Something i've just never been able to get the confidence to use is carbon bars, i just can't bring myself to using them due to the many variables involved in keeping me from having an accident, now i am an engineer, i understand carbon fibre and other composites, i did a thesis around that subject, i have a carbon frame, i have carbon rims i use, as well as other parts, but just can't bring myself to using bars, anyone else have a real singular area of mistrust in a certain bike part, be it material, make, shape, etc, etc?
P.S, trying to work out why i am discounting anything carbon as i'm needing some new bars as moving 40mm wider, at least this lack of confidence means it'll be a cheaper job to replace!
Anything labelled SRAM
*waits for someone to say 'a Mudhugger on a FS bike' but then rides round with a wet/mucky arse*
Drop bars
Jobbie wall tyres
Gaudy bright hope stuff
Frame straps
Rear mudguard
Manitou forks
esselgruntfuttock
Free Member
*waits for someone to say ‘a Mudhugger on a FS bike’ but then rides round with a wet/mucky arse*
I have been guilty of that, as recent as last week, but stopped as i have an issue with a bad hip and when i swing my leg over i keep smacking the mudhugger, last week i knocked it clean off, so just stick it on the hardtail for winter, only due to me having knocked it off the full sus 3 times, and with 10 or 12 zip ties, it's a lot to replace each time!
gears, suspension, mud guards.
Anything labelled SRAM
This.
My Wife.
... because it is MY BIKE.
Cheers!
I.
Anything anodised, it’s just plain nasty
I've been riding with a carbon bar for a few years with no issue but I have a mate who is a bit of a mincer (measures all of his rides in miles rather than radness) and he snapped his carbon bar last month. Riding a mildly rugged bridelway near Ladybower the whole end just snapped off. He had a bit of a tumble but it could have been catastrophic considering some of the descents around there. Expensive bars as well, being a Santa Cruz rider he can't just run a cheap brand.
I'm back on an alloy Fatbar. Partly because I needed the extra rise, partly because I don't want to somersault into a rock garden when my grip floats away from my bike.
anything that doesn't work better than what I already have.
gears, suspension, mud guards.
Coz you iz hardcore, yeah?
montylikesbeer
Full MemberAnything anodised, it’s just plain nasty
Given the number of parts on a bike that are anodised - what surface treatment would you prefer?
For me..... I’ve actually got a pump mounted on my mtb! For the first time ever
Argee, I'm exactly the opposite in that the only carbon on my bikes are the bars. My reasoning is that carbon is very strong in the direction it is designed to be strong in but weak in the direction it isn't. The chance of bars picking up an impact like this (rock strikes etc.) is much lower for bars than frame or rims due to thier position high up and at the front of the bike.
Back to your question, handlebars have to have 9° of backsweep. Anything else just feels wrong.
Over-priced dogs.
Shimano brakes
Id like to be able to go for a ride and not find Ive had a micro leak at the caliper and contaminated the pads
Rainbow streamers
A kick stand
Anything oil slick
Definitely no kick stands ^ Also white tyres or bar ends.
Knowing there's a fatigue life for aluminium I'd trust carbon bars more. In fact I've broken probably a dozen aluminium parts or frames over the years, none were my fault, but only one carbon part, which probably was my fault.
an electric motor.
Wheels larger than 26" 😉
A front basket.
Things I thought I'd never add and now have are:
Flat pedals on my mountain bike
Road pedals on my road bike
Mud guards
A bell
Reflectors
Two bottle cages
Saddle bag
Bar bag
Dynamo lights
Bike rack
Full Lycra on me
Edit:- agree on bigger than 26" wheels
Gaudy bright hope stuff
This
A shorter dropper than the longest I can squeeze in
King hubs
Thomson stems
Spokey dokeys.
One of those turbo spoke things that make motorbike noises from your wheels...well hang on.
A milk crate...pretty sure it falls in same pre-destiny that has a person waking up one day and thinking "I need a flag pole in my garden"
Tanwalls.
“I need a flag pole in my garden”
Whole bunch of great ideas going on here.
An over priced multi tool stuffed into a steerer tube or bar ends.
A bottle cage on an MTB
I don’t want to somersault into a rock garden when my grip floats away from my bike.
So the bar failed where the grip was - presumably - clamped on? That may not be the bars fault.....
