mathews023

Hello,

I want to replace my drop bars with these bullhorn handlebars:

Retrospec Bicycles Pursuit Bull Horn Style Lightweight Alloy Handlebars for Track Bike, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E1IDFYU..._r5gGvbK6CJFXB

Will my current brake levers --- Imgur --- work? Or do I need to buy bar end levers?

Thank you!

Tim_Iowa

Your current levers will clamp on these bullhorn bars; the 25.4 mm clamp diameter is the proper size for road brake levers.

However, you'll have two other problems.

1) The secondary brake levers (aka turkey wings, suicide levers) will need to go; they'd be unusable and in the way on the bullhorn bars. Sometimes, these are easy to remove, but other times the brake levers can't be re-assembled without them.

2) The cable routing would be terrible. On these "non-aero" levers, the cable exits the top. Which would be facing forward once mounted on the bullhorn bars, hanging out in space ahead of the bars like a pair of bunny ears.

Honestly, I'm not a fan of bullhorns so I don't know which levers folks use. It seems to me that cable routing from any normal drop bar lever would be terrible; even "aero" ones would have the cable exitin. I do know that some folks like bar-end brake levers, but the bullhorn bars you picked are not compatible with those (interior diameter too small).

Cross Creek

Clamp diameter refers to the stem clamp, not the rest of the bar, which I believe I read somewhere is 22.2mm (typical mtn bar lever size). Road levers would probably not fit without some kind of shimming, and even then you'd have to find the right spots that would allow comfortable use. Most people using these bars on road bikes mount bar end levers like this: https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...&category=2231 or cross levers like this: https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...&category=2231 Be sure to determine the bar diameter before you order levers to fit. Also check your stem clamp. Most road stems (26mm or larger) won't work for a 25.4mm bar without shimming, if at all, so you may be happier with a new stem that fits exactly.

TenSpeedV2

The bars you posted are pursuit bars, which are different than standard bullhorn bars. If you do decide to go this route, you can usually pick up a set of levers from your bike shop for fairly cheap. They are called cross levers, and they are about $15 a piece or so, depends on your LBS.

fietsbob

reverse pull levers go in the ends of some bars..
Dia-Compe Inverse Brake Levers, 22.2 - Levers - Brakes & Parts - Components
Dia Compe Inverse Brake Levers, 23.8mm - Levers - Brakes & Parts - Components
Tektro RX4.1 Inverse Brake Levers, Silver - Levers - Brakes & Parts - Components

Pursuit, being a track race on a Velodrome , a closed Course . so brakes are not used

on the street you can risk It if you want. I like Brakes ..

I had a Aerobar bull horn Combined setup 1 tube bent many times formed Both. Profile Brand made It.

2 down tube levers went on mounts on the front of the aero Bars.. reverse pull levers in the tube Ends.

Soody

All you do is lose the hoods position with road levers on pursuit/ bullhorn bars, so really your levers are more suited to them seeing as they don't have nice hoods. I can see the cable length possibly working, if you lower your stem a bit, although longer cables would be better. Removing the suicide levers is easy.



Even if you get new levers, maybe get some normal aero road ones anyway, so you could use them on drop bars. Pursuit bars are cool but after a while on them, you'll want to switch back.

richietables 

I have bullhorns on my fixie but not pursuit bars. 26mm at the stem, and I'm running Tektro cross levers. They make 24mm size which was correct for my Eighthinch brand bullhorns.

mathews023

Here's the finished product:
Imgur

Thanks for all the help!

TenSpeedV2

That angle tho

mathews023

Lol, better?

Imgur

TenSpeedV2

I meant the angle of the bars.