Does anybody use these? Why do you use them instead of drop bars? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Do standard road shifters work on them or do they require a special shifter?
Thanks,
Brian
Thanks,
Brian
Bullhorn Handlebars
- Thread starter fireman7875
- Start date
I agree with the above post. for technical tri's or TTs ill usually opt for my road bike with clip-ons over my TT bike. Ive been on a road bike for probably close to 10 years, but only have about a year on a TT bike. I dont know if its the different geometry, different hadlebars, or just lack of saddle time, but i definately feel more stable on the road bike
Feltski said:
Is "TT" a time trial bike? Not familiar with the abreviation. Thanks for all the help so far!
Feltski said:
No question about it - a good TT bike will feel "squirrely" compared to a road bike. In engineering, the qualities that conduce to speed are generally antagonistic to those that conduce to stability. The world is perverse that way. You just cannot get too many good things in one package.
FWIW. I don't know if Bullhorn handlebars have any advantages over drop bars other than a small weight savings ...fireman7875 said:
Nonetheless, I think Bullhorn handlebars are a good alternative to Flat bars for urban riders who do not intend to use the drops on their handlebars or for whom Moustache handlebars are neither aesthetically pleasing nor economically realistic.
You CAN use integrated road shifters with Bullhorn handlebars ... some work (i.e., "fit") better than others -- Shimano STI will work & (dare I say it?) SRAM shifters are probably "okay" ... whereas, Campagnolo's thumb shifters will be awkward ...
Brake cable routing is the biggest hassle ... depending on where, precisely, you mount the levers will affect the bend in the cable housing by varying amounts.
With Shimano STI shifters, the derailleur cable is (obviously) not impacted by the type of handlebar used.
BTW. I did try mounting a pair of Campagnolo levers with the left lever on the right side & the right lever on the left side so that the brake handles were facing forward ... that more-or-less works.
I like bullhorns. You do lose a lot of stability but your reactions adjust for that after a couple of hours. As you can guess from the name most of my riding is commuting (100km a week) I switched from drop bars to bullhorns because I still want to get forward for gunning it on the flat. Because I am quite tall but have limited flexibility in my neck and need glasses I found the drop bars had me too low, it was an uncomfortable position and I was peering over my glasses and thus not able to see where I was going.
purplecommuter has hit the nail on the head. There's no right or wrong type of handlebars. If they suit your riding style then thy are good for you. Purplrcomutter said he had trouble with his bars low so he changed them. This is the policy you should adopt. Find what you're confortable with and go with that. There's lots of great advice about cycling but at the end of the day it's you and your bike, customise it to your tastes, not to popular convention.
Bullhorns are either a fashion statement (ala fixie culture) or they are designed to be used for TTs where you can mount bar end shifters to your aerobars. Anything else would seem just silly. Just sayin'
