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Advantages of Carbon Handlebars--Vibration?

Stickler

Chimp
Feb 12, 2005
62
0
Bellingham, WA
I'm considering making the switch to a carbon bars and am wondering what the advantages are. I am somewhat concerned with weight, but wouldn't make the switch strictly based on weight. I am more concerned with differences in vibration dampening?

I'm considering purchasing a set of Easton Havoc Carbon bars and have been riding Sunline V-One/Boobar the last little while.
 

Banshee Rider

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2003
1,452
10
I can't speak for DH, but I absolutely noticed a difference in compliancy when I switched the Sunline V1 bar on my 5" trail bike for an Edge Composite bar. I made the switch primarily for weight, but the distinct feeling between the two was a nice surprise. If you're a pinner that runs ample compression and higher tire pressure, I would imagine you'll notice a subtle difference by making the switch.
 

Wa-Aw

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
354
0
Philippines
I can confirm the above. There is a distinct difference. Went to carbon and it's compliance was really nice despite being stiff. Went back to alu bars for wider width and the change was very noticeable. Kind of like going from soft grips to hard grips.

But they also have a nice compliance on medium ish hits that's hard to describe.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,480
4,720
Australia
I noticed the opposite. The last set of carbon bars I rode were noticeably stiffer and harsher than aluminium ones.
 

braaaap

Chimp
Feb 27, 2007
89
0
Utard
I have been running a set of the ENVE dh bars ( I cut them down to 30.5") for roughly a month now. After multiple trips to bootleg canyon and St George / Virgin Ut. I must say that I notice a difference. It's a feeling that is tough to elaborate or explain. It's similar to running low pressure. The vibration dampening and stiffness seem to deaden the high frequency stuff. I know this may sound weird...but it feels silent. Silent is the only word that I can think of. I know....weird. Overall, super pumped on them.
<Redride>...do some research about the snaps comment. Good carbon (ENVE) is not only super strong, but last's a long time. Sure...everyone has seen some crappy low grade crap snap...but the good stuff is amazing.
 

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
I tested some Azonic CF-1 Carbon bars on my DH bike back in 2002 for a season to give feed back to Azonic. Understand this was before long bars and 31mm stems where around. They held up great and I hit some big gaps at Big Bear that year a long with all the East Coast Nar. Would not push them past a second season though. I found they help a lot with killing vibration on the hands and wrist. Now with the bigger and stronger carbon bars out there it maybe worth a shoot.

Cecil
 

Stickler

Chimp
Feb 12, 2005
62
0
Bellingham, WA
I have been running a set of the ENVE dh bars ( I cut them down to 30.5") for roughly a month now. After multiple trips to bootleg canyon and St George / Virgin Ut. I must say that I notice a difference. It's a feeling that is tough to elaborate or explain. It's similar to running low pressure. The vibration dampening and stiffness seem to deaden the high frequency stuff. I know this may sound weird...but it feels silent. Silent is the only word that I can think of. I know....weird. Overall, super pumped on them.
The small vibrations are what I'm hoping a set of carbon bars will dampen. My thought being road bikes with a carbon rear end vs. aluminum rear end feel very different vibration wise. Thanks for the help.
 

jon-boy

Monkey
May 26, 2004
799
0
Vancouver BC
I've ridden an Enve bar for the past month on my AM bike (had to get the DH bar to get the width I wanted). I'd agree with the above, the bar feels stiff when cranking on it, but seems to damped some of the vibration out from the trail. So far I'm really impressed.
 

numerik

Monkey
Jul 22, 2005
473
8
Slovenia, Europe
I rode Easton DH Monkeylite 2 years ('07,'08), and I can't remember if I felt any differences to alu handlebars. However, I was less confident after I saw two broken bars for no obvious reason :(
Alu now. Light and good enough ;)
 

redride

Monkey
Sep 23, 2007
215
0
Kuala Lumpur
<Redride>...do some research about the snaps comment. Good carbon (ENVE) is not only super strong, but last's a long time. Sure...everyone has seen some crappy low grade crap snap...but the good stuff is amazing.
sure mate. ENVE is new? nice width! its a personal view that the minute savings u get from a carbon bar is not worth the change from what one is running now unless u want to try a new sweep/rise etc...:D

BUT, i may be a little behind on the new carbon technology esp ENVE.:thumb:
 

miuan

Monkey
Jan 12, 2007
395
0
Bratislava, Slovakia
I switched to carbon bars 3 years ago due to finger fatigue. Later I switched to a much wider alu bar and never went back. I actually felt much less pain riding the wider alu bar. I probably never reached the speeds when the damping should begin. To each his own I guess.
 