Gears
Brakes
Reflectors
Bell (until this year where the walker count went so high during lockdown that I got one for first time ever and it is great, actually get many "Thanks" from walkers from a non offensive bell that I didn't get when shouting at them from a distance)
I know which bike to bring when I go ride with Nobeer down in Ayrshire 🙂
Drop bars
Jobbie wall tyres
Gaudy bright hope stuff
Frame straps
Rear mudguard
Manitou forks
until this year where the walker count went so high during lockdown that I got one for first time ever and it is great, actually get many “Thanks” from walkers from a non offensive bell that I didn’t get when shouting at them from a distance
What is it with older walkers and their obsession with bells rather than an "excuse me".
Funnily enough the title of the next thread down was my exact answer:
Gripshift
I didn't say older walkers because it is not just older walkers. In fact some of the older walkers don't hear it as it is high pitched (the sound range that people lose when older!)
I don't think it matters what I am shouting whether "excuse me" or "**** off out of the way" it is shouting which seems more aggressive than a bell I suppose.
Lol big scot, I don't care what's on my mates bikes! 🤣
I fitted a bell to the Bronson for doing WHW in a day in August, went OTB and broke it before I got a chance to use it!.
I took it as a sign.
I have a kickstand on my computer, common sense if you have panniers.
So the bar failed where the grip was – presumably – clamped on? That may not be the bars fault…..
No but funnily enough no matter where it snaps your grip isn't attached to the bike anymore.
That's a funny typo
Anything "premium" that isn't as good as standard, much cheaper stuff. Hope cranks, Thomson stems, crazily priced hubs
SRAM - Mainly as I’ve never found anything if there’s that Shimano don’t do better.
White grips or bar tape - it just looks nasty very quickly.
Carbon cranks, I have no trust in bonded pedal inserts!
Anything Crank Bros.
Tyres that weigh more than a kilogram each.
Coloured components. They are the prime indicator of something with no taste.
Also tan wall tyres and SRAM stuff.
They are the prime indicator of something with no taste.
🙁 my brake pads even match the blue bits on my bike
A 'colour theme'.
Knowing there’s a fatigue life for aluminium I’d trust carbon bars more.
Carbon degrades too.
Tyres that weigh less than a kilo each.
clipless pedals
saddle bags
rear mudguard
reflectors
bell
bar ends
Anything that requires a deep fat fryer for its application. 🤣
Something on this bike, can you guess what?
Anything labelled SRAM
They do make very good Garmin mounts, TBF.
Bell (until this year where the walker count went so high during lockdown that I got one for first time ever and it is great, actually get many “Thanks” from walkers from a non offensive bell that I didn’t get when shouting at them from a distance)
This! A bell has been the greatest 'upgrade' I've fitted this year. It's like a grumpy walker neutraliser. Love it.
As for things I'd never fit to my bike....umm those daft 'mtb specific' velcro straps. I mean come on.
Much wider bars.
My much repeated history of bars goes like this: Go 20mm wider - have a huge tree clipping crash, trim them back 10mm. Go 20mm wider again - have a huge tree clipping crash, trim them back 10mm.. etc.
Also:
Skinwall Tyres. Been there, the first time and again in a retro throwback. Ridiculous.
Coloured grips.
A phone (seriously, WTF?).
Massive satnav/Garmin gizmo.
Static seatpost.
Dropper post under 175mm.
Bars anything other than 800mm.
A front mech.
Cassette with more than 42t.
Anything with "Commencal" written on it.
Genuinely feel better for getting that off my chest 😆
Northward have you ever owned any king hubs?
They are beautiful 🙂
Something on this bike, can you guess what?
The massive loop of cables beneath the BB? (am I seeing that right?)
A bar-mounted map holder.
And then I fitted a bar-mounted map holder. They're excellent.
aluminium bars
Tri bars.
Unless on a full time trial bike
Phone, definitely not, I'm as addicted to the stupid thing as my wife is at texting endless moaning messages when I'm riding.
Electronic shifting, aside from the cost, I spend all my days surrounded by electronics, computers and other digital torture devices. I like my leisure time as mechanical a possible. (although I can't shift the idea of an ebike at the moment).
A Race Number, nope, I toyed with racing years ago, it brings out the worst in me and must makes me stressed and unhappy.
Carbon Wheels, I can't bring myself to put anything that expensive in harms way, plus I struggle to see the point other than for car park bragging rights.
Metal pedals, perhaps?? Some people don't like them because they're "cheap" but IMHO it's the correct material for the application, I see no downsides.
Chaka, either the pointless wee mudguard or the honkin shoes!
Carbon bars: tried that, fitted & torqued to 4Nm, two rides in, bars start to spin. Tighten to 4 Nm, 2 rides in bars start to spin... that was it for me, back on with the al ones. Plus carbon and b/p luggage? Not for me. To be far, other than a road bike frame I’d pretty much avoid carbon (except for the forks on my forthcoming gravel bike, obvs... 🤷🏻♀️🤦♂️
Carbon rims? I could buy a house for that...
