Are bar ends on drops crazy?

I currently ride a 30 pound "hybrid" with straight handlebars. I climb lots of hills everyday. The
bar ends (directed toward the rear, not the front) are great facilitators for climbing.

I'll soon get an 18 pound "road" bike with drops. Am I insane to suggest bar ends (towards rear, not
front) on the drops too?

Skip <reply@this.newsgroup> wrote:
: You'll get a lot of replies on this one. Bar-end shifters on dropped bars are very common -- I've
: been riding them for over 30 years.

if i'm reading that correctly: not shifters, mountain bike style bar-ends.

the answer is probably yes: crazy. wouldn't riding in the drops serve the same purpose?
--
david reuteler reuteler@visi.com

"Pat Fleming" <nothing@nothing.com> wrote in message
news:IEK4b.96626$yg.27727922@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> I currently ride a 30 pound "hybrid" with straight handlebars. I climb
lots
> of hills everyday. The bar ends (directed toward the rear, not the front) are great facilitators
> for climbing.
>
> I'll soon get an 18 pound "road" bike with drops. Am I insane to suggest bar ends (towards rear,
> not front) on the drops too?

I don't get it. Would they be sticking out towards the sides?

RichC

Rich Clark <rdclark2SPAM@trapcomcast.net> wrote:
: I don't get it. Would they be sticking out towards the sides?

put 'em off the top .. (ie, pull them past the brake levers) .. you'd end up with something parallel
to an anatomic drop but several inches closer. a little bit closer than riding on the hoods, as well
which would be analogous to bar-ends point forward on a mountain bike.
--
david reuteler reuteler@visi.com

"Rich Clark" <rdclark2SPAM@TRAPcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:LJ2cncuSHeJmB86iU-KYvg@comcast.com...
>
> "Pat Fleming" <nothing@nothing.com> wrote in message
> news:IEK4b.96626$yg.27727922@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> > I currently ride a 30 pound "hybrid" with straight handlebars. I climb
> lots
> > of hills everyday. The bar ends (directed toward the rear, not the
front)
> > are great facilitators for climbing.
> >
> > I'll soon get an 18 pound "road" bike with drops. Am I insane to
suggest
> > bar ends (towards rear, not front) on the drops too?
>
> I don't get it. Would they be sticking out towards the sides?

the cover of the book "cycling past 50" by joe friel shows handlebars made with normal drops
extended to curve back towards the head tube. I don't think it's crazy, some few people obviously
liked it, but I've nailed my knees into the ends of the drops on my Cannnodale T800 more than once.
With more bar in the way it would happen more often.

Doug Toronto

"David Reuteler" <reuteler@visi.com> wrote in message
news:3f53854c$0$167$a1866201@newsreader.visi.com...
> Skip <reply@this.newsgroup> wrote:
> : You'll get a lot of replies on this one. Bar-end shifters on dropped
bars
> : are very common -- I've been riding them for over 30 years.
>
> if i'm reading that correctly: not shifters, mountain bike style
bar-ends.

Thanks. I'm not a mountain-biker and grew up in the language of the (early) 70's before such things
were around.

I hadn't even considered this. Thanks. (Perhaps I should have considered my own "you'll get a lot of
replies on this one" and not said anything).

Appreciated.
- Skip

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:41:12 GMT, Pat Fleming <nothing@nothing.com> wrote:
> I'll soon get an 18 pound "road" bike with drops. Am I insane to suggest bar ends (towards rear,
> not front) on the drops too?

I've considered bar ends sticking out of various positions on drop bars. Someday, I'll actually take
the time to try it.

People will think you're insane, but you can never have too many hand positions.

--
Rick Onanian

In article <opruv9m5o0w8gzvw@news.east.cox.net>, Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net> writes:

> I've considered bar ends sticking out of various positions on drop bars. Someday, I'll actually
> take the time to try it.
>
> People will think you're insane, but you can never have too many hand positions.

