Bar ends - remind me what's safe

[rogerzilla]

I've never got on with riser bars, and on a flat-barred bike or MTB, I always want straight bars (or 5 deg bend) and bar ends.

As such things are currently unfashionable, I've forgotten what the rules are around just bolting them onto any old bar.  I've never had amy breakages but Nitto straight alloy bars are quite thin-walled.  Is there a rule of thumb on wall thickness?  I doubt I'd get any sense from Nitto except "don't".

FWIW these are X-Lite Stubbies, nothing cowhorn-like.

[Torslanda]

Bontrager used to market BERTs (bar end reinforcement things) which were slugs of alloy that reinforced some of the 90s ultra thin walled bars.

As you will see they are essentially bits of alloy tube sized to fit inside the original bars.

Out with the vernier and off you go to your local machine shop.

[sojournermike]

Just buy that Squeeze ba - it'll be strong enough

[Brucey]

say yes to BERTs.

 A good scheme is to bond DIY reinforcements into the end of the handlebar using epoxy resin.

cheers

[LittleSkink]

Maybe I have flirted with danger all these years but used 2 different flat bars with full size X-Lite bars ends and have never used internal handlebar reinforcing - one bar is Titanium the other a pretty thin walled 160gm Kalloy Uno. The Xlite clamp seems to fit really cleanly and will spread the load nicely, so why stress? (if you will excuse the pun) FWIW I am 75kg and arent exactly dainty with my kit

[P Walsh]

Or get some of those Ergon things that have the bar end and grip as one unit.

[numbnuts]

I use Cane Creek
http://www.avonvalleycyclery.co.uk/1129/products/cane-creek-ergo-grip-ii-bar-end.aspx

[Morat]

Or get some of those Ergon things that have the bar end and grip as one unit.

Yes, very much yes.

[Brucey]

Maybe I have flirted with danger all these years.....

probably, yes.  BERTs were introduced following a spate of very nasty accidents involving bar ends.  It isn't clear to what extent overtightening of the bar ends was part of the problem, but most folk don't repeatedly retighten a bolt unless the part it secures starts to move around.  X-lite bar ends are jolly nice, but even so I would always suggest that you use BERTs or similar with them on a lightweight handlebar.

cheers

[rogerzilla]

As it's a road bike, I might just get lo-pro/cowhorns* and avoid the risk.  I just happen to have the X-Lite bar ends kicking around.

*when I was little, "cowhorns" were just really, really wide riser bars which you used on your homebuilt jump bike.  Our jump bike had 3 foot cowhorns purchased from the former bike shop on the A4 in Thatcham and precariously carried back home.  It lasted a very short time before the frame snapped, but it was merely a Raleigh Shopper found in the neighbour's shrubbery and badly sprayed (by us) Ford electric blue.

[Torslanda]

Regards 'safe', I've never been much less than 15 stone for the past 3 decades. My first pair of super light bars were some Zoom 140g, 5^o flats which sported some Fred Salmon steel bar ends, completely ruining the effect!

Dredging the memory banks ISTR the rule was: less than 1mm wall thickness, don't...

Also the size of the hex socket in the bolt gives a good indication how much binge you apply. Onza Chill Pills, anyone?

[Torslanda]

Jeez! There's a pair on eBay. Used. 30 bloody quid!

Sure I've got half a dozen somewhere...