I could listen to this chap talk all day. A proper knowledgeable engineer. Great vids.

Watch at 1.25 speed: perfect!

The whole point of any GCN video, where some particular manufacturer or product is involved, is always advertising. Therefore they have taken a fancy aero carbon bar to show of, the one they hope to sell the most of, because of the bigger earning margin. Actually, advertising is the whole point of the vast majority of youtube videos nowadays. In that perspective, your videos are a rare and striking deviation from the bunch. You give always actual information to the people. I’m very grateful for your cut-up analysis. As far as I know, you’re the only source for such information about the build quality of today’s carbon bike frames and parts. As an automotive engineer, I wouldn’t have thought, what crap the big bike manufacturers would sell for such high prices. They even don’t seem to bother about potential catastrophic failures during the ride. I hope they’ll eventually evolve the manufacturing, because for now, from what I’ve seen on your channel, I am a bit hesitant in buying carbon frames.

My Carbon Bars Snapped! I am 130 lbs ...K Force FSA ..Less than a Year of Riding... But my Aluminum Bars from the 80's are still going strong!

Nice to hear someone talk about something he actually knows. Could listen to this the whole day. +1 subscriber. 😀

I love Raoul Luescher's videos. The guy is so smart and so practical. His carbon wheel videos are really incredible as well.

Well done, thoroughly explained, looking objectively at both sides and pros/cons of the two materials, without any marketing nor sponsorship bias pressures. Thank you

Thank you again for the information about carbon bike parts in real life! Just facts, no hidden marketing, a lot of knowledge and experience! And I’m lmao, because I wrote a comment on the gcn video (despite the fact that I usually like their stuff) that anyone who’s interested in carbon technology and bikes should take a look at your channel... and in less than a day: this video occurred... 😊 keep up the great work 👍🏻

Thanks for the video. As usual nothing is as simple as you might think. You are a star.

Awesome video, the information the manufacturer doesn’t inform you about. Thank you, love this info.

Tremendous amount of knowledge ! Thank you

most credible Roadbike-tech channel on youtube ...I love it! Thanks a ton for sharing your knowledget. pls. keep it coming :-)

Thanks for the informative videos. I had a pair of 3ttt mutant 6061 road alloy bars catastrophically fail to the left of the stem back in 2001. They had, in hindsight a questionable design feature of two opposite placed thumb print shaped indents either side of the stem clamp area. I had them 13 months so was 1 month off the warranty date! Did have injuries and damaged bike. I learned from that and since use either 7075 or 2014 alloy bars on my road bike. I change them when i think they req changing. Couldn't bring myself to use carbon bars though.

Sharp edges creating indent are a very important thing to look at ! I had to throw a brand new mtb handlebar after mounting brake lever BELOW torque spec. Because the edge was sharp it dig in the bar. Now, like Raoul i take a file to round the edge of all parts i clamp on carbon, it's critical.

one of your best video so far!

Fantastic stuff Raoul.

More incredibly useful information, thanks!

You are right Raoul, the Shimano DuraAce stuff from those times is pretty indestructible when properly mounted and not messed with. I have an original Shimano DuraAce headset on my 1981 Follis and it is still very smooth. I also have a Mavic 603 Titanium Cartridge Bottom bracket on that same bike and it spins exactly like the way you showed despite the almost 40 years. With perfect factory alignment, good quality, good size bearings and a well protected enclosure and they will outlast your knees. I have had many more modern set-ups go bad on me since on "modern" bikes. I find the comments on measuring bearings under load funny. When a 2 year old modern BB feels like a coffee grinder and will not spin one full turn you do not need to measure under load to know it is shot and eats many watts. I also have great doubt about the BB stiffness argument as far as I know the deformation is elastic and the energy stored in any deformation is given back at a different time in the pedal stroke that's why so many modern frames feel hard on the legs. In the 40 years I ride I have seen only two true ground breaking innovations: clip-on pedals and indexed shifting integrated in the brake hoods. Maybe 1x with 12 or so gears in the back might make the short list in a few years... All the rest I can give up on ;)...

evidently one too many! Thumbs up mate, we love ya!

