Originally Posted by
3alarmer
...I've had one alloy bar failure at the stem junction. it did not completely separate, but
I still pretty much lost control of the bike, but did not crash, so I guess you get "some" warning.
Nevertheless I found it very disconcerting, and generally try to use bars with a steel sleeve
at the point where they run through the stem. I see guys using carbon bars around here, and
I think that they are way more adventurous than me.
On the flip side, I saw a carbon bar save someones life once. We were in heavy traffic on a fairly narrow arterial road. In a place where you'd least expect it, my friend was doored. He caught the edge of the door on the handlebar, which normally would have the bike turn into the car and throw him into the traffic. Instead, his carbon bar shattered and he was able to slip past the car, and managed a controlled stop.
This almost had me rethinking my tough Fiamme bars, but not quite.
BTW- one of the negative consequences of boilerplate warning stickers on everything, is that there's no way for the user to discern between boilerplate and serious warnings of an important hazard. Not all aluminum bars are equal. Those riding heaier mid level bars can probably ignore the sticker as boilerplate, but it could be a serious and meaningful warning for those riding top end ultralight bars. Unfortunately, unless the user alrady knows the difference, he has no basis on which to decide.