Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
- panosk
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:20 pm
Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby panosk » Fri Sep 11, 2015 3:31 pm
Basically i wanted to save 120g of weight from the bike and hoped that it would absorb more road vibrations than my alu seatpost.
The result was beyond my expectations. I am experiencing 50% decrease in road vibration on the same roads i have ridden many times before.
So my question is:
Should i expect the same level of road vibration absorption improvement,
if i swap my alu handlebar to a good quality carbon handlebar, of handlebars behave differently in terms of vibration absorption ?
- Tim
- Posts: 2944
- Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:02 pm
- Location: Gippsland Lakes
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby Tim » Fri Sep 11, 2015 4:21 pm
If you are are skeptic, like me, then you won't notice much change.
I have 4 bikes, 2 with carbon bars, 2 with aluminium.
There isn't much in it.
Steel forks and steerer tube, aluminium stem and handlebars with 35mm tyres is much more comfy than carbon forks, steerer, handlebars and 25mm tyres.
Tyre width and pressure makes the most difference in vibration at the front end.
2 materially identical bikes at the front end (TCR Adv.SL and a Defy Adv Pro), carbon bars on the the TCR and aluminium on the Defy. The TCR has a minutely, slightly less buzzy feel on my hands.
-
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 3:22 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby Espresso_ » Fri Sep 11, 2015 4:52 pm
Tyres would be.
E
- KGB
- Posts: 1629
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:49 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby KGB » Fri Sep 11, 2015 4:57 pm
I had a nice set of kestrel ems carbon bars that were under 180g and they developed a crack and started to crush after I had a couple of crashes. Of course, not crashing is the best solution but I went back to a marginally heavier alloy bar.
- Derny Driver
- Posts: 3039
- Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:18 pm
- Location: Wollongong
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby Derny Driver » Fri Sep 11, 2015 5:16 pm
then you wouldn't be worried about a few grams or a plush ride.
Im aluminium only for those parts but that's just me. Plenty of people use them without a problem.
But half a carbon seatpost up your anus is not plush
-
- Posts: 587
- Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:13 am
- Location: Perth, NOR
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby dmwill » Fri Sep 11, 2015 7:06 pm
Investment in a pre-set torque key or wrench is a must if you plan on having a carbon stem/bar/post/etc.
-
- Posts: 3056
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby zero » Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:04 pm
Handlebars behave differently - ie alloy bars flex if you have load on them between the stem and the hand positions, and they have more room to flex if you use the drops, and if you use wider bars.panosk wrote:Recently i changed my alu seatpost to a good carbon one.
Basically i wanted to save 120g of weight from the bike and hoped that it would absorb more road vibrations than my alu seatpost.
The result was beyond my expectations. I am experiencing 50% decrease in road vibration on the same roads i have ridden many times before.
So my question is:
Should i expect the same level of road vibration absorption improvement,
if i swap my alu handlebar to a good quality carbon handlebar, of handlebars behave differently in terms of vibration absorption ?
No matter how much load you put on the seat, you'll only get an alloy post to bend sideways or slip, it won't compress or stretch much axially - basically they are overstrength in that direction to get the required strength in horizontal directions.
- Duck!
- Expert
- Posts: 9858
- Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 8:21 pm
- Location: On The Tools
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby Duck! » Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:33 pm
Only if you have a habit of hitting stuff..... One fundamental difference between metals & composites (what's commonly called "carbon fibre" is actually a composite of carbon fibres and a resin binder; neither component works without the other) is that metals are ductile - they can be bent to a new shape before stuctural failure occurs, while composites are not. All materials are elastic to some extent; when placed under stress and released, they'll spring back. When the stress exceeds the elastic limit of a metal, that ductile behaviour allows the material to bend until such time the stress reaches the material's yield point. Composites remain elastic all the way to yield, which is why you never see bent carbon bits.KGB wrote:Also consider that carbon bars are more fragile than alloy.
Carbon bars unquestionably give a smoother ride than aluminium or steel. Metallic bars will tend to bend under low-frequency inputs from rider movements, but the rigid structure of the metal transfers high-frequency vibrations through it. Composites are the reverse; carbon is incredibly resistant to low-frequency inputs thanks to its very high tensile strength, but the resin component of the composite, being a plastic, has some compressibility, which coupled with its excellent elasticity very effectively absorbs high-frequency vibrations.
- KGB
- Posts: 1629
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:49 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby KGB » Sat Sep 12, 2015 4:31 pm
I'd like to say I don't... But race enough and happens!Duck! wrote: Only if you have a habit of hitting stuff.....
Reason: Admin edited for language
- KGB
- Posts: 1629
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:49 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby KGB » Sat Sep 12, 2015 4:32 pm
Quote of the year!Derny Driver wrote: But half a carbon seatpost up your anus is not plush
- silentbutdeadly
- Posts: 2294
- Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:52 am
- Location: Somewhere flat...
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby silentbutdeadly » Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:20 pm
Dunno! My only bikes with carbon handlebars are the MTB's. And one of them has a carbon seat post...panosk wrote: Do carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations?
But if they work on singletrack then they'd work on tar...
- kb
- Posts: 2570
- Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 3:22 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby kb » Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:33 pm
- kb
- Posts: 2570
- Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 3:22 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby kb » Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:34 pm
-
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:23 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby jerrah » Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:40 pm
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:34 pm
Re: Does carbon handlebars absorb road vibrations ?
Postby spider1974 » Mon Sep 21, 2015 6:31 pm
So, no, imho, you won't get that silky ride you get from a carbon post just by changing bar material - there are designs thought (Bontrager isozone bars) that can do it for you....or double wrap the bars (aka p[aris-roubaix) and wrap and 1/2 (hockey tape as base, bar tape as outer) that can help too.
Return to “Buying a bike / parts”
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Cycling Brands
- Cannondale
- Garmin
- Giant
- Shimano
- Trek
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+11:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.