# Why bullhorns?...



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

I see plenty of fixies/SS with bullhorns. Why? What advantages do they offer compared to drops?


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## covenant (May 21, 2002)

More hand positions and a more upright posture and more leverage.


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=110436&highlight=bullhorns?


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## tcruse11 (Jun 9, 2006)

No one know's....


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

covenant said:


> More hand positions and a more upright posture and more leverage.


Can't tell if you're serious, sorry... I thought the opposite -- that's why I asked. On even a short road ride ride I change hand positions dozens of times -- multiple hood positions, multiple drop positions, multiple tops positons, plus the corners. I just didn't see how eliminating several inches of bar length would make things better other than to save weight on a bike that's already a lead sled -- but that's why I asked. And it seems like I can be just as upright on road-bar tops as I can on horns... Still don't get it. Maybe I need to ride one.


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

threesportsinone said:


> The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.
> 
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=110436&highlight=bullhorns?


This was really useful -- thanks! I hadn't thought about how a single brake hood would feel -- riding my road bike, I'm probably on the hoods 75% of the time. Holy carp, am I going to have to put a rear brake on my as yet to be built fixie??!!


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## threesportsinone (Mar 27, 2007)

You can make a dummy lever, just the hood, no lever, no brake. I personally don't like the way it looks. (pic from Durandal)









Or you could skip the hoods altogether and run drop bars with a single cyclocross lever and front brake. (pic from Dave H)


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## gobes (Sep 12, 2006)

I bought a bike with bullhorns and put drops on it. I much prefer the drops.


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

threesportsinone said:


> You can make a dummy lever, just the hood, no lever, no brake. I personally don't like the way it looks. (pic from Durandal)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I wondered if folks had tried the dummy brake-hood idea. I bet I end up with a rear brake. I don't want the fixie to be so different from my geared bikes that I won't ride it... My purpose in building a fixie is to create a training aid -- not to become a dedicated fixie rider.


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## ProsperityRed (Aug 21, 2007)

I have bullhorns setup with a tt lever and an inline cross lever for the front brake... so that i could brake in either hand position... but am finding that I only really use the cross lever though.


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

ProsperityRed said:


> I have bullhorns setup with a tt lever and an inline cross lever for the front brake... so that i could brake in either hand position... but am finding that I only really use the cross lever though.


How do you normally ride your bullhorns? On the horns, the tops, or the corners? I'm asking because I'm building a fixie, and I see lots with bullhorns but they don't look all that comfortable.


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## Chainslap (Jun 2, 2004)

I have my fixed gear set up w/ front and rear brakes...
mainly because I use the bike for training on the intercity 30 mile group rides I've been doing. 

For some reason it seems kinda retarded how people are all reluctant to put a rear brake on their fixed gear bikes....

it doesn't save hardly any weight, and it could make the difference on weather or not you crash on not. I dunno. Is there a real reason to not put a rear brake on your bike? or is it just trendy?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Chainslap said:


> I have my fixed gear set up w/ front and rear brakes...
> mainly because I use the bike for training on the intercity 30 mile group rides I've been doing.
> 
> For some reason it seems kinda retarded how people are all reluctant to put a rear brake on their fixed gear bikes....
> ...



I have fixies set up both ways and I can't tell any difference.. I should add that, in addition to brake(s), I always use my legs/cranks to slow down.


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## treebound (Oct 16, 2003)

Did nobody mention the economic aspect?
Take an old road bike, strip off the gears, make it a fixie or singlespeed, turn the drop bars upside down and cut the drops off - total bugetary trendy bike thinking. Why buy something when you already have something that will work with just a hacksaw modification. :idea: 

(Okay, having a bad morning, think I'll go try to find something to chew on around the office....)


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## GScot (Feb 7, 2005)

When your fixed gear/ss is geared too high for a hill those horns give great leverage. Just keep in mind that front end parts need to be strong and tight (not overtight). I use the Nitto 021, it drops away from the stem and kicks back up at the ends. You have plenty of drop and hand placement options.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

> _total bugetary trendy bike thinking_


Could also be plain common sense. If you never go on the drops, why lug them around for the ride? With a fixed, you're not going to pretend you're a famous Tour de France rider anyway, so off with the never-used stuff. Ever notice how many geared riders have squeaky-clean bar tape on their drops?


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

fougasg.......I would suggest you get bullhorns and try them out yourself. I too was curious several years ago to see how they performed initially so I took an old drop bar, flipped and chopped the ends. Since then I've been running bullhorns on a couple of my fixed gears. They're very comfortable for long distance rides as well.
OTOH, if you like the comfort and aero tuck the drops provide then stick with drops and brake hoods.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

I have horns on my SS commuter. For my commute, I never really got into the drops much when I was on my geared roadie. I like the location of the brake levers on the horns. Much easier than pulling the brakes on drop bars from the hoods. Plus, I can reach the brake levers from near the corners. Admittedly though, there have been some occasions where I've had a headwind and wished I had drops to get me out of the wind. They provide good power when sprinting out of a traffic light.


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## covenant (May 21, 2002)

fougasg said:


> Can't tell if you're serious, sorry...


I give you a straight up answer and you can't tell if I'm serious or not???

Pro Tip: people who are joking use either a :thumbsup: or  or  or :wink5:


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## warmseth (May 11, 2006)

the leverage when climbing and especially when doing skid stops is beneficial.


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## ProsperityRed (Aug 21, 2007)

fougasg said:


> How do you normally ride your bullhorns? On the horns, the tops, or the corners? I'm asking because I'm building a fixie, and I see lots with bullhorns but they don't look all that comfortable.


I fidget and change positions every couple minutes...
but mostly with hands on the horns when I feel like I am going fast or want to be going fast
and position my hands on the tops when I feel like I am going slow, or want to be going slow

The corners I will sometimes use if my hands are sore from other positions but not as much

Edit: I also have two layers of bar tape which is a lot more comfortable and I never need gloves except in the cold, its just annoying when I have to re-tape for whatever reason.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

fougasg said:


> I see plenty of fixies/SS with bullhorns. Why? What advantages do they offer compared to drops?


Drops with hoods for me. I use my drops more on the fixie than on the geared bikes. Fighting a headwind and without a lower gear to bail to, it's nice to have drops.

I ride a fixie more for training than for hipness, so having it set up like the gearie makes sense. 

BTW, having brakes - two - allows you to ride faster than if you have to reserve room for legs-only breaking or worse yet skidding. Since they're going to be there anyway... Some say that one brake is as good as two, and that's true for straight line stops on dry pavement. In the real world, two makes sense. 

Faster, safer, more adaptable, more comfortable, more efficient - it's drops and hoods for me. 

If I didn't prefer to use two brakes, I'd prefer bullhorns to pista bars.

(I hope none of that sounded preachy or overly biased - Folks that ride 'nekkid' have my respect. I'm just too old for that sort of thing.)


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## Fatnslow (Jul 17, 2002)

Even on my geared bike, I spent 95% of my time on the hoods. For all intents and purposes I'd only go into the drops to sprint. 

Since my fixie is my commuter, I see no reason to put drops on it.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*I like drop bars*

Like several other posters, I use the drops a lot on the fixie. Climbing steeps, overgeared for a headwind, spinning out when sprinting to make a light or keep up with traffic -- in all those situations I feel more stable and powerful in the drops. I ride on the hoods (single brake, plus dummy hood) probably 50% of the time, but it's really nice to have the drops when I need them. Bullhorns, to me, add no positions while removing some useful ones. So I don't see the point.

They do look sort of cool, though, and that matters a lot to some folks.

Hey, treebound, I'm all for the budgetary approach, but cutting the drops off your old bars doesn't save any $ compared to just using the bars as is.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

At least bullhorns make more sense than those 12 inch wide chopped risers with Oury's.


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## ProsperityRed (Aug 21, 2007)

Richard said:


> At least bullhorns make more sense than those 12 inch wide chopped risers with Oury's.



hey don't diss that setup, those are the PERFECT bars for tiny leprechauns


aye, they're after me lucky green deepV's and oury's!!!


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

Bullhorns help me to climb better than drops. Plus it gives you more room to skid fixed.


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## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

When I commute with weight on my back I dont want to get down on the drops because my bars are very low. When I build a commute bike, I will flip and cut the drop bars to make bull horns. I don't want to pay for bull horns that I can make myself.


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## Tbirdbassist (Dec 2, 2007)

But uh, aren't Bullhorns and drops about the same price? I paid $40 I think or my Nitto 021's. Aren't drop's $30-35?


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

MIN in PDX said:


> Bullhorns help me to climb better than drops. Plus it gives you more room to skid fixed.


Well, you're running a pretty steep saddle-to-bar drop -- looks like more than most folks run with bullhorns. I can see that your bars would give a lot of climbing leverage -- your horns are probably a little lower than my hoods, plus the horns give a good hand position for climbing -- you can grab the bar only, rather than bar plus hood. 

I think what it'll boil down to for me is duplicating the postures and skills from my road bikes. In my case that'll mean using drops and hoods.


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## Alx (Mar 22, 2007)

Tbirdbassist said:


> But uh, aren't Bullhorns and drops about the same price? I paid $40 I think or my Nitto 021's. Aren't drop's $30-35?



