One thing I still haven't been able to understand: Can I use in-line brake levers with center-pull U-brakes? I can't find any info on this online, though these Paul's (http://www.paulcomp.com/crosslever.html) mention working for center-pull, but looking at it mechanically I can't see how it would work. (I guess that's offtopic so I could also make that question another thread.)

I am not sure if your aware of this but that J-Tek shifter works backwards well the hub actually. unlike a standard barend shifter when it is in the full down powition you are in the easiest gear and in the full up the hardest gear. that can be confusing with more than one set of barends in the house!

Also what kind of frame? does it have horizontal drops or vertical? vertical require special anti rotation washers and a chain tensioner

I am not sure if your aware of this but that J-Tek shifter works backwards well the hub actually.
I think I can get used to it. It will be my only bike, so I won't have to keep switching.


Also what kind of frame? does it have horizontal drops or vertical? vertical require special anti rotation washers and a chain tensionerIt's an old Kalkhoff that has diagonal dropouts. It looks a lot like this bike (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_V2_uZANUM3A/S9ZMq3eEw3I/AAAAAAAADyI/BwbQI7gWIU0/s1600/kalkhoff_01.jpg). The dropouts are roughly 45º, or maybe a little closer to vertical. Will I still need the anti-rotation washers?

you need antirotation washers for any bike, they just come in different angles for different dropouts. your should take the basic washer that comes in the cassette kit

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. Dan Burkhart (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php/19437-Dan-Burkhart): I'd love to see that build when you're finished with it.


I planned to have it done today, but I'm battling the flu or something, so I've only managed a couple of short spurts out in the garage, and been spending the rest of the day on the couch.
Hopefully I'll have something to show you later.

OK, got 'er done. The verdict is, it works. I'm very happy with the result. Note that if you use a bar end shifter with a Shimano hub, as Bianchigirll said, the shifter works the other way (low normal).

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ur6t.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/102o08m.jpg

Better explanation here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgFt1zG_knM