Tan sidewalls: leak sealant and look shite, and always reminds me of the abomination of a continental race tyre I had that seemed possessed by the devil and wanted to kill me BiTD...
Stupidly expensive components. I still smart from the Ringlé stem that cost me £125(with discount) which I got 3 months use of due to 1” to 11/8th steerer change... missed XT so put a XT shifter on the SodaMAX, turns out the SLX is nicer shifting... wouldn’t even consider XTR these days. I’d prefer to run Hope brakes but the cost... so it’s SLX 🤪
Tubes.
Fizik saddles: they just destroy me nethers as in actual bleeding. Mtb and road both... never again.
Non harness/easy detached luggage for bikepacking.
Them weird thumb things on yer bars: didn’t work for me at all.
Sub 750mm bars. 780 probably the sweet spot for me but usually can’t be arsed to cut down from 800mm... (I’d have to do them all the same...).
Skinny tyres: I’m liking my 2.6s thank you very much...
Anything carbon fibre.
SRAM – Mainly as I’ve never found anything if there’s that Shimano don’t do better.
Iv always thought this. that was until XD free hubs x01 11 speed cassettes came out which are undeniably way better and lighter than Shimano - even XTR.
For the last 2 years I paired these with Shimano XT derailleurs and shifters due to being cheaper and better. However I recently swapped to x01 mech and shifter and I have to say - they are definitely NOT cheaper but 'grudgingly' they are better. Shifting is better and the clutch works more consistently (Its sealed better - doesn't dry out and get stuck or turn to rust like XT sometimes can).
From what I hear though - to get the good stuff with SRAM you have to pay for the top end kit.
Haven't tried any of the 50T dinner plate stuff though
42T is the perfect number for me
This! A bell has been the greatest ‘upgrade’ I’ve fitted this year. It’s like a grumpy walker neutraliser. Love it.
You need to try a horn. Guaranteed smile raiser. Even the grumpiest of walkers will give you a cheery wave.
Honestly, I’m struggling to think of a part I wouldn’t fit purely on principal. Theres plenty of stuff on this thread that I’ve said I’ll never use, that I’ve gone on to use as needs have changed.
There’s companies I currently won’t buy from, but that’s more to do with the people who run them, rather than the products they make.
Hope brakes, tbh it’s probably the level of evangelical love on here for a brake that seems to be expensive, overly sensitive to set up and doesn’t seem to have any initial bite (apparently that’s modulation) that makes me happy to stick with shimano, sram or even juin tech, which have all been faultless over many years and bikes. Yes you can take hopes apart with a spoon to replace an o ring but life’s too short for that.
I'd give owt a go, me. Never say never 🙂
Back for another round - carbon wheels. Three or four times as expensive, but not actually lighter than DT 1501s and much more fragile.
Flat pedals on anything other than my town bike and pump track bike. I'm not a beginner.
Flat pedals
Shimano brakes
SRAM brakes
Santa Cruz frames
Specialized tyres on anything other than the hard tail/spares bike
That little chain joining pin Shimano do
Clippy pedals on anything other than a road bike. I'm not a beginner.
A front mech.
For me it's overpriced snakeoil shite, like those "vibration damping" grips. Made for mugs with more money than sense. And tyres that cost more than car tyres.
I’d give owt a go, me. Never say never
There is much wisdom in this. If you haven't tried something you are not really in a position to judge. One of the advantages of working as a bike mechanic is being able to see / try / fix things without having to buy them first. Second hand purchases also work.
Wait, I know. The day I fit MX style hand guards to any of my bikes, please commit me to an appropriate institution.
A fake Spur bell.
I had a real one but the bike got stollen. Got a fake one one as it was an eighth of the price. It just made me sad every-time it did a really-not-as-nice ping.
I just run around carrying my bike frame. Really makes the trails come alive.
A Bell.
Whenever I put one on my bike, peds are giving me "What's wrong with a cheery Hello?" when I don't have one "What's wrong with using a bell" You literally can't win, so they get the cheery "Hello, room to squeeze past?" as polite as you like, if they don't like it, **** 'em.
carbon wheels. [...] much more fragile.
In my totally non-scientific experience, they're about as easy to ding as a metal rim, but they tend to stay true. which to my mind is a win...
Gaudy bright hope stuff
Frame straps
Manitou forks
check
check
future check
Anything oil slick
check
An over priced multi tool stuffed into a steerer tube
check
