How to cut handlebars
 

I was wondering how hard it is to cut a pair of drop handle bars into bullhorn, mainly how do I do it? How do you re-grip your bars, is there a pattern or should I just go for it?

hacksaw and repetitive motion

Pipe cutter, ftw

OK, put the bars on your bike. Then put some grips on there and figure out about how close inwards you want them to be. mark it at the ends of the grips. measure both sides so the marks are equally distant from the middle. leave them clamped in place (in your stem) to keep them still. cut straight down using a hack saw. file off the rough edges before putting grips on.

pipe cutter > sawzall > hacksaw

at least from my experience.

I used a pipe cutter & it took forever. I ended up using a hacksaw and it was complete in 2 minutes. what was I doing wrong?

donno. Pipe cutter takes a min. or two longer than the hacksaw and sawzall for me, but doesn't leave a ton of metal dust lying around, or wake up the neighbors.

measure twice, cut once...
i used a hacksaw b/c it is more likely to be lying around than a pipe cutter, use whats available

the key to the pipe cutters is to tighten the blade down every few spins. it will be tough to turn so grab the blade tightening knob with pliers and twist it. then just spin the whole thing a couple times and then tighten the blade again. dont waste time spinning the whole thing forever without constantly bring down the blade.

I highly recommend pipe cutters. They take just a little longer but make for a very clean and even cut. You won't even have to file the rough edges off the handlebar.
Ernest

word. pipecutters won't give you jagged edges. You just need to know how to use them.

Also, it is useful to use the portion of the bar removed first as a template of sorts for the opposite side.

i used 'the laser' to cut mine

Pipe cutter probably wont work on drops if you are chopping them into bull horns because of the curve. just food for thought...

+1

If you're cutting at a point in the curve, it's nearly impossible to measure both sides accurately and to the exact same point. Take the removed portion of the bar and tape it on the other side (easier than trying to hold it steady while making sure it's perfectly lined up) to make the mark for cutting.

Oh yea, and pipe cutters are great.

It does make it a bit dicier, but still works better than a hacksaw. I have to tighten and loosen the cutting wheel as I go around the bend, since the bar is not a perfect circle in the drops. But no biggie. It makes a one minute job into a two minute job.

j

hand>flat out>karate chop=bullhorns.

light sabers ftw.

You shouldn't need to torque the **** out of the knob with a set of pliers. Either you have a crappy pipe cutter or you're putting way too much stress on the cutting wheel and shortening the life span of the tool.

anyone ever tried a dremel?

This sounds like a good idea on paper, but I'm not sure how you would get a straight edge. I also know almost nothing about Dremels.

It doesn't need to be perfectly straight if you feel like filing it down afterwards. I think a dremel with an experienced user and cut off disk would work fine.... but in the end you're saving a few minutes, creating a ****ton of metal dust. just use a pipe cutter and do it right, no mess, in the first place.

I use a hacksaw. I get a cut started and then add a few drops of chain oil and hack away! Easy and fast.

I did it. The handlebars were of a smaller drop, so I'm brakeless for the moment. But, I think I'm gonna give the handlebars I cut to my friend for a pair of nitto ones. It works perfect he doesn't need brakes for his skill level, I still prefer to have them for me. The pipe cutter won out. It took about 5 minutes total.

dremel would be expensive and time consuming(multiple wheels and difficult)... hacksaw is not easy but it will be better than a pipe cutter because you can get the angle you want. i did mine with a hacksaw.

A steady hand, some careful measurements, good eye protection and an angel grinder.

By far the most efficient.