Your bars are one piece, but that one piece is shimmed in the middle, and usually that shim is riveted to the actual handlebar. It would appear as though yours were not. The bars are not safe to ride under any circumstances, least of all brake-less. I would email Mike at Bikes Direct and tell him, and I'm sure he'll send you a different pair of bars, or you can just use this opportunity to buy something different that might suit you better. Bars are cheap and plentiful - you should be able to find something else for less than $20 online or in a store with lot of old-stock and pull-off gear.