Worth Mutilating My Bars for Experimentation?
 

I've been having a real blast on my IRO for some time now. I've got the standard road bars on it, and have noticed that I hardly ever use the drops, probably because until I lose some more of this gut it isn't very comfortable to do so. I also have found that I have tilted the bars up about 5 degrees, which maybe is pretty non-standard for roadbars, so that it is comfortable to grab onto the upper part of the drops kind of like I imagine you do bullhorns.

So I THINK I would like some bullhorns, but I'm very strapped for cash and don't want to use any of what little I have until I'm sure I would like bullhorn type bars. Should I just flip and chop my current bars? They are, after all, just $15 to replace from IRO if I don't like them after that (I'm sure theres also other sources of cheap generic bars), and there's no cost to me at all if I do end up liking them.

I guess I'd just like to see if I could get a little input before I do anything drastic.

Its really not that drastic of a change and if you don't like them your only out $15. Go for it.

if you go to chucksbikes.com you can get some bullhorns for 12.50

when i was in that situation, and similarly broke, i tested the hand positions out by flipping but not chopping. it'll give you a good idea what it feels like when you're seated, but i wouldn't stand up (the drops digging into your forearms can really hurt). if you like the feel, you can chop, or order cheapo bullhorns.

Now those would be sweet. And yeah I searched about bullhorns, etc., and read for like half an hour about them.

+1, and duh. If you want to try the flip and chop, just flip. Save the chop for later.

If you don't use the drops...you will like the bullhorns.

Yeah, IRO bum bike!

cool, well this all makes sense, and I think I give it a try this afternoon with my trusty hacksaw. thanks for y'all's input.

remember to debur the new edges!

Surely

Chuck's Bikes' Syntace bullhorns are $12.50. I got one from them a couple weeks ago. It sweeps back slightly and has a small drop. They're very comfortable. I've got an identical one on my other bike and I paid $50 for them a couple years ago.....identical bars....

Roll by a local shop and ask if they have some old 70's/80's steel drops sitting around. I'd be surprised if they want money for them.

i'd flip and not chop. that style was always the best

I like it when they rock drops with hoods flipped with nothing changed so the braking is done with the palm of the hand. Its fantastic.

Not a hacksaw, use a pipe cutter.

Unfortunately I don't really have access to a pipe cutter. Anyways saw worked well with some filing to finish off the ends; I have done a lot of...sawing...in the past and at least knew what I was doing so it was a fairly clean cut, etc. In any case it worked great and these are much more comfortable than I thought they would be. I'll probably get some "real" bullhorn type bars eventually but I think these will work great for now. Thanks dudes!

no, no, no, no,no...it's the quicksilver dance bike.

The library just got me American Flyers and Breaking Away and Beijing Bicyle and The Bicycle Thief - but I knew there was one I'd forgotten! Thanks!!

Sounds like I need to watch some movies.

Anyways I went on a long ride with the new bars and they worked well, once I got tape on them. Had a great time except some tard in a pickup pretending to try to run me over a few times at one point, but hey.

More interestingly I took off my brake, and though I meant to only try a short local ride out, ended up successfully pulling off a pretty long ride (going gently) with no problems. I practiced some panic stops for a while beforehand, which is good because I got to use that a few times.

Not to make another brakes v. brakeless thread, but I at least convinced myself that is it possible, though maybe not the best thing to do all the time. It might in the end be adverse to my overall safety, but I'm definitely very alert and aware. Not sure I'll continue to ride brakeless but it was fun today anyways. Its for sure doable on my .5 mile "commute" to work every day.

The bars, in any case, helped my skipping and skidding somehow.

pipe cutter is for BMX and other straight bars, it doesn't work worth a damn if you're cutting on a curve.

flipped dropped bars? ugh that makes my cry when i see that. its like scratching nails against a blackboard not only does it hurt the person it hurts everyone else.

reminds me of chico. you with me onetwentyeight?