Barry Wicks' Carbon Bars

On Stage 4 of the BC Bike Race, Barry Wicks managed to crash hard 2km from the end of the stage, breaking his carbon bars, but still managed to win the stage and the race. Thanks to Normon fot the photo.

Kestrel Bars

Grom Geoff:

This Kestrel EMS Pro/SL "carbon aramid" 800k bar, (old-school 26mm diameter), snapped on the OPPOSITE side of impact with the side of a Mercedes that had swung an unannounced right turn across my path. We were traveling the same direction. I locked up the brakes at about 23 mph, so probably hit at 10 mph or slower, at an angle, as I swerved with the vehicle. Impact point was my left elbow. (Lacerations, contusions, muscle spasms, but nothing broken except the bars.) Maybe I better take a magnifying glass to my Trek carbon frame before riding it again.

Bike vs Child

From Mart:

Here are my handlebars that were broken due to an child crossing the street, during competition.

I hope they broke avoiding the child rather than hitting the child.

Broken Bars

My friend Dave spotted these bars in the basement of Oak Bay Bikes.

Easton EC90 bars meet Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan Pathfinder meet Easton EC90 bars.

No Carbon Wednesday: Sweat Damage

Kurt sent me these photos of a pair of 1972 Cinelli Giro D'Italia handlebars. Over the years the sweat from his hands has caused corrosion to pit the bars nearly all the way through. Just a reminder to everybody still using aluminum bars, you should replace them every 37 years or so.

More Carbon Bars

They just keep breaking. Another one from pinkbike.com.

More Broken Carbon Bars

Thelonerider from the UK posted this picture of his broken bars on Pinkbike.

More Carbon Bars

I just got a new mountain bike this weekend with a carbon handlebar. I wonder how long until it looks like this. Photo from Pinkbike.

Broken Bars

Another set of broken bars.

Busted Bars

A break like this is fairly common with carbon bars. Always check your bars after a crash.

Carbon Bars

They break when you crash.

Carbon Bars

I have so many photos of broken carbon bars. All the photos are pretty much the same, except this one shows some interesting detail. 

Improvise!

What are you going to do when you are out in the wilderness and you break your bars? Improvise - just jam a stick down the remains of your bars and you are good to go.

Easton Bars

I don't know how you break both sides of your bars off. Not from any normal crash.

Bianchi with Broken Forks

Here is the story on this one:

This racer tried to sneak a right turn in at full speed, got his wheel caught under a pickup truck's tire, and snapped his carbon fork. I heard it from a block away and went back to help. He was dancing around in pain. Spectators were telling him he was in shock. He said, I'm not in shock. I'm in pain. 

More Cyclocross

More cyclocross means more broken carbon. This time it's the bars. Thanks to Adam for sending me this photo.

More Broken Bars

A nice set of carbon bars and stem. Not much to say, except "snap."