Heat-treated handlebars are not necessarily stronger or more durable than non-heat-treated handlebars. You need to further know the alloy used, and the part's dimensions to derive these. For example, a thin-walled, heat-treated handlebar will likely be weaker and less durable than a stout chrome-plated steel handlebar (albeit weighs much less).
Nevertheless, from Grant's writings, I don't believe Nitto will produce a sub-par product, regardless of intended market or customer. From what I understand, Nitto prototypes have to pass Nitto's own internal standards that are at least as stringent as any applicable industry standard. Based partly on Grant's recommendation and my own experience, Nitto is a brand name I trust (with my life, literally, especially when bombing down trails). So the question remains, would I pay more for handlebars and stems of tested superior strength and durability? I already do since most of my handlebars and stems are Nitto or equivalents such as Thomson (my assumption here on equivalence). Why? Because a few extra dollars is worth peace of mind in these critical components, even if one has a good health and dental plan. Maybe the question should be, why aren't people asking for such certifications? For one, bicycles are still toys to the majority, and it's the minority that asks for a toy's certification on health and safety. Furthermore, except for stupid-light stuff, there doesn't seem to be an epidemic of broken handlebars and stems; empirical evidence shows that handlebars and stems are generally strong and durable enough. For the outliers (that's us, ladies and gentlemen), most enthusiasts are aware of which brands are less prone to failure (and other parameters), so we sort ourselves out accordingly. Weight-weenies, for example, wouldn't be too pissed that their $$$ user-light part broke after 3 uses, whereas I don't really expect to replace my Nitto stems for decades (I rotate through my bikes). So, is there any need for certification then? On Friday, June 29, 2018 at 1:58:14 PM UTC-7, Evan E. wrote: > > Short Version: > > Would you pay more for handlebars (and stems) if the seller made clear > that those bars and stems meet established safety standards, such as EN > standards? > > Long Version: > > In a recent thread called "Dear Riv, Please Make a Wider Noodle," Grant > told a story about how Nitto was sued for a few handlebars that were broken > by some burly riders who leaned hard on them, even though the bars were > city bars not meant for rough riding. So that got me thinking: > > Because Nitto tests its bars and stems, might they -- and their > distributors and dealers -- publish the strength standards that their bars > and stems meet? > > If I were shopping for bars, I'd be willing to pay more for them if I knew > they > met an industry standard for strength and safety. Most sellers don't say a > peep about safety certifications -- and don't even describe the > conditions under which the bars should be used. (Compass is an exception. > They say that all their Nitto bars "meet the most stringent EN 'Racing > Bike' standard for fatigue resistance.") > > True story: A few years ago I spied, online, Nitto RM-013 bars, size 52, > that were not heat-treated. I was confused because Nitto Noodle bars of > similar width WERE heat-treated. Perhaps those non-heat-treated bars were > some of the inexpensive Nitto bars that Grant mentioned -- bars not > intended for large people riding on gravel and trails. But somehow those > unheated Nitto bars made it to the U.S. market. Yes, they cost about half > of what Noodles cost and what heat-treated RM-013s cost. And yes, I was > tempted to buy them. I figured, "They're Nitto, so they're safe, right?" > > For the record: I doubt I could break any bars just by riding along. I > weigh 145 pounds. Please just humor me here and help me overthink. Thanks. > > Evan Elliot > San Francisco, CA > > > > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
