Short Version: Would you pay more for handlebars (and stems) if the seller made clear that those bars and stems meet established safety standards, such as EN standards?
Long Version: In a recent thread called "Dear Riv, Please Make a Wider Noodle," Grant told a story about how Nitto was sued for a few handlebars that were broken by some burly riders who leaned hard on them, even though the bars were city bars not meant for rough riding. So that got me thinking: Because Nitto tests its bars and stems, might they -- and their distributors and dealers -- publish the strength standards that their bars and stems meet? If I were shopping for bars, I'd be willing to pay more for them if I knew they met an industry standard for strength and safety. Most sellers don't say a peep about safety certifications -- and don't even describe the conditions under which the bars should be used. (Compass is an exception. They say that all their Nitto bars "meet the most stringent EN 'Racing Bike' standard for fatigue resistance.") True story: A few years ago I spied, online, Nitto RM-013 bars, size 52, that were not heat-treated. I was confused because Nitto Noodle bars of similar width WERE heat-treated. Perhaps those non-heat-treated bars were some of the inexpensive Nitto bars that Grant mentioned -- bars not intended for large people riding on gravel and trails. But somehow those unheated Nitto bars made it to the U.S. market. Yes, they cost about half of what Noodles cost and what heat-treated RM-013s cost. And yes, I was tempted to buy them. I figured, "They're Nitto, so they're safe, right?" For the record: I doubt I could break any bars just by riding along. I weigh 145 pounds. Please just humor me here and help me overthink. Thanks. Evan Elliot San Francisco, CA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
