Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Ooo La La!

So, I just got Nitto bullhorns (the RB-009 model) for my fixie. I got tired of the way my Chuck's Bikes re-branded Stratos bars flexed. Now that they're on my bike, with its electrical tape finish, I feel like they're nicer than the bike they're on! I found myself taking great pains not to scratch them getting them into the stem, and now the black brake lever looks like an eyesore. Oh woe is me :)

Now I can't wait to get my chrome fork on and repaint the bike. Gloss black, shiny chrome stem, bars, and fenders. Yumm.

http://www.pbase.com/flippinghades/image/41456376/medium.jpg (http://www.pbase.com/flippinghades/image/41456376)

Now the real question is what type of liquor you got corked up in dem bars?

mmmm..."bullhorn XXX" would be my guess

Now the real question is what type of liquor you got corked up in dem bars?

Hmmm, I wonder if the caps from my Scotch bottles will fit? Scotch bottle tops are sexy as hell - nice cork with a wooden top. Errr, hrmm, yeah. Maybe I'm projecting.

The answer is - on the right side, Avila Pinot Noir, and on the left - Villa Mt. Eden Edna Valley Chardonnay. But I've gotta replace that one, 'cause it's a synthetic cork. Time to open another one :D

Definitely use the scotch corks. You might need to use some glue to keep them in there, tho. They have a slightly smaller diameter than the wine corks.

nice brake

FlippingHades you've just answered what's been going on in my head the past 3 days as I've been surfing the net for the sexiest set of bullhorns. I was leaning towards Nittos, but didn't have much to compare them to. I know, you should never doubt Nitto. I'll have to find something classier than my 2 Buck Chuck to plug up the bar ends though.

anyone have a good method for extracting the corks, when you need to re-tape? i have some bars waiting for some TLC, but i haven't started - not looking forward to pulling cork (mine are wedged in nearly all the way)

thnx

I extracted my pushed-in-corks with a knife, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and a lot of patience.

As for wine, I have a '97 Hess Collection cab cork in one end, and a Clos Pegase '98 Hommage in the other. Kinda bougie, but both stellar wines....

anyone have a good method for extracting the corks, when you need to re-tape? i have some bars waiting for some TLC, but i haven't started - not looking forward to pulling cork (mine are wedged in nearly all the way)

thnx

When I've shoved a wine cork back in a bottle too far to be extract with fingers, I usually use my teeth. Be sure to make lots of AAaaaAaarrrhhh! pirate noises once you're standing there with a cork in your teeth :)

Oooh, I had several of that '97 Hess. Nice wine!

I extracted my pushed-in-corks with a knife, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and a lot of patience.

As for wine, I have a '97 Hess Collection cab cork in one end, and a Clos Pegase '98 Hommage in the other. Kinda bougie, but both stellar wines....

yeah, i was thinking something like exacto knife + needle-nose.

but i dig the pirate suggestion... i'll pick up an eye patch, and hop around on one leg if necessary.

RE wine, i lean towards the spanish grapes... :P

p.s. I was just joshing about the brake. Nice bars!

corkscrew guys? works like a charm

p.s. I was just joshing about the brake. Nice bars!
Heh, it was the cheapest brake I could find - single pivot Tektro, $12/pair at aebike.com. The Kool Stop replacement pads cost more than the brake :)

Heh, it was the cheapest brake I could find - single pivot Tektro, $12/pair at aebike.com. The Kool Stop replacement pads cost more than the brake :)

Lol...

Oooh, I had several of that '97 Hess. Nice wine!

Yeah, it's good stuff. I have a bottle sitting in my wine rack waiting to be opened. It's hard to find the Hess Collection line, most places only carry the Hess Select or Estate.

Hey man, it's SF, we're so close to Napa/Sonoma/Russian River.

Wanna talk single malts? I'm a big fan of Oban, extra points if you get the 18 y/o distiller's edition.
Tequila? I gotta go with Corralejo Anejo, with Don Eduardo Anejo running a close second.
Beer? Oh man, where to start? Right now I'm drinking mostly Hoegaarden and Fat Tire, but I may switch soon to Laguanitas IPA since it's getting hot out. Every friday I drink a 40 of Miller high life on the train home, keepin it real :p

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm an "alcohol enthusiast", it's not just wine.

