Votec V.SX 'AbsoluteBlackLyrik' *update p8 17/03/15*

ilovedirt

lawman wrote:

I'd be terrified of those bars. That wide and that light, and that cheap? No ta. Somethings gotta give there and I'm guessing it won't be long before they're broken on a bike like that.

Yeah, personally I wouldn't touch carbon bars, particularly cheap ones.

paul.skibum

ilovedirt wrote:

lawman wrote:

I'd be terrified of those bars. That wide and that light, and that cheap? No ta. Somethings gotta give there and I'm guessing it won't be long before they're broken on a bike like that.

Yeah, personally I wouldn't touch carbon bars, particularly cheap ones.

Me 3

lawman

ilovedirt wrote:

lawman wrote:

I'd be terrified of those bars. That wide and that light, and that cheap? No ta. Somethings gotta give there and I'm guessing it won't be long before they're broken on a bike like that.

Yeah, personally I wouldn't touch carbon bars, particularly cheap ones.

I've had no issues with my havoc carbons, they bloody good bars but I'd never buy cheap carbon stuff especially on something that is going to be ridden hard and given a hard life.

felix.london

they're the same weight and width as the Renthals and they get smashed down WC runs and seem to survive.

"CarbonCycles make the highest quality carbon fibre bicycle components. Our design and manufacturing processes are truly innovative & our components perfectly balance light weight & strength."

We'll see I guess...

felix.london

Cqc wrote:

What's wrong with the 2.2 rear trail king?

Just should've got the 2.4. Was concerned about the width and frame but it would've been fine. At least it should roll a bit nicer on the tarmac climbs

ilovedirt

I guess it's just a bit of a weird thing. Carbon, if it's going to break, has a tendency to just snap in half, where aluminium will just bend. There's probably not a place on the bike where it would be worse if that happened than the bars!

lawman

felix.london wrote:

they're the same weight and width as the Renthals and they get smashed down WC runs and seem to survive.

"CarbonCycles make the highest quality carbon fibre bicycle components. Our design and manufacturing processes are truly innovative & our components perfectly balance light weight & strength."

We'll see I guess...

Doesn't matter if they're the same width and weight as Renthals I'd still spend the extra just for piece of mind!! As ilovedirt says the one place you really really don't a failure is bars and when they're so cheap you have to wonder what corners have been cut to reach that weight. I'm sure you know the old mantra, cheap, light, strong - pick two... These may be cheap and light but I really question their ability to handle real abuse.

felix.london

cheap carbon frames, OK. Cheap carbon rims, OK. Cheap carbon bars, not OK?

I obviously here what you're saying but don't forget companies like Renthal and Easton although no doubt making some quality kit will also put a markup on their products just because it has their logo on it (and to cover race teams, R&D departments, massive marketing campaigns etc)

£60-£70 is cheap compared to some other carbon bars but it's not cheap just compared to MTB bars so I'm not sure if the old mantra is really valid here

Superstars 780mm carbon bar is £70 - where does that come on the too-cheap-to-trust scale?

Anyway - I'm prepared to take one for the team and be the guinea pig...just hope I keep my teeth in the process.

"From the data acquisition, it's very clear that you're never going to break a carbon handlebar in normal use. Your body weight against the handlebar will never snap one, even with the weakest ones on the market, the breakages come from crashes"

lawman

felix.london wrote:

cheap carbon frames, OK. Cheap carbon rims, OK. Cheap carbon bars, not OK?

I obviously here what you're saying but don't forget companies like Renthal and Easton although no doubt making some quality kit will also put a markup on their products just because it has their logo on it (and to cover race teams, R&D departments, massive marketing campaigns etc)

£60-£70 is cheap compared to some other carbon bars but it's not cheap just compared to MTB bars so I'm not sure if the old mantra is really valid here

Superstars 780mm carbon bar is £70 - where does that come on the too-cheap-to-trust scale?

Anyway - I'm prepared to take one for the team and be the guinea pig...just hope I keep my teeth in the process.

