Toxic Salsa brand handlebar tape
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Toxic Salsa brand handlebar tape
I bought some brown Salsa bar tape, brought it home and read the box. In big letters it said, "Warning: This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the state of California to cause birth defects, neurological disorders, and cancer. WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTER TOUCHING!" I did not add the caps and bold for emphasis!
Why in the world would they put toxic chemicals that transmit through skin contact in handlebar tape? I returned it, and I'm also bummed because it matched my saddle perfectly, but I'd rather have a mismatched bike than handle toxic bar tape for hours every day. Especially because I often eat while riding!
Just a heads up to anyone else considering Salsa bar tape.
Why in the world would they put toxic chemicals that transmit through skin contact in handlebar tape? I returned it, and I'm also bummed because it matched my saddle perfectly, but I'd rather have a mismatched bike than handle toxic bar tape for hours every day. Especially because I often eat while riding!
Just a heads up to anyone else considering Salsa bar tape.
#2
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It might have just a trace amount from some contamination in the manufacturing process. What the label doesn't say is whether the amount of lead in there will actually affect you. It also doesn't say anything about where the lead is and how stable it is. If it's just in the gel you might be okay. If it's on the fabric covering the gel I'd feel a bit more worried.
Also there's no repercussion for putting a false warning on your products. There however may be consequences when you don't put the warning on your product and your product contains trace amounts of lead or something.
Also there's no repercussion for putting a false warning on your products. There however may be consequences when you don't put the warning on your product and your product contains trace amounts of lead or something.
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That's due to Prop 65 in which the fruits and nuts in the People's Republic of California decided that any trace amount of a list of several hundred chemicals which may cause cancer in amounts orders of magnitude larger than what is actually present, needs to be disclosed. Just another example of Californian silliness.
Ignore it.
Ignore it.
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I did not think contact with lead was a problem, I thought it was ingestion. The law however does not discriminate on that. I guess some of the tape could come off on your hand, and then you could put your hand in your mouth and swallow it. Well, you could.
Have you ever read warning labels that come with things and stop and think.."someone, somewhere, actually did that"?
Have you ever read warning labels that come with things and stop and think.."someone, somewhere, actually did that"?
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The whole "It's California, they caution against everything" comments aren't helpful. Not only is it not the usual, "This product contains chemicals that may cause cancer" warning you find on cigarettes, it strictly advises to wash hands thoroughly after touching, meaning the chemicals can and will transfer from the tape to your hands and not just if you ingest the tape. As an avid tourist and long distance rider, I am daily eating while riding my bike. I'm not going to transfer that crap to my food and into my body on a daily basis. I'm sorry, but someone with a grudge against the California state government on an online forum saying, "just ignore it" is not giving helpful advice.
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The whole "It's California, they caution against everything" comments aren't helpful. Not only is it not the usual, "This product contains chemicals that may cause cancer" warning you find on cigarettes, it strictly advises to wash hands thoroughly after touching, meaning the chemicals can and will transfer from the tape to your hands and not just if you ingest the tape. As an avid tourist and long distance rider, I am daily eating while riding my bike. I'm not going to transfer that crap to my food and into my body on a daily basis. I'm sorry, but someone with a grudge against the California state government on an online forum saying, "just ignore it" is not giving helpful advice.
A lot of products may contain possible cancer causing or birth defect causing material. Notices are posted nearly everywhere - Disneyland, grocery stores, Toys R Us. They are covering their ass because there are significant consequences for not posting a notice.
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Prop 65 is an actual law: OEHHA Proposition 65
A lot of products may contain possible cancer causing or birth defect causing material. Notices are posted nearly everywhere - Disneyland, grocery stores, Toys R Us. They are covering their ass because there are significant consequences for not posting a notice.
A lot of products may contain possible cancer causing or birth defect causing material. Notices are posted nearly everywhere - Disneyland, grocery stores, Toys R Us. They are covering their ass because there are significant consequences for not posting a notice.
While there may be significant monetary consequences for not posting a notice, I think the consequence of getting cancer is a little worse... Also, I can't really see a downside to informing the public about known carcinogens. Here's the list if you're interested:
https://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_li...ngle051115.pdf
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I am well aware of Prop 65. And while it may seem silly at times, ignoring a warning about an item that contains lead, formaldehyde, and other toxins/carcinogens that will most certainly transfer to your hands and then to your food is simply foolish. Yes, I will not eat the lead paint from a sign at Disneyland, but gripping toxic bar tape for ten hours a day is another story.
While there may be significant monetary consequences for not posting a notice, I think the consequence of getting cancer is a little worse... Also, I can't really see a downside to informing the public about known carcinogens. Here's the list if you're interested:
https://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_li...ngle051115.pdf
While there may be significant monetary consequences for not posting a notice, I think the consequence of getting cancer is a little worse... Also, I can't really see a downside to informing the public about known carcinogens. Here's the list if you're interested:
https://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_li...ngle051115.pdf
The whole point is there's a wildly varying amount of actual science behind what's on the list. Which makes it pretty useless. But feel free to be as freaked out as you'd like, it's a free country.