Trekrules

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2007
1,226
148
Been using my ControlTech House Carbon downhill bars for the past 3 seasons,head some big crashes when the handle bars fully hit the ground and put it thrue some gnar DH stuff including two 24hrs downhill races.The only major damages i now have are some scratches but the bars are still super strong.
 

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
Carbon can't be recycled. Does the world really need you to have carbon bars that really struggle to be made with any bennefit without risking snapping easily, so you can talk **** like a roadie about the subtle difference you feel?
Bring it on :thumb:
**** Carbon fibre I say. Give me carbon in the steel form please. Yeah I dug the Lahar, but it was built to last, not to be seasonal. If the new gen frames last for ten+ years, I'll be impressed. If new gen carbon bars last the same period, then so be it, probably well worth it.
If anyone can tell me how they're better than ally either performance wise or environmentally, I'm all ears.
 
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norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
carbon... snaps... pain... why?... no good for DH!
carbon... never tried... why speak? No good for posting!

Ive rode monkey lite dh's for 2.5 seasons, beat the crap out of them. I'm a frequent crasher and even though they looked like they were attacked by wolverine they still held great.

As for damping - for me it was a slight differance but I don't really notice arm fatigue that much so it may be bigger for others.
 

yuroshek

Turbo Monkey
Jun 26, 2007
2,438
0
Arizona!
Hate to BREAK it to ya red, but alum. bars "snap" and "crack" too. My old team mate, Jason Memmelaar was warming up at the start one race when his sunlines just gave out and snapped. Missed his race run and the points for the overall championship. game over.
 

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,750
439
MA
I reckon that 25.4 diameter handlebars feel loads better than 31.8 ones. Unfortunately hardly anyone makes stems or bars in that size anymore.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I reckon that 25.4 diameter handlebars feel loads better than 31.8 ones. Unfortunately hardly anyone makes stems or bars in that size anymore.
Funn makes a wide 25.4 bar. Many MANY dirt companies make 25.4 stems. Try dartmoor funky.
 

Stickler

Chimp
Feb 12, 2005
62
0
Bellingham, WA
Carbon can't be recycled. Does the world really need you to have carbon bars that really struggle to be made with any bennefit without risking snapping easily, so you can talk **** like a roadie about the subtle difference you feel?
Bring it on :thumb:
**** Carbon fibre I say. Give me carbon in the steel form please. Yeah I dug the Lahar, but it was built to last, not to be seasonal. If the new gen frames last for ten+ years, I'll be impressed. If new gen carbon bars last the same period, then so be it, probably well worth it.
If anyone can tell me how they're better than ally either performance wise or environmentally, I'm all ears.
Are you serious with the recycling bit? I can always go throw them in the ocean if they break.

Carbon has come a long way since the days of snapping for no good reason. This is actually the first time I've felt comfortable enough to trust something such as a carbon handlebar. The fact is companies like santa cruz are making more bikes out of carbon because they simply aren't breaking like the aluminum ones did. Boeing is building large international airplanes out of carbon products--you really think the wings with just snap off over the Pacific and kill all the dolphins?

Thanks to everyone else for you constructive comments.
 

redride

Monkey
Sep 23, 2007
215
0
Kuala Lumpur
Hate to BREAK it to ya red, but alum. bars "snap" and "crack" too. My old team mate, Jason Memmelaar was warming up at the start one race when his sunlines just gave out and snapped. Missed his race run and the points for the overall championship. game over.
granted. never hear a lot of those tho'

anyway, its just my personal view. just the thought of it snapping makes me cringe. so to me... why bother and stick to the Deity Black Labels.

btw, what brand was Mr. Memmelaar running?
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
granted. never hear a lot of those tho'

anyway, its just my personal view. just the thought of it snapping makes me cringe. so to me... why bother and stick to the Deity Black Labels.

btw, what brand was Mr. Memmelaar running?
and you hear a lot about expensive carbon dh bars snapping? Like Enve, Monkey lite dh or Havoc?
I just love how people base their judgements on some rumors about xc components made 10 years ago.


btw. He mentioned Memmelaar was running Sunlines.
 

redride

Monkey
Sep 23, 2007
215
0
Kuala Lumpur
carbon... never tried... why speak? No good for posting!

