cargomama

I recently bought a 90's bike with Campagnolo Chorus "brifter" levers. They say on the hoods "CARBON" (not "carbon bb system)...which is nerve-wracking for me because I hate carbon fiber/carbon nanotubes (for health reasons, let's not get into that here) and I am very concerned now that there is carbon fiber in the levers somewhere (though the levers themselves are metal, there is a black housing that appears a plastic and then of course the black hoods) which would be a total deal-breaker for me. So....does anyone know if "CARBON" is merely the name or if there is carbon fiber somewhere in the lever/hood?

I know this may seem ridiculous to some but if anyone knows I would REALLY appreciate it.

cargomama

According to Ergo Levers - Branford Bike - Seattle/Bellevue - Campagnolo Pro Shop they are the 1991-1997 version

Kilroy1988 

The part that says "CARBON" is made of carbon, if I'm not mistaken.

repechage

Chopped carbon fibre in the plastic resin of the lever body.

cargomama

Ahhhh, well that might be that...what are my options to keep the bike and loser the brifters?

TenGrainBread 

Your options are to find functioning alloy brifters of the same period that shift the same number of gears or switch to downtube or bar end shifters and get non-brifter brake levers. Option 2 might be easier.

Sorry, can you explain again why you can't have carbon in your brake levers? From a functional perspective they won't act differently from alloy levers and are no more likely to break.

Shimagnolo

First, you can't be exposed to anything in the black plastic part unless you take a saw/drill/grinder to it.
Second, there are no carbon nanotubes in it, since they existed only in a few labs in the 1990's,
and there is no reason to use nanotubes for simple reinforcement of a plastic part.

cargomama

Shimagnolo, can you explain? Do you mean there is no carbon in the lever housing? I agree I don't know why it would be in there but it seems like it might be..?

Shimagnolo

See post #4: "Chopped carbon fibre in the plastic resin of the lever body."

Carbon fiber does not equal nanotubes.

Fiber-Reinforced-Plastic has been around for decades: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibre-reinforced_plastic
It is just carbon fiber used for reinforcement.

I am not aware of any production use of carbon nanotubes.
First they need to develop cost-effective ways of manufacturing them.

cargomama

Ah I see the distinction you mean.

TenGrainBread, I guess certain things bother certain people, I wouldn't buy anything with carbon fiber just like I wouldn't buy something with asbestos, it just really bothers me...I asked the seller (bought long distance) if there was any carbon on this bike and he said no, sadly I think this slipped his notice. Can't blame him, nothing has the "woven fabric" carbon look, just looks like plastic.

Kilroy1988 

I was going to ask about what sort of "health issues" are related to carbon fiber and looked it up some. Apparently just about a single doctoral thesis from 2011 (IIRC) mentions that breathing carbon nanotube fibers might be a cause for health issues such as cancer or mesothelioma. This, however, would still likely require breathing in quite a bit of the stuff on a regular basis (like living in an asbestos-ridden home for years), meaning one must probably be around it in an industrial setting where it is being used and dispersed into the air.

As far as the health impact of contact with black carbon, there have only been very rare cases of skin exposure causing some sorts of blistering and a couple other odd symptoms... Very rarely, indeed. Probably also in a setting where handling raw materials were frequent, methinks, since raw black carbon is in a powder form and far more likely to cause skin irritation in that form.

I did not come across a single issue of health implications stemming from the simple handling of carbon fibers. It's carbon... It's one of the most versatile and common elements on the planet, and the second most common element in our bodies. Health issues stemming from its use in any form are almost nonexistent besides inhalations of unsafe amounts - which is just about true of any element. Too much oxygen will kill you!

jetboy 

oxygen is a great poison.

TenGrainBread 

It won't pose a health risk to you like asbestos would, so I think most would say spending time and/or money on this would be silly. It's your bike, though!

Wildwood 

......... and the CF levers from the early millennia feel so..... silky. Irresistible, really.

Pawlus

Perhaps OP had some environmental reasons in mind?

Nonetheless if you give them a try you'll probably like it. I have a pair of those "Carbon" ergopowers and I love them!

easyupbug 

Swap your brake/shifters for Shimano brake/shifters, go here and get the shiftmate and you are set. I have arthritis in my hands and Campy shifters feel better so I for one would swap a set with you.

Dave Mayer

I have several sets of these levers and have ridden them to great satisfaction for many years. Far better than Shimano levers. Safety: I am a chemist by training, and I have never given this a second thought. The lever bodies do have carbon fibers in a plastic matrix. The fibers add extra strength. The only way I think these could hurt you is if you burned off the plastic, pulverized the remainders into a fine dust, and then breathed it in. And, I doubt there are any nanotubes, and even if there were, same analysis as before.

Far greater risk in the environment: indoor candles and wood fires. The combustion of carbon-rich materials such as wax and wood produces a random shot-gun blast of hydrocarbon soot, elements of which are carcinogenic.

CliffordK

Graphite has been around for years.

Does the OP also avoid pencils?

Hopefully he hasn't chosen to avoid eating foods containing carbon.

Of course, like Asbestos, we may not know the true impact of carbon fiber to health for decades. But, as others have mentioned, for the most part it is well encapsulated. Perhaps the greatest risk to consumers would be during a crash or catastrophic failure. But, the amount being inhaled would still be minimal.

Bianchigirll 

Market pressure

Andy_K 

You're obviously relatively new here.

I apologize on behalf of everyone (myself usually included) who just can't help discussing things like this. The C&V forum is much better than some of the other areas, but once in a while it surfaces. If you mentioned something like this on the mechanics forum you'd likely have been subjected to a dissertation or two on organic chemistry and structural engineering. We mean well, honestly.


As for your actual situation, while I suspect that the word "carbon" on your levers is as much marketing as anything else, there is obviously some carbon fiber used in the shifters (but I think only the shifters). Looking at the Campagnolo catalogs, it looks like the carbon wasn't introduced into the Record levers until 1994. Earlier versions (or slightly lower end models like Chorus) would meet your preferences.

It looks like those levers in good condition are selling for around $75-$100 on eBay, so you could arguably sell yours and buy a non-carbon equivalent. Alternatively, you could probably find someone with the non-carbon version who would be willing to trade with you.

repechage

Nearest I have seen carbon hurting someone was when a customer of the shop I worked for in the 80's crashed his bike onto a lefthand turning car, frame splintered, and the broken tube end jabbed him in the leg.

If you really wanted to isolate yourself from the carbon reinforced plastic, paint the lever bodies.

Beyond that, it's a lawyerly angle to back out of a deal.

cargomama

I do appreciate all your comments, I have taken grief for this before but it is just one of those things for me and of course carbon fiber tends to surface in the bike world more than elsewhere . I tried the levers again tonight and I dislike the brifter action and the far reach to the brake so much I don't think they are for me...I'm not sure what to do now, I have started a thread on the bike in general out of desperation.

cargomama

No the deal is done, it was long-distance. I do not believe the seller meant to intentionally mislead me. He was extremely kind and helpful and I consider this my mistake to not have looked into the matter more thoroughly.

Chombi1 

The word "Carbon" had been freely used in the industry since anyone can remember. I've encountered lots of components that look like plain matte black plastic that have been labeled as "carbon". I suspect that it's true that they do have CF fibers mixed into these plastic castings.....but unless we can really see the CFs, who really says how much CF there needs to be in the mix to qualify the part as a "Carbon" component??...... A few strands of CF, here and there?

Homebrew01

Sell them and find some aluminum levers.

Perhaps Shimano compatible levers with a Jtek ShiftMate would work. Depends on the specifics of your drivetrain.