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Cue the DB bike culture: "You're freaked out about getting cancer from carcinogens? Harden the **** up, *****!"
Last edited by unterhausen; 06-03-15 at 01:26 PM. Reason: please don't defeat the censor
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OP. I don't usually eat while I'm riding, and if I do, the food is usually still in its wrapper rather than in direct contact with my hands (I also don't spend 10 hours a day on my bike). However, in your situation, I think your concern is warranted. I don't know the specifics of the bar tape, and I'm not a toxicologist, so I'd have to look up the lead ingestion risk and attempt to quantify it, but I would agree with your decision to find a more "benign" tape.
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Since the restrictions so complete to trace amounts and the fines/penalties are so onerous, most companies choose to give the warning to protect themselves from trolling lawyers. Another example of good intentions having unintended consequences...If you're worried, maybe you can use fruit rollups as bar tape?
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Your local bike shop and grocery store have the notice posted. So if you are avoiding all known carcinogenic or mutagenic at any level of concentration, you'd probably have to be far away from any inhabited areas.
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I bought some brown Salsa bar tape, brought it home and read the box. In big letters it said, "Warning: This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the state of California to cause birth defects, neurological disorders, and cancer. WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTER TOUCHING!" I did not add the caps and bold for emphasis!
Why in the world would they put toxic chemicals that transmit through skin contact in handlebar tape? I returned it, and I'm also bummed because it matched my saddle perfectly, but I'd rather have a mismatched bike than handle toxic bar tape for hours every day. Especially because I often eat while riding!
Just a heads up to anyone else considering Salsa bar tape.
Why in the world would they put toxic chemicals that transmit through skin contact in handlebar tape? I returned it, and I'm also bummed because it matched my saddle perfectly, but I'd rather have a mismatched bike than handle toxic bar tape for hours every day. Especially because I often eat while riding!
Just a heads up to anyone else considering Salsa bar tape.
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Yeah, what's next? Are they gonna tell us we can get cancer from cigarettes?
OP. I don't usually eat while I'm riding, and if I do, the food is usually still in its wrapper rather than in direct contact with my hands (I also don't spend 10 hours a day on my bike). However, in your situation, I think your concern is warranted. I don't know the specifics of the bar tape, and I'm not a toxicologist, so I'd have to look up the lead ingestion risk and attempt to quantify it, but I would agree with your decision to find a more "benign" tape.
OP. I don't usually eat while I'm riding, and if I do, the food is usually still in its wrapper rather than in direct contact with my hands (I also don't spend 10 hours a day on my bike). However, in your situation, I think your concern is warranted. I don't know the specifics of the bar tape, and I'm not a toxicologist, so I'd have to look up the lead ingestion risk and attempt to quantify it, but I would agree with your decision to find a more "benign" tape.
I like the fruit roll-ups as bar tape idea though. Better make sure there's no food coloring in it though...
Last edited by delcrossv; 06-03-15 at 03:22 PM.
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Nope , that won't help you. Radionuclides in the rocks, thorium dust from the coal plant in the air, etc. etc.... Face it, we're screwed.
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...asbestos in the air: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/0...E&ei=5043&_r=0
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I'm all for consumer warnings, but the way California does it doesn't really seem useful.
#21
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Huh? That's very possible. If you're an insulation installer (i.e. you work with fiberglass) you generally wear a respirator. The fine fiberglass particles can get into your lungs and really wreck havoc by cutting up your cells. Same with wood dust, carbon fiber dust, asbestos (I'm hoping that this rings a bell), and chimney soot. In short, any very fine particles that are inhaled in large quantities can end up hurting your lung cells.
You were probably trying to find a chemical explanation of how wood dust causes cancer. Well, there isn't really a chemical reason why it causes cancer. There's a mechanical reason though, and it's that it cuts up and otherwise irritates your cells on the microscopic level.
You were probably trying to find a chemical explanation of how wood dust causes cancer. Well, there isn't really a chemical reason why it causes cancer. There's a mechanical reason though, and it's that it cuts up and otherwise irritates your cells on the microscopic level.
Last edited by Deontologist; 06-04-15 at 03:52 PM.
#22
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How about you email Salsa or otherwise contact them to find out more details about
1) Why there might be lead in the tape - is it just "accidental" exposure during the manufacturing process or is lead an essential component of something in the tape - i.e. the fabric, the gel, etc.?
2) Do they recommend the tape for your use scenario - eating while biking?
1) Why there might be lead in the tape - is it just "accidental" exposure during the manufacturing process or is lead an essential component of something in the tape - i.e. the fabric, the gel, etc.?
2) Do they recommend the tape for your use scenario - eating while biking?
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I wouldn't worry about it much. I make pottery for a hobby and just about all my instructors have or still do work with raw lead that is mixed into glazes. Most of them have been working with the raw powder for 20 plus years. The only real concearn is breathing it in which is why all use respirators. Outside of that you can touch it, work with it in liquid glazes and just about every other form as long as you don't have an open wound. The air here in Cali is about 10 gazillion times worse than any product you can by, but you don't see them posting warning in the sky lol.
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