Mountain Biking - CNC machined handlebars?

so i guess im VERY late on the CNC phase in bikes as it seems most of these components are form the 90's. but i really eat this stuff up. im building a road/city bike and already have some CNC MTB components on it (precision billet derailleur, thomson seatpost/stem, paul thumbies, bullseye levers) but does anyone know if theres such thing as CNC machined riser bars?



ps. i have no valid reason for wanting this other than knowing that it is exactly what i want.

I don't think there would be. I am going to assume based off of my knowledge of CNC machines that it would be near impossible to hollow out the bars. So any kind of CNCed bar would be solid and HEAVY. But yeah I've never seen or heard of them either.

I think the closest anyone got to that sort of thing was welding handlebar tubes to a cnc stem. This has since been replaced with CF or Al/CF - see below.

One piece bar/stem combos seem to have stuck with the roadie/tt/tri crowd. The mtb/offroad/FRDH/cx crowd didn't take it up in any great numbers after the intial flurry of interest (probably early '90s).

I am a CNC lover, but can't think of any CNC bars. Carbon is the new CNC nowadays.

They'd be able to hollow out partway on the ends. They'd be heavy. They'd also be really, really expensive.

solid handle bars...
heavy.

I think Answer made some billet Pro-Taper MX bars at one time. Trouble would be finding shims to fit it to an MTB stem.

I think Answer made some billet Pro-Taper MX bars at one time. Trouble would be finding shims to fit it to an MTB stem.

Wheels Mfg. makes a shim that would work, but again, using a bar that's tank heavy just to say you've got a CNC made bar?

Eh, whatever floats his boat I guess.

well i didnt know it would be a "tank". i thought thomson stems and setposts were CNC machined, and theyre hollowed out and light.....

well i didnt know it would be a "tank". i thought thomson stems and setposts were CNC machined, and theyre hollowed out and light.....

Yes. A fairly simple shape. Now picture a 24-28" bar, with rise. How is the CNC machine going to do the internal cutting past those bends of the rise and sweep, when the OD/ID it would have to work with is that narrow?

That said, I don't know enough about CNC to say unequivically that it couldn't be done, though I'm very, very doubtul it could be. A solid billet CNC into one, with the straighter parts of the ends of the bars could be bored out, but the thing would still be damn expensive and very pretty heavy, IMO.

Thats because the stems and seatposts are straight.

...seatposts are straight.

;)

http://www.bikepedlar.co.uk/acatalog/thomsonelitelayback.jpg


You're right though - simple shape and shallow bend is easier to machine.

Well, the slight bend is do-able.
Like a tunnel digging machine, it can do slight bends in the earth, it just cant do a drastic turn.

. . . it just cant do a drastic turn.Like this?

http://www.pricepoint.com/images/styleImages/D_275%20TITEB7.jpg

I'd imagine that would be stretching it for a CNC machined post.
Unless of course they are just talking about the brackets...

Well, what if they weren't round? Or only round on the grip area. More of a gusseted or beam type milling.
seems like that could look pretty tough.
something along these lines...

http://bp0.blogger.com/_6s3mYCY5QCE/R4LUhOz4_kI/AAAAAAAACYI/DbuLr3v_XSQ/s1600-h/20080107_351638.jpg

Well, what if they weren't round? Or only round on the grip area. More of a gusseted or beam type milling.
seems like that could look pretty tough.
something along these lines...

http://bp0.blogger.com/_6s3mYCY5QCE/R4LUhOz4_kI/AAAAAAAACYI/DbuLr3v_XSQ/s1600-h/20080107_351638.jpg

Sure, if you want a bar that is still going to likely be heavier than normal, and still cost more money.

A CNC handlebar is a solution in serach of a problem that doesn't exist.

how bout a flat bar then? actually markhr now has me thinking about the bar stem combos. anyone know of any CNC'd bar/stem combos? doesnt have to be entirely CNC'd, just enough to have that pretty look....

CNC'ing a part that is subject to repeated flexing just doesn't make much sense. Better to use a technique that is fast and ensures an even, strong product than a technique that comparatively slow and can result in a weaker surface and unseen stress risers.

The 'pretty look' you refer to is what I'd call the 'fashion victim' look. You can get lots of CNC'd stems (Thomson being the obvious candidate). But reports of cracked faceplates (and discovering one myself) has thoroughly turned me CNC'd stems, let alone a more flexible part like a handlebar. Something like a seatpost is probably fine (Thomsons have a great rep there), but seatposts don't flex as much as handlebars.

how bout a flat bar then? actually markhr now has me thinking about the bar stem combos. anyone know of any CNC'd bar/stem combos? doesnt have to be entirely CNC'd, just enough to have that pretty look....

