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Bullhorn bars in the street, disadvantages?

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Bullhorn bars in the street, disadvantages?

Old 10-24-09, 01:47 PM
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Bullhorn bars in the street, disadvantages?

I've been riding with riser for the past few months. Recently I switched to a fflat bar to get a little lower. Still I feel that Id like to get even a bit lower and even forward a touch. Bullhorn bars seem natural get get this desired posture. My only question is what are the disadvantages of riding bullhorn style bars on a fixed gear in the street?
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Old 10-24-09, 01:59 PM
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i don't think there is a disadvantage. if anything it an advantage because you have another hand position. the only problem would be to determine where your hands are most of the time to figure out where to put your lever(s)... but no more barspinz...
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Old 10-24-09, 02:12 PM
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you can gore people/vehicles
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Old 10-24-09, 02:34 PM
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I snagged and brought down a clothing rack one time when I had to make an emergency leave-traffic-and-get-on-the-sidewalk move downhill.
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Old 10-24-09, 02:41 PM
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Originally Posted by daft crunk
I snagged and brought down a clothing rack one time when I had to make an emergency leave-traffic-and-get-on-the-sidewalk move downhill.
doesn't seem to me that, that has anything to do with handlebar configuration. ...jussayin'.

basically it all depends on what you're comfortable with when sprinting and when riding with different hand positions. sprinting or climbing in drops is significantly different than sprinting of climbing with bull horns. both a great, and it comes down to personal preference.
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Old 10-24-09, 03:09 PM
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You don't have the drops to duck into when there's a headwind or you just want to go fast.
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Old 10-24-09, 03:11 PM
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Bullhorns are pretty similar to flats, plus an extra hand position and minus barspinzz. Another advantage of bullhorns is the ability to shift a lot more of your weight onto the front wheel for skidzz. One of the major things you'll have to consider is whether you'll want flat bullhorns or bullhorns with some sort of drop...I had been riding flat horns for a while and considered switching to drop horns because I wanted to be lower, but opted for track drops in the end.

One thing to watch out for is that some horns are pretty long in the front, like the Soma El Toro ones, but that really isn't that big of an issue. And they're always easily modifiable.

Also don't worry about mounting the brake lever, you can pretty easily mount it across the flat part of the horns.
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Old 10-24-09, 03:15 PM
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There's no real disadvantage. Look nearby on this forum for the 'bar end' thread for a setup that's halfway between flat bars and bullhorns.
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Old 10-24-09, 03:30 PM
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no more street cred with the barspinzzzzz

will never really match your Brooks

i have had bullhorns for years and i love 'em.
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Old 10-24-09, 03:39 PM
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the street is the only practical place for bullhorns
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Old 10-24-09, 04:06 PM
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The one disadvantage of bullhorns on the streets is people will become extremely jealous of your handlebars, which will naturally endanger your life.
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Old 10-24-09, 04:57 PM
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Other riders will be jealous, until the windy days when the hunker down on the drops and ride by you. Its not so bad though, atleast when you are passed, you look good.
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Old 10-24-09, 05:09 PM
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You guys realize you can get "out of the wind" on bullhorns too, right?

Your elbows, they bend.
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Old 10-24-09, 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by woodenidol
Other riders will be jealous, until the windy days when the hunker down on the drops and ride by you. Its not so bad though, atleast when you are passed, you look good.
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Old 10-24-09, 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by wearyourtruth
no more street cred with the barspinzzzzz

will never really match your Brooks

i have had bullhorns for years and i love 'em.
My Brooks saddle pretty well matches my Brooks leather wrapped RB-21s.
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Old 10-24-09, 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by dsh
You guys realize you can get "out of the wind" on bullhorns too, right?

Your elbows, they bend.
i used to do that all the time when i road bullhorns, but i switched to drops and hoods
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Old 10-24-09, 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by mugatu
the street is the only practical place for bullhorns
this
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Old 10-24-09, 07:01 PM
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I just added some cheap bar ends on my flatbar, cut up ourys and fitted them inbetween.



comfortable as hell, doesnt look cool as bullhorns but suits me fine..
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Old 10-24-09, 07:54 PM
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fugazi dave wannabe!
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Old 10-24-09, 07:56 PM
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Old 10-24-09, 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted by JacoKierkegaard
You don't have the drops to duck into when there's a headwind or you just want to go fast.
This is about the only disadvantage I can think of - I run bullhorns myself and love them dearly, through the city or for long out-of-town rides.
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Old 10-24-09, 08:18 PM
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+1 bullhorns are the best evar.
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Old 10-24-09, 08:38 PM
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Originally Posted by dsh
You guys realize you can get "out of the wind" on bullhorns too, right?

Your elbows, they bend.
+1million
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Old 10-24-09, 08:55 PM
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Slim to none.

See: "0"
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Old 10-25-09, 06:56 AM
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bullhorns are great, i've ridden and loved my rb021s for a long time, it is important to note(especially when riding in traffic) that you're in a more stretched out and much lower position than you would be with flat bars or risers, i've never ridden with flats or risers but occasionally throw on some porter bars and the visibility difference when it comes to cars seeing you is huge,

the wind thing is crap, bull horns provide for some extremely aerodynamic positions, but it's important to remember(especially when approaching intersections) that you're sneaking through and they may not see you
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