Tell me to ditch these old carbon bars
 

They're old Aerosports, fairly dinged up but nothing at all major or dramatic. Flex them as best as I can, no creaks or anything sketchy.

BUT

There's the metal (not sure what kind) sleeve part that the stem actually clamps to. The stem is fine, but the bars will rotate inside the sleeve. No good. Tightening doesn't help.

Are they toast? If I put a couple bolts through the whole sleeve/carbon will I meet a cheerful demise?

Thanks!

I have little experience with carbon fiber, but I would say ditch 'em. If the carbon bars have been wiggling around in the sleeve then it is likely that sleeve has abraded and weakened the carbon bars. Having a bar snap off at the stem would be a very bad thing.

Attempting to secure the carbon bars to the sleeve with bolts would be inviting catastrophe. The carbon would be severly compromised at the bolt holes.

I would imagine that a proper epoxy would be the only secure way to attach the metal sleeve to the carbon bars, but I think the carbon bars may have already been damaged under the metal sleeve. It would likely prove difficult to remove the metal sleeve to check the carbon bar beneath it, and then reattach the metal sleeve.

Is that your picture in your avatar?

spunkyruss gave you good advice; get rid of the bars. The rotation has already done damage and bolts through the sleeve will make a bad situation worse. New bars are less expensive than the deductable on your medical or dental insurance.:)

would you then give different advice to a canadian?

Pain and suffering are pretty much the same there too. Maybe the financial consequences aren't as bad but the others are.

Lose 'em. Especially with older carbon.

ditch those old carbon bars! :D

Bolts through the sleeve? Bad idea. If you can slide the sleeve to one side, you might be able to epoxy it, but otherwise, it's time for new bars.

All that I would need to be convinced is a mental image of them sheering, dumping my face onto an asphalt road and the sharp end sticking out of my thigh.

One of the reasons why I refuse to even use new carbon bars.

Thanks! = )


Matt

ditch those old carbon bars