Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Velo Fixe => Topic started by: The Solo Socialist on 26 March, 2018, 05:12:08 pm
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Drops or Bullhorns?
Ally or Carbon?
Stem Carbon or Ally?
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Fatter tyres run at moderate pressures
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Been running these bull horns since September http://velosolo.co.uk/nittobull.html along with aero levers http://velosolo.co.uk/dia188.html. I really like the set up as I rarely used the drops on fixed. It's nice having the little up turn at the end of the bar, the hands just seem to sit really nicely into it, when I rode the geared bike a few weeks ago the small drop to the hoods felt strange (that didn't last long). I did feel my hands getting sore at the end of the Ball Buster audax on Saturday but I think this was all the pulling on the bars when climbing, I might look into some different gloves or maybe double wrapping tape. The position of the brake levers works really well, I toyed with having a pair of levers mounted on the flats but opted for the bar ends, there's plenty of leverage when descending and they seem to be 'to hand' quite readily. Can't comment on alloy versus carbon as I've only ever had alloy components.
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I've got the Cinelli Mash Bullhorns. A bit hipster, but has incredibly comfortable flat sections and with gel inserts & padded tape covering the ridiculous logo managed 2500km on the TransatlanticWay with no numbness at all. Not PBP-legal of course, so not too sure what I will fit next year.
Agree on the tyre pressures as well though - much more important than carbon vs steel. Double wrapping the bars helps a lot - not just for the increased padding but for a larger surface area to distribute the pressure.
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Likewise I never really use the drops so got rid of them...
Profile T2-Wing bullhorns (nice flat sections in the middle)
MarSAS Audax foam tape underneath.
Profile Century Tri-bars
Here was the old bike setup this way before LEL'09: http://www.greenbank.org/bikes/tempo/tempo7.jpg
Used the same setup (without the tri-bars) for PBP'11: http://www.greenbank.org/audax/pbp_02.jpg
Tri-bars back on for MR24 the other year.
Also a fan of bigger tyres and therefore lower pressures (max I use is 25mm tyres instead of 23mm, I'd use 28mm if they'd would fit).
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I've got the Cinelli Mash Bullhorns. A bit hipster, but has incredibly comfortable flat sections and with gel inserts & padded tape covering the ridiculous logo managed 2500km on the TransatlanticWay with no numbness at all. Not PBP-legal of course, so not too sure what I will fit next year.
Are bullhorns not PBP legal, thought it was just tri-bars?
Think I need to explore padding and tape a bit more ... can't fit bigger tyres, stuck with 23mm if using guards
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Seems to be concentrating on the front end of the bike here, but I've always used drops, riding mostly on the hoods and the tops. I'm also happy on 23mm high pressures but I did find better performance with wider rims.
The biggest move for comfort for me was to get the saddle and reach correct - I'm more upright now and the saddle is lower. Riding a bigger gear made the spinny bits towards the end of a ride much more manageable.
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Are bullhorns not PBP legal, thought it was just tri-bars?
As per the rules: "Electric bikes, tri-bars and all forms of extended bars are forbidden." - I've taken advice here that that includes bullhorns.
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Are bullhorns not PBP legal, thought it was just tri-bars?
As per the rules: "Electric bikes, tri-bars and all forms of extended bars are forbidden." - I've taken advice here that that includes bullhorns.
Thanks Ivan, that is interesting as I wouldn't have classed them as extended bars in that way, control is probably better than drops especially with brake levers mounted aero style. Good to know all the same, PBP plans already under revision :facepalm:
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I had no problem at the bike check with bullhorns (no tri-bars obvs) on PBP in 2011.
My reading of it is such that I don't class bullhorns as 'extended bars'. If anything they're just chopped down and inverted drops.
PBP's dislike of tri-bars is the distance it places the hands from the brakes and the change in body position/balance when riding in that riding positon. In most cases it makes the reaction/braking time much longer. This doesn't apply to the varied hand positons of bullhorns.
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These are not unreasonable concerns on a mass-start ride which is draft-legal.
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These are not unreasonable concerns on a mass-start ride which is draft-legal.
Indeed, especially when combined with large numbers of people who have no clue about bunch riding. Then add fatigue.
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I had no problem at the bike check with bullhorns (no tri-bars obvs) on PBP in 2011.
My reading of it is such that I don't class bullhorns as 'extended bars'. If anything they're just chopped down and inverted drops.
PBP's dislike of tri-bars is the distance it places the hands from the brakes and the change in body position/balance when riding in that riding positon. In most cases it makes the reaction/braking time much longer. This doesn't apply to the varied hand positons of bullhorns.
Also, if your hands are not on the outside of the bars, catastrophic interlocking with your neighbour becomes much easier.
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My position on fixed is based as closely as possible on my position on the touring/audax bike with gears. Same bars, same measurements, etc.
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I'm tempted to fit a Giles Berthoud handlebar bag between the bullhorns - surely that'll get you through any french bike inspection.
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Probably a Good Thing the bike check was cancelled in 2007, coz my (recumbent) steed had a pair of MTB bar-ends mounted some way inboard of the actual ends of the bars, to allow my elbows to be tucked in closer :demon:
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I'm tempted to fit a Giles Berthoud handlebar bag between the bullhorns - surely that'll get you through any french bike inspection.
I fitted a Berthoud saddle, and it's comfortable—if that helps.
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swap the bars after the bike inspection?.. :demon:
for me drop bars are most comfortable and versatile, so no reason to use any other arrangement
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Probably a Good Thing the bike check was cancelled in 2007, coz my (recumbent) steed had a pair of MTB bar-ends mounted some way inboard of the actual ends of the bars, to allow my elbows to be tucked in closer :demon:
I assume the usual draconian bike rules don't apply to les vélos couchés, anyway?
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Big fan of flared shallow drop bars - Currently running some Ritchey WCS VentureMax. I find the flare help provide a natural wrist position on the hoods, and the shallow drop means when spinning down the hills I'm a little more upright which I find more comfortable at high revs.
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I just fitted Cinelli bullhorns to my S/S
I really missed them (Stokers) from my days with my Pinarello.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/801/41142882041_ece7c21488_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25FE2rc)
I don't know why but I just like bullhorns on single/speeds.
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I just fitted Cinelli bullhorns to my S/S
I really missed them (Stokers) from my days with my Pinarello.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/801/41142882041_ece7c21488_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25FE2rc)
I don't know why but I just like bullhorns on single/speeds.
Nice. I agree entirely about bullhorns on single/fixed.
What are the aero levers you've got there? They look like they run the cable under the tape - I have some that route the cable inside the bars but I don't want to drill the bars.