_Astale_

i damaged by mistake my riser (FSA kforce CF) and i want to ask if someone had the same problem if the riser broke down finally... or if it is just aesthetic damaged.

thanks

PeterG1185

i'd get a new one. carbon is really finicky once tampered with, and you dont want that thing to snap in half going downhill

FoX Rider

And if it does just pray you have your hand on the half that has the rear brake and the brake cable is still working...Otherwise you and the ground are going to have a meeting.

Maelstrom 

Garbage time....do doo dee doo...do do...do do

FoX Rider

Thats a catchy beat mael.

BlackDiamond

Raiyn

Time to give that bar to this guy

100prcnt Marine

i work on carbon racks for aicraft just use a two part epoxy and dabb it on and sand it smooth again

100prcnt Marine

talked it over with someone a little more experience in working with carbon. he says:
1. clear epoxy
2.hard as nails fingernail polish
wipe with alcohol first
buy covering the chipped piece it will keep the device from splintering and it will be fine

good luck

bg4533

I would probably trust this for a bike that was mainly used on road for recreational purposes, but not for a serious MTB.

thumbwar

Not to hi-jack your thread, but it seems like your question was answered.

How much abuse do you let your carbon bars take before replacing them? Of course, Easton says you should replace them if they sustain the slightest damage. Opinions?

Owen

Maelstrom 

Yep. Easton is right. Way to risky a material to be taking chance with. Especially with anything agressive like mtb

thumbwar

What is the benefit of using expensive bars that must be replaced every time they touch the ground? "75 grams lighter"... I know I know. Seems like a bad way to tie up lots of disposable income to me. I have some carbon bars that have taken a good share of beating. I'm trying to decide carbon again or back to aluminum.

Maelstrom 

Depends. Some people dont break them. I know enough riders who have. Really depends on usage. For my weight, riding style I would never use carbon, no matter how much the inet engineers try to convince me. I have seen some bad accidents on trails cause by the bar snapping. (3 times, 1 time was the guys fault for overtightening the bolts on his stem, dumbass, the other 2 were crashes an aluminum bar would have survived.

BlackDiamond

Carbon bars are light but prone to structural damage very easily. That is the price one must pay to be a weight weenie. You have to be willing to pay to play. If your bikes weight is not critical, and you are prone to crashes; the answer is simple: don’t buy carbon components.

Even if you think your bars could possibly be damaged is it worth it to keep riding them? Have you seen what happens to a rider when a bar fails when he/she is not ready for that to happen? Believe me it is not pretty; pretty funny to watch though. I myself would not risk it, even on my 22lb heavy duty XC hardtail.

catatonic

My guess is CF for mountain bikes is more of an elite racer thing than anything else...for the guys that have hte dough to replace hteir bars, crankarms, etc after every race.

I'd rather stay with aluminum.

100prcnt Marine

like i said i work with carbon fiber at least twice a year on aircraft for th US Army its very strong and of course lite but one of the main reasons we use it: is because its repairable and super strong i easton would say to replace it so we would have to buy more. when we upgrade these aircraft and need to change holes for slides and mounts we patch with a 2part epoxy let dry and redrill. for larger patch jobs we shred fiberglass cloth and mix with the epoxy to increase strength. cracks are a little more drastic but can be temperally fixed . if the part snaps send it back and get a new one but for the most part it can be repaired to last a lttle longer. if i can i will post some pics

if u are interested i prepared a step by step procedure that i will email to anyone or i could just post it here before the end of the day
epoxy that we use
hysol 9301.3a
epicast 50 sealant or clear epoxy

100prcnt Marine

Astale you damage doesnt look that bad acording to the level of magnification i think you would be ok if you sealed it . this would keep the fibers from becoming exposed and that is what will make the strenth go away.