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 their position high up and at the front of the bike.
Well yes, Carbon is "very strong" in tension, but you need to put it in a matrix (typically epoxy) which is kind of the limiting factor...
Carbon bars probably aren't making the best use of Carbon as a structural material Vs a frame tube, it's effectively bending a cantilevered composite tube on either side of a stem. In doing this you're relying on a mechanically clamped connection (the stem), introducing a potential stress riser at the most stressed point on the part, to hold it without damaging it, all while you heave about on the end of a lovely big moment arm.
It might not actually require an impact to create a potential sudden failure to a carbon bar. you could well argue that Stems clamped onto Carbon steerers are an even scarier prospect, although fitting an appropriate bung can help there, Carbon bars tend to be hollow without any internal backing/clamp block to help with those clamping/leverage forces that can, over time break down the Epoxy, leading to a failure...
Frame tubes (and to some extent fork legs) tend to transfer loads more longitudinally/torsionally, making more use of the tensile strength of the carbon fibres (they often have larger cross sections too), and the connections tend to have a continuation/overlap of fibres across them to better transfer loads to the next member...
I'm not against composites for any part, but I think it's just about the riskiest application on a bicycle, and there's maybe an argument for only using integrated bar/stems if you're going for composites rather than a clamped ones? (discuss)...
In terms of things I would never use?
There's not actually that much TBH, at one point I might have said 650B wheels, but life's too short to bear a grudge.
I'd maybe even consider an E-bike one day when I'm old and knackered...
Maybe Carbon Rims with rim brakes? the poor wet braking/big descent delamination risks being the deciding factor, but then disc are becoming the norm now so it's hardly an issue...
As for not fitting a bell?
Get over yourselves, it's only a bell FFS, it's the easiest way to pacify red-socked wanderers...
The day I fit MX style hand guards to any of my bikes, please commit me to an appropriate institution.
I'd give them a try, could be v useful in certain places and certain times (e.g. gorse season).
Electric motor
On-One rigid scaffolding pipe steel forks
1 gear
Colour co-ordinated Hope parts
Triple chainrings
Shimano hubs
SPD pedals
A QR seatclamp. That big issue seller looked pretty guilty. Once bitten, and £150 later, twice shy.
Non Hope brakes. - You're used to what you're used to.
Non hope brakes
Flat pedals
Boring black/silver bits when you can have matching collar and cuffs
round chainrings
700C wheels, a bell and carbon bars.
JUST NO!
indicators / brake lights, despite how much "entrepreneurs" seem to think cyclists need them.
Interestingly I was standing next to the designer of a very top end trail bike, helping present it to the press, when he received a call from a German journalist to ask if it was possible to fit a kickstand. 🤯 So I’ll say a kickstand, I’ll never put one on my bike. Unless maybe I go to Germany!
What is it with older walkers and their obsession with bells rather than an “excuse me”.
I just shout "Ring Ring", always gets a laugh...
The day I fit MX style hand guards to any of my bikes
Yeah... I bought my dad some carbon fibre (effect) wind shields for his road bike as he was struggling with really cold hands. Seemed like a good idea in practice but just looked too much like a pair of carbon fibre fake boobs sticking out the front of the bike.
I doubt he ever used them and when I inherited them they've also sat at the back of the garage, probably never to see the light of day. Would probably do a great job of keeping a lot of rain of your hands as well...
They popped up on a few bikes at the World Champs, with the suggestion from Warner or Claudio that they were being used to cut the windchill.
A noseless saddle, can't be comfier, can it?
Another pair of Vittoria Corsa tyres as my current rear one has started to shed it's tread.
A registration plate and tax disc.
Any grips that are cheap and don't damp vibration.
A racist... but a dick rides it quite frequently.
Lock on grips.
Non square taper bottom brackets.
650B wheels.
Endura seatpacks.
Any tyres recommended by Binners.
Ton or anyone over 80kg.
Tan wall tyres.
Black parts when theres a colour anodised option 🙂.
A bell, I find a ding ding quite obnoxious unless it's a little kid, you might as well shout move or get outta my way, an excuse me and thanks is much better.
Light coloured grips, only black or dark blue is appropriate.
Oval chainring.
Carbon bars, cant trust a bar that let's lightly tightened levers leave their mark.
Sram gears.
Anything with a battery that isnt a light.
Non black rims! ****ing hate them.
And for the non carbon bar crowd.
