neverwrite

Problem:
I am looking for a set of 40 or 42cm bullhorns with little drop that bend inward (towards the center of the bike) as they extend forward. Anyone have any suggestions?

Explanation:
6 months ago I messed up my left hand. I broke and dislocated the pinky and took some damage in the hand, never got it set properly. Ever since I have had pain in my left hand and difficulty wrapping the last two fingers around the bar when riding. Before the crash I was most comfortable riding hoods on a road bike and bullhorns on a track bike. Now I have problems riding drops (bad angle for the left hand), mtb bars(can't wrap fingers well on left) or bullhorns (angle of bars causes problems.) The best solution I have found so far is to run drop bars with brake levers high on the bend, with the brake hoods angled in. Riding a track bike causes more problems because of the increased use of hands. I have thought about running drop bars with stoker brake hoods attatched, but would prefer the more solid feel of a bullhorn. The bullhorns I have tried (Soma, Nitto 018, profile) all either extend perpedicular to the flat section of the bar or they flare outwards (bar is wider at the ends than at the bends.) I remeber seeing bullhorns that curve inwards in the past, but now that I am looking I cannot find any.

thanks,
James

roadfix

One alternative is to run a shortened straight bar with long bar ends. Bar ends angle inward anyway so that may work for you.

onetwentyeight 

Would moustache bars work maybe?

humancongereel

that's sort of what i wondered. but the bar ends sound like a good option...like the ones you see on mountain bikes, right?

habitus

how about bending some steel ones?

jmgorman

This seems like the best option to me. Find 2 or 3 old steel drops and mess around with them until you find the right angle etc.

humancongereel

how easy it to bend handlebars? i mean, i've never tried, but i assumed that was a joke cuz...well...i've never bent any, even while slamming to the ground like a box of rocks.

oharescrubs

when i get hit by cars my handlebars usually bend

roadfix

Steel bars are bendable.
Actually, I like this idea better than my bar ends solution.

r-dub

Al bars are bendable too...they just shouldn't be ridden post bending. Another option (pricey) would be to talk with a framebuilder about making some bars for you.

Dogbait

Syntace bars bend in slightly at the ends, as you can see from the drawing on their site. They come with 0, 2cm, 4cm and 8cm drop, and 39cm, 41cm amd 43cm width. I have a pair of 200, 42cm wide bars on my FG bike... they are good bars but flex a little when climbing out of the saddle.

SYNTACE BARS

Sometimes, Chuck's has syntace bars for a good price. (Click on Bars in the list on the right side of the page.)

CHUCKS

Dogbait

griffin_

i suggest you rebreak your finger and then have it set properly

koyman

I do the short flat bar + bar ends thing. Works great for me, but I don't have messed-up fingers.

Also, I can't find any bar ends that I like as much as those that I've "borrowed" off my roommate's MTB.

phillybill

An old Scott AT 2 bar works pretty good.

kurremkarm

+1

Actually, they will break your finger and then set it properly.

neverwrite

Were cost no object I would get the hand fixed. That would involve rebreaking it, pins, lots of money, and the loss of my left hand for a while. Bars are much cheaper. I ended up getting the syntace bars from Cyclesport, double wrapping them, and switching out for a 90 degree stem. I will give it a few weeks and if problems persist I'll try the bar end solution or bending some cut steel drops. It looks goofy as hell but running errands today it felt pretty good. Thanks for the help.
-James

max-a-mill

i got some toro bars on my crosscheck that sound like just the ticket.

https://info.product-finder.net/icycl...Handlebar.html

you can't tell from this picture but mine definitely bend in a little. thay are ugly/long as hell, but offer many good hand postions for me, which is crucial for my daily driver. it ain't about style on my commuter.

tink20seven

hey,,
on the subject of bending a set of custom bars,,,

I've been thinking about, and sketching out, my "ideal" set of bullhorns.

Now, I'm no engineer, and I centainly don't know much about ergonomics, more than anything actually i think there is an asthetic quality that I'm trying to produce. I like the deep drops (like in the deda elementi bullhorns, but more), and want a longer area to grip after the "up bend" (like in the nitto 4004 bullhorns).

Nonetheless, my question is have any of you attempted to bend your own bars?

If so, what machine did you use and with what tubing.

cheers
~tink