They make good helmet-hangers, too.

The actual purpose of MTB bar ends is to allow riders to put more weight over the front wheel during
the type of steep climb with short gears/high torque, where MTBs like to spontaneously wheelie. I
just checked out how my old bar ends would go onto drop bars. They'd just stick crazily out
sideways, and they'd be in totally the wrong place to do anything other than provide a couple of
extra hand positions, and effectively widen the handlebar. One could hang a bunch of clamp-on RV
mirrors on them, I suppose, and go for the "mod" scooter look. But that would be more appropriate on
a banana-seated, J-bar'd Stingray type of bike.

What I'm getting at is, drop-bar'd road bikes have an aesthetically pleasing simplicity about them.
While people are entitled to do whatever they want to their own bikes, I think it's still kind of a
shame to spoil that delicious sleekness with add-ons and afterthoughts. And when my ship comes in
and I get my Chorus-equipped Marinoni Tourismo, I won't have the heart to do to it what I've done to
my current crappy gas-pipe MTB, in re: encumbering it with a bunch of extra stuff.

Maybe there is some functionality to bar ends on drop bars, and I guess there's no harm trying it to
see what happens. But in my honest opinion, it sure would have a "teat on a bull" appearance. And
I've found out myself how easy and tempting it can be to overly complicate a bike. Maybe drop bars
already intrinsically provide enough of a variety of hand positions?

As an urban rider, my own preference is against anything that takes the hands too far away from the
brake levers.

If anybody out there does stick bar ends onto their drop bars, please at least don't use 'em while
riding close to stucco walls.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn
[point] bc [point] ca

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 17:11:00 -0700, Tom Keats <tomk2003@hotmail.com> wrote:
> checked out how my old bar ends would go onto drop bars. They'd just stick crazily out
> sideways, and

...depending where you put them -- how about sliding them all the way up past the brake levers, and
have them stick up?

That's one example. With all of the positions and angles on a drop bar, you can hang bar-ends in all
sorts of weird angles.

> What I'm getting at is, drop-bar'd road bikes have an aesthetically pleasing simplicity about
> them. While

Amen, brother!

> people are entitled to do whatever they want to their own bikes, I think it's still kind of a
> shame to spoil that delicious sleekness with add-ons and afterthoughts.

Agreed.

> Maybe there is some functionality to bar ends on drop bars, and I guess there's no harm trying it
> to see what happens.

People who experiment in weird ways are rewarded in good ways, at least sometimes.

> But in my honest opinion, it sure would have a "teat on a bull" appearance. And I've found out
> myself how

It certainly would have that appearance.

> easy and tempting it can be to overly complicate a bike.

The only time I think I have that problem is when it takes me 45 minutes to get ready to go for a
bike ride, and I see people just hop on and ride. They get to ride 45 minutes longer.

Okay, that, and when I consider just how heavy my mountain bike has gotten.

> Maybe drop bars already intrinsically provide enough of a variety of hand positions?

One variety fits all? While drop bars do provide enough for most people in most situations, it's
certainly worth experimenting, for somebody who isn't easily embarassed, with additional positions.

Note that there are lots of attachments for drop bars, under the category "aero-bar" and "tri-bar".
Those are for people to gain additional variety.

> As an urban rider, my own preference is against anything that takes the hands too far away from
> the brake levers.

I ride suburban and rural, and do okay by putting my hands near the levers when I think I could be
in a situation to use them.

> If anybody out there does stick bar ends onto their drop bars, please at least don't use 'em while
> riding close to stucco walls.

...or just don't ride close to stucco walls. I sure woudln't.

> cheers, Tom
--
Rick Onanian

On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 18:48:31 -0400, Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net> = wrote:

>On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 16:41:12 GMT, Pat Fleming <nothing@nothing.com> =
wrote:
>> I'll soon get an 18 pound "road" bike with drops. Am I insane to =
suggest
>> bar ends (towards rear, not front) on the drops too?
>
>I've considered bar ends sticking out of various positions on drop bars. Someday, I'll actually
>take the time to try it.
>
>People will think you're insane, but you can never have too many hand positions.