Great sliced views of bars.!!!. I love the FSA carbon wing. They have been engineered / stress tested . Be careful when clamping handle bars into stems evenly and don't over torque.!!!

So glad you've done this. Find it incredibly frustrating whenever GCN touch science. I know it's meant to be entertaining and have mass appeal but sometimes they seem to actively take steps to avoid being able to make valid comparisons - not using same shape bars in this instance, not doing crossovers in time-trial tests etc. If they could take what you've said on board and do a more indepth video (giving appropriate credit of course) for those who're interested that'd be amazing. I'm sure there's the market for it.

Top quality video as always

I think I'm gonna stick to my aluminium bar, even though I've had carbon ergonova 3t bar in the past (which cracked in a crash with a motorist). But since then I've had all alum, and I've learned to like it again. Haven't had any issues in the alum yet, even though know they can fail too. I do like that alum bars are much cheaper in costs.

I'm also curious on mountain bike parts the difference, usually being much higher weight, I wonder if its less or more?

Good to listen to someone who knows what he's talking about!

In the GCN video, the 2nd test for impact look more like simulating impact hitting potholes and ruts while holding onto the drops. It may not be the best way to show crash impact like a frontal impact but more like an indication of how much force it can take before breaking.

Let GCN start the discussion and then you can give us the independent opinion backed up with your knowledge and expertise.

I wish he did the Time Ergodrive handlebars are they are one piece (RTM process and mandrel). The only carbon handlebar I would trust.

Do you think the 2 in 1 stem and bar handlebars would be stronger or would that just move the damage to the stem and steerer tube?

Hav been riding with lightweight aluminium nadle bar (Deda Newton 215 anatomic and now a normally curved one). Have crashed several times and after 9 years of use I still would trust that more than a new carbon handle bar (but guess it matters which one). Also think I may have tested it harder than few others, so unless a handle bar is badly made or has evolved a problem through a crash (like my Dura ace cranks had) I guess it matters rather little if carbon or aluminium. But I was starting to get a bit nervous with my first Deda bar, but think there is no problem for 100 kg guy climbing a 26% slope on the big front ring still ... .

excellent info as always! Thanks!

You got the point! Reliability! And instead to expend a lot of money on lightness expend this money on a good coach! Fitness is the one that makes difference not a couple of grams less on the bike.

Very well said without the bullshit! you've got less subscriber spot on that, but what you got are the smart ones :)

Very interesting content as always, thanks a lot for uploading that sort of stuff ! Personnally, as a racer and beeing on a budget I made the decision to stick with aluminium frames and components untill I can afford a high-end carbon bike and potential spare bars/stem. My dream bike would actually be an aluminium frame with Dura-ace and Mavic Ksyrium pro wheels as we can get under 7kg around 4000Eur in my country= reliable components and a classic touch ... plus a good conversation subjects on group rides :)

Do you think you think to use a carbon bar with a carbon stem to get the full benefit of dampening or it doesn't matter what the stem material is

Your in depth reviews of frames and bar cut ups tells the real truth manufactures don't want people to see,everybody makes parts on Mondays 😆

Thanks! Plus one subscriber. A ratio is : per hundred marketants on youtube only one engineer : )

awesome channel maybe in future videos when showing the handle bars with cracks can you split screen and show us a side by side with the scan? cheers

What’s your opinion on Carbon Vs Aluminum fork steers?

so, any recommendation for brand of carbon bar/product?

I share your content everywhere

Thank you for the videos

I have a bontrager race lite aero bar. 340g aluminum, flat tops with holes for internal cable routing. I highly recommend them if anyone is looking for some aero bars in aluminum.

