WTF!? Bike failure

Id been forever looking for some moustache like handlebars for my old coventry eagle beater/town bike/deluxe shopping bike in waiting.

I found a whole setup in an old bike shop a few weeks back and was utterly thrilled by them. Really nice shape aluminium (not the heavy steel old bars usually are), nice elegant stem, full length levers & old school grips.

They were really perfect and made the bike fit & ride great. So, I was just riding along on it yesterday, gleeful in my perfect bike, thinking how many years id have it as a dependable town bike. Thinking about building some new wheels and getting a flashy big shopping basket on the front to go with the really lush bars.

Then as I set off to go across a big junction of four roads & crossings with loads of imaptient traffic. I felt my left hand fall away! But my grip was still securely in my hand!

I quickly got off the road, ashamed how stupid it mustive looked in front of all the drivers, but my handlebars had totally completely snapped!

I know its just a pair of bars, but im so gutted. I really like building bikes out of no money, and buying some fancy nitto doves for £30+ for a bike I bought for £10 is something I just wont do. Im just really annoyed now as it was so perfect. Now its disabled and will be left unridden for months probably.

Also casts doubts on structural soundness of any vintage aluminium parts.

never mind darling. you can always get another pair.

you did well to not stack it when the 'bar snapped.

Why should this mean your bike won't get ridden for months?

get a new one

let this be a lesson to you, do not buy used alu bars, they will fail.

thats some interesting gearing you've got going on there!

Slightly epic fail?

Those bars are 4000 years old.

HTFU and ride one-handed until you can find an abandoned set of bars elsewhere :)

Nitto Montmartres all the way!

Old Alu parts?? next time bake your own, be stronger...

Why should this mean your bike won't get ridden for months?

'that' bike, I have other faster bikes you see. And going out in the cold rain to put the old bars that were never very comfortable back on doesnt appeal so I cant be bothered.

I know im making a big deal about nothing, but I get emtionally attached to objects I guess. And those bars were the perfect shape. ive never liked those raleigh steel ones either.

Ally bars are always a bit suspect, and considering the loads not surprisingly so. Look where it's failed - where the inner sleeve AND the outer clamp both end. Bit of daft design. Bromptons had a problem with early ally bars and I always check mine very carefully as a result. But tough luck and good work in staying on!

PS: They were ugly anyway.

lethal!

PS: They were ugly anyway.

Philistine!

I get emtionally attached to object! He is the perfect shape.

Hehe! Fixed.

lucky you're on a sit up style bars. wouldve been mouth to stem moment if you were on the drops. yikes.

lots of those kind of bars on the pashley/dutch style bikes. they're not that rare. have a look around, some (online) shops might have the shape you're after.