Ive rode monkey lite dh's for 2.5 seasons, beat the crap out of them. I'm a frequent crasher and even though they looked like they were attacked by wolverine they still held great.

As for damping - for me it was a slight differance but I don't really notice arm fatigue that much so it may be bigger for others.
carbon... tried... b4 deity...

problem was... and still is... although my carbon bars held ok... after crashes, i kinda get a bit scared for a bit seeing the scratches for fear it'll snap. so i would usually pull back on the throttle a bit and not be as pumped... it did not snap or anything but it did my head in! :eek:
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
carbon... tried... b4 deity...

problem was... and still is... although my carbon bars held ok... after crashes, i kinda get a bit scared for a bit seeing the scratches for fear it'll snap. so i would usually pull back on the throttle a bit and not be as pumped... it did not snap or anything but it did my head in! :eek:
No reason to. Mine looked like crap after a season and I still rode them for 1.5. If you inspect them I doubt they would crack easily. Especialy eastons if that's what you had.
 

wood booger

Monkey
Jul 16, 2008
668
72
the land of cheap beer
carbon... tried... b4 deity...

problem was... and still is... although my carbon bars held ok... after crashes, i kinda get a bit scared for a bit seeing the scratches for fear it'll snap. so i would usually pull back on the throttle a bit and not be as pumped... it did not snap or anything but it did my head in! :eek:
Really?

"carbon... snaps... pain... why?... no good for DH!"
"although my carbon bars held ok"
"it did not snap or anything but it did my head in!"

Sounds like a case of mental issues. Don't blame the bars!

And some more well researched facts:

"Carbon can't be recycled."

wrong

Any bar can snap, but I have heard of many more alloy bars breaking than their carbon counterparts. Don't fear technology! The world is round you know!
 

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
"Carbon can't be recycled."

wrong
Carbon can not be efficiently recycled as yet.
and yeah, I'm serious. I don't see that the selfishness is outweighed by any gain here. carbon bars, are not going to make you faster, cooler, stronger, or more desirable, simple as that, why look like a selfish inconsiderate c*nt on top of looking like a wanker cause you went to carbon bars for some delousional performance gain that could probably have been acheived with 25.4 bars if it existed anyway. Putting energy into nderstanding your suspension design, and set up will make you a lot faster and more comftable tahn carbon bars.
I agree, if you want a bit more feel from a bar, push for 25.4 to be re made, we never had a problem with it from memory. No high stress points. Oversize was made purely for carbon it would apear.
 

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
Carbon can not be efficiently recycled as yet.
and yeah, I'm serious. I don't see that the selfishness is outweighed by any gain here. carbon bars, are not going to make you faster, cooler, stronger, or more desirable, simple as that, why look like a selfish inconsiderate c*nt on top of looking like a wanker cause you went to carbon bars for some delousional performance gain that could probably have been acheived with 25.4 bars if it existed anyway. Putting energy into nderstanding your suspension design, and set up will make you a lot faster and more comftable tahn carbon bars.
I agree, if you want a bit more feel from a bar, push for 25.4 to be re made, we never had a problem with it from memory. No high stress points. Oversize was made purely for carbon it would apear.
How is their a downside? Lighter, stronger, massively tunable application; vibration damping, stiffness, managed compliance.

Where is the downside? Not recyclable - although bull, the impact versus mining and processing aluminum is no green alternative.

Why bother with any material advances, or damping, or any progress for that matter. Go ride a rigid steel single speed if you want to tout that route........

Id really like to see some steel 30+ inch 25.4 bars and how heavy they'd have to be to not bend like a noodle versus the carbon 31.8 alternative that will be more compliant, lighter and stronger.
 

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
How is their a downside? Lighter, stronger, massively tunable application; vibration damping, stiffness, managed compliance.

Where is the downside? Not recyclable - although bull, the impact versus mining and processing aluminum is no green alternative.

Why bother with any material advances, or damping, or any progress for that matter. Go ride a rigid steel single speed if you want to tout that route........

