Carbon handlebars

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by 45acpguy, Jul 10, 2018.


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  1. 45acpguy

    45acpguy Member

    Location:
    Granada Hills, CA
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Intense Tracer Enduro
    I have a question regarding carbon bars. I purchased the Specialized Prowess Enduro bars for my bike. While test fitting, trial riding around the neighborhood and making some corrections to the brake lever and shifter locations, I couldn’t help but put some very slight surface scratches here and there. Is this an issue? I read about some guys going the extreme of sanding and varnishing thier bars after getting some light sractches...
     
  2. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    I finally saw some scratches show up on my newest CF bars. Thankfully!!! I don’t know what the cool riders do, but I don’t GAF about scratches. It’s a mountain bike.
     
    DangerDirtyD, ~JB~, Sidewalk and 10 others like this.
  3. 45acpguy

    45acpguy Member

    Location:
    Granada Hills, CA
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Intense Tracer Enduro
    Im not concerned with aesthetics either. I was more concerned about the carbon fiber being compromised by minor scratches
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, Faust29 and 3 others like this.
  4. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Roger! I have a pretty good gouge in my older bars, no issue (until it fails catastrophically), but light scratches wouldn’t enter my mind as a concern.
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, 45acpguy and 3 others like this.
  5. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Nothing to worry about. Ive been riding CF bars with considerable gouges for a long time.

    Cracks are what you dont want to see...
     
    Luis, DangerDirtyD, Mikie and 6 others like this.
  6. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    Light scratches aren’t going to do anything to the bars. I have seen far worse than what you are talking about and never a problem. If you reach fibers thats a different story altogether.
     
  7. 45acpguy

    45acpguy Member

    Location:
    Granada Hills, CA
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Intense Tracer Enduro
    Copy... no cracks! it’s probably only the UV clear coating that is scratched. Some of the stuff I was reading, these guys made it soumd like the bars were comprised.
     
    DangerDirtyD, Mikie, Danmtchl and 2 others like this.
  8. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    You should see how beat up the CF rims are on my Ripley. They even have chunks missing out of em. I'd have died a long time ago if they meant anything I think.
     
  9. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    After you crash a couple times with the carbon bars, you realize how strong they are and forget about them. :D:p
     
    Luis, DangerDirtyD, Sidewalk and 11 others like this.
  10. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    Destructive testing is not the recommended way. ;)
     
    DangerDirtyD, Sidewalk, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  11. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Surface scratches on CF are usually not a problem beyond aesthetic. Most CF parts have a finish cover coat that is only there for cosmetic appearance.

    Start cutting into the fibers below that, then you are playing with fire.
     
  12. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Carbon Fire that is... its the coolest lightest Enduro Bro fire...
     
  13. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Another testimonial. I've been running carbon bars on my bikes for 15 years. I even had a set of Joystix carbon on my DH bike. I am a 215 lb ox on a bike who is perpetually unsatisfied unless pounding through rough terrain. I probably over tighten my levers. So far, so good (knock on wood). Of course. I am currently using Syntace and they just may be a little overbuilt.

    Don't worry about little surface scratches.
     
    mike, kioti, Faust29 and 6 others like this.
  14. 45acpguy

    45acpguy Member

    Location:
    Granada Hills, CA
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Intense Tracer Enduro
    I’m a heavier rider myself at 5’10” and 210lbs, just had some concerns after reading a few articles. I appreciate everyone’s input. Also, I’m recovering from an AC joint injury, so “catastrophic failures” are fresh on the brain... LMAO. Using this time to ride around the Valley and build my wind and stamina back up. I’m hoping in the next 3-4 weeks I’ll be ready to re-vist some trails and get the bike plenty dirty
     
    mike, herzalot, Danmtchl and 3 others like this.
  15. knucklebuster

    knucklebuster Well-Known Member

    Location:
    34.2295° N, 117.2257° W
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Guerrilla Gravity Megatrail
    probably out of the scope of what some/most of us would do, but still.... I have had carbon bars around 3 years no problems and a few scratches, this still scares me.... around the 25 second mark...


    This was the "feature"
    Snowshoe-road gap.jpg
     
    mike, Faust29, doublewide and 9 others like this.
  16. 45acpguy

    45acpguy Member

    Location:
    Granada Hills, CA
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Intense Tracer Enduro
    Uhh... thanks bro!
     
    mike, Faust29, SnakeCharmer and 4 others like this.
  17. Luis

    Luis iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Sylmar
    Name:
    Luis
    Current Bike:
    La Diabla
    Seriously o_O
     
  18. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
    I actually did that to a Ti bar-stem combo coming down the Fall Line in Big Bear many years ago...
    Still remember that "I'm fuuucked!" feeling before the impact.
     
  19. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I snapped a scandium bar once.
     
  20. kioti

    kioti iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Jim Jennings
    Current Bike:
    ibis ripley
    Yikes! I snapped a CF seatpost once, but never handlebars. And def not bilateral like that. Dang.
     
    mike, DangerDirtyD, rossage and 4 others like this.
  21. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    The only bars I ever snapped were the chrome steel apehangers on my Schwinn Stingray...on a jump. :whistling:
     
    kioti, mike, DangerDirtyD and 5 others like this.
  22. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    My carbon Enve bars have taken several impacts including my bike cartwheeling a couple of times. This gouge came from my last crash and I figured it was time to replace them. They are probably still structurally sound but I'm not willing to chance it.
    20180711_200339-1582x1155.jpg
     
    kioti, mike, DangerDirtyD and 8 others like this.
  23. 45acpguy

    45acpguy Member

    Location:
    Granada Hills, CA
    Name:
    Dave
    Current Bike:
    Intense Tracer Enduro
    nothing like that on my bars... yet!
     
    kioti, mike, DangerDirtyD and 4 others like this.
  24. scan

    scan iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    fran allas
    Current Bike:
    Scott Spark
    45acpguy, kioti, mike and 2 others like this.
  25. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    I've thrown my XC bike down the trail a few times. Once so hard I thought it was done for. But nope, still holding together. I do have the benefit of being light...but...I do take some hard hits.
     
    45acpguy, kioti, mike and 6 others like this.
  26. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Yes...yes you do... o_O
     
    45acpguy, kioti, mike and 5 others like this.
  27. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    Most of the time they are on purpose.
     
    45acpguy, kioti, mike and 5 others like this.
  28. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    45acpguy, kioti, Sidewalk and 5 others like this.
  29. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    What could go wrong...
     
    45acpguy, kioti, Sidewalk and 5 others like this.
  30. doublewide

    doublewide iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    Mark
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Tallcan
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?