# 105 (non-STI) levers on bullhorn bars?



## mdehner (Sep 1, 2002)

Will that work OK? Any installation tips or sugegstions to share?

Thanks much.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

mdehner said:


> Will that work OK? Any installation tips or sugegstions to share?
> 
> Thanks much.


Frankly, I find them preferable to the levers designed for aerobars. You might want to use a derailleur cable housing or some sort of compressionless housing if you have odd angles to work with.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

mdehner said:


> Will that work OK? Any installation tips or sugegstions to share?
> 
> Thanks much.



It works but you might have to drill a hole and run the cable inside the bars. Depending on the shape of the bullhorns, internal cable routing works better. It's not as hard as it sounds. If you decide to go that way, let me know. I'll give you some tips...


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## mdehner (Sep 1, 2002)

*Thanks...*

and I would love to hear tips/tricks for an internal cable run.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

mdehner said:


> and I would love to hear tips/tricks for an internal cable run.


Here is what I do:

1. Set up the levers where you want them
2. Mark on the bar with a sharpie where the brake cable would exit the lever body. Also mark the lever clamp position on the bar. Remove the lever housing but leave the clamp on the bar. It's OK to let the clamp slide down the bar.
3. Drill a hole in the bar for the cable. It helps to elongate the hole by moving the drill up and down. This allows the cable housing some room to without an extreme bend
4. Drill a hole under the bar just before the bulge. It helps to elongate this hole too
5. Insert a brake cable(no housing yet) in the hole by the bulge and run it up and out the other hole( this is just to ease the housing routing inside the bar).
6. Insert the cable housing in the bar( from the lever end first.) Leave about 1/2" of cable exposed. Since the brake cable is already in the bar, the housing will slide right out the bottom hole. Once the housing is run, remove the brake cable
7. Slide the lever clamp back into position and reattach the brake lever.
8. Run the brake cable and you're good to go


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## TNSquared (Apr 30, 2003)

*Works great, and for internal routing*

I have 105 brake levers on my bullhorns, and as someone else said I prefer them to the reverse pull type. 

I also bought some bullhorn bars from chucksbikes for $12 that have internal cable routing. He sells thema as Tsunami (his house brand) Toro bars. When I received them the laser etching of a major bar and stem manufacturer was easily discernible. They normally run for $40 at places like excelsports. They have a slight bit of give when I stand to climb if I'm out toward the ends, but I think probably any bullhorn bar probably will. Hard deal to beat for $12.


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## timfire (Dec 13, 2001)

*Non-Aero routing*

I also have regular Shimano brakes levers on my bullhorns. I initially had them routed internally, but I found the brakes ended up being a little squishy. I later re-routed the front brake cable so that it ran non-aero, straight out of the lever to the front brake through open air. That inproved the feel of the brake.

When I still had a rear brake, I left the cable routed internally.

[edit: Just in case you don't know what I mean, I found  this picture of a bike with a similiar set-up.]


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## oldskoolboarder (Apr 16, 2004)

*That's me!*



timfire said:


> [edit: Just in case you don't know what I mean, I found  this picture of a bike with a similiar set-up.]


Yeah, only after buying the parts did I figure out that my routing would not be aero.  

The issue w/ these types of levers and bullhorns is that the routing for the levers is designed for drops. So routing comes out of the top of the hoods. The only way to make it stealth is to flip the levers and run them reverse. But for me, I didn't get enough pull on the brakes so it didn't work well w/ v's. However, if you're goal is a cleaner look and you don't want to mod the levers, I'm guessing that you might be able to flip the levers if you're running road calipers and still have enough cable pull to have stopping power.


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## timfire (Dec 13, 2001)

oldskoolboarder said:


> The issue w/ these types of levers and bullhorns is that the routing for the levers is designed for drops. So routing comes out of the top of the hoods. The only way to make it stealth is to flip the levers and run them reverse.


Given that your bullhorns have holes drilled in them for internal routing, you can run your levers normal, as they are in the picture. But you have to put a *REALLY* tight bend in them to get them to fit inside the bars, and that's where the squishiness comes from.


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## oldskoolboarder (Apr 16, 2004)

timfire said:


> Given that your bullhorns have holes drilled in them for internal routing, you can run your levers normal, as they are in the picture. But you have to put a *REALLY* tight bend in them to get them to fit inside the bars, and that's where the squishiness comes from.


Agreed. I also tried to eliminate the "flying" cables by tightening up the cable routes and even trying to shorten them. Doesn't work, sometimes the cable would even get stuck in the "casing". Tight bends = unreliable cable movement.


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