Hopefully this pic comes out

So how did it happen well Sharki and Annabanna did there best to ruin the ride abour 1 mile in by having punctures and once fixed I got on my bike on the main ridge of the Q’s slight very slight up hill (nothing daft just pulled off) and my right arm started to wave about with me still holding the grip 😕

No warning what so ever, I checked the bars afterwards and I had overtightened the brakes and put a crack in the bars

Good old LBS ralphies in taunton 2 hrs later back on the ‘s with a set of ec70’s not carbon 😀

No more carbon for me

EC = Easton Carbon, if they weren’t carbon they’re EA70s (Easton Aluminium). Simples.

So it’s the bars fault you overtightened them? Glad you weren’t hurt, but some people don’t help themselves!

I guess if you knew what you did wrong, you wouldn’t do it again, so no problem? Shame it happened in the first place though.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-great-weekend-on-the-qspics

Try this linky thingy

The bars were easton monkey lite xc bars and they were definatly carbon replaced with EA 70’s

I do not tighten anything till I have white knuckles but I did damage the bars (far too easy) on checking afterwards but when they failed there was no warning

Are you implying you except that you’re a tawt, or that manufacturers are thus for not realising this!?

It will not happen again because I will suffer the extra 50g and use aluminum

Shame that there was no sign of damage on the bars till it was too late and it broke and yes I do look after my kit ask Knottie

Good job I was not playing in the Coombes when it happened

You really don’t need to tighten brake levers very tight at all, just enough so you can’t easily twist them by hand.
I’m running Easton Monkeylight bars on my full sus bike which I got in 2001. 8 years of pretty hard riding and no worries! Think I might replace them in another couple of years.

No I except the blame but I do think Carbon is too fragile for the bar application

Its called hindsight I guess

What I am saying is please please check your bars I would hate to see anyone hurt

duck tape would have sorted that IMHO

Does this show that you really should use a torque wrench with carbon parts? (or just not bother buying the overpriced stuff in the first place) 😛

Grumm
yes and yes

Two lines of thought here:-
1. Andy used the strength of Ten Bears when he tightened the brake levers
or
2. He needs to eat a few less pies. 😀

make your own minds up. 😀

saladdoger yesterday

GIT x

I use RF’s carbon bars and with titanium anti-crush, bit out of shape (getting trim slowly!) but my bars creak-used a torque wrench to check everything too.

Well till I drop 10kg I’ll be using aluminum all mountain and xc bars for the extra few grams.

No more flex. Carbon is easy to crush but can easily crack randomly without warning. Alum usually just bends.

I’m waiting for a warranty replacement of my top end road forks-snapped on me for no reason and treat my roadbike carefully.

Luckily I jumped off like a frog.

I love carbon for absorbing the impact but I would only use it for racing. Carbon seatposts are good too.

I’ll never buy carbon forks or bars unless for xc racing.

Easton have the worst carbon bar test result in German engineering stress tests. I love Easton parts but quite suprised.

Ignore the dodgy replies Salad Dodger-they’re the ones who ride their bikes sitting in front of a pc typical of this forum.

I’m used to being targeted. Wave a little finger at them and laugh it off.

Wave a little finger at them and laugh it off

LOL!

“Does this show that you really should use a torque wrench with carbon parts?”

Or, just don’t overtighten them. I hardly take my torque wrench to my bike, but then I’ve done a lot of spannering and learned the hard way on pushbikes and motorbikes what happens if you over or undertighten things, and what it should feel like when it’s right- I’ve developed torque fingers 😉 If you’ve not done this, then yes, torque wrench! Or you’ll end up posting on the internet how carbon fibre isn’t strong enough because you’ve broken it.

same thing can be done with Alu, it happens, you over tightened a clamp on a light weight bar. The other common failure is if the edges on the clamps are sharp and start to score the bar’s surface.

You’ve learnt a lesson, an expensive lesson, but it could have been far worse.

Zascar to be honest I do not give a fug about the trolling because I have been weilding spanners for years ( 9 years working on the C130 hercs when I was in the RAF so look up and be afraid)

What I am asking is please check your bars I do not want anyone to get hurt I was lucky

saladdodger – Member

Zascar to be honest I do not give a fug about the trolling
😯

And thats the last time I try to stick up for someone.

Yes, you don’t need a torque wrench. Just read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”.