Catastrophic failure - ouch.

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simgsxr

Senior Member
Location
Herts
Glad you are ok, but please forgive my ignorance, where did your bars snap? was it either side of where the stem clamps the bars?:tongue:
 
They're alloy ITMs, 6 years old. They snapped one side of the stem. The other half is still attached.
 

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
joebe said:
They're alloy ITMs, 6 years old. They snapped one side of the stem. The other half is still attached.

Its quite rare for that to happen imo. I check my bike over every few weeks for any problems. Now and again check the frame, especially like if after saturday when I hit a rather nasty pothole on an unfamiliar road.
 

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
rb58 said:
That would suggest they've been overtightened. At least that's what the LBS told me when it happened to me last year.

That can certainly happen to carbon. I think the alloy ones are more prone if the bike falls over from being propped against something.

My bike went over in the wind last year when I was giving it a clean. I had propped it against a garden table but the gust just took it. Thankfully only bar tape torn, just tucked it back in and left it as it was. :smile:
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
Bugger! Glad you're alright. I had this happen to me last year, fortunately at low speed and I managed not to fall off. FWIW, I think in my case it was partly if not entirely caused by me knackering the bars when installing them - they were tight in the stem, and I kind of back-and-forth twisted them to get them in. The scratches seemed superficial, but with hindsight, I think they might have created a weak point from which a crack gradually developed. I could be completely wrong, but I certainly didn't take the chance when installing the replacement bars. I made damn sure the stem gap was wide enough.
 

guitarpete247

Just about surviving
Location
Leicestershire
Glad to see you're alright. I've never thought that could be a problem. I've only got 2 bikes 1 is 22 years old with original bars MTB (Saracen and painted so probably steel) the other Ali and at least 20 years and second hand when I built bike. I'll be checking them.
 

rustychisel

Well-Known Member
It happens. I replaced an old pair of ITMs the other day 'cause they'd taken a knock and I didn't trust them any more.

These ones, on the other hand, were about 20 years old and going strong, I thought. Completed a flying 250 lap an the velodrome at about 60kmh and as I slowed and pushed down on the bars they just folded down as you see. Managed to casually rest my hand on my thigh as I rolled back into the pits...

broken.bars.jpg
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
Problem is with aluminium 'bars is that they will fail but you duno when but the stiffer & harder the ally it's made from the more they'll tend to snap passed shearing rather than bend.
 
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