When to replace bars?

I have 10K miles on my ITM Super Europa bars. They seem ok. When should I replace them? Other than
weight, how would I know which bars are stronger than others?

Joe

"Nate" <nate@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:UTvXa.58470$wk4.12061@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> I have 10K miles on my ITM Super Europa bars. They seem ok. When should I replace them? Other than
> weight, how would I know which bars are stronger than others?

According to some, bars take a downward set (droop) before they're likely to fail. Last time I taped
mine, I saw lots of corrosion & pretty deep pitting. I decided to replace them. I was rewrapping
because I cracked a stem.

In article <flxXa.44904$cF.16237@rwcrnsc53>, Peter Cole <peter_cole@comcast.net> wrote:
>"Nate" <nate@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:UTvXa.58470$wk4.12061@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>> I have 10K miles on my ITM Super Europa bars. They seem ok. When should I replace them? Other
>> than weight, how would I know which bars are stronger than others?

10K miles seems pretty short, but I don't know those bars.

>According to some, bars take a downward set (droop) before they're likely to fail. Last time I
>taped mine, I saw lots of corrosion & pretty deep pitting. I decided to replace them. I was
>rewrapping because I cracked a stem.

The handlebar that failed on me gave absolutely no sign before the right side suddenly collapsed. It
wasn't easy but managed to pedal it home, using the left (uncollapsed) side, holding the right side
up to keep it out of the front wheel.

A stem failure is a lot scarier. Has anyone had a stem fail? Other than as a result of some crash or
othe extreme event?

-frank
--

On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 16:31:48 GMT, Nate <nate@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I have 10K miles on my ITM Super Europa bars. They seem ok. When should I replace them?

Uhh...I wasn't aware that handlebars were a maintenance replacement item. I thought they were like
the frame -- replace when you want to, or never, as you please.

> Other than weight, how would I know which bars are stronger than others?

Maybe www.roadbikereview.com could help.

> Joe
--
Rick Onanian

Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net> wrote:

> > I have 10K miles on my ITM Super Europa bars. They seem ok. When should I replace them?
>
> Uhh...I wasn't aware that handlebars were a maintenance replacement item. I thought they were like
> the frame -- replace when you want to, or never, as you please.

Rick's advice, usually pretty good, has missed the point here. Every part of a bicycle will wear out
or break, given enough use.

I have never had a frame break, except due to serious abuse. But my highest-mileage bike, at 22
years and maybe 40,000 miles, had had new stems, bars, cables, tires, chains, rims, hubs, spokes,
derailleurs. . .you get the idea.

--
Ted Bennett Portland OR

"Rick Onanian" <spamsink@cox.net> wrote in message newsprted53vew8gzvw@news.east.cox.net...
> On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 16:31:48 GMT, Nate <nate@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Uhh...I wasn't aware that handlebars were a maintenance replacement item. I thought they were like
> the frame -- replace when you want to, or never, as you please.

Unwise. Sturdy aluminum bars should probably be replaced, oh, maybe every several thousand hours of
riding (I'm really ballparking it -- I'd guess 2 to 10K hours) and very lightweight bas much more
often, (perhaps every thousand hours).

And certainly if the bar droops at all or is deeply guaged.

JT

--
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Visit http://www.jt10000.com
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On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 13:46:13 -0700, Ted Bennett <tedbennett@earthlink.net> wrote:

>Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net> wrote:
>
>> > I have 10K miles on my ITM Super Europa bars. They seem ok. When should I replace them?
>>
>> Uhh...I wasn't aware that handlebars were a maintenance replacement item. I thought they were
>> like the frame -- replace when you want to, or never, as you please.
>
>
>
>Rick's advice, usually pretty good, has missed the point here. Every part of a bicycle will wear
>out or break, given enough use.
>
>I have never had a frame break, except due to serious abuse. But my highest-mileage bike, at 22
>years and maybe 40,000 miles, had had new stems, bars, cables, tires, chains, rims, hubs, spokes,
>derailleurs. . .you get the idea.

I've had two bars break while riding, a rather unnerving experience at speed. Both times the bike
had been recently crashed without the bars showing any obvious faults. I am a slow learner. I now
replace bars after a crash.