You can buy used. I got a set of used Cinelli drops for $6 and a set of Soma Urban Pursuit bullhorns for $20. I can switch from drops to bullhorns depending on how I feel so I have some variety.


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## Tbirdbassist (Dec 2, 2007)

Bumping this up.


Are bullhorns still allowed on the track?


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## warmseth (May 11, 2006)

i guess that would depend on the track. they have definitely NOT been allowed at the two tracks i've been to. and i don't know why you'd want them on the track anyway.


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## Tbirdbassist (Dec 2, 2007)

Another question, when were they allowed? I've been looking at vids from the 80's and I haven't seen anyone using them, just drops.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

Bullhorn usage depends on the track rules and the event in question. Typically use is in time trials and pursuits.


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## Riot (Dec 13, 2007)

For me it's just for the looks


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## Alx (Mar 22, 2007)

Riot said:


> For me it's just for the looks


I agree but they also do serve a purpose. I think people just fear that someone will make fun of them for using something considered "Trendy". I say "who cares" I ride what I like and feels most comfortable.


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## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

Tbirdbassist said:


> But uh, aren't Bullhorns and drops about the same price? I paid $40 I think or my Nitto 021's. Aren't drop's $30-35?


I'm mostly into the vintage fixie. I buy the whole bike for 50-$100. I just flip and cop the stock drop bars to make short bullhorns. I did this to my tandem also.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

MIN in PDX said:


> Bullhorn usage depends on the track rules and the event in question. Typically use is in time trials and pursuits.


Many riders also use TT bars on top of their bullhorns for these type of track events. Photo is of Bradley Wiggins winning the individual pursuit during the March 2007 UCI World Track Championships.


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## tobu (Dec 19, 2004)

I can't think of any track that wouldn't allow bull horns because bull horns were pretty much made for timed road and track events. Using them on a fixie ridden on the road came much later on. The purpose of bull horns was to allow you to have a good position on a frame with a significant saddle to handle bar drop;i.e., most kilo, pursuit, or TT bikes.


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## bluemarinoni (Mar 15, 2007)

tobu said:


> I can't think of any track that wouldn't allow bull horns because bull horns were pretty much made for timed road and track events.


For Clarity: On the track, bullhorns are for TT events only. 

Problem is this- the track is _very_ physical, and it's incredibly easy to slip off the front of bullhorns or even slip off drops if riding the "hoods" If or when you do ride track, you may hear officials/trainers yelling at folks to get off the (nonexistant) hoods. It's simply too dangerous. 

When in groups: You ride on the tops, or in the drops.


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## tobu (Dec 19, 2004)

It's actually pretty difficult to slip off of bull horns. The main reason why you are only allowed to use bull horns in timed events is because you are not allowed to have "forward facing" bars in mass start events. Tradition has a lot to do with what bars you are allowed to use or not allowed to use, but the reason given for the ban on "forward facing" bars is because you might skewer someone in a crash.


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## ADAMAL68 (Sep 1, 2007)

How about this... anyone ever hooked their leg in the drops when they are trying to skid on a fixie?? I always thought that was a good reason to run the bullhorns.

.02 from me

Adam--


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## Alx (Mar 22, 2007)

ADAMAL68 said:


> How about this... anyone ever hooked their leg in the drops when they are trying to skid on a fixie?? I always thought that was a good reason to run the bullhorns.
> 
> .02 from me
> 
> Adam--


Bar plugs man. . .bar plugs.


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## RobbieTunes (Jan 21, 2008)

Alx said:


> Bar plugs man. . .bar plugs.


As a child, around 1971 or so, I assumed cars would give me the ROW, and impacted under the rocker panel of a Buick with my 1968 Columbia monstrosity, saddle baskets, front basket, generator lights, newspapers, et al. The bar ends made perfect circles in my biceps. We didn't have PT back then; they had me squeeze old tennis balls for months. To this day, I hate tennis. I loved that bike. You're right, bar plugs, man.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

I recently made the move to a flop n' chop.. I like this better.


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## Tbirdbassist (Dec 2, 2007)

I sure hope you took that picture on an empty street.


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## tcruse11 (Jun 9, 2006)

Tbirdbassist said:


> I sure hope you took that picture on an empty street.


Why????


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

Tbirdbassist said:


> I sure hope you took that picture on an empty street.


Didn't you always ride no hands when you were little?


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

I skidded down an entire city block that day going 25. Good times, good times.


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## Alx (Mar 22, 2007)

tcruse11 said:


> Why????


Because he's probably reached an age where if any kids are in his front lawn he can't help it but run out and yell at them waving his fist in the air as he curses!


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