[pacman]

There I was, JRA down a fireroad (JHA is a better description) on my rigid sir 9 when I spotted a rut ahead. It would punish my hands but I wasn't worried, I'd roll through and absorb the shock as usual. But when I hit the rut something went SNAP! and it wasn't my wrist. It was the carbon handlebar. My right hand was holding a useless baton, while my left hand took over all steering and braking duties. I managed to stop without incident but change the conditions slightly and I would have crashed with speed.

Hmm, warranty replacement? Titanium?

 

[anden]

Says something about the work suspension forks are doing.

 

[wolfy]

You're amazing! An impact hard enough to snap the bar and you still manage to one hand it to a stop? You obviously only need one side of the bar anyhow.

Moving on, How do those grips feel, on the hole.

-M

 

[2farfwd]

Confirmation

I am glad to hear you are OK, it could have been much much worse I suppose. That's exactly why I would never consider a carbon handlebar. I know people who beat the heck out of carbon bars without issue, but I just don't trust them.

 

[Wish I Were Riding]

Yikes! Scary for sure. I don't think I could have escaped dirt in my face.

At least you know how to pick good grips!

 

[Rainman]

There I was, JRA down a fireroad (JHA is a better description) on my rigid sir 9 when I spotted a rut ahead. It would punish my hands but I wasn't worried, I'd roll through and absorb the shock as usual. But when I hit the rut something went SNAP! and it wasn't my wrist. It was the carbon handlebar. My right hand was holding a useless baton, while my left hand took over all steering and braking duties. I managed to stop without incident but change the conditions slightly and I would have crashed with speed.

Hmm, warranty replacement? Titanium?

Erk !

You were lucky not to get a facefull of dirt..

Carbon handlebars are capable of snapping like a carrot after being even slightly damaged. Sometimes the damage is not easily seen, and can result in a catastrophic failure at the worst possible time...eg: going downhill fast over bumps.

Even overtightening a component like a brake lever on the bars can cause the carbon to snap. Always torque to manufacturers specs.

Pretty scarey stuff...:eekster:

R.

 

[Law]

It was the carbon handlebar.

what type?

 

[shiggy]

Glad you are OK.

There was a similar snapped carbon bar in the 'Puff this year, also with no injury.

 

[Swami Scott]

Damn, have a drink and say a prayer that you have your face and teeth in place!

Doesn't look like anything was mounted there to cause the failure. Maybe a scratch/gouge went undetected? Are you sharing the manufacturer's name? I read somewhere that 7075 aluminum can also break catastrophically but 2024 bends before it breaks. Not sure what titanium does. Yep, carbon fiber goes snap without ANY warning!

Glad your OK.

 

[Hollywood]

Damn, have a drink and say a prayer that you have your face and teeth in place!

shoulda done that before the 'Puff

seriously, as a fellow CF bar rider, glad you're ok. Where'd it happen? I will go kill the rut.

hw

 

[Impy]

Eek! Glad you are ok. I have carbon bars on both my mountain bikes, that is a scary p[icture.

 

[Soloracer]

Hmm, warranty replacement? Titanium?

Had the same thing happen to me. Bars were 3 days old, I had a bike shop do the build because I was racing that weekend. Come to think of it the CF seatpost broke that race as well. I should have known that the teenager that pulled my two boxes of new parts behind the counter was probably the same one who was going to be assembling my bike. Upon questioning the shop when I returned from the race is broken CF in tow, they admitted that they did not even have a torque wrench.

Long story short, the LBS replaced the bars for me, blamed the seatpost on me. Took the bars (unmounted) and have only shopped there in an emergency.

From there on out, Ti bars and Seatposts for me. Also helps that I switched sponsors from a beer can manufacturer to a Ti builder.

jim

 

[pacman]

You're amazing! An impact hard enough to snap the bar and you still manage to one hand it to a stop? You obviously only need one side of the bar anyhow.

Moving on, How do those grips feel, on the hole.

-M

The grips are stellar. Puzzle: How do I get the grip off the stub?

what type?

Easton

Damn, have a drink and say a prayer that you have your face and teeth in place!

Doesn't look like anything was mounted there to cause the failure. Maybe a scratch/gouge went undetected?
Glad your OK.

Prost!
I was careful with mounting hardware, rounded the edges of brake clamps, etc. Undetected fault - absolutely.

shoulda done that before the 'Puff

seriously, as a fellow CF bar rider, glad you're ok. Where'd it happen? I will go kill the rut.

hw

Leave the rut alone, it's my lucky rut! (Sycamore/Overlook)

Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

 

[Padre]

was it the XC or the DH Easton?

i thought they always break by the stem...guess not...

 

[thefatmonkey]

what brand of grips are they?

 

[jpre]

Not sure what titanium does.

Ti flexes and flexes and flexes. It would take more than a lifetime to over-fatigue it. Has anyone here ever heard of a Ti bar breaking? I'd be curious to know under what circumstances that could happen.

 

[pacman]

was it the XC or the DH Easton?

i thought they always break by the stem...guess not...

XC. Underneath the stem a crinkled decal says "H Rise".

 

[jrm]

Scary.man

I removed my CF Easton XC monkey once i spoted cracks around the stem interface. Honestly the E70 alum bar doesnt weigh that much more and cant break..

 

[palerider]

It looks like there was some type of scoring on the bar, where it broke straight on the top section and fragmented on the bottom. Maybe a prevously overtighted brake clamp that had a sharp edge? I run carbon bars and always feel inside of my brake clamps for this.

 

[Vermont29er]

I've seen Ti bars snap. Granted, it was a race light bar and a 200lb guy, but still scary to see, had always assumed ti wouldn't do that.

I snapped a steel BMX handlebar jumping snowbanks when I was a kid. I think the cold was a major factor.