Straighten Alloy Handlebars ?

Bob said:

I have a rather unique set of TTT alloy bars that has a slight bend in
them. I think a careful push with a press would bring them back into
line.

How dumb an idea is this? I've heard that alloy should not be rebent.

If you have good medical/dental and a lot of sick time give it a try 🙂
Seriously now, once bent they break a lot easier, not a good idea to
bend them back.

-nate

Bob said:

I have a rather unique set of TTT alloy bars that has a slight bend in
them. I think a careful push with a press would bring them back into
line.

How dumb an idea is this? I've heard that alloy should not be rebent.

Don't do it. Think how dumb you'll feel as you're hurling your chin
toward the ground...

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

Bob said:

I have a rather unique set of TTT alloy bars that has a slight bend in
them. I think a careful push with a press would bring them back into
line.

Quoted message said:

How dumb an idea is this? I've heard that alloy should not be rebent.

Quoted message said:

Thanks,

If these are vintage 320-340 gm handlebars, which are 50% heavier than
today's stupid-light handlebars, you might try doing it, just so long
as they aren't AVA handlebars (which are known to fail A LOT.) Polish
them and check carefully for cracks before reinstalling, then imho check
frequently for cracks.

The main thing you _don't_ want to do with handlebars is to anneal
them, since they are cold-worked into tubes and cold-bent to increase
strength.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Anybody's Bike Book (Tom Cuthbertson) of the 1970's said that it was
o.k. to bend handlebars back into shape, and even had an illustration
of someone "widening" their handlebars.

If you are working with vintage handlebars, make sure to follow a
vintage repair manual or search the archives for your answers in order
to get a "period correct" repair to your bicycle. :-) :-)

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Bob said:

I have a rather unique set of TTT alloy bars that has a slight bend in
them. I think a careful push with a press would bring them back into
line.

How dumb an idea is this? I've heard that alloy should not be rebent.

Thanks,

if they were heat treated after forming, as most high end bars are, i
wouldn't do it. if they're some ancient bar from way back or
super-cheap garbage, you may be able to get away with it, but again, i
wouldn't ride them.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have a rather unique set of TTT alloy bars that has a slight bend in
them. I think a careful push with a press would bring them back into
line.

I've been riding a pair of slightly bent Cinelli 60-40 bars for about 20
years now. One side was knocked in a centimeter or two from a very low
speed crash. I wouldn't try & bend them back, though. As others have
said, though, these are pretty old & relatively heavy.

On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:39:14 GMT, "Jay S. Hill" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have a rather unique set of TTT alloy bars that has a slight bend in
them. I think a careful push with a press would bring them back into
line.

I've been riding a pair of slightly bent Cinelli 60-40 bars for about 20
years now. One side was knocked in a centimeter or two from a very low
speed crash. I wouldn't try & bend them back, though. As others have
said, though, these are pretty old & relatively heavy.

These are a rather unique, or at least hard to find, TTT "moustache"
style but without the drop of the Nitto type. I have no idea of the
age.

Wall thickness seems to be about 1.7mm (eyeballed against a ruler, my
dial gauge is out of town). That makes them definitely thinner than
something like my old 1972 GB bars which are close to 2mm but looks to
be close to some other French & Italian bars I have.

But, I'm not familiar with "modern" bars - is this considered a thin
wall bar ?

Bob said:

I have a rather unique set of TTT alloy bars that has a slight bend in
them. I think a careful push with a press would bring them back into
line.

How dumb an idea is this? I've heard that alloy should not be rebent.

All bar manufacturers would tell you to replace it. Most modern bars
are too light and thin anyway. The 2001 german Tour magazine destructive
tests on bars found that TTT bars were the absolute worst in terms of
fatigue resistance.

Rob

Rob Perkins said:

All bar manufacturers would tell you to replace it. Most modern bars
are too light and thin anyway. The 2001 german Tour magazine destructive
tests on bars found that TTT bars were the absolute worst in terms of
fatigue resistance.