Id really like to see some steel 30+ inch 25.4 bars and how heavy they'd have to be to not bend like a noodle versus the carbon 31.8 alternative that will be more compliant, lighter and stronger.
That's all good and well in theory. But in reality, companies aren't ticking all those boxes and seem to flounder mainly with the constraints of the bar diameter in making a bar that's all you mentioned. I think the same or very similer could be achieved with a 25.4 ally bar. But yeah, not very environmentally friendly either, but recyclable easily at least(moot point for most).
My point was more, how fricken small are the gains. We never raved about removing paint from bars to reduce weight, it's a similer scale of difference.
I still would rather not trust them. and yep, I tried em, they snapped, I'm not just regurgitating internerd crap. I just feel there's far superior gains to be had elsewhere without crating landfill. and the same or very similer results could be had from 25.4 ally bars.
Something like EZI foam grips could tick as many boxes in what you mentioned as carbon bars.
On a side not, I am riding a steel 8 speed bike.
 
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tacubaya

Monkey
Dec 19, 2009
720
89
Mexico City
Carbon fiber is a tough mother****er, the problem is that it is prone to developing stress concentrations from wear and tear (impacts, chemicals, overtorque etc).
 
I use carbon on my xc bike but would never on my Norco Vixa.... Not strong enough and can be damaged. On the slope bikes I have I would not even consider it. I am a light rider but like most sometimes take a spill or land less than soft, carbon just seems a little silly for free ride or dh.... The bikes are heavy enough that the weight saved is not worth the durability lost to me. On a light xc rig it is a little different. As for handling vs. Alloy, in my opinion a good bar of either material is a good bar. But I am a youngster and could be wrong.
 

Demomonkey

Monkey
Apr 27, 2005
857
0
Auckland New Zealand
Cant speak for other bars but Easton Carbon DH bars are awesome. I've just slapped down for some new Havoc DH carbons after running Sunline alloy bars for the last two years because the Monkeylite DH at 711mm wide felt a little too narrow (nah, actually Im a fashion victim and wanted something lower and wider). I noticed immediately the harshness of the alloy and am looking forward to getting back on the nano tech eastons.
 

?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
Carbon can not be efficiently recycled as yet.
and yeah, I'm serious. I don't see that the selfishness is outweighed by any gain here. carbon bars, are not going to make you faster, cooler, stronger, or more desirable, simple as that, why look like a selfish inconsiderate c*nt on top of looking like a wanker cause you went to carbon bars for some delousional performance gain that could probably have been acheived with 25.4 bars if it existed anyway.
This has got to be one of the lamest, most idealistic eco-nazi excuses that I have ever heard of. Carbon fiber bike parts are not creating monumental landfills anywhere. Unless you want to go skip around the forest with bambi, realize that humans create waste and nothing is forever. One day someone is going to make a load of money by developing the technology to rapidly decompose landfill waste.

I'm not saying that you should go create waste at will, but compared to carbon bike parts, just about everything in your life creates more waste.
 

no skid marks

Monkey
Jan 15, 2006
2,511
29
ACT Australia
This has got to be one of the lamest, most idealistic eco-nazi excuses that I have ever heard of. Carbon fiber bike parts are not creating monumental landfills anywhere. Unless you want to go skip around the forest with bambi, realize that humans create waste and nothing is forever. One day someone is going to make a load of money by developing the technology to rapidly decompose landfill waste.

I'm not saying that you should go create waste at will, but compared to carbon bike parts, just about everything in your life creates more waste.
Bit ironic posting such a passionate opinion while bashing mine.
I do like hanging out in the forest, no Bambis here, but I dig it when any wildlife passes bye if I'm in a "forest".
I don't doubt that humanity would find a more suitable product that matched carbon fibre, or recyclable carbon fibre if people just had some balls and demanded it with their $.
I recycle far more than I use in bike materials, and buy local when I can.
Not buying carbon bars aint gonna save the world, but the attitude might. Just because everyone around you is doing something, doesn't mean you can't think for yourself.
I won't loose sleep over what you do. But I won't not voice my opinion if I feel strongly about it just cause it aint cool.
Sorry for the derail.
But carbon bars a a great example. Go buy some, then tell me if the retail therapy really added up to all that. tell me if you're faster or hucking bigger, whatever you do, let me know if the carbon bars changed it.
Do carbon bars dampen or just flex? Would non oversize bars with thinner tubes at the bends not dampen as much?
 
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I.van

Monkey
Apr 15, 2007
188
0
Australia
I switched to Easton CNT bars on my AM bike 6 months ago, and haven't noticed any difference in feel, or stiffness.

I remember reading somewhere that Mik Hannah used 25.4mm Alloy bars on his DH bike for reduced vibration. I may be wrong though, it happened once before. :D