Originally Posted by
steelbikeguy
just wanted to add one consideration... my impression is that newer handlebars, i.e. heat treated or extra light, will probably fail in a more abrupt manner than older, heavier gauge bars.
There's something to be said for a handlebar that visibly droops before it fails!
Steve in Peoria
(btw, I've got some spare Cinelli 64 bars, in case anyone is looking for some)
+1. The old bars of ordinary aluminum and thick walls often bent first. Sometimes fail suddenly with a huge bend/kink but stay in one piece. I was riding some old (maybe late '60s? GB bars on my beater/winter trainer fix gear; Boston racing days. March ride. Dropped the front wheel into a bottomless pothole with a car beside me. Wheel made it through fine so I just kept riding. 5 miles later I did a routine glance down. Something was VERY wrong! Bar had a 30 degree downward kink at the sleeve. But no crash, no loss of control and I rode about 10 miles to my training partner's house, checked the train schedule, than another mile or two to the station. A final mile or two in downtown Cambridge to my apartment. I doubt any new bar would allow that.