Bullhorn vs Riser
 

I am not asking what you prefer. I live in Oakland and live up in the hills, I currently ride flip and chop drop bars. I am used to climbing with my hands on the end, would climbing be the same holding onto a riser?

No, it would be like climbing with your hands on the flat part of the bullhorn, just out a little further depending on how much you chop them.

More than likely they'd be closer together, since most people cut their risers to shoulder width or smaller. Your chest will be more compacted, and you likely won't be able to breath as well, so you'll have a harder time climbing. Plus, you lose one hand position, so if you're grinding up a hill, you won't be able to switch to the end for some relief.

But no one ever put risers on their track bike because they're the practical choice.

not really.. the risers don't have nearly as many hand positions..

what they said. no real advantage to risers if you're running bullhorns.

i must have just had really skinny bullhorns

Definitely bullhorns.

You can get farther out over the front for climbing. Risers feel awkward when standing or climbing because they're so close.

The wide stance of risers (that is, if they're cut that way) makes them good for maneuvering, and generally makes for a more stable body position. This is great for mountain bikes, but mostly useless for road riding. Though if you never use drops, ride on the hoods, or the forward position of bullhorns, then you don't really need anything more than risers.

Most people, however, cut down their risers to a similar width as bullhorns, so you get the same effect without the "horns". Traditionally people have had better luck climbing gripping the brake hoods, "horn" section of bullhorns, or bar ends on risers/mtb flats.

Nonetheless, paying attention to the width of the bars you choose will be one of the most important facets to ensuring your comfort. Most bars people use for flip and chops are very narrow (37 or 38cm wide) because that's how they used to make them. Modern bullhorns are quite different, usually offering an extended horn section, even with a little bit of drop in it, and then a rise at the end. And they usually come in different widths, from 38 to 44cm or so.

Risers suck for climbing. I know it, but I ride them anyway.

Bullhorns = most ideal bars for climbing hills, or should I say "The Platonic Ideal :)".

hmm.....I've got about four hand positions on my risers (maybe five). I replicate a bullhorn-y barend-y grip when I am cruising but wouldn't want to climb out of saddle with it....

I'd say that regular road drops are almost universally considered the ideal bars for climbing.

Rode risers in Tokyo till i moved to SF. I suddenly hated them and put my bullhorns back on. Happiness on the hills.

risers for leg over skids ******ness fun. flat town commute.


bullhorns for serious business rides. esp what someone said about having your shoulders open to breathe. helps heaps!

</imo>

True, though riding at the ends of some Nitto bullhorns is just about the same position as using the brake hoods of a road bike.

Risers are only constricting in the chest if you cut them down. I love climbing on my wide-ass Swobo risers. I hate chopped risers.

risers all the way!

bullhorns are comfy, but you get tired of the same two positions all the time.

in short, switching to risers is like discovering doggie style.

Bullhorns. Lotsa hills around here, and I spend most of my time on the forward sections. I also like that I can be upright to see over traffic but I can also get scary aero to bomb down hills and slalom parking lots.

I just put on Nitto RB-21s tonight, they are really comfy. I'm excited to hit the hill tomorrow night and see how they compare to drops (which I also like quite a bit.) I've ridden a little bit on friends risers, and they are ok, but I like being laid out and fast looking (even if I'm going 5mph.)

... so you switch to bars with even more limited hand positions.
of course.

doggie style is impersonal and limited. Its fun but after awhile you can only do so much.

...reach around?

I'm a roadie who uses fixed for training and commuting. I run it with bullhorns. I absolutely love to go on hilly training rides because I love climbing with the bullhorns. It very closely simulates my position on the hoods of the road bike... in fact, a bit more comfortable even. I also ride mountain bikes with riser bar. Great for seated climbs and technical maneuvering but awful for out of the saddle climbing. So your bar choice comes down to what kind of rider you are or want to be.

.....so how did the Nitto RB-21's work out for you?

so you say...