erikinop

I want to invest in some bullhorn handlebars and i'm torn between the nitto 019 and the 021

the 019:

Nitto RB-019: Alloy pursuit bar. 26.0mm center. Polished silver finish.

the 021:

Nitto RB-021: Unlike the RB-019, this one does not thrust forward at the drop transition. Offers a shorter reach, but has more space for hands. Polished finish. 26.0mm center.

Anyone have any experience riding either one of these bullhorn bars, or general advice on what bullhorn shape/style is best? i'm 6'1", 165lbs, riding fixed, aggressively in city and suburban(upstate NY).

thank you.

i've also looked at:
Nitto TT

42cm Width center-to-center Not drilled for cables 26.0 bar clamp diameter 265 grams

Nitto Time Trial Bar

42cm Width 400mm width For 26.0mm stem clamp 6061 Aluminum 290 grams

Lucky-Charms

I have a pair of the "Nitto Time Trial Bar"s (I think they were called RB-009 where I bought them) and I Really like them. I found myself spending most of my time in the "drop" section of the bar and the shoulders, and getting way out on the horns for serious climbs and sprints. Comfy bars, I actually miss them quite a bit on my new bike, to the point of getting a set of brake hoods and road drops for street riding.

sers

the nitto TT is the 021. i have the 38mm flavor and they are godly. very comfortable, lots of hand positions, super for climbing

trons

021 is great, never tried the others though

humancongereel

i have the 019 and 021. they're both great, but it depends on what you want. i tilt my 021s down to get a "dropped down and out" position that gives me an aerodynamic shape to sprint and climb hills. my 019s i use in the flats and grab the bend, where it "thrust[s] forward" to trackstand and go from lights, mostly for stability. you still get some of the "down and out" drop for sprinting and climbing and i endorse it over chop and flips any day, but it's not as aggressive as the 021. mostly, the 019s are a good compromise for handling, comfort, speed, etc. others, you're looking more for one factor than another, but the 019s are good all-arouind...

now if you want something with comfort on the flats and aggressive style and handling, the 021s are where it's at.

srsly

anyone with either of these bars notice much flex when climbing hard? i'm trying to figure out if it's the bars or the stem flexing. the stem is the stock that comes with the pista so i'm going to guess it's that, but other's experience are useful.

humancongereel

meh, no experience with stock pista stems; i just have the frame. i don't notice flex. then again, perhaps i have yet to come across a pair of bars that's really flex-free and don't have a good frame of reference.

but for me, they're prefectly fine. and i ride my 019s daily.

erikinop

what size would you recommend for a guy 6'1", 165-170lbs?

i found some on ebay at a decent buy it now price, offered in 42cm. you think it will do me right, or is that too big?

humancongereel

your height and weight don't have much to do with that. shoulder width has more to do. what do yoiu use now? do you feel cramped or anything?

erikinop

where do i measure? from the outside of handlebars or from the center? below is a poor diagram of how i measured.

humancongereel

huh....i should measure...actually...i just re-read what you said. we're pretty close in size. i can't say for sure we'd be similar in shoulder width, but i'm fine with 42cm (though sometimes when i'm splitting lanes i wish they were shorter if only for psychological comfort).

sers

the nitto bars are measured center to center - in the diagram above, that would be the 39mm measurement.


These are the 38mm 021's on my 50cm Mark V:





maybe that will give you an idea of the look & size. i'm 5'7" and 149# and i feel the slightest bit of flex when i'm climing hard.

i've since switched to a shorter stem than pictured.

trons

these things flex like crazy. maybe some of it is my stem though (cinelli 1a)

erikinop

that bike is naughty man. i'm working on building my fixed gear conversion. i bought new crank arms, chain ring, chain(gold, for aesthetic hottness), pedals and wheels/rims/hubs. the goods should be here by saturday, so when i assemble ill take a photo. one day i'll buy a lightweight frame. i'm using a lugged, steel, old, khs at the moment. aside from the heavy frame it should atleast look like an expensive bike. hehe. any recommendations on light weight frames, for a poor mans budget?

sers

i'm beginning to look around at lightweight bikes and finding something economical isn't easy. given that the uci weight limit is 6.8 (14.96lbs), and the lightest bike at the 06 world track championships was 6.9kg (15.4 lbs) i see the jamis sputnik which weighs in at 16.5lbs complete for $825 as a pretty good deal. i started a thread a while back about bike weights, and i think that most fell around 18lbs.

celephaiz

I am pretty sure its the bars and not the stem. I run a very short stem (like a 50 or 60) and get a lot of flex. I ran a far longer stem (110 i think) with 123s and it was an entirely different ride.

brunop

hey sers!
that bike is sex. i think i've seen ya around.

ka12na

So sers. Got small? (Frame.)

Aeroplane

I've rocked the 021's for quite a while, and I've never had flex, solid setup even with a quill stem. Maybe you're more of a hulk?

queerpunk

small bikes are ****ing rad. i can throw my bike into somebody's car and get out of town, even when they look at me all cross and say, "it's not gonna fit, it's a hassle, it will be super inconvenient, you'll get grease all over my cat." i say, "**** you, give me a ride in your stupidmobile," and they do, and i pull the front wheel off and cuddle up with my bike in the backseat, and it's all good.

humancongereel

that's a great story.

sers

listen, if you want to set up your track bike (or urinal as juvi put it) like a granny cruiser that's your buisness.

for reference, the belgian national team bike:



the b-ville ching-a-ling hustla team bike:

erikinop

just for the record, i bought the 021's at a great price and they arrived today. slid them into the stem and rode for about 2hrs, on and off doing errands and feeling them out....

my verdict is that they're great. so much more comfortable for stop and go haul ass. they seem like they could get tiresome for long-term, super aero positions though. then again, super aero positios are tiring period.

thanks everyone, for the advice.

piratelove

Where'd ya get 'em and what was the great price ya got 'em at?

erikinop

a friends younger brother works at a bike shop close to my parents house and had them added to an order... my dad picked them up and shipped them to me. standard ground shipping was on him, so i paid $32.39... $32 for bars with whatever discount he has as an employee and $.39 for the stamp i used to mail my dad a check.