Handle bars falling off
 

Hi,
I'm new to this site and am really enjoying the posts, learning lots! I'm relatively new to "serious" biking and have had my first mis-hap. Has anyone heard of problems of loose handle bars, then having them drop or move sideways? This happened to me a few days ago - I bought a good bike from a reputable dealer. I'm hesitant to mention the name in case it is some flukey thing, but when I called the shop, the manager was suggesting that this isn't the first time with this brand. So, I'm trying to gather information - and yes, I'm dealing with the shop.
By the way, this happened 45 minutes into the first ride I had on this bike, took quite a tumble, got banged up - not pretty. Any info (including links to consumer watchdog type sites for this) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
PS I posted the same thing in the intro forum

What kind of bike is it?

Hi Danny,
It's a 2005 Jamis Explorer 2.o

Make sure everything is tight. Loctite is your friend.

I would be more likely to believe that whoever assembled the bike at the shop forgot to tighten the bars up. The manager is just trying to cover for the shop. If they know that there is particular problem then why are they sending out bikes that could injure or kill somebody. I think somebody just made a mistake and forgot to tighten the bars. I would just tighten them up and keep an eye on them for a while.

Honestly, I firmly believe you should never HAVE to use loctite anywhere on a bike, especially the handlebar/stem area. A properly torqued (and greased) bolt will hold tight on its own. The loose handlebars strike me as a symptom of a larger problem, either shop incompetency or a defective part. If there is a serious problem like a stripped screw/stem this will be a great temporary solution that should last until he is on a big downhill where his bars will suddenly let loose.

I'm tending to agree with you Ray. This was a "recently discovered" problem, and it doesn't seem to be on any information sites to let people know that there is a major problem. And that's what I'm looking for. Thanks so much for the re-inforcement!

I've assembled thousands of Jamis bikes without ever having a handle bar have a loosening problem.