dystaind

Anyone have any opinions which is comfier for a week long bike trip? Taking the Allegheny Passage in PA down to Washington DC.

Right now I have chopped + flipped and have been lovin it. I'll take a photo of my ride later... I've been debating if I should lower the handlebars/stem a bit. I will most likely be riding single speed the whole way (my fixed gear wheelset got wrecked and is still being built up... so I've been riding singlespeed on an old 5 speed wheel).

dutret

pretty much the same if there is no drop in the bullhorns.

If you are going on a ride longer then you are used to lowering your bars would be incredibly stupid.

roadfix

I don't mind using drop bars on a singlespeed. I could use the extra hand/body position while coasting on a descent, for instance.
Bullhorns have always felt comfortable on a fixed gear though, regardless of distance.

heliumb

I rode my 1st century with chop/flip.
I rode my 2nd century with drops & felt like an idiot for not switching sooner.
If you can find someone to hide behind the whole time, it's just about hand positions.
If I'm out there solo, it's really nice to be able to duck underneath the wind when I need to.

Shiznaz

If its comfy, stick with it. Maybe get some clip on aero bars.

Tequila Joe

On long distance rides, the more hand positions the better. imo

danlikesbikes

+

dmg

I've done centuries on bullhorns and longer geared rides on road drops. I think you can get enough variety of position with bullhorns so it's not a problem. You may want to raise the bars up a bit - my back cramps before anything else really gets sore.

wroomwroomoops

How does chopped+flipped look like, actually? Is that the same as bullhorns?

heliumb

...

wroomwroomoops

Thank you.


On a conversion (if it's a really nice bike, like an old Cinelli or Masi), is it considered rude to put different handlebars than the original ones?

heliumb

The type of person to get offended by bars would already be offended that it's been converted, so do what you like.

hockeyteeth

Flipped and chopped bars do not offer the amount of reach that good bullhorns do. I'd recommend bullhorns over flipped/chopped, but drops over bullhorns any day. Why would you not allow yourself the aero position offered by drop bars? Whether you get track or road bars, get drops or get dropped!

stuckinatx

There's a reason almost every bike made to be ridden long distances is equipped with drops.
Since you'll be riding singlespeed the whole way, you'll need brake levers anyway. riding on the hoods is pretty much like bullhorns. Riding for a whole week I'd be more concerned about my hands being comfortable rather than aerodynamics. Plus riding in the drops should make you plenty aero. you're not trying to win a race. or make your bike look sweet on fixedgeargallery.

Shiznaz

I personally prefer bullhorns to drops. Did I just break your mind?

blickblocks

What hoods?

dutret

I don't get the joke.

stuckinatx

yeah. the brake lever hoods. but you guys probably ride on the track so much, you wouldn't know what those are. snap.

bonechilling

Seriously, I was reading this and thinking "there are people
on this board who don't know what hoods are?"

abeyance

Mustache bars. for mustache rides.

hockeyteeth

Man, those hoods are a joke, comfort-wise. You have to angle the levers so far back to get the hoods horizontal. And even then, you don't get much extension on the bars. STI hoods are a million times more comfortable. Just wish I could afford them...

mander

Get the Tektro aero levers homes. They are very cheap, and for comfort they blow the nasty old "hatchet" style aero levers out of the water---they are a brake lever only copy of Campy Ergo brifters. I recently converted my tourer from sti to tektro+ DA barcons... it is a cheap, bomb proof and very functional system. I run the Tektros on my fg too, having given up on a set of DA aero levers that just werent cutting it ergonomics wise.

stuckinatx

Cane creek also makes some brake levers that are sti style fat and comfortable.

mander

They're the same as the tektros, but more expensive and with optional gum coloured hoods.