I am interested in something with external cable routing and would mount on the bar ends. What options are good quality and not too expensive? Are there any products I should definately not buy? Like for intstance the nashbar time trial levers? Does anyone currently use bullhorn brakes that they like a lot?

I ride chopped and flopped bullhorns with one brake. I used one of the original levers, which is the type that has the cabling coming out of the top, not running along the bars. It is ghetto-fab and works.

I have Syntace bullhorns that I bought from www.chucksbikes.com and I use an old-school TT brake lever hat looks like it could've also been a MTB lever for a front brake.

I really like the plug-in tt levers. If you get one, make sure that the handle is as long as possible, so you can adjust your hands further in or out on the brake to get different leverages. I use a cyclocross lever in the same place on my geared bike, but only because I have barcons plugged into the ends of the horns. The angle on the corss levers puts them a bit farther out than is ideal.

On my bullhorns, I just turned the "aero" brake levers around so that the lever-end points forward. You end up doing most of the braking with your pinkie and ring fingers instead of your index and middle fingers. It took a bit to get used to it. Of course you could get the standard Tektro RX 4.0. They usually go for about $20 on eBay.

tektro rx 4.1 at chucksbikes is only $15

https://www.chucksbikes.com/store/bk010.htm

I used this puppy on my Profile bullhorns...the Profiles provide an inbar routing from the lever to the outside that makes for a very clean setup. I've since abandonned this for a MTB lever on my Nitto Track drop bars

whats wrong w the Nashbar levers? The pair I have are fine...or does that make me a muppet? Oh, the cables are "internal"

Otherwise, "aero" levers set up either way are cool looking too.....did that sound like "I like greasy cheese burgers"?