Carbon handlebar/stem/seatpost from ebay?

scblack

Leucocholic
The linked injuries is what could happen if a cheap and nasty stem cracked/snapped off and since this thread refers to stems and screws that hold handle bars on i think it is relevent as my suggestion that cheap poorly constructed carbon parts are one to avoid
His injury happened with a BRAND name stem. So you are suggesting we all avoid brand name stems then?
 

NUMBER5

Likes Dirt
Thanks Nerf for runeing my night with that pic... geez

Def wouldn't trust the bars :) lost a left grip once of a drop, pretty much akin to snapping a handle bar. Kinda scary,,, lucky I had a full face on cause that's what broke my fall...... hahaha
 
His injury happened with a BRAND name stem. So you are suggesting we all avoid brand name stems then?
You dont understand clearly. The pictures in that thread were an example of how you could look if for example a dodgy cheap carbon stem were to snap. I understand it was an alloy stem in that thread and the bolts came loose but the injury was because handlebars came off the stem which would be the same thing that could happen if a carbon one broke. If you dont understand that you must have a problem.
 

mitchy_

Llama calmer
You dont understand clearly. The pictures in that thread were an example of how you could look if for example a dodgy cheap carbon stem were to snap. I understand it was an alloy stem in that thread and the bolts came loose but the injury was because handlebars came off the stem which would be the same thing that could happen if a carbon one broke. If you dont understand that you must have a problem.
if you dont understand why rubbishing knock off goods with an example of a failed brand name good is silly, then you must have a problem... :crazy:

what you just proved is that anything can fail, legit or knock off; and that they should be inspected periodically.

i checked my chinese carbon bike all the time (at first i was slightly paranoid) but after many kilometres of abuse and the checking it over for cracks each time i washed it, i was confident that it was fine. (ironically i did however crack a set of legit PRO Vibe carbon handlebars, however they were second hand and i can't confirm what they went though before my ownership)
 

99_FGT

Likes Bikes and Dirt
if you dont understand why rubbishing knock off goods with an example of a failed brand name good is silly, then you must have a problem... :crazy:
Not even - was an installer error, something the poster said (he hadn't torqued the bars up right). Or was he trying to say don't buy a cheap knock-off torque wrench...

My thoughts are that the cheap carbon stuff is likely to be heavier and nowhere near as well finished as the genuines, and for the money you are better off buying some alloy giant / bontrager takeoffs for a loaner
They look the same on the outside, but on the inside is a different story. Anyone can lay up carbon fibre...
 

scblack

Leucocholic
My thoughts are that the cheap carbon stuff is likely to be heavier and nowhere near as well finished as the genuines, and for the money you are better off buying some alloy giant / bontrager takeoffs for a loaner
They look the same on the outside, but on the inside is a different story. Anyone can lay up carbon fibre...
FYI, we compared my fake Dogma to a real Dogma at the time, with a very similar build. My fake Chinarello weighed LESS than the real Dogma. I know Dogma's were never a lightweight roadie, but I rode my Chinarello for two years with not a problem.

Carbon fibre manufacture is not a simple backyard operation, I had confidence in that frame.
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
Well I've seen some bars fail, and not knock offs.

On the basis of what I have seen, always do up your brake and gear clamps so that in the event of a crash they still will move round the bars rather than break off, because both broken bars I have seen have been where the brake clamp is attached . Blame is surely on them being too tight for the thin carbon at that point, keeping in mind that the stem attachment point is nearly always reinforced, and roughened so that torque doesn't need to be too tight.

IMO, attention to assembly is far more important than the brand or otherwise of the bars.
 

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
Bottom line? Everything fails, and you will die in a horribly painful accident no matter what you buy.

Become a shut-in for the win.
 

ChrisJC

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Most carbon components are made in a handful of factories. These companies are in a highly competitive industry and have millions invested in moulds and other machinery. I'm sure it would not be in their best interest to produce shit quality components and risk losing major contracts to their competitors. Flopping a mould and mass producing bike components isn't quite as simple as flopping a canoe/kayak or similar.
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
Most carbon components are made in a handful of factories. These companies are in a highly competitive industry and have millions invested in moulds and other machinery. I'm sure it would not be in their best interest to produce shit quality components and risk losing major contracts to their competitors. Flopping a mould and mass producing bike components isn't quite as simple as flopping a canoe/kayak or similar.
Just for interests sake, but a few years ago I bought an FSA handlebar off ebay for around $30 - it didn't seem to be a knock off - it had the same white join inside the bar as the originals, but was a different length. It wasn't cool, as it was 30mm rise and only 650mm wide and when I looked up FSA, it wasn't there as a product line. It very much looked like they had ordered a certain length, then realised they weren't going to sell and cancelled ( the market was going elsewhere). Manufacturer then sold them off in lots and heaps ended up on ebay.

The quantities of these sort of specialist items on ebay wouldn't justify tooling up, so I think most are just Unneeded production - dumped without the original owners consent of course
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
I think I'll wuss out on this one, I'd just be spending every ride wondering about it. Not enough consistency in thickness for my taste. Someone else might happy to have a go though - anyone want a cheap unused carbon bar...? :behindsofa:

IMG_7382.jpg
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
I've put them over a chair and literally bounced my weight hard up and down on them - so I might at least give them a ride to see if their 720mm is right or if I need to go wider.

Its going to be a couple of weeks until I get to ride it, so I'll PM you if still decide I'm a wuss ;-)
 

stirk

Burner
I've put them over a chair and literally bounced my weight hard up and down on them - so I might at least give them a ride to see if their 720mm is right or if I need to go wider.

Its going to be a couple of weeks until I get to ride it, so I'll PM you if still decide I'm a wuss ;-)
See you just stressed the carbon in an way they are not designed to be stressed, I don't think they did product testing using a chair, going to fail for sure on the first huck.
 

vansman

Squid
has anyone been brave enough to try carbon bars from Light-bicycle? 39USD plus postage.
I think I would trust a light bicycle bar more than a counterfeit bar, at least then it's their own reputation on the line. I'm not sure about the moulded front on those though?
 

DeBloot

Feeling old
I've still got a Ritchey WCS carbon bar bought off ebay an eternity ago
Dirtworks were selling them for some mind boggling price at the time and these were like a quarter of that price
It was exactly the same specs as theirs

This was back when 680 was a pretty wide bar
I've had plenty of good stacks on it and it's handled them all with no cracks
It's too narrow now and on my spare bike and still going strong
 
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