Rob

Really? this is going to break up my whole TTT ensemble!

Can anyone tell me what constitutes a "thin wall" bar vs. a
traditional "thick" bar ? How thin is the wall of a thin wall ?

Bob said:

Rob Perkins said:

All bar manufacturers would tell you to replace it. Most modern bars
are too light and thin anyway. The 2001 german Tour magazine
destructive tests on bars found that TTT bars were the absolute
worst in terms of fatigue resistance.

Rob

Really? this is going to break up my whole TTT ensemble!

Can anyone tell me what constitutes a "thin wall" bar vs. a
traditional "thick" bar ? How thin is the wall of a thin wall ?

For reference, I have a pair of old thick bars that are 2.35mm thick, and a
set of Easton EC50s that are 1.40mm thick. Butting may change that figure,
but from the barends, that's what they are.

FWIW, I would rebend them, especially if the bend is in the drops, unless
you sprint from the drops often. The stem clamp edges are the most
vulnerable areas for bar failure.
--
Phil

Squid-in-Training said:

FWIW, I would rebend them, especially if the bend is in the drops, unless
you sprint from the drops often. The stem clamp edges are the most
vulnerable areas for bar failure.

These are flat bars, moustache type, bend is about 3" right of stem
clamp. Sort of puts me back in limbo :-)

I would not recommend reshaping "modern" bars, e.g. less than 2 mm in
wall thickness or less than 270 grams in weight.

I have several sets of 1970's GB and Raleigh (no-name) bars and the
wall thickness seems to be about 2.5mm, and the weight is more than
300 grams. I can hardly even bend these suckers !! I would not worry
about these ones.

I also have a NOS "last phase of production" GB map-of-england bar
from the late 1980's, and a 1980's cinelli 64-40 Giro D'Italia bar
(grooved). Both bars are thinner more fragile than the early to mid
1970's bars. I know you are a Retro Rider bob, and I figured that
your 3TTT bars would be thick retro items, but if they are newer
lighter bars, and if they are anodized, then I would not want to
rebend them. Un-anodized bars (like most of mine) can be polished to
remove stress-risers after rebending.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Donald Gillies said:

I would not recommend reshaping "modern" bars, e.g. less than 2 mm in
wall thickness or less than 270 grams in weight.

I have several sets of 1970's GB and Raleigh (no-name) bars and the
wall thickness seems to be about 2.5mm, and the weight is more than
300 grams. I can hardly even bend these suckers !! I would not worry
about these ones.

I also have a NOS "last phase of production" GB map-of-england bar
from the late 1980's, and a 1980's cinelli 64-40 Giro D'Italia bar
(grooved). Both bars are thinner more fragile than the early to mid
1970's bars. I know you are a Retro Rider bob, and I figured that
your 3TTT bars would be thick retro items, but if they are newer
lighter bars, and if they are anodized, then I would not want to
rebend them. Un-anodized bars (like most of mine) can be polished to
remove stress-risers after rebending.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

i nearly killed myself in traffic due to a gb bar breaking. the
clamping area was formed around an internal steel tube, then the rest of
the bar drawn down to thinner section. the bar fatigued and broke at
the internal stress riser on the end of the steel tube. i limped home
one handed, then pulled on the remaining bar demonstrating what had
happened to a friend - that side came off in my hand as well. i'll
never ride another gb bar as long as i live.

On Mon, 05 Jun 2006 21:04:47 -0700, jim beam <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

i nearly killed myself in traffic due to a gb bar breaking. the
clamping area was formed around an internal steel tube, then the rest of
the bar drawn down to thinner section. the bar fatigued and broke at
the internal stress riser on the end of the steel tube. i limped home
one handed, then pulled on the remaining bar demonstrating what had
happened to a friend - that side came off in my hand as well. i'll
never ride another gb bar as long as i live.

Sorry to hear, but an interesting point. I haven't heard of GB bars
breaking before. The older ones are very thick. Do you suppose you
just got a bad crop of alloy in that bar ?