If you watched part 2 of Chasing Lance, you probably saw the Bontrager bar end vibration dampers they installed for Roger Hammond on the Paris-Roubaix race (I believe) to help him with his thumb injury.

This seems like a decent idea, if it works. I've got some residual pain from my dual elbow breaks and think this might help make my riding more comfortable when I return.

Are the dampers commercially available? Is Bontrager the only maker?



p.s. Is anyone else getting that tingly feeling (no, not down there) now that we're only a day away from the start of the coolest event in the world?

This has been discussed before here: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/98194-harmonic-dampening-marketing-ploy-must-have.html

Well, I missed the other thread. These things are called mass dampers or "vibration absorbers" and are used in all kinds of applications. Japanese cars are full of them.

If properly designed, the effect on the handlebars would be to reduce the amplitude of a vibration at a specific frequency. In an ideal situation the amplitude of a vibration can be reduced to zero. These things have to be properly tuned to the specific application otherwise they would be ineffective or even make the vibration worse.

my bar ends were falling out so I picked up a pair of the Bontrager ones from the LBS for $9. The aluminum ones were $9 and the brass ones were $19. The brass ones weighed much heavier, and I can only assume that they were more effective at reducing vibration.

For $9, I figure it's really not a big deal, why not throw them on there. In fact it was a very inexpensive upgrade to the bike and allowed me to get my spending fix at the LBS without breaking the bank. Plus the red ends look snazzy on the bike compred to my old crap black plastic ones. For the record I guess I can not notice the difference, then again I didn't really have a problem to begin with...

I think a decent frame with a carbon bar should have no problem...

I'd argue that if Lance NEEDS them on his bike, his bike or bars have a problem.

We're talking Paris-Roubaix with a rider with a broken thumb, they are going use anything they can think of to cut down the pave shock.

-Middy

i watched the dude at the LBS drop regular bars on teh floor. they went "dinggggg" and vibrated all over the place. then he put these into the ends, dropped them again and it was like "thud" - no vibrations. call me a sucker but this guy really sold me!

^ same

They have em at my LBS for $9 as well. But my bike's not OCP enough to warrant them.

How does that relate to riding a bike? My handlebars never ring when I'm riding.

I try my best to keep my bars from hitting the pavement while I'm riding...

I might have to try those since I run an old school alum. fork. It might help with some discomfort over distance.

LOL
Story of my life!

Mike - Scratching head and wondering why I bought that Ritchey Biomax II bar. Wish I had my old one back

If you stuff a couple of Kleenex's in each end and drop the bar on the floor you will get the same damping effect.

You may also get the same results by wrapping the bar with some kind soft spongy tape and putting something in the ends of the holes on the bars, and maybe clamping the middle of the bar with some kind of clamp.

wonder how I could do that?.....

When was Chasing Lance part 2 on? Will there be more?