Experience Bikedoc HB23 bars

After extensively using the bikedoc bars on and off for the past few months I decided to cut them after having to retighten my stem over and over again and hearing a big crack.

First I used a specialized comp multi stem which immediately broke my first set with only tightening them to 3,5nm. In the meantime I tried to use the exact same bars on a zipp service course sl stem, which in the first place they don’t recommend you using however, since my bars were already cracked I wanted to see what the effect would be. And that made it even worse.

After receiving a replacement bar I was afraid to use those stems again and switched to a deda superzero stem and a pro plt stem which are known for spreading the load. The bolts however kept coming loose which I therefore had retightening again and again to 3,5nm till I heard a big crack.

After having the bars for 8 months and having them left on the side I decided to cut them since I didn’t want anyone using cracked bars and this was the result.

Both bars cracked at the top, one which slowly started to crack over a prolonged period of time and one immediate failure. Clamping force is the same as the white arrow however most faceplates exerts a force similar to the pink arrow, both edged of my faceplates where right on the turquoise line. They both started to delaminate and shift, which eventually ended up cracking the bars all the way through.

It appears that the bars on the top right side have a weak spot which you can clearly tell by the epoxy layer. For anyone who is not so familiar with carbon layup, if there’s a white line (orange arrow) in your carbon layup it means that it hasn’t been compressed well enough which leaves room for epoxy to stay behind.

I suppose that this could occur with anyone using these bars since both my bars have this weak point where the thickness of the carbon is the thinnest and where the bladder didn’t do it’s job properly allowing the carbon to delaminate and shift at the place of my picture.

Do what you want with this information but I just be aware when using these bars.