I'm 100kgs and shit at jumping but like to give it a go, so needless to say my landing is also shit. I've had 2 sets of carbon mtb bars (RSP EGO's) and they've been faultless. Sold one with a bike but second set have been on my Solaris for a good couple of years now.
Also have carbon bars on a road bike but dont jump that...
Novelty valve dust caps
Your mum
A snob
Derailleurs.
I have a kickstand on my computer
Big Respect here
Ya momma's got a meg leg with a kick stand
This. I did it once, but I annoyed even myself.
Stickers with my name and nationality on.
Thermite, on account of the potential damage it coud cause.
I just shout “Ring Ring”, always gets a laugh…
Me too, for the same reason. I accompany it with "Virtual bell, virtual bell"
- Barends on riser bars
- Flat bars and long stem on a mountain bike
- Narrow rims even on the road bike
- Wheels with less than 32 spokes
- Wheels with spokes that are not the standard j type.
- Narrow mud specific tyres
- Chain stay protector
- Saddle with rails that are not cromolly (have snapped a few alloy and titanium rails in my time)
- Triple chainset (unless I'm planning on cycling around the world)
- Inner tubes (unless in an emergency)
- XT freehub (this is based in breaking a couple in the past compared to the almost unbreakable Deore freehub)
- Gears or even a freehub on a winter commuter bike in Scotland (freehubs have a habit of freezing on me causing a knee/nuts and stem collision)
- Expensive chains
- Cheap gear and brake cables
- Coloured gear or brake outers
- Clean mountain bikes look unloved
- Dirty road bikes look unloved
- A saddle that looks brand new, saddles should look like they're on their 3rd or 4th bike (because they are)
- Cheap wire bead tyres
- Overly long cables
- Different brand front and rear tyres unless it's a commuter or pub bike
- Pump
- Bike luggage when you are just going for a local ride (a neighbour came out for a 2 hour social ride recently with a rear rack, pannier bag, tool kit and a d-lock)
A mens saddle...
I was gonna post them hand guards that look like wing mirrors but seeing as most posts are just written to antagonise I’m gonna say Burgtec components. They are well too ubiquitous fanboi SantaCruz bandito for me. Although I’m lying coz I have the pedals !!
I also have a big mistrust for carbon bars, yet I have a 40mm rise carbon fat bar that I run periodically because it’s the absolute perfect shape and I can’t bring myself to buy the exact same thing in metal. I try a different shape metAl one for bit, realise I miss my carbon fatbar, stick that back on, get nervous, buy a different shape metal one and repeat!
Carbon rims tho. Wouldn’t touch them!!
35mm bars (disclaimer: I did and it was, unsurprisingly, stiffer than a stiff thing).
Mobile on the bars.
Tyres in any colour that isn't black.
Colour-matched stickers and components (half the Vital BOTDs look like turds rolled in glitter).
Anything made by Crank Brothers.
650B front wheels (on the mountain bike at least).
Everything else on this thread I've either thought not for now but maybe, or it made me think ooh I could do with them!
That fluorescent flexible tubing to make the bike visible at night that some berk on dragons den was pitching.
SRAM probs.
Normal flat bars. Drops or swept back/alt for me.
12/13 speed. 9 is boss. 10/11 is tolerable/available.
Wet lube.
I would say bikepacking bags, but I'm saving up for a non-frame-rubbing, non-wobbly-sack-of-shite set up for camping so might have to use them a while longer.
Dropper post. Cos going up quickly means more to me than going down more quickly than I am comfortable with.
I used to say alu nipples, but am slowly changing my mind.
Straight pull spokes. Ugh.
35mm anything. I'd still prefer 25.4 bars and stems. My quill stem road bikes are more comfy. After 20 years of stiffer = better people are realising that ain't always true.
Tool bottle cage. I'd like to, but I like my 'systems' and wouldn't want to rely on it only to need 2x water bottles on summer and have to change my tool carrying methods.
Gels/dextrose/expensive sugar nonsense.
And... Suspension forks. For now.
cabled mech or dropper
Stickers with my name and nationality on.
Haha this is the best one. So true.
Any chain lube bar putoline
*runs away*
What would I never put on my bike?
A fat, unfit middle aged knacker.
But unless said knacker gets out and rides that won’t change, so best get on with it !
LOL ABOVE
TT bars without an extra set of hydraulic brake levers on the bar ends.
Iainc.
tomhoward
Full MemberStickers with my name and nationality on.
My Glentress Mincer ones seem to go down well.
