Clamping torque on carbon bars?

dbmnk
dbmnk Posts: 217
edited August 2009 in Workshop
So anybody know the max torque on stem plate bolts for a USE atom bar?
Or just some general guidelines for carbon bars. Oversize. 2-bolt stem.

Comments

  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    dbmnk wrote:
    So anybody know the max torque on stem plate bolts for a USE atom bar?
    Or just some general guidelines for carbon bars. Oversize. 2-bolt stem.

    Just a thought, but wouldn't you want to be able to clamp them just as tightly as aluminum bars???? To be honest, I'm not sure I would want to use bars that were "fragile" enough to require special torquing and extreme care. Maybe I'm way off base, but handlebars and seat posts that require "special" care are not on my list of things I want on my bike. Who the h*ll wants to worry about these things breaking?
    Sorry for the rant. Got carried away. Anyway, no not a clue about torque.
  • Wooliferkins
    Wooliferkins Posts: 2,060
    5.5Nm
    Neil
    Help I'm Being Oppressed
  • Slow Downcp
    Slow Downcp Posts: 3,041
    It depends on the stem, rather than the bar.
    Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Normally around 5Nm like said above. Ritchey certainly are.
  • Wooliferkins
    Wooliferkins Posts: 2,060
    5.5Nm is straight from the nice man on the phone at USE
    Neil
    Help I'm Being Oppressed
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    Use normal pressure with an Allen key and unless you are a ham-fisted muscleman with no sense of feeling the chances of getting to 5nm are pretty remote.

    Nothing on a bike needs a torque wrench.
  • System_1
    System_1 Posts: 513
    Smokin Joe wrote:
    Use normal pressure with an Allen key and unless you are a ham-fisted muscleman with no sense of feeling the chances of getting to 5nm are pretty remote.

    Nothing on a bike needs a torque wrench.

    +1. Unless you're leaning on a 6 inch allen key the chances of breaking anything are slim. Take it easy and tighten it just enough to stop it slipping and you'll be safe. Learning to tighten things 'just enough' by feel is a good habit to learn.
  • Chicago Dave
    Chicago Dave Posts: 59
    dennisn is so right...
    first,carbon breaks without warning.
    the papers that come with any part-alu,ti,whatever,
    tell you how tight bits should be tightened.no one looks if it's alu,ti, or whatever.
    BUT! with carbon,you never want to exced makers limits.
    and,unless you're a pro,'you really want to worry about bars failing
    without warning? 'ya really think being ten grams lighter will make you so scary faster?
    dennisn is so right...
  • dbmnk
    dbmnk Posts: 217
    Thanks for the advise everyone, 5.5 it is - or 5.1, since that's what the Thomson stem plate is recommended for.

    It's just that my handlebars recently dropped going over a bump, so I guess a little more torque could do the trick - only I was worried to put too much into it. Will lend a torque wrench and see how my ham-fists measure up in Nm's.

    Also for every carbon-hater, these bars happened to be on the bike, and I quite like them, so I have no intentions of swapping them. I do believe however that they have alu inserts in the clamping area - at least the off road versions does

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