"From the data acquisition, it's very clear that you're never going to break a carbon handlebar in normal use. Your body weight against the handlebar will never snap one, even with the weakest ones on the market, the breakages come from crashes"

Don't get me wrong I'm a huge carbon fan, but given that you can get carbon bars for around £40-50 more than cheap ones I'd either spend the extra if I could or just get alloy ones, same with anything really. I'd rather pay the extra for something from a proven brand and tbh there's just something about those particular bars being so light that puts me off, particularly on a bike being hard that is likely to be crashed hard at some point

pesky_jones

So, if the bars turn out fine, are they going to be on everyone's shopping list?

felix.london

about to go and give them another hammering...wish me luck

ilovedirt

To be honest, the weight saved on the bars is so minimal, on a bike like that i'd just stick to aluminium, but that's your call! I'm loving my Renthal Fatbars tbh, strong and light enough

The Rookie

ilovedirt wrote:

I guess it's just a bit of a weird thing. Carbon, if it's going to break, has a tendency to just snap in half, where aluminium will just bend.

You may want to read the case of the guy who successfully sued his bars supplier after his alloy bars snapped clean in two, no bending at all......It may be more likely to bend, but saying it will just bend is simply not true.

ilovedirt

More often than not the case though. Carbon doesn't deform at all.
This guy probably massively over-torqued his stem bolts.

felix.london

Once again...

"Your body weight against the handlebar will never snap one, even with the weakest ones on the market" - Ian Collins, Renthal, January 2012

So I stand by my theory that if Renthal's version (roughly same weight and width) is good for World Cup Downhill riders on World Cup Downhill tracks then Carbon Cycles version is fine for me riding on natural alpine trails

The Rookie

ilovedirt wrote:

More often than not the case though. Carbon doesn't deform at all.
This guy probably massively over-torqued his stem bolts.

Try reading Ide v ATB sales ltd and stop spouting things that suite you and not the facts!

http://www.crownofficechambers.com/news ... ca_civ_424

Google bars snap and you'll find a fair few reports of ally bars just snapping, the diameter and nature of aluminium (not steel) means snapping is more likely than bending anyway.

ilovedirt

felix.london wrote:

Once again...

"Your body weight against the handlebar will never snap one, even with the weakest ones on the market" - Ian Collins, Renthal, January 2012

So I stand by my theory that if Renthal's version (roughly same weight and width) is good for World Cup Downhill riders on World Cup Downhill tracks then Carbon Cycles version is fine for me riding on natural alpine trails

Oh yeah, you're probably right, it's just a bit of a weird thing I have. Carbon bars/stem just don't really appeal to me (well, the renthal ones are sexy, but I'm not paying for them).

ilovedirt

The Rookie wrote:

ilovedirt wrote:

More often than not the case though. Carbon doesn't deform at all.
This guy probably massively over-torqued his stem bolts.

Try reading Ide v ATB sales ltd and stop spouting things that suite you and not the facts!

http://www.crownofficechambers.com/news ... ca_civ_424

Google bars snap and you'll find a fair few reports of ally bars just snapping, the diameter and nature of aluminium (not steel) means snapping is more likely than bending anyway.

Okay, from my personal experience, ally bars tend to bend rather than snap. I've bent three (i think?) sets of bars now, due to the fact that they were just bent, rather than snapped, I was able to ride home, and didn't impale myself on a snapped handlebar. Carbon tends to catastrophically fail, rather than deform, as carbon is not particularly ductile, meaning when it reaches it's point of ultimate failure, it will result in a brittle fracture (a snap). Aluminium is much more ductile, meaning that it is more likely to buckle (bend), which is more often the case. Had I crashed with carbon bars, I'd have been in a different situation. I'd also like to point out that I know many people that have bent aluminium bars, however I don't know of a single person who has snapped them (though obviously it happens). Sorry for spouting things that suit me based on evidence and experience, and some small knowledge of materials, rather than believing the first thing I read on the internet...

Also, one isolated case does not make it fact...

Also, I'm sorry for spamming up your thread, I really only meant it as an offhand comment... I'm done now!

