Bought a lovely new bar from a large online retailer. Fitted it and rode it and thought I wouldn’t be bothered by the slight manufacturing discrepancy. Now it’s irritating me. Can anyone spot it?

It’s not central?

Well you need to centre it for a start, then we can talk about your OCD and the ()

Assume you are referring to the dusty green crates – suggest the chief hooverer is educated to the error of their ways. Afterall if you allow those sort of slack standards, not sure why a misprinted white line is bothering you!

If it is the Z not being at the same height you need to get out more.

It’s a drop bar bike?

First 2 posters are in the right area but not quite there. Did take me a little while.

Spot it? It nearly poked my eye out.

That would do my head in, but I would probably still live with it.

The cross hairs appears to be central to the grip area with the elevation lines about a yard to riders right.
But is the grip area central to the bar?

The “grip” section isn’t equal to the markings? Wouldn’t bother me

The riders perspective left-hand bar tape has been poorly applied?

That would irritate me. What is off, the grippy bit or the markings?

Either the printing is off-centre, or they’ve applied the rough texture wonky donkey (see the amount of rough bit beyond the edges of the printing).

I’d centre it by eye or using a measure if I was being a bit anally retentive.

But TBH i’d be worrying about that sawdust more.

Horizontal white lines on left of pic go right up to the shiny section, on the right they don’t?

That’s bad but st the same time not bad. If it’s a £20 bar fair enough. How much did they cost ?

Something about quality control ?

Measure from the outside edge of the bars for perfect obsessive’s set-up.
Now then, is your stem straight? 😉

Yes.

The swoosh/bracket on the Z not being mirrored annoys me.

If the QC hasn’t spotted that what else have they missed! 😯

My OCD wouldn’t allow that to stay on my bike.

Yessssss, you have it. The centring markings are not errrrr… centred.

I sent the same image to the ‘large online retailer’ last night. Their ‘technical team’ told me I had simply misinstalled the bar. Grrrr.

I am a cabinet maker and work to fine tolerances so unfortunately I do find this irritating (and yes the workshop does need cleaning).

It does raise QC issues. This is a £50 bar and i expect it to be made and finished to a high standard.

Is it the poor application of the electrical tape to the bar tape, which is partially touching the bars?

They were the recall ones , I suggest a quick google just to check

Yes, but your rough peened bit isn’t central to the stem either. Either the markings are off, or the peened bit is off. But not both, surely?

Remove white markings from bar with nail polish remover, refit. Job done.

I sent the same image to the ‘large online retailer’ last night. Their ‘technical team’ told me I had simply misinstalled the bar. Grrrr.

I would politely reply suggesting they are wrong.

if this is one of the Zipp bars that everyone was knocking out at half price i’d suck it up

Focus is a bit soft in your photo. You need a smaller aperture and longer exposure to get all the interesting bits in focus.

Sorry that would not even get as far as the bike

I paid £50 for this which is I think full rrp. I did so because it was exactly the shape I wanted very few places had them in stock.

I could remove the markings but I sort of feel I shouldn’t have too modify it.

If this was part of a recall I would expect the retailer to know that. Hmmm.

The markings are only there to help you. Yes, they are wrong and it is visible if you look hard enough, but not the end of the world. Given you probably bought them discounted, is it really worth the hassle / cost / environmental impact of returning them if that is what you are considering?

As long as you centralise them based on their width, there is no issue. Irritating yes, but not faulty enough to worry about in my opinion

Life is too short…..just ride your bike!

The swoosh/bracket on the Z not being mirrored annoys me.

It would annoy me if they had ignored their own logo design format just to be mirrored on a bar 🙂

Cross hair guide looks central, right set of white lines have been placed further away from end of abrasive clamp area, clearly a cheap fake. 😉

It would annoy me if they had ignored their own logo design format just to be mirrored on a bar

Good point, well made.

I can’t even see what’s wrong. I hate to think what some of you would think of the bikes I ride… 😕

Would the bars be butted, so lining up in the clamp is important? Either way it would annoy me enough to return it.

If you can see that when your on your bike you’re sitting on the wrong end.

If I noticed that whilst fitting I’d probably say ‘hmmm’, fit it and then completely forget about it.

I’d be well peed if I’d built the bike then realised after. On a cheapo bike it wouldn’t bother me but after spending a load of time and money getting a bike right then it’d have to come off and go back.

I’m not losing sleep over this and it’s not stopping me riding my bike, but I do think it’s slack quality control.

I am grateful for everyone’s views on here. What peeved me most was the retailer’s technical team telling me it was my mistake.

I shall take it up with them again. I am not generally a difficult customer and I have spent a fair wedge with this shop over the years.

I shall take it up with them again. I am not generally a difficult customer and I have spent a fair wedge with this shop over the years.

I’m not sure what you are hoping to achieve. A new, non-“faulty” bar, a partial refund on the one you have or an apology from the large on-line retailer?