Thorn Carbon Comfort bars

[daviddd55]

Having more or less settled on a good setup using the Comfort steel bars that came with the Raven Tour, I quite fancy the (assumed) extra comfort of carbon and am tempted to treat myself. I'd expect the carbons to be a better option during my long tour of Oz, especially offroad e.g. Gibb River Rd., where there are endless corrugations and jarring to the (in my case arthritic) hands / arms. But I wonder about the reliability of carbon, which can't be repaired like steel can far from home. Is this an issue guys? Anyone tried the carbons?

[julk]

I suspect the comfort bars which came with your Raven Tour are aluminium alloy not steel.
The carbon comfort bars are alloy wrapped in a carbon/kevlar layer.

I have the carbon tandem/expedition anatomic ones which are the strongest, the ride is still very comfortable with ergon performance grips. I have only done a few hundred miles on them, but they stand up to the rough surfaces which I meet. I weigh in at 85kg and carry upto 30kg of load spread round the bike.

You may find space for bar ends is tight, the carbon tandem/expedition anatomic and carbon MTB anatomic bars have the most space at the ends. The MTB bar has slacker bends which may make inboard bar ends easier to place. Personally I have given up on using bar ends with my bars.

I hope this helps.

[daviddd55]

Oops! Didn't realise these were wrapped alloy (shoulda read the description properly!). How does that make the bars more comfy then? Is the carbon contribution more significant than the alloy? Is there really a discernable improvement in comfort?

[daviddd55]

Can anyone who has these bars vouch for their comfort as compared to alloy?

[julk]

I have used 'straight' handlebars made from thick steel, thin steel, aluminium alloy, titanium and now carbon/kevlar wrapped aluminium alloy.

The thick steel ones were excruciatingly stiff, the thinner steel were better but still too stiff.

The alloy ones were comfy for some years but eventually broke after an accident and starting to make creaking noises.

The titanium ones were very comfy, and are still in use by a son.

The Thorn carbon/kevlar wrapped alloy ones are very comfy like the titanium and they are made in a better shape/width for me.
I still plan to replace them after say three years to avoid risk of breakage in use as the aluminium alloy inner work hardens.

[daviddd55]

Interesting Julk, though I've never had handlebars break in 50 years of riding (my hack bike has done well over 20,000 miles with the same bars. Maybe I'm fairly light on them?

[julk]

Daviddd55,
I suspect the alloy bars (old and thick British ones) would have lasted quite a bit longer but for the accident which overstressed several parts of my commuting bike.
The bars went on to develop some quite beautiful crystalline fractures at the point where they exited the stem. Only visible once they broke - but I should have been suspicious of the creaking noises.

Modern bars are made down to a low weight and as such I assume have a limited life.
Once your bars have snapped off on the road you develop a certain caution regarding the replacements.

[dyson]

My Raven Sport carbon comfort bar broke when I was riding them after two years. I had a few crashes which could have weakened them. I went to Evans who fitted a normal straight bar, but Im getting a lot of pain and strain on my wrists which I never had with the comfort bars. So Im thinking of getting a replacement. Since the carbon set broke Im a bit cautious about them breaking again. Are the alloy ones stronger, but a little heavier?

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

Yes the alloy ones are stronger, and not as affected by impacts, they also seem to do a hevy duty version, which I assume is thicker alloy.

[daviddd55]

...but presumably the alloy bars will transmit more vibration through to the hands, especially on long rides, which is my concern.