BTW, I rode the "Team Issue" Walker in today since it's so damn nice out and weather.com said 0% chance of rain.

anyone have a good method for extracting the corks, when you need to re-tape? i have some bars waiting for some TLC, but i haven't started - not looking forward to pulling cork (mine are wedged in nearly all the way)

thnx

how bout a corkscrew??? :D

that is hysterical that folks had to ask about a tool to remove the cork.
screwtops for you guys!

that is hysterical that folks had to ask about a tool to remove the cork.
screwtops for you guys!

sometimes i maybe ain't as think as you bright i am. :o

I need to try this scotch thing again one of these days.

Wanna talk single malts? I'm a big fan of Oban, extra points if you get the 18 y/o distiller's edition.
Tequila? I gotta go with Corralejo Anejo, with Don Eduardo Anejo running a close second.
Beer? Oh man, where to start? Right now I'm drinking mostly Hoegaarden and Fat Tire, but I may switch soon to Laguanitas IPA since it's getting hot out. Every friday I drink a 40 of Miller high life on the train home, keepin it real :p

Single Malt, I agree with the Oban 18, but I've had Johnnie Walker streaming through my veins since I was a year old (my parents put it in my bottle to put me to sleep) so I have to add the Green and Blue labels in there
Tequila, Don Julio. . .don't know why but I just love it.
Beer, Boddingtons or Geary's and most Draught. Though I'm a sucker for the .49 euro Super Sol (local supermarket chain) brand 40's over here!

I have a crappy brake like that on my fixie, I hate it!!! That's why I took it off... but I'm going to get a new caliper brake for it soon enough.

The reason why I hate that type of brake is that it keeps needing to be adjusted, I think the bike shop just gave me whatever they had lying around in a junk box or something.

Tequila, Don Julio. . .don't know why but I just love it.

Don Julio isn't bad, you should really try the Corralejo Anejo, it is far superior. Some other Anejos to try are Don Eduardo, Chinaco, Sauza Tres Generaciones, and Milagro.

how bout a corkscrew??? :D

thats funny.. this was such the obvious answer i assumed that it must not work for some reason...

Corkscrew doesn't work well for extracting corks from handlebars because it ends up pushing the cork further into the bar.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm an "alcohol enthusiast", it's not just wine.


I like the term "alcoholophile" myself :D Just got an 18 yr old Talisker.

Corkscrew doesn't work well for extracting corks from handlebars because it ends up pushing the cork further into the bar.

Fancy schmancy corkscrews might not work, but the old-fashioned t-shaped corkscrews work just fine if you use a delicate touch. Did it this morning.

the 'sneaky butler' style corkscrew also works well. Works great on winebottles, too.

Great looking bars, FlippingHades, I like them on Aaron's Bianchi too (http://fixedgeargallery.com/2005/mar/CatholicEnglishman.htm). I've been looking around for a pair online, but haven't been able to find many shops that sell them (of course I'm not the best about shopping online), only Bike Works.

Do you, or anyone else for that matter, know if the RB018 are the same design bar but in steel? I'm assuming the rb-009s are alum, correct? Did you buy yours online or at the LBS? I'm looking for an online vendor right now, because it seems my LBS (despite getting most of my check for as long as I can remember) is going under. One guy quit today, and they had to refuse a UPS package cuz they didn't have the $$$ for the COD (some random stuff I ordered, and paid for in advance) was in there).

Thanks a lot!

The RB-19 is not the same bar -- the top section slops downward, so there's really not much of a "flat", just maybe an inch on either side of the clamp bulge. The dimensions of the horns are also different than the 09.

Mine are aluminum, and I bought them from my LBS. I think they only make the track drops in steel.

ps. -- there's a good picture of the RB-19 here: http://www.businesscycles.com/tbars-nitto.htm

Oops, duh, you said *18*, not 19. Teach me to reply before I've had enough coffee. The business cycles link above has a picture of the 18 as well. They'll be more expensive, as they're heat-treated. It looks like the geometry's different too.