i just bought some used carbon bars and found a very small crack in them
where the brake clamp has been should i use them ?

can they be repaired?

Surface or structural?
Pics please. Probably not a good idea to use them but some damage to the cosmetic layer you may get away with.

If in doubt maybe ask nicely at your local RAF base, they know what they are doing and have experts on such things. And special x-ray/scanning type machines.

No. Way.

Not sure its the type of thing I'd buy s/h, that is 'bars' of any kind, not just carbon…

No way on earth.

Wouldnt you be able to complain to the seller?

Jon

errr…. NO!

the small crack is to the righthand side of my finger

Rather worrying. Did the seller mention anything like this? If not ask for a refund/return.

im not worried about the 2 groves just the small crack

Imagine dropping of a reasonably small, say 1.5ft drop at speed and the bar snapping clean off there. What would happen. Then think about it again. And bin them.

no no no no no.

That bar is broke. Chase the seller, show them that photo. If the bar was sold as undamaged they've lied.

weird thumb/finger

They're dead.

Bin 'em.

From the poor picture it looks as though the crack was initiated by the grooves – no way in hell I'd touch those bars and I'm fairly blasé about carbon damage (my old swingarm had chips all over it and it never worried me). Bin them.

why are you not worried about the groves????

I wouldn't use them, and I wouldn't have sold them on either! Some right pikey f#%*ers about. I'd be pissed if I recieved them like that unless stated

You BOUGHT second hand carbon?!

😯

I guess someone has too.

Those grooves looks like crimp damage from the clamps. Its hard to tell if the crack has propagated from them, but I'd not be taking the risk, not now not never.

no way, I've just binned some very expensive carbons after a big off as I found some interesting stress cracks on them. Carbon bars a great but they are not something I'd risk if they look "iffy" at all.

Yeah you'll be alright, make sure you use a headcam on every ride until the inevitable happens though.

is it just me who went straight to his posting history to try and find who the culprit was?

is it just me who went straight to his posting history to try and find who the culprit was?

+1.

It looks like either clamp has been over tightened or crash damage where the lever has been forced back into the bar.

I'd go back to the seller if he has not mention the damage.

That doesn't look very small to me! No way in hell I'd use that, I'd be chasing the seller.

Is this the first example of a unanimous response from the STW collective?

I wouldn't go near those bars, as someone said earlier, either damaged when clamping the brakes and shifters or a stack which has caused them to dig into the bars.

Matt

[Edit: Well clearly myhedsashed and I agree :lol:]

…very small crack…

Only use them for very small rides… 😉

Not a chance in hell i'd use them or try to repair them. Make them into an ornament.

I'll use s/h bars if they are chunky ones or i know the history, but even then i'd feel much safe with new – but s/h lighhtweight bars are a nono…s/h carbon is a big nono!

Naah, I'd never use those in a month of Sundays.

I'd be after a refund though….

swainey – Member

im not worried about the 2 groves just the small crack

the 2 grooves could well be worse than the crack – either way i'd be making that bar completely unusable

I buy second hand carbon. Obviously all of them will now fail on the next ride but I've never had any issue though I did return one set with similar damage. Every other set has been immaculate or only very obviously cosmetically marked.

The bars the OP has pictured are damaged and I'd be sending them back.

I do find the hysteria about carbon funny though 😯

Op have you ever had bars fail on you?

Your Chevy-chase though. Your choice.

clubber – Member
I do find the hysteria about carbon funny though

This is true…but the issue with carbon parts is, because of its properties, its hard to tell when it is damaged.

Alu bars can bend first (although not always – depending on how lightweight and also the heat treatment can make them brittle – a few years back Azonic downhill bars used to be notorious for snapping without warning). I've binned a 'drooping' set of generic oem riser bars. You can also see stress risers forming on them around them stem and brake levers

Carbon doesnt do this – its brilliant, but if they DO go failure is more or less instant. I'd happily ride carbon parts…but i'd want to know the history and hence would only buy brand new.

have to agree with everyone – i have bought 2nd hand carbon bars before but they were perfect,

No way I would use those and i'd be getting my money back…

I run carbon on my bikes clubber, and some of it is pretty tatty, but you can't know the history of something you've not had from new.

Given carbon's failure mode from potentially non-visible damage, and given the safety criticality of handlebars (and to a lesser degree seatposts) I don't think its worth taking the risk with the unknown.

Not exactly hysterical, just cautious. Its for the individual to make the decision IMO.

YMMV.

Tim – I know, I understand carbon pretty well. The thing is I've also seen plenty of aluminium and Ti bars fail spectacularly, some when nearly new so I'm taking a pragmatic view of it…

clubber – Member

Tim – I know, I understand carbon pretty well. The thing is I've also seen plenty of aluminium and Ti bars fail spectacularly, some when nearly new so I'm taking a pragmatic view of it…

Thats fair enough. Never seen enough ti bars to see any go – but i have a set of ti flat trackers with VERY thin walls – i've stopped using them on my main bike as i dont trust them when hooning – although they'll go back on the singlespeed when its built back up (contradiction!).

I've seen alu bars go though. Not nice 🙁

Listen to clubber, he knows a bit about breaking things..

Indeed I do. Just last night I was looking at the bike fleet wondering which was going to be next 🙁

Just cut the ends off both sides and stick then on eBay as the latest trendy slim Japanese carbon bars, some fakenger in girls jeans will buy them (probably at twice the price you paid).