Hole for Mash Bullhorns

Hi I have a set of Cinelli Mash Bullhorns for my summer build. I plan to run a front brake using a TT lever which I have. didnt realise till after that the lever uses internally routed cabling.

Q. Would it be advisable to drill a small hole large enough for the bare cable in the underside of the flat part of the bars?

Would this be very dangerous and how much will this affect the structure?

Cheers

Pretty much everyone drilled out and ovalised a hole for the outer cable in the 80's and 90's, I've never seen one fail. #Don't sue me when yours does....

Right, I will give it a go. Ill update here if it works fine. If you dont hear from me consider the worst.

Mavics are popular choice for drillage. Don't see why can't do similar here.

^Exactly like that (I have their twin somewhere)! Start with a small pilot hole and gradually increase drill sizes, ovalise with a small round file. Good to know you, have a nice afterlife....

Thanks Chak, I was thinking hole even smaller than that, not sure how I would manage to file the edges with it being that small...

A bare steel cable will make short work of your alloy bars, also it would suddenly take a very sharp angle on exiting the bars if it had no outer. There would be no compression of the outer to act on the arm of the brake. In short, it would eat your bars and not work. You must have an outer!

Right, so outer needed all the way to the brake lever. Check.

Right so after much deliberation I have decided against drilling the bullhorns.

Its a toss up between changing the brake lever which would mean I would have to switch from SRAM lever and caliper, or changing the bars for internally routed ones where I could potentially get a 3T pair to match stem and seatpost.

Obviously changing the brake lever would be the cheaper option but getting a full 3T finishing kit is also a mouth watering albeit expensive option.

Any ideas?

why would you have to change the caliper? Is it a standard road dual pivot?

Not the caliper, the brake lever from an internally routed (SRAM500) to an externally routed (Canecreek)

Not the caliper, the brake lever from an internally routed (SRAM500) to an externally routed (Canecreek)

If the brands aren't a sore point and you just want a "working" solution then you can easily get some tektro ones to get you up and going. I have a set of the black ones and I'm waiting on my own bullhorn/pursuit style bars to arrive as I was getting ticked off with cross tops and drops.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BLTKRX41TT/tektro-rx-41-tt-lever-black
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BLTKRX41TTSIL/tektro-rx-41-tt-lever-silver