OK, OK, whats the deal with the Collnago hanging on the wall? is it going to be cut up? what model is it? do you ever come across any c59's or c60's that have failures? any M10's? cx-1's?

my Zipp stem ruined by carbon bars at the clamp... the 3T stem had the correct dimension and did not destroy the same bar..

Delaminated or the coating / finish rubbed off?

I just bought a 2007 trek slr 1500. It has literally 4 miles on it and then hung up. Do aluminum bars this old get weak and fail even if they have never been used? Does aluminum just get weak with age, or does it get weak with use? Thank you for your time.

3T aero bar makes my hands weep with joy!. Just not made in 48cm

My favorite are the syntace alu racelite. Very strong.

hi great video do you repair broken carbon bar.

What wheel is that next to the S Works Frame.....

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EC 90 CARBON FORKS? ARE THEY GOOD?

I'd love to see you on GCN!

I get the point of an apples to apples comparison, but I do expect the handlebar to do the same job regardless of its aero profile or internal routing. So I don't really have a problem with the GCN test from that perspective.

Would a stem like the Ritchey 260 with more "wrap" around the bar be better to avoid those rear clamp point loads?

While looking at all the delaminations and cracks in the video, my pulse rose and I started feeling anxious ha ha

Raoul, are titanium frames subject to the same micro fractures that you reference can be problematic with aluminum handlebars or stems?

I wish you one day cut, diagnose, review non name brand frames such as Carbonda, Hong Fu, which of course make for major bike manufacturers.

When Raoul talks, the world listens!

I think the vertical testing could be for bunny hopping curbs lol

Ive got a chinese integrated handlebar and crashed on them plenty of times. No damages what so ever, Same goes with the frame. Pretty high quality carbon. Had a authentic carbon wheelset but it cracked after a crash.. Pretty disappointed for a high end wheelset to fail.

Where is the carbon vs al vibration dampening vid link? I searched your channel for vibration and dampening and got no results. I also searched for bars and didn't see it.

In reference to impact testing, it seems that’s the vertical testing is to prevent the”Just Riding Along” failures and subsequent lawsuits. I’m assuming the forward impact test isn’t considered by manufacturers as once the bike is crashed the bar breaking is of minimal importance as long as it didn’t cause the crash. If a bar/stem is overtightened, is it more susceptible to failure in that area? I’d assume so.

Alors moi je sors d un cintre alu Cannondale et j ai remplacer par un 3t superergo carbone et y a une super différence déjà en confort je sents moins les vibrations etc et la prise en main et bien meilleur donc faut juste bien choisir !!

Rewatching ths video for propably the 50th time, feel the need to point out that the drop test simulates hitting a pothole or curb while riding instead of crashing

What are your favorite carbon frames sir?

Got to be mindful people of conflicting torque specifications on stuff attaching to carbon bars. For example, the Shimano 9100 STI shifters call for 6-8nm which is insane. If you torque to that you are going to crack the bars.

Anyone who thinks the aircraft industry is having few problems with carbon might want to search that, not true. Carbon is amazing but it is not good with dynamic loads even formula 1 car's use other materials in the crash structure around the driver. S-glass or Kevlar better with dynamic loads. Aluminum alloy can be hard to beat for the money.

Do you have any interest or plans to quantify the characteristics of various carbon components? Having a seasonally updated table with strength/strain as well as vibration damping capability would be great. You talked about a testing setup, and I think we'd all like to hear your views on any results so far.

Loads of cheap Chinese carbon bars that work well, are reasonably light and shock absorbing. I'm a fan.

Droptest...How often do you drop from the sky when cycling? Never. Thanks for the video.

Another great video! Thanks! Couple of quick questions. First, I know GCN concentrated on road bars but are MTB bars similar although the design is probably for strength in the strength|weight calculation. Second, on MTB bars (and any bars in general) at what point do users need to consider replacement if one has no way of determining damage? (i.e. clamp imprinting on outside coat or scratches from impact). For example around 2 min Alex shows similar impact damage to what I have seen in my carbon MTB bars: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Y62baql8yN3Yg3k.htmlm Is this the type of blemish you would scan or replace?

wouldn't a larger stem clamp be a good idea for using carbon bars to spread the load across a greater area? I have a ZIPP Sl Sprint stem which is much larger than normal stems, I've also seen very narrow stems which look like it would create pressure points on the bars.

