Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

Bullhorn-bar lever setup recommendations

Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

Bullhorn-bar lever setup recommendations

Old 09-25-18, 08:39 PM
  #1  
adamrice 
mosquito rancher
Thread Starter
 
adamrice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin TX USA
Posts: 931

Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 133 Posts
Bullhorn-bar lever setup recommendations

I'm interested in setting up a street bike with bullhorn bars. I'd like to have proper TT-style brake levers and bar-end shifters on this, but as far as I can tell, TT levers have "plug" attachments to the bars, the same as bar-end shifters. So I can't have both at the same time.

I'm wondering if there are any TT levers that clamp around the outside diameter of the bar, or if there are any other clever solutions to this problem. I've thought about using Paul "thumbie" adapters, which would be OK but not as good.
__________________
Adam Rice
adamrice is offline  
Old 09-25-18, 09:16 PM
  #2  
Crankycrank
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 3,647
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 835 Post(s)
Liked 1,053 Times in 739 Posts
Plenty of choices here as an example. https://www.bikewagon.com/part/brake...-brakes/levers CX/Cross levers won't work without some modification but any basic standard road lever can be setup to work very well as well as most "Flat Bar" style levers. Either road or flat bar levers can also be run upside down if you prefer a different cable routing.
Crankycrank is offline  
Old 09-26-18, 07:06 AM
  #3  
Dan Burkhart 
Senior member
 
Dan Burkhart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Oakville Ontario
Posts: 8,108
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 937 Post(s)
Liked 652 Times in 367 Posts
This system continues to work very well for me 6 years on.

Dan Burkhart is offline  
Old 09-26-18, 07:31 AM
  #4  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18318 Post(s)
Liked 4,487 Times in 3,337 Posts
Campagnolo has EPS track shifter/brake combination levers. Pretty sweet, but the price might be more than many people would be willing to pay.

I'd probably either use standard "Brifters", or reverse orient the regular drop bar "aero" levers, and add bar end shifters.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 09-26-18, 04:37 PM
  #5  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,274

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4251 Post(s)
Liked 3,861 Times in 2,577 Posts
Originally Posted by CliffordK
Campagnolo has EPS track shifter/brake combination levers. Pretty sweet, but the price might be more than many people would be willing to pay.

I'd probably either use standard "Brifters", or reverse orient the regular drop bar "aero" levers, and add bar end shifters.
Shimano DI2 also has this feature with their TT levers. If I were looking for a cheaper route I would probably run my normal SRAM TT levers and then have thumbies on the inside at the ends or go with the the Paul Comp SRAM adaptor but then you would be stuck running SRAM however that XX1 Eagle stuff is pretty nice for SRAM but with that cost I would stick with Di2.
veganbikes is offline  
Old 09-26-18, 05:36 PM
  #6  
adamrice 
mosquito rancher
Thread Starter
 
adamrice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin TX USA
Posts: 931

Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 133 Posts
Apparently Shimano Metrea would be an option (with hydraulic disc brakes), but also pretty spendy
__________________
Adam Rice
adamrice is offline  
Old 09-26-18, 07:57 PM
  #7  
OneIsAllYouNeed
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seacoast, NH
Posts: 756

Bikes: Chinook travel/gravel/family tandem, Chinook all-road, Motobecane fatbike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 232 Post(s)
Liked 34 Times in 25 Posts
You can use a Vision Aero reverse brake levers with bar end shifters. I set up my wife's hill climb TT bike with those levers, SRAM SL-900 shifters, carbon bullhorns, SRAM XX rear derailleur, and Red front derailleur. The only issue was the the cable exits for the shifter and brake lever wanted to be in the same place. Both the brake lever and shifters had to be rotated inward to resolve the cable interference and have good ergonomics. The bike has been setup that way for over 2 years now with zero complaints about the shifting, braking, or ergonomics.
OneIsAllYouNeed is offline  
Old 09-26-18, 08:33 PM
  #8  
Dan Burkhart 
Senior member
 
Dan Burkhart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Oakville Ontario
Posts: 8,108
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 937 Post(s)
Liked 652 Times in 367 Posts
Originally Posted by OneIsAllYouNeed
You can use a Vision Aero reverse brake levers with bar end shifters. I set up my wife's hill climb TT bike with those levers, SRAM SL-900 shifters, carbon bullhorns, SRAM XX rear derailleur, and Red front derailleur. The only issue was the the cable exits for the shifter and brake lever wanted to be in the same place. Both the brake lever and shifters had to be rotated inward to resolve the cable interference and have good ergonomics. The bike has been setup that way for over 2 years now with zero complaints about the shifting, braking, or ergonomics.
Can you post photos? I'm trying to visualize how those could work together on the same bar.
Dan Burkhart is offline  
Old 09-26-18, 09:05 PM
  #9  
OneIsAllYouNeed
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seacoast, NH
Posts: 756

Bikes: Chinook travel/gravel/family tandem, Chinook all-road, Motobecane fatbike

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 232 Post(s)
Liked 34 Times in 25 Posts
Originally Posted by Dan Burkhart
Can you post photos? I'm trying to visualize how those could work together on the same bar.




