Fuji Bullhorns
 

I have an 83 Fuji Berkeley. I want to put bullhorn handlebars on it because I think that they would be better for commuting. It is not a single speed. I was wondering what I need to do for brake levers.

You will need bar ends. Can you explain what it is about them you think is better suited for commuting? I hear this argument made a lot, but it doesn't seem to make sense to me.

<edit> To clarify, I mean bar end reverse brake levers, commonly called time trial levers, not any of the other meanings of "bar end."

Aero levers or Inverse levers. Tektro makes good versions of each.
-Gene-

To clarify the previous post (whether necessary or not) time trial levers insert in the end of the bars with the levers pointing back toward the rider. Nashbar sells a set for about $25 if I recall correctly.

Road levers, aero or non can be used with the levers pointing away from the rider. With non aero levers you have cables hangin out. Both aeros and nonaero levers are heavier than time trial levers and look more kludged-on than the purpose made bit.

As to whether they are better for commuting: Better than what? Basically you get the configuration of a flat bar plus barends for less weight. You still don't get the many positions of drop bars. My main commuter has drops; I have a fixie that uses time trial bars. I switched to time trials because the frame is smaller than my road bike size (moving the drops into a lower and less useful position) and because it uses only a front brake, (making the hood position less useful.) Time trial bars give you the flats, the outside curves and the equivalent of the hood position. Even so, I prefer the drops for anything over 10 miles.

I have a set of vintage nitto time trial aero bullhorns, drilled for internal cable routing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...bianchi017.jpg

pm me if you are interested in them - I'm using flat bullhorns on my track bike instead.
Clamp diameter is 25.4mm

You mean like this:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y87...S/193_9317.jpg
just a quick chop 'n' flip, so I flipped the levers. Works fine. cost nothing.

I use bullhorns on my Cilo. I like them better becasue they make more sense since I never ride in the drops on my drop bars. Plus (as a designer) I feel drop bar/brake lever design can use some work. You never have a good position on the bars that don't have an awkward reach to the brake levers. When you're on the hoods you push the levers with your fingers rather then squeeze with your hands. When you're in the drops you have to angle your whole body downwards so you can reach up at the brakes.

If your fingers aren't enough to brake hard...you should probably re-think your cable routing, and/or replace your cabling, and/or apply a liberal amount of oil to your brakes/levers/cables.


...and/or do some grip exercises.

It's not that it is difficult to brake. It's that the design is awkward. You can argue that it still works but the truth is, the design is arguably flawed.

*shrug* Everyone is entitled to like what they like I suppose. I think most of the bikes I've seen with bullhorns have been strictly a fashion statement, but for whatever reason people feel compelled to justify the choice with reasons that hardly ever make sense. If you just like how something looks, that's your prerogative, but there's a lot of really phony logic floating around instead (not directed at you specifically steppinthefunk)

Bullhorns were developed for the express purpose of replicating the position of the brake hoods on bikes with extreme saddle to bar drop, or in the case of examples like norskagent's providing the "in the hooks" position on a funny bike without the drag of a very tall stem. Later, when aerobars were shown to be more efficient the bullhorn was modified slightly as means to provide a stable enough grip for getting started on the bike before a tuck was assumed. Neither of these purposes make any sense for every day riding. If the bars are positioned in time trialist fashion one is permanently committed to riding in a sharp tuck that is impractically uncomfortable as well as limiting visibility in traffic. If one sets the bars high enough for reasonable comfort and visibility (both oft-touted benefits of bull horns) then the position of the hoods on a drop bar has been exactly reproduced but without the availability of a more aerodynamic position should it be desired for speed or practical reasons like a headwind. A properly adjusted drop bar and brake combination gives pretty much the best of all possible worlds, and (as an engineer) I can't see where it could be improved for the general population without undue sacrifice.

I can't help but think that problems like you mention are caused by odd lever placement or a combination that just doesn't suit your hands. When I brake from the hoods I don't feel as if I'm pushing the lever "in" with my fingers so much as squeezing the whole assembly "up" as letting my fingers wrap naturally around the curve of the lever. This is part of the reason for the characteristic shape of brake levers which allows you to get "under" them and pull up as much as back when braking from the hoods. When braking from the drops I grasp at the tips of the lever with one or two fingers where maximum leverage can be applied which doesn't necessitate any uncomfortable rotation of the wrist or arm. I personally feel that squeezing the whole lever "in" with all fingers from the drops feels counter-intuitive. Since your strongest fingers are presumably the first two it makes sense to use them at the end of the lever where they do the most, not near the pivot where they will hardly move at all. I wonder if your problem couldn't be solved with shallower bars and "short reach" brakes designed for small hands.

Again, if bullhorns work for you, by all means do what suits you:thumb: I still however think it's fair to say that drop bars will work just as well or better for the vast majority of applications, fashionability notwithstanding. There is a reason, after all, the design has endured for so long, though brifters are quickly killing off its true utility.

