The only bars I've broken has been in crashes prior to that and
neither were hi end parts. When I think of it they probably were 6 or
7000 series too as most were on my mtb! In RR39/Summer-03 issue there
was a very interesting interview with the president and designer of
Nitto Mr. Akira Yoshikawa by Grant:

"Q: For a 200lb (91kg) road rider, how light can a bar be made and
still pass your standards?

A: The lightest is 260g. About 250-260g. If you try to make it lighter
than 200g you have to use 7075. You have to use better grade
material.

Q: So the 7000 series is stronger?

A: The tensile strength is higher, yes, but the problem is that, when
there is high impact, the 7075 breaks because it's brittle. With the
2000 series, it bends easier. We think it is safer for the consumer if
it bends instead of breaking.

Q: I've heard that aluminium handlebars should be replaced every five
years. Do you agree with this? Even if thy have not been crashed?

A: The life span of aluminium is shorter than steel. If you make
aluminium handlebars and don't even use it for ten years, it is
significantly weaker than when it was new. We know our handlebars and
stems are quite strong, of course, but when they are aluminium, it is
safest to replace them before they break, or show sign of breaking. It
is a personal judgement from the rider, as to when to do this."

On 8 Jan, 19:05, "Doug Peterson" <dougpn...@cox.net> wrote:
> Do you replace your handlebars on a regular basis?  
>
> Years ago, a friend had his handlebars snap off near the stem, resulting in
> a shoulder dislocating crash & only luck kept him from being hit by a car.
> When I mentioned this incident, several riders had similar experiences.
> Since then, I've taken the precaution of replacing bars every 5 years on the
> bike I ride all the time.  FWIW, I've also had 2 aluminum frames fail so
> perhaps I'm just a klutz.
>
> dougP
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to 
rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at 
http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

Reply via email to