3T handlebars with stem imprint. Safe to ride?

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Mep
Posts: 516
Joined: Fri May 28, 2004 4:11 pm

by Mep

fogman wrote:My 3T Ergonova Team Stealth Carbon handlebar has that same imprint and possibly some cracks going laterally from the imprint. It is only 3 months old. My LBS took some pictures and sent them to 3T to see if they will do a warranty replacement. Image


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It would be interesting to see if 3T will warranty this. Certainly seems like a pretty common issue. Those who have been comfortable enough to continue riding with this don't seem to have had failures, but the slight delamination in the video still has me concerned.

1415chris
Posts: 1433
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:59 am
Location: Surrey UK

by 1415chris

I had Ergosum Ltd, Aeronova Ltd, now on Cervelo Aero which is made by 3T. I also had Token Lite bar. All of them (have not checked Cervelo one yet) had imprints from stem clamp. I stripped two of them ( Token and Ergosum) to the bare carbon. Ergosum you can still see the imprints but even I don't know how to measure the depth of it, it is very very shallow, fraction of mm. Nothing compared to what you can see on the paint. Still waiting for final polishing. Token when was finished, as I remember, the imprints disappeared. Imo, it's mainly paint and maybe finishing carbon layer. Never had any issues with these bars.

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quango2k
Posts: 108
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:33 pm
Location: Portsmouth UK

by quango2k

that centre section is intentionally made softer so the stem faceplate makes an imprint and helps stop rotation. as long as there are no cracks if will be fine.

Mep
Posts: 516
Joined: Fri May 28, 2004 4:11 pm

by Mep

quango2k wrote:that centre section is intentionally made softer so the stem faceplate makes an imprint and helps stop rotation. as long as there are no cracks if will be fine.

Where are you getting that from?

Samklee15
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:18 pm

by Samklee15

Not that's it's the exact same issue but I had a set of Specialized carbon bars do this to me. They looked exactly the same as the photos here, just a slight indentation into the carbon but enough to worry. Anyways, I've put another couple hundred miles on them with zero issues to date.

evan326
Posts: 480
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 8:51 pm
Location: RVA,USA

by evan326

Mep wrote:
quango2k wrote:that centre section is intentionally made softer so the stem faceplate makes an imprint and helps stop rotation. as long as there are no cracks if will be fine.

Where are you getting that from?

I'd like to know also. Sounds like one of those wives tales that gets spread on the internet because, "I read somewhere"

quango2k
Posts: 108
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:33 pm
Location: Portsmouth UK

by quango2k

evan326 wrote:
Mep wrote:
quango2k wrote:that centre section is intentionally made softer so the stem faceplate makes an imprint and helps stop rotation. as long as there are no cracks if will be fine.

Where are you getting that from?

I'd like to know also. Sounds like one of those wives tales that gets spread on the internet because, "I read somewhere"


Someone at 3t told me when I questioned it. I torqued to the minimum and mine indented so I contact them.

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tommasini
Posts: 1460
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by tommasini

There is a strip of grip material adhered there and I could believe that might be considered slightly "soft" (some give) for helping the stem grip the bars. I would suspect this is what the 3t Rep was referring too. No way would they design the carbon to be "soft" there.

Njbrocks
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 8:02 pm

by Njbrocks

I had the ergonova ltd bars and the same thing happened. Sold mine on as I didn't feel safe to use them. The scariest part though is how much they flex in the drops. Scary stuff! Back to alloy for me!

quango2k
Posts: 108
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:33 pm
Location: Portsmouth UK

by quango2k

tommasini wrote:There is a strip of grip material adhered there and I could believe that might be considered slightly "soft" (some give) for helping the stem grip the bars. I would suspect this is what the 3t Rep was referring too. No way would they design the carbon to be "soft" there.


Semantics ;)

I never said the carbon was intentionally soft. that would be impossible. that grip bit as you said is a layered on section which is softer than the carbon underneath.

I have had 6 sets of Ergonovas, all of them did this. Recently changed to Zipp contour SL bars...these didnt deform there, they just outright cracked! from only 4nm of torque. I'm no carbon newbie neither so these were installed correctly. one short ride I could see a hair line crack coming from one corner of the faceclamp..took them off to inspect and all four corners were cracked, Badly too! This is using a recently calibrated digital torque wrench too. I sent them back to Wiggle, who sent them off to Zipp...40 days later (yup, thats how fast they deal with issues at Zipp) they emailed to say "can you send us the stem too" WTAF! 40 days and they ask that (fyi, its a zipp sl-OS stem..not that it matters) . I promptly told them to poke it as far as they can up their darkest passage and got a refund :) Now on Zipp service course SL-70 ergo alloy bars. Carbon bars can f@%k off :)

Mep
Posts: 516
Joined: Fri May 28, 2004 4:11 pm

by Mep

I put my bars back on and did a 30 mile ride with no issues. We'll see how it holds up.. But I certainly don't feel confident enough to go bombing on the descents and can understand why some folks have gone back to alloy.

lwk
Posts: 85
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 11:02 am

by lwk

Has anyone contacted 3T? I would like to purchase the Aeronova bar, but must say that this occurence is worrying

lwk
Posts: 85
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 11:02 am

by lwk

I have tried sending 3T an email on numerous occasions but their captcha does not seem to work

angman19
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 8:01 am

by angman19

1415chris wrote:I had Ergosum Ltd, Aeronova Ltd, now on Cervelo Aero which is made by 3T. I also had Token Lite bar. All of them (have not checked Cervelo one yet) had imprints from stem clamp. I stripped two of them ( Token and Ergosum) to the bare carbon. Ergosum you can still see the imprints but even I don't know how to measure the depth of it, it is very very shallow, fraction of mm. Nothing compared to what you can see on the paint. Still waiting for final polishing. Token when was finished, as I remember, the imprints disappeared. Imo, it's mainly paint and maybe finishing carbon layer. Never had any issues with these bars.


I have two aeronova ltds and also have a slight imprint from #T stems torqued to correct specs. Never had an issue though. And yes, the drops do flex compared to the Team bars and Enves. No issues with them though.

by Weenie


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fogman
Posts: 1067
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:36 pm

by fogman

Mep wrote:
fogman wrote:My 3T Ergonova Team Stealth Carbon handlebar has that same imprint and possibly some cracks going laterally from the imprint. It is only 3 months old. My LBS took some pictures and sent them to 3T to see if they will do a warranty replacement. Image


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It would be interesting to see if 3T will warranty this. Certainly seems like a pretty common issue. Those who have been comfortable enough to continue riding with this don't seem to have had failures, but the slight delamination in the video still has me concerned.

3T did warranty this. Sent a new bar with only pictures. Did not need to send the bar back to 3T.


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