I think the key word is arguably. I personally have no problem with braking from the hoods, and in fact prefer it. Then again, I have long fingers. And it seems that while I've been writing this, purevl wrote something much more eloquent.

For city riding, flat bullhorns and a fixed gear work for me. Much of the time riding on the flats up by the stem, some time out on the bars for climbing or low cruising. Enough different hand positions for comfort, and I don't really miss the drops. I use a cross brake lever by the stem. But for real road riding at distance I use a different bike ('89 paramount) w/ traditional drops, etc.

Mstr Pete, what do you mean when you say chopped and flipped? I mean if it is free, that would be awesome.

purevl, although you stated that this is not directed specifically towards me, I still can't help to take offense to your comment. You asked why choose bullhorns and I gave a reason. Just because someones opinions or experiences do not coincide with yours it does not make them invalid or "phony".

Personally, I could care less as to why bullhorns were introduced into cycling. All I care about is that I find them comfortable and I feel more confident with the brake levers in a natural position.

Easy killer, I said I wasn't calling you a phony and I meant it. Most of the alleged benefits of bullhorn bars for daily use don't stand up to scrutiny, I didn't suggest that yours fell into that category. In fact, offering a suggestion as to what might be causing your problem was, if anything, a show of support for their legitimacy. If you have small hands -which I'll freely admit is an assumption based on your description of your problems as well as the fact that you ride small bikes- I can understand how you might have problems actuating brake levers made for average sized hands. If this wasn't an issue there wouldn't be special components made to alleviate the problem.

As to your personal offense, as far as I'm concerned (as with bar choice) do whatever makes you happy. I will, however, point out that nowhere did I say "pretentious," nor did I label anyone anything. I also wasn't talking about a majority of people, but of situations, a category you decidedly fall into. Consider if you will that I opened the discussion before you offered your stance on the subject and would have taken the same position regardless. It's absurd to think I baited you in here to offend you. As with all matters of opinion if you can't reconcile yourself to the fact that people will disagree then consider avoiding the subject altogether.

Lastly, if you could care less, why don't you? It might keep you from getting upset so easily over what was meant to be a benign discussion of the practicality of handlebar choices.

I had drop bars on that bike, and I almost never rode with my hands down in the drops. I mostly had them on the hoods. So I got to thinking, "why have this extra stuff here?" Plus, that frame's a tad big for me, and I really wanted to keep it because it's such a nice ride. So I took a tubing cutter (like plumbers use for copper pipe), a sharpie, and a tape measure. I took the brake levers off, flipped the drop bars around, and marked and cut them. I reattached the brake levers as shown, re-wrapped the bars, and I was good to go. the whole job took maybe a 1/2 hour. I've also seen a pic of one of pastorbob's bikes with bullhorns and the brake levers going the other way, and I may try that in my rebuild of this bike (I'm getting the frame powdercoated, etc.)

Can you send me pics of pastor bob's bike and some decent directions to do it that way, by any chance?

I'll try to remember where he posted it, and I can write up a step-by-step. Stay tuned.

#1: That's why interrupter brake levers make sense. The modern turkey-wing lever that works.

#2: That's why brake levers can be re-positioned to suit the location you wish. If you find yourself reaching upwards, your levers need to come down.

Examples:

Non-aero's set up at an ideal height for when in the drops. Reverse curve section of lever is at the same location as one's outstretched fingers:
http://www.jaysmarine.com/70paramount_092608_5.jpg

Aero's set up at an ideal height for drops:
http://www.jaysmarine.com/84_comp_061608_1.jpg

Non-aeros set up for dual-purpose, but with a particular bias for use from the top. These must be brought down one or two centimeters before they are comfortable in the drops:
http://www.jaysmarine.com/trek_610_042008_1.jpg

-Kurt

#3 That's why a proper bike fit is so important.

At mstrpete's request. I hope this helps. I just chopped the bars where I thought it made the most sense, and mounted this pair of "dump find" levers up high at the ends. I can't say how it worked because I never really rode the bike as configured. I gave it to a young fellow in the church who wanted it back to drop bars.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...itySSFront.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...sitySSSide.jpg

whats going on with that giant chainring in the snow bank?

I'm going to do a how-to on the bullhorns for the OP in a new thread, due to my having nine pictures to post. Pastorbob, thanks for the look. I know I'm going to need longer brake cables and guides to set mine up like that.

I had wanted to mount it on the Varsity and then try to set the downhill speed record for the fastest Varsity/Pastor combination upon the face of the earth. :eek: Unfortunately it would not fit. :mad: The teeth hit the chainstay.

Solution:

#1: Get wrecked Varsity in need of cold setting.

#2: Big effin' hammer.

-Kurt