Actually the above fear about what people think probably has to do mainly with whether or not you're
deviating from racing-type gear. Doing so = must be crazy. Must be aerodynamic and uncomfortable. It
seems that road bicyclists are generally not very innovative. Just the idea that the original
question was raised supports this theory.

I recently had a private debate with another roadie about bicycling = shorts. His point was that
although I make my own bicycling shorts (starting with stretchy Sportif hiking shorts) and wear them
in comfort on some pretty extreme bicycle tours, they still cannot be called "bicycling shorts" or
compared with same. That must be the bicycling mentality.

Try new things and stay away from draft lines, i.e. be creative and individualistic!

JMHO

lorendi

In article <9o6clv0kb0o2rlp6ptvujqbe3p3k2a35r6@4ax.com>, <lorendi@internet.com> wrote:

> His point was that although I make my own bicycling shorts (starting with stretchy Sportif hiking
> shorts) and wear them in comfort on some pretty extreme bicycle tours,

I musta missed that thread, I would like to learn more about these shorts.

Dave in Minnesota

On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 18:09:33 GMT, Dave Jackson <dave@NOSPAMcpointgr.com> wrote:

>In article <9o6clv0kb0o2rlp6ptvujqbe3p3k2a35r6@4ax.com>, <lorendi@internet.com> wrote:
>
>> His point was that although I make my own bicycling shorts (starting =
with
>> stretchy Sportif hiking shorts) and wear them in comfort on some =
pretty
>> extreme bicycle tours,
>
>
>I musta missed that thread, I would like to learn more about these=20 shorts.
>
>Dave in Minnesota

Dave,

The main thread referenced above was in this newsgroup with subject "Speaking of Bike Shorts" and
occurred between 8/9/03 and 8/14/03. =20

Good luck,

lorendi

<lorendi@internet.com> wrote in message news:n9dclvo7iki9ria3ugjb8skrb6rkd7ai9g@4ax.com...

The main thread referenced above was in this newsgroup with subject "Speaking of Bike Shorts" and
occurred between 8/9/03 and 8/14/03.

Since Lorendi is better at trolling than "googling," here is a link for you:

http://www.google.com/groups?hl=en&l...dm=s4aZa.416%2
4Hy2.13881%40eagle.america.net&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3D%2B%2522speaking%2B
of%2Bbike%2Bshorts%2522%2Bgroup:rec.bicycles.misc%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DU
TF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Ds4aZa.416%2524Hy2.13881%2540eagle.america.net%26r num%3D1

Or the tiny version:

http://tinyurl.com/m4o3

-Buck

In article <81r5b.21$Hb2.17027@twister.austin.rr.com>, "Buck" <j u n k m a i l @ g a l a x y c o r p
. c o m> wrote:

> <lorendi@internet.com> wrote in message news:n9dclvo7iki9ria3ugjb8skrb6rkd7ai9g@4ax.com...
>
> The main thread referenced above was in this newsgroup with subject "Speaking of Bike Shorts" and
> occurred between 8/9/03 and 8/14/03.
>
> Since Lorendi is better at trolling than "googling," here is a link for you:
>
> http://www.google.com/groups?hl=en&l...dm=s4aZa.416%2
> 4Hy2.13881%40eagle.america.net&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3D%2B%2522speaking%2B
> of%2Bbike%2Bshorts%2522%2Bgroup:rec.bicycles.misc%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DU
> TF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Ds4aZa.416%2524Hy2.13881%2540eagle.america.net%26r num%3D1
>
> Or the tiny version:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/m4o3
>
> -Buck
>
>
>

Thanks, I already read the thread from start to finish and have aa pretty good feel for what
happended.

Dave in Minnesota