Carbon bars ? what's the reasons/logic ?

supersonic

WIll save weight over what is there.

weeksy59

Ahhhhh errrrrm

We may have run into a problem

Stem Specialized 3D forged, 10 degree rise, 25.4mm clamp
Handlebars Specialized alloy, 25mm rise, 640mm wide, 8 degree back sweep, 8 degree up sweep, 3.2mm thick

Above is my bike...

This is the bars..
http://merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&p ... egoryId=74

This is the advert
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12629284

Now, either i'm being stupid... or i'm being stupid. But i think these won't fit...

How about if i buy the stem too ? Is that more viable ?

canada16

No you got a oversized on the Merlin site, same as I have.

Those are the bars though, they even have a aluminum on the ends to make them stronger for ends, and still 165gr :shock:

You will need the same size bar as your stem.

I got the ritchey wet black four axis, and its light as 129 on my scales, one of the lightest around and it has served me well... THIS IS A SWEET DEAL...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ritchey-WCS-4-Axi ... dZViewItem

Seen some on eBay for you for 49.99, but they are from Taiwan, so could take a week or two.

If you cant afford a new stem then you will need to find a 25.4mm bar, but the oversized or becoming more and more the norm..

weeksy59

IS the stem generic in the Headset context ?

The guy on here also has the stem, issume then the stem would fit and obviously be compatible with the bars ?

77ric

The stem in question is compatible with the bars, as for the headset question i think you mean the steerer tube in which case you'll need to get a stem that fits your forks steerer either 1 1/8 or 1 1/2 and inch, it's a hardrock aint it in which case it's probably 1 1/8 inches, but i'm to tired to check.

weeksy59

Ah well, to save all the messing about, i've ordered a set of 25.4's in Carbon from Ebay.

Many thanks for the informative thread lads.

JxL

Zeroman_IR wrote:

They do a fantastic job of filtering trail buzz. In my case however, I've had a pair snap on me so I don't think I could trust carbon again.

Alloy bars snap too, in that case you would just ride without bars?

Chaz.Harding

supersonic wrote:

Interesting question for ya: if skinny steel frames have whip and comfort enhancing flex, why no steel bars?!

I was just about to ask the same question!! If you had a 31.6 / 25.4 (or whatever the standard clampig size is nowadays..), the thinned down to a solid steel section for 75-100mm, then back to normal bar size.... Would that work? Obviously steel, and could be quite flexy, but you could lengthen / shorten the thin section. Even make it bladed for maximum lateral stiffness, but maximum vertical flex.... Hmmm... Would look quite cool, and be mega comfy on a fully rigid!!

You got me thinking now!

77ric

JxL wrote:

Zeroman_IR wrote:

They do a fantastic job of filtering trail buzz. In my case however, I've had a pair snap on me so I don't think I could trust carbon again.

Alloy bars snap too, in that case you would just ride without bars?

Steel bars, they'll bend before it's stressed so much that it would snap, that's why DJs use them.

gezzza

The Ritchy bars are OK but I'm yet to see one that weighs the claimed weight they are all over by 15-20%

For a light bar you want to be looking at Schmolke TLO average weight is 65g :shock: but you might have to take out a second mortgage Maybe the WCS arnt to bad after all

Zeroman_IR

JxL wrote:

Zeroman_IR wrote:

They do a fantastic job of filtering trail buzz. In my case however, I've had a pair snap on me so I don't think I could trust carbon again.

Alloy bars snap too, in that case you would just ride without bars?

I realise it's not the most logical decision, but the fact is that alu bars would not have snapped under the same conditions that these did. I'm getting refunded for them as it was a warranty issue, a construction defect, but alu bars tend to be a little more straightforward in their construction and less subject to such defects.

Bearing in mind that these bars were less than 2 months old and had been installed using a torque wrench, they should not have failed. Plus when I took them off to fit my new bars, there was also a crack in the stem clamp area.

Add to that the fact that the bruises from the crash caused by them snapping are still fading 3 weeks later, can you blame me for not trusting them? :shock:

I'm not looking to ignite yet another pro vs anti carbon debate, this is just my own experience of them.

weeksy59

i'll bear that in mind when installing mine mate.

What torque did you use ?

Zeroman_IR

4Nm for stem clamp. 3Nm for shifters and brake clamp. Very light. That said, I'm the only person out of the group I ride with that used a torque wrench on their carbon bars...and the only person whose bars have failed :shock: So I wouldn't worry about them really. I KNOW that carbon bars are usually no more likely to fail than other materials, I just can't trust them anymore. Purely psychological

Anybody that wants to see the pics can get them on MTBR here.

supersonic

Most alloy parts only snap when they have already been weakened and have cracked or stress risers.

Zeroman_IR

Aye. This happened on a fast rocky downhill and was more like crunch...s@*t...blood

LoUiS1985

fsa k force carbon bars

---

light, comfy, cheap(ish) and look the bollox!!

weeksy59

That was good service... They arrvied in the post today.

Will be fitting them tonight i think.