AshW92

Get the bars on and ride mate, so long as you're happy then it's all cool! Only one way to find out if they're up to the job or not (find it hard to believe they could sell them if they didn't pass strict impact tests)

ilovedirt

AshW92 wrote:

Get the bars on and ride mate, so long as you're happy then it's all cool! Only one way to find out if they're up to the job or not (find it hard to believe they could sell them if they didn't pass strict impact tests)

You can sell anything you want, doesn't have to pass any tests (with the exception of safety equipment, i think) Of course, you run the risk of a bad reputation and/or legal consequences, as highlighted earlier.

felix.london

ilovedirt wrote:

Also, I'm sorry for spamming up your thread, I really only meant it as an offhand comment... I'm done now!

haha..all part of the fun!

I'm just waiting for the post saying that "actually the carbon cycles bars are made in the same factory and same mould in Taiwan as the Renthal's are" ...I wont hold my breath

AshW92 wrote:

Get the bars on and ride mate, so long as you're happy then it's all cool! Only one way to find out if they're up to the job or not (find it hard to believe they could sell them if they didn't pass strict impact tests)

They're on and they feel great so far

Carbon Cycles customer care;

"CarbonCycles make the highest quality carbon fibre bicycle components. Our design and manufacturing processes are truly innovative & our components perfectly balance light weight & strength....Our pledge extends beyond a normal warranty which usually only covers faulty manufacture. We will also replace parts that are damaged due to normal riding even if it's been ridden hard..."

sounds fair enough to me

BloggingFit

Not a bad option over a slash frame as you said. ..

felix.london

BloggingFit wrote:

Not a bad option over a slash frame as you said. ..

Bloody bargain! The more I ride it, the more I love it!

The 750mm bar has made a massive improvement to the ride - just seems way more stable now, seem to really be able to smash it into the turns but could be the slightly longer stem or the new tyres or all three!

Think I've decided to go for a 160mm Pike with a 1º or 1.5º angleset - well that's todays plan anyway...

BloggingFit

You'll enjoy the Pike on there.

Debating a 60mm stem instead of the stock 80mm however the XXX Bontrager one I'd like is a 7 degree while I'd prefer zero degree. I can drop down one more spacer or flip it over although I'm figuring bar height will remain the same and just 20mm further in. Decisions..

Talking in bars I snapped an alloy set of Spesh bars years ago while lake jumping with no bend or warning. Managed a photo in a MBUK handle bar article a few months after for my troubles

felix.london

I went from a 710mm bar and 50mm stem to a 750mm bar and 60mm stem and messed around with spacer placement as well. I should really get into the habit of changing one thing at a time so I can see what effect it's having but not too bothered as as I say, she's riding lovely now. Just can't wait to get this 1x10 system setup now

BloggingFit

Mine is 720mm so 60-80mm range would be about right. Noticed my saddle was right back on the rails so popped it forwards a little. Don't remember setting it up there and can't see that it would have moved back as wasn't particularly loose so maybe the carbon rails have a habit of slipping gradually over time. Will ride today and assess the need for stem again,

1x10 is a winner. Cleans the bike up and handy if you want to run a dropper post and locate the remote in the free space on the bar.

step83

I was running a carbon bar from CC last yeat, really enjoyed the feel of it bit less judder than alu bars but it may have just been me but thats how it felt. did some big ish drops had no issues with them.

felix.london

OK.

Absolute Black kit arrived while I was out on the local trails...perfect

We have;

28t N/W chainring - black. 28-40t Cassette Shimano Adapter - black. Chainring bolts - black. Shimano HG-95 (XT) chain - silver. Was tempted to get a black KMC chain but luckily I came to my senses!

Looking forward to getting this stuff on this evening. More photos to follow...

paul.skibum

So you are going to 1x10 - 28 to 11-40? I can't see that working for me - surely you are compromising both ends of the range enough (definitely the high end) that you will lack the gearing you want? No?

felix.london

Same lowest gear for the big climbs. I never use highest few gears except for bombing it down the tarmac to the pub and happy to take the spinning-out/coasting in this rare situation for the 0.5kg weight saving, less handlebar clutter etc.