If they show no sign of fatigue, I don't see why youl'd have to. Unless you want to to upgrade or
something. Handlebars really never wear out, do they?

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

On 4 Aug 2003 19:12:11 GMT, fpm@u.washington.edu (Frank Miles) may have said:

>A stem failure is a lot scarier. Has anyone had a stem fail? Other than as a result of some crash
>or othe extreme event?

Not a failure per se, but I discovered that an acquaintance had run the stem up well past the min
insertion mark once. It became obvious when I yanked the whole thing out of the steer tube on a hard
accel where I was adding the arm strength to the thrust. That was an interesting experience that I
won't soon forget. I relearned my no-hands technique *very rapidly*, and was incredibly glad that it
happened on smooth, flat and level pavement with adequate runout space.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I
don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy.

After hitting on the proprietor's wife, of course!

86'd Bill

"Frank Miles" <fpm@u.washington.edu> wrote in message news:bgmb6b$toe$1@nntp3.u.washington.edu...
>
> A stem failure is a lot scarier. Has anyone had a stem fail? Other than as
a
> result of some crash or othe extreme event?

Yes, I did, in the post you quoted.

Since it was a quill stem (Nitto Technomic), the forging broke completely, but the stem was held
together with the binding bolt, as it broke on the vertical part. I think a threadless stem or a
quill breaking on the horizontal part would be much more dangerous.

I attribute mine breaking to the combination of long rise and the use of aerobars. I suppose my size
was also a factor (6'10", 235). I switched to a welded stem, hopefully that will be more durable.
Big people shouldn't shave grams.

Fatigue will not necessarily show any visible signs. I know more than one MTB rider that has had
bars snap with no warning.

Obviously MTB bars take a different amount of abuse than do road bars. MTB riders I know will
replace AL bars every 2 years during normal use. Titanium longer than that. Peronaly I have given up
on AL and gone to carbon fiber - essentially it doesn't ever fatigue [so I've been told and read].

One of the MTB rags did a study in conjunction with University of VA or Va Tech (can't remember
which) a while back. Essentially they weighted the ends of the bars and vibrated them until failure
to simulate fatigue. AL was all over the board from one design to the next and Ti about 3 or 4x
longer. Carbon never fatigued -- they gave up. Of course AL snaps, Ti bends, and CF just exploads
when it finaly goes in a big impact was the other thing they said.

Again, you mileage may vary and this doesn't have a clean translation to road bars but its a decent
data point.

Chris

ChriszCorner@webtv.net (Chris Zacho "The Wheelman") wrote in message
news:<14034-3F2EFA91-190@storefull-2354.public.lawson.webtv.net>...
> If they show no sign of fatigue, I don't see why youl'd have to. Unless you want to to upgrade or
> something. Handlebars really never wear out, do they?
>
> May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris
>
> Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

"Nate" <nate@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:UTvXa.58470$wk4.12061@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> I have 10K miles on my ITM Super Europa bars. They seem ok. When should I replace them? Other than
> weight, how would I know which bars are stronger than others?
>
> Joe
>
I was always told to replace bars every 3-5 years, same as helmets.

Mike

"Mike S." wrote:

> I was always told to replace bars every 3-5 years, same as helmets.

Well, I don't believe in replacing helmets unless they suffer an impact (or I just feel like
a change).

As for handlebars, if anything the replacement interval should depend on mileage, rider's weight,
riding style, and of course, crashes.

As a user of old school Cinelli Model 64 handlebars, I'm not sure which of the modern bars I want to
use. There seems to be more emphasis on light weight than on durability. Any suggestions for a good
sturdy (but not ridiculous) bar?

Art Harris

"John Forrest Tomlinson" wrote:
> Unwise. Sturdy aluminum bars should probably be replaced, oh, maybe every several thousand hours
> of riding (I'm really ballparking it -- I'd guess 2 to 10K hours) and very lightweight bas much
> more often, (perhaps every thousand hours).

10K hours at 15 mph is 150,000 miles! I've got about 25,000 miles on my old Cinelli 64's.

Art Harris