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What have you broken on your bike recently?

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,792
5,615
Ottawa, Canada
So what's the consensus on carbon bars these days? This happened to my buddy Saturday, but they were cheap knock-offs he got for cheap. We've been teasing him for years about that, glad he learned his lesson without getting hurt (how he didn't get hurt blows my mind - he cased a small gap in a fast bermy-flowy trail)
1624310287147.png


Anyways, my carbon bars are into their 4th season. I think it's time to replace them. So the question is : aluminum or carbon. I had been thinking of the OneUp with flex wings... but now I wonder if I shouldn't just stick with Chromag OSX bars... thoughts?
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,589
2,022
Seattle
31.8mm aluminum bars on all my bikes. I like the way they ride better, and I trust them to not explode a whole lot more.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,834
5,212
Australia
So what's the consensus on carbon bars these days? This happened to my buddy Saturday, but they were cheap knock-offs he got for cheap. We've been teasing him for years about that, glad he learned his lesson without getting hurt (how he didn't get hurt blows my mind - he cased a small gap in a fast bermy-flowy trail)

Anyways, my carbon bars are into their 4th season. I think it's time to replace them. So the question is : aluminum or carbon. I had been thinking of the OneUp with flex wings... but now I wonder if I shouldn't just stick with Chromag OSX bars... thoughts?
Cheap knock off carbon bars. There's a statement that ends well.

I run alloy Chromag OSX on all my bikes now. I've got 35mm on both my dual suspension bikes, but the 31.8 is a nice feeling option for longer rides if you don't run well-padded grips.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,509
6,420
UK
Broke a brand new Nukeproof neutron direct mount stem at the weekend.
Fitting it in Glencoe car park.
it was a sample product (freebie) and the face plate bolts were too long so torquing the bar clamps down stripped the threads in the stem body. Scarily easily too.
kinda glad it didn't end up on the bike now.

Omitting Shimano motors it's the only thing i've broken for probably a year or two.

I know motors don't count here ;)
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,104
10,670
AK
So what's the consensus on carbon bars these days? This happened to my buddy Saturday, but they were cheap knock-offs he got for cheap. We've been teasing him for years about that, glad he learned his lesson without getting hurt (how he didn't get hurt blows my mind - he cased a small gap in a fast bermy-flowy trail)
View attachment 161544

Anyways, my carbon bars are into their 4th season. I think it's time to replace them. So the question is : aluminum or carbon. I had been thinking of the OneUp with flex wings... but now I wonder if I shouldn't just stick with Chromag OSX bars... thoughts?
How he didn't get hurt is a massive amount of energy went into snapping that carbon, rather than if his arm were to try and suck up as much energy (snappy snappy).

Hope the cheap bars were worth it.

I don't cheapen out on handlebars for this very reason. I also like to step one level above what is the "normal", so for XC I use a more AM bar. For AM I use a more DH bar.
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
24,894
16,451
where the trails are
I've used chromag metal bars for years, having seen too many crackin crabon events, including my own. Now I've gone back to RF next R and I know I'm just cheating death every ride.
 

Gary

my pronouns are hag/gis
Aug 27, 2002
8,509
6,420
UK
I also like to step one level above what is the "normal", so for XC I use a more AM bar. For AM I use a more DH bar.
I was going to ask what the one level above is for your DH bike then I remembered no one here rides actual DH anymore.
Phew...
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Did he take a hit at all to compromise those bars or is it the "cheap Chinese knock off quality"?
I have deity carbon dh on 951 and carbon sworks dh on m9 both 800mm...no issues yet..back only a few months now but hammered the shit out of em and came in F"ing hard Sunday....cased a rock landing and guaranteed used my mass to keep my face and or chest out of the bars....so far so good....
I've done this before and bent pro tapers aluminum....(yes bend is better than break )..
Bent 2 sets on my crf450r out at Ocotillo and borrego...



Now I'm going to have to search this...curious to if I need to replace mine or failures with these...
 
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toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,834
5,212
Australia
I know there are exceptions, but every crank and handlebar I've personally seen snapped (not bent) for the past 5 years has been carbon.

Material science aside, I reckon the high cost of these parts makes people overly hesitant of replacing dubious or damaged parts sometimes. $50 bar creaks - you replace it. $200 bar creaks - you ride with headphones.
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
I know there are exceptions, but every crank and handlebar I've personally seen snapped (not bent) for the past 5 years has been carbon.

Material science aside, I reckon the high cost of these parts makes people overly hesitant of replacing dubious or damaged parts sometimes. $50 bar creaks - you replace it. $200 bar creaks - you ride with headphones.
This is good to know and yeah id replace if it took a hit or compromised..but now it looks like answer or renthal ill be looking at
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,750
26,967
media blackout
I also don't give a shit, personally. I'll still note it though, because it feels like a reasonable effort at completeness. If you're the weirdo who cares, I think it's fair to note it. I'll also include something to the effect of "I bet most people won't care though" because I also think that's true.
i'd wager a lot of the people that complain about shock noise are the same that lose their shit when a new bike doesn't have full internal cable routing.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,792
5,615
Ottawa, Canada
Did he take a hit at all to compromise those bars or is it the "cheap Chinese knock off quality"?
I have deity carbon dh on 951 and carbon sworks dh on m9 both 800mm...no issues yet..back only a few months now but hammered the shit out of em and came in F"ing hard Sunday....cased a rock landing and guaranteed used my mass to keep my face and or chest out of the bars....so far so good....
I've done this before and bent pro tapers aluminum....(yes bend is better than break )..
Bent 2 sets on my crf450r out at Ocotillo and borrego...



Now I'm going to have to search this...curious to if I need to replace mine or failures with these...
It was on a flow trail, in a steep part. He cased a little step-down gap that leads into a berm. So he was going fast, and hit hard. But I'd wager that bar had been compromised for quite a bit before that, he just hadn't noticed it.

The bar was also very old (like at least 10 years), and I think, a factory reject, which was why he got it cheap. Or it was just an Aliexpress knock-off. He was a dumbass for even putting that thing on his bike. I mentioned that to him quite regularly. I hope he learned his lesson, and I'm glad he didn't get hurt in the process.
 

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
It was on a flow trail, in a steep part. He cased a little step-down gap that leads into a berm. So he was going fast, and hit hard. But I'd wager that bar had been compromised for quite a bit before that, he just hadn't noticed it.

The bar was also very old (like at least 10 years), and I think, a factory reject, which was why he got it cheap. Or it was just an Aliexpress knock-off. He was a dumbass for even putting that thing on his bike. I mentioned that to him quite regularly. I hope he learned his lesson, and I'm glad he didn't get hurt in the process.
Yeah I'm glad he's ok...that could have been really bad....really really bad...
I'm going to ride mine they are new and not compromised but I am also looking for my next aluminum replacement sets for the bikes now based on this....lol

Don't know his weight but I'm 240 without gear I slammed hard like immediate stop from airborne speed lofted a double out of berm into rocks and I used my bars to keep from burying myself into the front end of the bike....thought hadn't crossed my mind really till I saw this....

I'll look to replace mine....
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,104
10,670
AK
It was on a flow trail, in a steep part. He cased a little step-down gap that leads into a berm. So he was going fast, and hit hard. But I'd wager that bar had been compromised for quite a bit before that, he just hadn't noticed it.

The bar was also very old (like at least 10 years), and I think, a factory reject, which was why he got it cheap. Or it was just an Aliexpress knock-off. He was a dumbass for even putting that thing on his bike. I mentioned that to him quite regularly. I hope he learned his lesson, and I'm glad he didn't get hurt in the process.
Show him the video: