EBay/Chinese carbon bars

RapidRob

Likes Bikes
Your choice/funeral really. Unless anyone had done stress testing in these exact bars, hard to say what they're like. Likely no warranty, which of course is no problem for the bars at that price but, if you small the bars, they're not the only thing that'll break! Maybe you could get two, stress test one and use the other?
 

scblack

Leucocholic
For critical things like bars, stems etc I would stick with brand name components.

If its just a commuter, buy a cheaper handlebar, if you were looking for cheap carbon bits.
 

mitchy_

Llama calmer
A cheap carbon bar probably won't have any of the properties of a better quality one, ie. Light weight, vibration damping, etc. So you may as well use a cheap alloy one. (I have a ~680 wide ritchey flat bar you can pretty much have.)
 

PLUGGA

Likes Dirt
A cheap carbon bar probably won't have any of the properties of a better quality one, ie. Light weight, vibration damping, etc. So you may as well use a cheap alloy one. (I have a ~680 wide ritchey flat bar you can pretty much have.)
Ah, I see. Will give them a miss then, considering I only wanted them for the reason you mentioned (dampen down the vibrations) So, stupid question time then-Would a similar eBay carbon fork lack the same qualities you mentioned above?
 

scblack

Leucocholic
Ah, I see. Will give them a miss then, considering I only wanted them for the reason you mentioned (dampen down the vibrations) So, stupid question time then-Would a similar eBay carbon fork lack the same qualities you mentioned above?
I used an AliExpress fake Dogma frame and fork a couple of years, and might somewhat contradict my statement before, but it was perfectly fine. It was actually lighter than Daver's real Dogma at the time. It rode fine and had no issues until I replaced it.

Frame and fork I would be happy to use again from Ebay/Aliexpress. For frames/forks there are only so many carbon factories and I would accept the quality they would produce.

But you would have to be sure of the legitimacy of the seller. Some stuff can be just crap, such as one bars I bought that were about 1mm out of correct diameter in the clamping area.
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
I have a mate riding an aliexpress fake 3T bar. First sample cracked during the car park test, second has lasted 6000 odd km of xc duties. Fucked if I'd trust my life to a cheap and nasty mtb handlebar. Maybe won't claim a life but a face or two needing reconstruction, sure.
 

PLUGGA

Likes Dirt
I used an AliExpress fake Dogma frame and fork a couple of years, and might somewhat contradict my statement before, but it was perfectly fine. It was actually lighter than Daver's real Dogma at the time. It rode fine and had no issues until I replaced it.

Frame and fork I would be happy to use again from Ebay/Aliexpress. For frames/forks there are only so many carbon factories and I would accept the quality they would produce.

But you would have to be sure of the legitimacy of the seller. Some stuff can be just crap, such as one bars I bought that were about 1mm out of correct diameter in the clamping area.
Right, not worth it then. The commuter is going to be carrying my 2 yr old daughter, so won't risk it. Cheers for the feedback..............and sorry MODS, I just did a more in depth search, and found another thread on this. Delete away, if necessary!
 

Old C

Likes Bikes
The biggest risk with buying a Chinese copy, is that sometimes they are actually out of the same plant as the brand name, but they come out of the reject bin. Carbon does have a relatively high reject rate, and the brand name producers will have tighter tolerances, the rejects are sold off either as a sub-business, or without the brand company being aware of it.
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
A cheap carbon bar probably won't have any of the properties of a better quality one, ie. Light weight, vibration damping, etc.
It will actually, 'cos they're properties of the material regardless of how well it is laid up. A shit bar is more likely to be full of air bubbles, and also a fairly general layup rather than a force orientation-optimised layup that you'll find in better bars.
 
Top