Cutting down bars, what tool?

None of the above. I have used a pipe cutter, one like this but nicer, and it did a great job. Perfectly strait and will leave an almost factory edge.

-Brett

Pipe cutter also from Home Depot. I even use it to cut steerer tubes

I third a decent quality pipe cutter.

Used them on bars and seatposts, provided you take your time they're the neatest way. Even works on oval cross section parts like Thomson seat posts.

If you don't have a pipe cutter, a small hacksaw works great. File off the burrs when you're done.

Thanks guys, I'll grab a pipe cutter next time I'm near a hardware store.

I've used a cheap pipe cutter... and promptly destroyed the first blade by tightening it too hard/fast.

I did another bar with a hacksaw, using an old bolt-on grip as guide. Either the hacksaw blade was crap or the bar is really tough...

Both bars are good and with a plug in place I cannot see any difference.

Get yourself a threadless saw guide and a hacksaw. You don't need the park tools one, I think ice tools and performance's in-house brand makes them too.

you should try them first before you cut them.

I've used miter saw (ally is soft so a fine tooth wood saw works), pipe cutter and just a hack saw free hand in a pinch. Its not really that critical unless you're blind and cut a 45 on there or something.

Thing about pipe cutters is that they can make quite a rise at the cut, esp if the material is thick. This is because they cut by displacing material to the side rather than removing it like a saw, so on thick ally bars you'll probably have to file it back down on the outside to make it the same OD to get grips etc on.

Oh and if you take it easy, recon a skill saw would work too, make a vid if you try it though.

pipe cutter all day.

Plasma torch.

Karate chop. It takes practice, but you can amaze your friends when you get the technique down.

Hack saw and a saw guide. It will take care of all your cutting needs.

A pipe cutter has the potential to flare out the edges after making a cut, especially on steerer tubes.

make sure your pipe cutter has a metal blade and not a PVC blade

NWS said:

Karate chop. It takes practice, but you can amaze your friends when you get the technique down.

Click to expand...

:lol:

Carraig042 said:

None of the above. I have used a pipe cutter, one like this but nicer, and it did a great job. Perfectly strait and will leave an almost factory edge.

-Brett

Click to expand...

Yep, pipe cutters do an amazing job for bars and steerer tubes.

NWS said:

Karate chop. It takes practice, but you can amaze your friends when you get the technique down.

Click to expand...

:thumbsup: Chuck Norris has an instructional video of this on Youtube.

NWS said:

Karate chop. It takes practice, but you can amaze your friends when you get the technique down.

Click to expand...

Do you have a YouTube of this?

Pau11y said:

Do you have a YouTube of this?

Click to expand...

Yes, of course:
I have lost a bit of weight since then - that belly is actually what got me motivated to get back into mountain biking.