TT brake levers + bullhorns + clics on a road bike

[eurostar]

I'm considering this for an endurance/randonneur build. Has anyone tried it?



I've heard that bullhorn bars with TT brake levers (e.g. Shimano TT79, 89g per pair) make for a comfy and safe position, with the brake levers easier to get to than with brifters. I'd use SRAM clics as my only gear controls. I'd also have tri bar extensions/clip-ons for comfort and aero. (I love them...in fact I'm addicted. I'd never have a bike without them). They carry a substantial weight penalty, but this would be partially offset by not having brifters.

[Miller]

People use that setup for TT bikes, obviously. They generally have a low and stretched out position so hard to guess how the same arrangement would work for a more comfort oriented bike. You'd lose being able to use the drop part of drop handlebars but you'd gain use of aerobars. Could work quite well?

[Chlorophyll15]

I think with Sram ETap (Force and Red) you can use road shifters on a drop bar as well as blips at the ends of your aerobar extensions. With this setup you get 3 distinct positions (ie, hoods, drops and aero bars) instead of the 2 you get from using a basebar/aerobar setup. Sram brifters have a reach adjustment function too if you have particularly short fingers and struggle to reach the brake levers in the drops. Handlebar shape and rotation will help too.

[Marin]

I tried this, but the Deda bullhorns I used didn't provide a comfy cruising or safe descending position for me.

However, I have aero clip-ons on my gravel bike now and they work really well for me.
I run the drop bars (and thus the elbow pads) much higher on this bike, and I spend all the time I'd be riding on the hoods on the clip-ons instead now.

Penalty is that the drops might be less aero than the bullhorns, but I'm more aero overall due to time spent on the aero bars. Did a 67km/700m vertical ride at 30.3 kph avg yesterday - on 38mm wide tires! - which is plenty fast for me.

BTW, If I had to set up my road bike with clip-ons today, I'd spacer them way up too. Look at the TT setups in the World Tour, riders aren't low at all anymore.

[eurostar]

Yeah, I don't plan on being particularly low. This is really my idea of a touring bike. But I can't mention the t word without losing the attention of gear freaks and kit whores. Obviously I'm not racing but I like being a gear freak/kit whore because it's fun.

I have a heavy bike at the moment. Steel frame with Cinelli alloy drop bars, 8 speed Dura Ace 7400 and Profile Design Ironman Carbon Stryke clip-ons. Just the clip-ons weigh about 750g. Tri/TT components are mostly very heavy because they're built for flat courses. Just the brackets and bolts for the clip-ons usually weigh more than a self-respecting weightweenie's handlebars. The ultralight clip-ons are pretty much restricted to madly expensive German carbon specialists like Schmolke and Haero.

[eurostar]

.

[Marin]

I have a carbon set off aliepress, they are about 300g

[eurostar]

Let's have a picture!