tFUnK

😁 this is true. But brifters with the form factor of TT levers would look nicer.

VegasJen

I have two tri bikes with "bullhorns". My Cervelo, the bullhorns are more straight, and I like that. However, my Ridley, they kick up and I find those very uncomfortable and do not like them at all.

Now the real irony is the Cervelo aero bars have very little angle and I don't care for that at all, while the Ridley aero bars have a good angle that doesn't bend the wrist into an uncomfortable position and I like that very much.

So I plan to replace the bullhorns on the Ridley and the aeros on the Cervelo to make them both perfect (for me).

AndreyT

If you care about leverage of your bicycle handlebar, your headset might be way too tight.

SoSmellyAir

My understanding is that one is more aerodynamic if one can maintain one's forearms to be more or less parallel to the ground; for most that would be on the hoods rather than the drops. I use the drops almost exclusively for descents, due to (1) the greater perceived control, (2) the ability to squeeze the brake levers with greater force, and (3) increased weight on the front wheel.

Once I rode over a large pinecone and my right hand fell off the hood but managed to grab the drop. If I had been riding bullhorns ...

tFUnK

I agree and think 1) stems from 2) - brifters are designed such that greater squeezability is achieved in the drops. For 3) I guess coming from MTB background I've always tended to put weight towards the rear, so that's what I do on the road as well, but I can see the reasoning for wanting to ensure the front maintains traction.

Riding over a pine cone is no fun whether on the tops, hoods, or drops. Glad you kept it upright!

SoSmellyAir

I should have explained #1 as greater perceived steering control, so it is function of grip as well as factor #3.

As for how my right hand managed to catch and hold onto the drop, I have no idea; it was just my lucky day.

indyfabz

I once attached some old bacon shifters to the ends, but the shifting was too crunchy for my taste.

urbanknight

Did they cut the bars? Around here, they just flipped the whole thing upside down.

This pretty much what I was referencing. Poor teens put chopped drop bars and maybe aero extensions on their track bikes for pursuits.
https://www.pedalroom.com/p/90s-mose...ike-2377_1.jpg

VegasJen

I would argue it's not "perceived", but actual steering control. I've been running aero bars on all my bikes for several years now and I can tell you I simply don't have the leverage on the aero bars I have on either bullhorns or drop bars. And it makes sense. If you imagine something like a broom stick, holding it out directly in front of you, you have very little ability to resist side-to-side input. But if you hold it across your body, you're ability to resist input is greatly increased.

daihard 

This agrees with you. In his comparison, drops and bullhorns get the same score.

Metieval

Put them on a nimble bike.... no need for leverage.

Skinny bars also keep a rider from getting wedged between 2 busses. I suppose that doesn't matter to obese. They can run bars as wide as they are.

To some it is useful tool, to others it's just a fad, to some it might be worthless, to me its indifferent.
I can see why some want /need them.

I can also see you need them too, or else you wouldn't have this post started.

Velo Mule

This thread needs more pictures. I mentioned in post #4 that I tried them on my vintage bike but didn't like the looks. I took a pair off a vintage '70's drop bar bike with steel handlebars. I cut them down and welded on a short, straight length to keep the the brake levers in a good position to activate them. In addition to having the cable housing looping forward, I also tried having the brake housing running just under the lever. The problem for me with this backward cable actuation method is that I didn't like the cable moving with the lever and it caused a tight "S" bend in the cable housing.

For the trial period with the bullhorn bars, I used the forward looping brake cable placement. Yes, they are big loops. I wasn't committed to this setup so I wanted to keep my options open by having longer housing that I could use on another handlebar style.



It worked fine but it was the looks on this vintage bike that I didn't like.

I think Guidonnet brake levers may be an good brake lever solution that may look better because it eliminates the loopy cables. I don't know if I'm ready to spend money on brake levers that I am only sampling but it seems to make sense.



Has anyone on BikeForums tried this combination? What did you think?

SurferRosa

I usually prefer non-aero levers on vintage bikes before 1990, but in this case, I'll make a strong exception.

Steel Charlie

There are bullhorn bars made specifically for brifters. They're on eBay.

Barcons suk for anything IMO

seypat

You don't like crunchy bacon? Different strokes for different folks.

icemilkcoffee 

No they don't. At least indexed barcons don't suck.

anyways, back to the brake routing, on my Nishiki Linear I have Nitto RB009 bull horn bars with Shimano 105 aero brake levers mounted backwards. The braking is exceptionally good. Of all my bikes the brakes (especially the front) on this bike is the most direct and light feeling.


This solution only works with bars that have a bend right where you mount the levers though. Another option are the bar end TT 'reverse' brake levers:

indyfabz

I like crunchy bacon, but not crunchy shifting.

indyfabz

Except, among other times, when your index shifting goes awry while you are climbing 30+miles in the rain and snow on a fully loaded touring bike and you can easily switch the rear shifter to friction mode. Ask me how I know.

SurferRosa

Normally, "just for looks" is supposed to look, uh, good. You never hear anyone say, "he cut off his nose 'just for looks.'"

easyupbug 

Chopped drop bars and inverted on a Specialized 2002 Allez Comp/pro is my town bike with these lever and I am very happy, they work great for short trips and up to twenty miles. At 73 I am selcom in the drops anyway on level paths like in town. Bar end shifters work great as well on the ten speed DA.

RCMoeur 

I run bullhorns on my two "fast" bikes. After I stopped racing, I lost interest in drop bars in a hurry, but still wanted something that offered some aero options with multiple hand positions.

The Raleigh Professional Mk IV, using "shortened/flipped/adapted" ex-drop bars and running Suntour barcons in the bar ends and aero levers:




The Nashbar Flashback "Alumispeedy", using Scott AT-2 bars in bullhorn mode and running a 1x9 shifted using an Ultegra right-hand brifter:

ofajen

I think you will find that those are what are known as moustache bars. That is how they normally look.

Otto

Wildwood

Oh pshaw. Save it for the 65+ sticky thread on the 50+ Forum.


Drop bars give me wings

Usually, 15-20 pairs always ready to fly.

indyfabz

Ignore him. He plays the role of contrarian just to get a rise out of people. I’ve never been able to understand that psyche.

Speedway2

I swapped the drops for bullhorns on my SS Langster a few years ago.
I personally like the "look" and found I got better stopping power/leverage with the bar-end levers. Not riding in the drops has also helped my back.