I’ve broken carbon bars. One with a very minor fall, another as part of a car accident, where I hit the deck, but not the car. I’m sticking with aluminum from now on

3T ergnova alloy for me. I chuck em in the recycling bin when I feel they have been used up. I also sand back the internals of my stem edges. Not sure why they don't do that at factory...

The few seconds of silence in the intro made me anxious

Why did they choose... Because it wasn't a test, it was a paid marketing feature for ControlTech

You say there is a galvanic response between aluminum and carbon. So how do they bond them in a carbon fork with aluminum steerer? Very interesting and informative videos.

So, whats your point?

it is not fatigue that is the problem.... (although, and I say this with all respect, in 30 years of cycling I have never seen an AL bar fail at all and that includes years of shop work) it is impact problems and carbon sucks at impact. I have seen many carbon bars fail. Anecdotal evidence....

So a one-piece bar and stem is actually better?

Speaking of aluminium, I was wondering, can you make a video on aluminium bike frame repair, or is that not your cup of tea?

Magnesium lithium alloys and graphene composites are much lighter

This guy needs to do a gardening program,He had no idea about materials testing

I have many carbon bikes, not one broke. I had one carbon bar, an Easton and it broke in 2 weeks. Never carbon bars.

Crazy hands

Thank you, please make more vids

My Deda handlebars have never cracked nor delaminated

Deda SuperZero Aero Alloy Road Handlebars $55.00 305 grams - Deda SuperZero Carbon Aero Road Bike Handlebars $155.95 215 grams. A $100.00 just for 90 grams difference? I think it does not worth paying $155.95 just eliminate 90 grams. I would choose alloy handlebar. Tks.

Now that I'm riding a custom steel frame bike, I'm doing away with carbon bits. I'm replacing them with aluminum. It's just worry free. Sure, nothing is guaranteed and any material can fail, but metal is just more idiot-proof especially when you buy it from a reputable manufacturer. I think there are some carbon parts that have proven themselves to be reliable like forks (provided that they are worked on by a good mechanic of course). These days, anyone who puts any real miles on a bike just has to learn to wrench as much of their bike as they can just to be on the safe side. But yeah, I'm enjoying riding a bike that I don't have to worry about when I hit rough roads and it looks like some makers (like Shimano) are hydroforming aluminum to get nice aero & flat top shapes for bars.

why don't all bike manufacturers use ultrasound to test every frame? for the money we spend, you would think it a matter of fact kinda thing sheesh! these voids are scary as hell !

What is a delamination? I cant see anything

"Replacing handlebars is cheaper than replacing half your teeth or your brain" 😁😁😁😁 The Specialized drop bar got it's drop dropped....

20 minutes and I didn't hear a clear recommendation one way or the other. The criticism of the other video's testing was clear. And your said you use carbon on your own road bike. OK. I guess you're recommending carbon for road bikes (???).

I can think of a time where the load on a bar is vertical. It happened to me recently when i hit a super deep pot hole. If you're possitioned right over/on top of the bar at the moment of impact i guess that creates a vertical load. In my case it destroyed my carbon bars completely!

An alloy bar wrapped in carbon done well would be ideal, ITM does this process

Thanks again Raoul! I've mentioned before how about setting up a Patreon/donation page to help with costs of video production. Definitely want to see your channel grow.

Seems people here are arguing that bars should be built to sustain crashes, not to the actual loads of riding the bike...

I would like to see Merida carbon bike cut up, they claim to have no wrinkles.

A lot has changed in 3 years??????????????????????????????????????????? or has it??????????????????????????????????????????????