Carbon bars and bar bag

Tricky Dicky
Tricky Dicky Posts: 5
edited March 2009 in Tour & expedition
Just wondering whether its safe to mount an Ortlieb bar bag onto carbon drop handlebars or should I stick to alloy bars :?
Opinions/experiences greatly appreciated 8)

Comments

  • mz__jo
    mz__jo Posts: 398
    Just a personal opinion but I wouldn't be tempted to hang anything off carbon, bars, stems or seat posts. A friend who looks after a couple of elite racers has given me horror stories of carbon frame failures (at the rate of 2 or 3 per season!)
    Cheers Jo
    http://rctl.ffct.org/
  • mapei
    mapei Posts: 17
    I would feel a lot safer with ordinary alloy. I've witnessed carbon break twice, and there's honestly not much weight difference at all, why risk it.
  • daviddd
    daviddd Posts: 637
    I cycled around Australia with carbon bars (comfort bars) and a bar bag - 12000 miles with no problems. Whilst carbon can fail dramatically is seems to be pretty rare provided you don't overload the bars and avoid impacts. Havig said that I fell off twice too, and each time the bike landed heavily on the bars without disaster. And the bars are much more comfy for long hours in the saddle; I'd def use them again on my next tour whenever that will be.
    Oct 2007 to Sep 2008 - anticlockwise lap of Australia... http://www.davidddinoz.blogspot.com/
    French Alps Tour 2006: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=r ... =1914&v=5R
    3 month tour of NZ 2015... http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/nz2014
  • robthehungrymonkey
    robthehungrymonkey Posts: 616
    Daviddd,

    What bars did you use?
    http://www.KOWONO.com - Design-Led home furniture and accessories.
  • bahzob
    bahzob Posts: 2,195
    mz__jo wrote:
    Just a personal opinion but I wouldn't be tempted to hang anything off carbon, bars, stems or seat posts. A friend who looks after a couple of elite racers has given me horror stories of carbon frame failures (at the rate of 2 or 3 per season!)
    Cheers Jo

    I didnt reply to original post because never had occasion to hang bag off carbon bars. But have had several serious crashes when bike including bars had quite a shock and all fine after.

    However just to correct above. I have done a 5000km tour with main luggage in a Caradice Nelson bag hanging off the rear seat which was attached to a carbon post and no problems at all, despite one of above mentioned crashes happening during ride. Bike was bought 2006 and all carbon parts still going strong now (in contrast to non-carbon bits all of which replaced), must have notched up at least 1 round the world equivalent.

    Carbon is amazingly strong despite scare stories like above. The notion that carbon fibre is fragile is pretty much a myth.
    Martin S. Newbury RC

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