Ebay for something like that I think. If you want new then you're probably limited, for mountain bikes, to CF.

random example

Scott Pilot

http://www.scottusa.com/service/files/images/products/products/photos/4L229ip24BI464DSGH7t0G0390pekP20.jpg

something like that scott pilot, but aluminum.....would be perfect! i am using this for a road/street bike actually, i just frequently use MTB parts for durability and style....

If all you're after is style, why not get a set of these:

http://www.bicycledesigner.com/parts/516017.jpg

or these?

http://www.bicycledesigner.com/parts/516021.jpg

sorry, but those arent my "style". thanks for the insinuation that thats all i care about though! especially since i paired the word with "durability". and i doubt your bike is ENTIRELY functional without an ounce of aesthetic value to you......

i love my bike, it rides like butter and needs little to no maintenece. also i love having parts on it that i am attached to, for whatever reason. and i am frankly tired of having to defend aesthetic value, im sure everyone on here has their own tastes whether they realize it or not....

and it aint no show bike, i bike for work every day in every weather condition you could think of.....

If you were truly after "durability," I doubt that you would be trying so hard to find CNCd bars. Bars are forged or drawn for a reason - - part of which is to alter the metal at a molecular level by something called grain-aligning. Metal that has been formed in such ways is actually stronger than the parent-metal it originated from, because the process of manipulating it actually realigns the "grain" of the metal to impart more strength in the directions of most stress.

With a CNCd piece, you can only rely on the ambient strength of the parent-metal because all you are doing is shaving away portions of it to achieve the shape you want.

well, simply put, im sure it would hold up just fine on the road.

durability is relative. if i was TRULY after durability, why not get steel bars? or steel everything for that matter? why not have a 45 pound tank of a bike? the reason is simple, its not necessary for my needs.

i ride the most durable parts where i feel they are needed for the way i ride. everything having to do with bikes is a balance of durability, performance, weight, and aesthetic. you cannot leave one of the 4 out, its just not practical. ask any manufacturer if they have no interest in paying attention to aesthetic value, im sure theyll let you know that it is, in fact, important. as is the other 3...

Funny, no mention of durability until post 23, you did say:
i have no valid reason for wanting this other than knowing that it is exactly what i want.
in your original post. You also said:
enough to have that pretty look....

You did take some offense when others suggested that you should not pick components solely for looks or style. Take their advise and look for functional, durable, safe components where they are necessary by design/function. You need to remember "Its a tool, not a jewel!"

if you read back through the posts youll see that a mentioned "durability" in relation to why i use MTB parts on my road bike. along with style because i like how MTB components look. i have MTB hubs, derailleur, BB, cassette and chain......i picked them all for their durability and looks. as far as durability for handlebars....i am on the road all day in the city, its not like im doing freeride. actually im barely out of the saddle most of the time. i do not need my bars to be tanks and i never insinuated that durability is an issue for the bars that i want.....i didnt mention that at all.....youre completely taking what i said out of context.

Either way, all the blathering about style or whatever aside, you're not going to find any CNC bars.

So unless you want to pay an obscene amount of money to have someone custom make you a set, pay up for the bars of your choice. Somebody alluded to some that were made for moto use; only CNC bars I've ever heard of.

This place: http://www.universalcycles.com/

has an ungodly selection of bars. Flat, riser, 25.4mm, 31.8mm. Knock yourself out.

Fatigo, most people can see very good reasons not to use CNC for this part, but if you're convinced it's for you, give these guys a call and they can probably sort you out for a price: http://www.purelycustom.com/

If you were truly after "durability," I doubt that you would be trying so hard to find CNCd bars. Bars are forged or drawn for a reason - - part of which is to alter the metal at a molecular level by something called grain-aligning. Metal that has been formed in such ways is actually stronger than the parent-metal it originated from, because the process of manipulating it actually realigns the "grain" of the metal to impart more strength in the directions of most stress.

With a CNCd piece, you can only rely on the ambient strength of the parent-metal because all you are doing is shaving away portions of it to achieve the shape you want.

Well put. Because something is CNC machined does not make it the strongest or best manufacturing process for every kind of part. A forged or drawn tube will be a lot stronger than one machined out of standard material. It could be done but for what purpose? To make a bar that looks the same but costs 30-100 times the cost and is not as strong?

