Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
I haven 't used the Thompson, but have experience with the Kestrel Pro SL at a similar weight. Actually they look very similar; I wonder if they are same with rebadging.
Nope.
Q – Are your bars made in Macon at your facility?
A – No, our carbon bars are the first product designed by us but manufactured in Taiwan.
Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
I destroyed the first one by applying too much torque at the stem clamp. I used the stem maker's recommendation of 4Nm, and the bar just shattered. On my second try I stopped at 2Nm and had no problem. Still very tight. No issues with rotation or slippage. Like I said, I can't say the Thompson is the same, but at the same weight, you should just be careful. A shop wrench told me most recommended torques are way too high. We use a torque wrench thinking we are protecting the parts, but in many cases we are overdoing it with the recommended torque. I, for one, would actually use less torque in general if I weren't using the special wrench and trying to do the "right" thing.
Most manufacturers have a recommended
max torque, not a recommended torque. I think that it's a mistake to tighten by torque spec, anyway - make small, even adjustments to all fasteners until the bars (or seat post, or whatever) don't slip, regardless of what the torque wrench says. After getting a torque wrench, I discovered that all of my fasteners were "low."