Just thought I’d share a project I did last week and made the brake levers inline with the wing:
if you look close you can see another mod to these bars (but I’m not ready to talk about that one yet 
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That looks really cool!! How is the functionality? Do you brake with your thumbs?
I like how you got rid of the upward angle of the bars. Did you just shorten them?
Braking will be thumbs yeah.
When you cut the upturns there is no room to mount a set of levers sideways, so I had to extend the handgrip area about 1.5 inches.
looks aero. but i sure as heck would hate to corner downhill at 50 mph with those bars. it does not look so safe, at least in terms of rapid braking.
is the other mod, the cable hole you drilled?
looks aero. but i sure as heck would hate to corner downhill at 50 mph with those bars. it does not look so safe, at least in terms of rapid braking.
is the other mod, the cable hole you drilled?
I’m not doing any races with 50mph braking involved and there arent any hills like that around here.
Nope, the other mod isnt the cable hole.
I’m all about home improvement projects, but this is one of those things that I would really love to see someone test to see if you can even discern a time improvement.
For instance, does the lever let the bar “draft” improving overall aerodynamics or does it “muddy” the air so that the bar’s drag goes up? Who knows?
I prefer the Vision bars that slope forward and down anyway.
Chad
I’m all about home improvement projects, but this is one of those things that I would really love to see someone test to see if you can even discern a time improvement.
For instance, does the lever let the bar “draft” improving overall aerodynamics or does it “muddy” the air so that the bar’s drag goes up? Who knows?
I prefer the Vision bars that slope forward and down anyway.
Chad
Well, I see it like this: if the brake levers were facing normally, they would dirty some of the clean air AND the wing would dirty some clean air.
As it is now, the brake levers dirty some of the clean air and then the wing’s dirty that same dirty air a little more. I think the benefit is very small, but I’d bet there is a benefit.
But aren’t your knuckles going to dirty just as much clean air now?? I would almost think that a nice sharp lever would split the wind a bit around your hands
so I had to extend the handgrip area about 1.5 inches
So how did you do this?
I prefer the Vision bars that slope forward and down anyway.
x2
I ride a Bontrager carbon bar and I wish it had more upturn to brace against when braking rapidly going down hill. In the wet the Bontrager feels like you could slip off the end.
Ken
But aren’t your knuckles going to dirty just as much clean air now?? I would almost think that a nice sharp lever would split the wind a bit around your hands
My knuckles might dirty up some air now, yes. But I’m going to be in the aero tuck for 98% of the ride, so I’m not too worried about that.
So how did you do this?
Wood dowel, sanded to match the internal diameter of the Visions. Then a piece of 22.2 bar that I bought online for another project with a screw into both sides.
Picture’s worth a thousand words:
I hope you won’t be coming behind me down a hill! Otherwise it would be fun to watch you taking the nasty downhill turn at IMOO
I do really like how you got rid of the upturn in the bars… that has always annoyed me.
I’ve seen a lot of people chopping the upturn off Vision bars and frankly, I’ll take the security of the extra grip in exchance for reduced aerodynamics. Though I’ve yet to see anything that proved cutting the ends off made them faster, so that is a dubious benefit at best.
Chad
It’s simple:
Take off brakes
mark where you want to cut
tape off rest of bar
remeasure just to be safe
cut off upsweeps
sand down sharp edges
get a drill and enlarge brake cable hole underneath (or I created my own I can’t rememeber)
reinstall brakes, some dremel work may be required
recable brakes
test ride in your hood to be safe
Time to complete ~1hr Looks - badass compared to upsweeps
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That’s pretty cool. I am interested in hearing how it functions.
I never liked that upturn on the bars. If you had the brake levers “normal,” with the flat base bar, it would be cool. Keep us posted on how it works in practice.
I’ve seen a lot of people chopping the upturn off Vision bars and frankly, I’ll take the security of the extra grip in exchance for reduced aerodynamics. Though I’ve yet to see anything that proved cutting the ends off made them faster, so that is a dubious benefit at best.
Chad
If I’ve learned anything from kraig at BTR----if it looks faster it is faster.
That’s pretty cool. I am interested in hearing how it functions.
I never liked that upturn on the bars. If you had the brake levers “normal,” with the flat base bar, it would be cool. Keep us posted on how it works in practice.
Yeah, if I dont like the sideways levers, I can just put them on normally.
I’ve been running my brakes like this for years. As for stopping power, I can lock up my rear wheel with just my thumbs.
When do you guys have the time to work on stuff like this? I’m lucky if my tires are pumped and my chain is lubed.