Cutting Handlebars
 

So, if I needed to cut a pair of older handlebars, and I was on a limited budget, what would I buy?

Thanks
--Aaron

a hacksaw?

Hacksaw or a pipe cutter. You decide!

Pipe cutters are more fun.

Most pipe cutters are meant for copper or plastic tubing. Steel ruins the cutting wheel pretty quick. You can get steel cutting wheels but the hacksaw would be cheaper and more practical.

Steel ruins the cutting wheel pretty quick

bikejunkie jou right, it'l bee best way to cut handlebar

Definitely a hacksaw, that's what I use. There's also a discussion forum at www.chopzone.com about chopping bike parts and tools to use that you might find helpful.

For a bit more(say $4 for hacksaw) you can get a Harbor freight 4 or 4.5" grinder-cutter.It will cut anything you want to cut-steel-aluminum-rubber(cut lugs off)-anything.Luck,Charlie

I like using pipe cutters becuase you get such a strait cut. I only have the pipe cutters for cutting handlebars.

I came across the following hint at Jim Langley's web site - you use a cheap hose clamp as a guide for the hacksaw blade :

http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/genrep.html#cdm

Most handlebars these days are made of aluminum, which is about three times softer than copper. For an easy, clean, precise cut, I would highly recommend a pipe cutter, although a hacksaw would do the job in a hurry.

If you're not sure whether the bars are aluminum or steel, try putting a refrigerator magnet on them. Of course, the magnet will stick to only the steel.

Pipe cutter leaves a cleaner cut and can be purchased at a do-it-yourself home center for $3.50, just make sure it has 1-1/8" Capacity. I've even used them for cutting down threadless forks.

Hey guys, are there any disadvantages to cutting down bars? I thought bars are made out of crmo. Im def going to get it cut at my bike shop, they'll do it for free...is there any problems if i do it in a year or so? (then again, they use that sanding belt to remove the rough edges.), I guess you guys cut down the grips too?

ive cut alot of bmx handlebars to get the "horseshoe" style bars i use on g-bikes. ive used a hacksaw and the cutting wheel on my dremel roto tool. it eats up those lil cutting wheels pretty quick though. after a hacksaw i still use the sanders on the roto tool to de-bur the edges and put a slight bevel so that the grips slide on a lil better. i tried using a miter box once or twice, but since the ends get covered by the grips any way, i dont worry much about the cut being perfect. fast eddie outty

www.freewebs.com/gravityracing/

No disadvantages unless you cut off too much ;-). Some are made of cromo, some steel - you can use a magnet to test for steel. No need to cut down the grips (I assume you're talking straight bars here) unless you want to, just move the brake and / or gear levers inwards by the same amount you cut, and you can use the original grips.

my handlebars are 2 piece, and i dont think the levers go in anymore...so cut the grips? i will go to the bike shop soon and maybe ask them

Instead of cutting the grips get some for gripshift shifters they are over an inch shorted than regular grips.