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Carbon Bars

milohead

Monkey
Dec 9, 2008
754
0
Johnson City, Tn
I'm up in the air on this as well. Paid $40 for some Monkeylight Carbon DH bars and some buddies tell me I shouldn't run them. Supposedly a little stronger but fatigue life not so good. Can anyone validate?
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,572
24,186
media blackout
used to run 'em for DH. the monkeylight dh ones that is. never had an issue. a buddy of mine who was notorious for breaking stuff never had an issue either (and he was regularly doing 20' drops).
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,379
12,533
In a van.... down by the river
I'm up in the air on this as well. Paid $40 for some Monkeylight Carbon DH bars and some buddies tell me I shouldn't run them. Supposedly a little stronger but fatigue life not so good. Can anyone validate?
Fatigue life? Does carbon even *have* a fatigue life?

I think the "issue" with carbon bars is their habit of failing catastrophically as opposed to failing non-catastrophically.

Not sure if there is any data on this either way...
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,572
24,186
media blackout
Fatigue life? Does carbon even *have* a fatigue life?

I think the "issue" with carbon bars is their habit of failing catastrophically as opposed to failing non-catastrophically.

Not sure if there is any data on this either way...
my friend Chris that I referred to above nearly overshot the landing on road to nowhere @ diablo, he landed with maybe a foot or 2 left of transition (close to a 30' vertical drop). Broke his frame in 6 spots. Bars were fine.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
I think the "issue" with carbon bars is their habit of failing catastrophically as opposed to failing non-catastrophically.
Along with that point, though...

I have never personally seen aluminum bars fail non-catastrophically either. I've seen lots of broken off aluminum bars but never one that was just badly bent. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I think the "security" that's felt behind metal bars is largely imaginary.
 

Kevin

Turbo Monkey
Along with that point, though...

I have never personally seen aluminum bars fail non-catastrophically either. I've seen lots of broken off aluminum bars but never one that was just badly bent. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I think the "security" that's felt behind metal bars is largely imaginary.
Good point, Ive seen Alu bars snap but never bend...
Ran Monkeylight DHs (CNT) for years on several DH/4X bikes without problems and Im far from light on my gear...
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
Along with that point, though...

I have never personally seen aluminum bars fail non-catastrophically either. I've seen lots of broken off aluminum bars but never one that was just badly bent. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I think the "security" that's felt behind metal bars is largely imaginary.
i´ve seem 2 in the last 3 months.

one scott pilot fr badly bent (imagine 10º of extra sweep) and some other i dont remember the brand (it was a expensive one, though).
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
Worth the money or stick with Alum. I was thinking of getting the SIXC by RF.
Ive got some... as with all carbon stuff, it's kind of hard to put your finger on why it feels better but it does... alum bars vibrations are more harsh I think.

EDIT: My carbon bars have never had a problem. I've broken saddles, cranks and pedals... bars are solid.
 
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SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,379
12,533
In a van.... down by the river
Along with that point, though...

I have never personally seen aluminum bars fail non-catastrophically either. I've seen lots of broken off aluminum bars but never one that was just badly bent. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I think the "security" that's felt behind metal bars is largely imaginary.
Yup - that's why I quoted the word "issue"... there's lots of anecdotal evidence regarding these things but not a whole lot of actual data that I can find...

Bottom line is you pays your money and you takes your chances. :D
 

milohead

Monkey
Dec 9, 2008
754
0
Johnson City, Tn
Thanks for all the input on the carbon bars. Here I though the way my boys were talking that I'd go down, snap the bars and impale myself sending slivers into my heart and die a slow death. :fie:
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,379
12,533
In a van.... down by the river
Thanks for all the input on the carbon bars. Here I though the way my boys were talking that I'd go down, snap the bars and impale myself sending slivers into my heart and die a slow death. :fie:
That might happen. Then again - an alu bar might snap and impale you with a nice jagged bit of metal. I'd think the alu death might be at least quicker...
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
I almost bought the SIXC bars for my trail bike, but they were just too expensive. I still like them though, probably one of the nicest carbon bars currently out there. I would not worry about strength, they will be fine.
 

NorseManiac

Monkey
Mar 15, 2006
492
0
The North Shore, MA
Installed the SIXC last night, they arent the typical carbon wrap I was thinking. Its more like a really thick wall carbon then a wrap. I dont know carbon so hey. They are really nice tho. Trail ride soon for a trial.
 

MMike

A fowl peckerwood.
Sep 5, 2001
18,207
105
just sittin' here drinkin' scotch
failure mode has everything to do with what happens to it.

In the case of AL or Carbon bars failing when you're JRA, that's likely a fatigue failure, so both will snap.

If you pile it up into a tree, most likely Al bars will bend (assuming you haven't initiated the beginnings of a fatigue failure independent from your crash)
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
The carbon bars I has always had the wrong shape, rise and width. I think bar choice is more about finding what works for you and not so much about material.
 

moff_quigley

Why don't you have a seat over there?
Jan 27, 2005
4,402
2
Poseurville
I've run Easton and Answer carbon bars on my bikes going on 10 years now. Never had an issue. I just replace them after 2-3 years for a little extra piece of mind...which smart money says you should be doing with alloy bars as well.
 
Apr 22, 2003
60
0
Lower VT
Fatigue life? Does carbon even *have* a fatigue life?

I think the "issue" with carbon bars is their habit of failing catastrophically as opposed to failing non-catastrophically.

Not sure if there is any data on this either way...
Every material known to man has a fatigue life. However, many many materials have so favorable an endurance limit that we often assume they have an infinite fatigue life. This is the case with steel, carbon composite and your mom.

The problem with carbon composite bars is that the strength, stiffness and other properties that you, the rider, care about are wholly dependent on the layup that the manufacturer uses. That is to say, how many layers of CF, what type of CF (uni-directional vs. bi-directional), filament size, filament to epoxy ratio, etc. etc. etc. all of these things dictate the properties of the finished product. I think you've nailed it with the catastrophic failure bit - carbon fiber composites don't bend when they break - ever. And let's face it, a lot of people do stupid s--t on bikes.
 

Demomonkey

Monkey
Apr 27, 2005
857
0
Auckland New Zealand
That might happen. Then again - an alu bar might snap and impale you with a nice jagged bit of metal. I'd think the alu death might be at least quicker...
You just reminded me of the photo sequence of West Coast Hucker on MTBR with that OMG gash out of his 'moob'. That sh*t was gnarly.

As for carbon bars, Norse Maniac, I suggest the Easton line is top notch and you shouldn't have any problems. I ran the 711mm Monkey Lite DH for a couple of years and loved it. Went to a lower rise and wider (I'm a fashion whore) alloy bar and noticed straight away extra pain in my hands and wrists after long rides - used to it now but it does make a difference.

Now that Easton has their new 750mm wide x 20mm rise Havoc bars (see Eurobike) I'm very interested again.

Havoc Carbon specs:
750mm width
235g
9-degree bend, 5-degree upsweep, 20 rise Easton Carbon Material



Thanks Vital MTB for the photo
 
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