OneIsAllYouNeed is offline  
Old 09-27-18, 05:32 AM
  #10  
Dan Burkhart 
Senior member
 
Dan Burkhart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Oakville Ontario
Posts: 8,108
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 937 Post(s)
Liked 652 Times in 367 Posts
Originally Posted by OneIsAllYouNeed





Thanks. I've never seen Vision levers with an external clamp, so that's why I was confused. I might consider using those instead of the interrupter levers if I do another build like that.
Dan Burkhart is offline  
Old 09-27-18, 08:08 AM
  #11  
adamrice 
mosquito rancher
Thread Starter
 
adamrice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin TX USA
Posts: 931

Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 133 Posts
That's a tidy setup--thanks for the photos. Vision doesn't seem to be listing that lever on their website currently, although there may be used parts floating around.
__________________
Adam Rice
adamrice is offline  
Old 09-27-18, 02:14 PM
  #12  
nfmisso
Nigel
 
nfmisso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 2,991

Bikes: 1980s and 1990s steel: CyclePro, Nishiki, Schwinn, SR, Trek........

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 384 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
Originally Posted by Dan Burkhart
This system continues to work very well for me 6 years on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgFt1zG_knM
Interrupter levers are definitely the most economical solution. You also have the option of adding a 2nd set of identical levers closer to the stem.

Using interrupter levers with reverse aero (aka TT) levers can run into a balancing challenge because of different mechanical advantages.
nfmisso is offline  
Old 10-24-18, 07:15 AM
  #13  
Speedway2
Senior Member
 
Speedway2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Thornhill, Canada
Posts: 747

Bikes: United Motocross BMX, Specialized Langster, Giant OCR, Marin Muirwoods, Globe Roll2, VROD:)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 236 Post(s)
Liked 400 Times in 242 Posts
adamrice...did you come up with a solution?
I'd like to swap the drops on my Road bike with the same brake/shifter set-up (like what OneIsAllYouNeed has done)
Speedway2 is offline  
Old 10-24-18, 12:20 PM
  #14  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
Another scheme via Jtek at SJS Cycles UK..

fietsbob is offline  
Old 10-24-18, 12:25 PM
  #15  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
But I'd say time trial & Triathlon race bike components,
may not be Ideal on daily transportation bikes..
fietsbob is offline  
Old 10-24-18, 02:53 PM
  #16  
Speedway2
Senior Member
 
Speedway2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Thornhill, Canada
Posts: 747

Bikes: United Motocross BMX, Specialized Langster, Giant OCR, Marin Muirwoods, Globe Roll2, VROD:)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 236 Post(s)
Liked 400 Times in 242 Posts
Those Jteks look pretty!.......pretty expensive that is.
Speedway2 is offline  
Old 10-27-18, 06:25 PM
  #17  
adamrice 
mosquito rancher
Thread Starter
 
adamrice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin TX USA
Posts: 931

Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 133 Posts
Originally Posted by Speedway2
adamrice...did you come up with a solution?
I haven't procured the test subject yet. I will probably do something very much like what OneIsAllYouNeed showed. AFAICT, FSA doesn't sell those exact brake levers anymore, but I'm pretty sure I saw scads of them on eBay. Barring that, I'll probably use cross levers—I'd like to have an excuse to put something from Paul Components on my bike, and they've got some smart cross levers. That wouldn't follow the curve up at the end of typical bullhorn bars, but there are also flat bullhorns.

Those Jtek levers are clever but look flimsy. It's hard to imagine something hanging off the side of a barcon being stout enough for a panic stop. And in any case, now that the company has been taken over by interests in the UK, they don't seem to trade directly with customers in the USA.
__________________
Adam Rice
adamrice is offline  
Old 10-28-18, 09:54 AM
  #18  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
you are not racing triathlons or doing time trials that's their target market.

jtek company founder died.. that's why it was transferred.
fietsbob is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Leatherfeathers
General Cycling Discussion
22
11-04-20 05:48 AM
Ol Danl
Classic & Vintage
5
12-04-17 01:15 PM
shreksur
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
9
04-16-15 03:16 AM
Twangcat
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
1
03-28-13 08:53 PM
northerntier
Touring
6
06-07-12 05:09 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.