A bar stem or seat post can lend itself a little better to CNC machining but to get the stongest CNC parts you still have to forge the general shape as accurately as possible through a set of steps that align the metal crystals in the proper direction. Then remove as little material as possible to just get the tolerances you need.

If you want some strong handle bars. Get some Downhill mountain bike handlebars. They are pretty much designed for heavy use and are much stronger than standard bars but they also weigh more. But I can't see the point for urban commuting as a standard grade inexpensive Nashbar handlebar is pretty strong. It's just not as light as a good XC bar.

Another thought: If you want something truly unique and MTB-ish, look for a set of Redline Forklifter bars. They're actually a BMX bar but came in a low-rise (at least for BMX) 3.5" version and are kinda cool looking. 4-pice bar with fat bulges in bead-blast tapering down to polished, normal diameter at the control ends. They look like a flatter version of these and came in some cool ano colors:

http://americancycle.com/merchant/1384/images/large/bars_redlineforkliftersilver.jpg

i like those but not entirely what im after. after realizing that what i want doesnt exist i am looking into either a steel integrated bar/stem combo (aluminum if i could find it but dont think that exists either) or just sticking with what i have. thanks to those that helped!

Well put. Because something is CNC machined does not make it the strongest or best manufacturing process for every kind of part. A forged or drawn tube will be a lot stronger than one machined out of standard material. It could be done but for what purpose? To make a bar that looks the same but costs 30-100 times the cost and is not as strong?

A bar stem or seat post can lend itself a little better to CNC machining but to get the stongest CNC parts you still have to forge the general shape as accurately as possible through a set of steps that align the metal crystals in the proper direction. Then remove as little material as possible to just get the tolerances you need.

If you want some strong handle bars. Get some Downhill mountain bike handlebars. They are pretty much designed for heavy use and are much stronger than standard bars but they also weigh more. But I can't see the point for urban commuting as a standard grade inexpensive Nashbar handlebar is pretty strong. It's just not as light as a good XC bar.

also my derailleur, hubs, stem, and seatpost were all CNC machined and didnt cost 30-100 times the cost. thats such a bizarre number to come up with. anyway, they dont make the bars which is why i asked.

and please read through the thread, i never said anything about being into CNC parts for a gain in durability......i hope i dont have to explain that for a 3rd time....

this reminds me of another thread i am participating in where the OP is asking for a complete bike reccomendation for under 1000 bucks. ALMOST EVERY person is reccomending companies where frame only is 1500+. please read the threads...

also my derailleur, hubs, stem, and seatpost were all CNC machined and didnt cost 30-100 times the cost. thats such a bizarre number to come up with. anyway, they dont make the bars which is why i asked.


No it really isn't. Maybe 30-100x is a bit arbitrarily high, but it would still be way, way more expensive than alternatives out there already. The company would have to design and tool up to CNC the bar from scratch, to do a run of one bar. That's going to cost a lot of money. Unless you could convince them they would be able to sell enough to make a large run worthwhile in order to bring costs down.

Check into some custom frame companies. If you're sure of the rise/length/everything else about your bar and stem combo, you could have a custom ti or steel one made up that would likely still cost less than trying to have a custom CNC version made.

No it really isn't. Maybe 30-100x is a bit arbitrarily high, but it would still be way, way more expensive than alternatives out there already. The company would have to design and tool up to CNC the bar from scratch, to do a run of one bar. That's going to cost a lot of money. Unless you could convince them they would be able to sell enough to make a large run worthwhile in order to bring costs down.

Check into some custom frame companies. If you're sure of the rise/length/everything else about your bar and stem combo, you could have a custom ti or steel one made up that would likely still cost less than trying to have a custom CNC version made.

never mentioned anything about going custom , i just didnt know if they were manufactured or not. i dont believe most companies would even consider doing custom CNC machining, its not worth the effort for them to go through all of the trouble for one product...

i am going to look into those bar/stem combos, thanks....

never mentioned anything about going custom , i just didnt know if they were manufactured or not. i dont believe most companies would even consider doing custom CNC machining, its not worth the effort for them to go through all of the trouble for one product...

Which is what I tried to tell you several replies back...your only option was likely to be custom, and more money than you'd likely want to spend. I know you didn't ask about custom. But since it's the only way you're likely to ever get a CNC bar setup...Only way a company would is if they knew they'd be able to sell enough to make it worth their effort. Highly unlikely.

i am going to look into those bar/stem combos, thanks....

Obviously if you go that route, just be really damn sure what size/length/width/rise/etc. you want before having it made. :thumb: