I think it is well settled that the AVA bars on PX10s are bad news. This combination of both sagging and cracking indicates a horrible design. The strange thing to me is that AVAhad been making bars, stems and rims for years and at least some of it was good stuff. Where did they go wrong?
I've heard mixed things about the rims too. Way back when I knew the owner of a Bob Jackson tandem who said they were the only sewup rim that worked for him and otherwise I have heard stories of the rims cracking too. I know there are eyeletted and non-eyeletted versions and that could explain the diverging views- any insights or opinions?
Joe B-Z
GNNJ
> I haven't broken one in in use, but I got some AVA bars on a used PX-10 a
> few years ago. Noticed one side dropped away from the stem more rapidly
> than the other. I untapped the bars and found a hairline crack running
> along the curve from near the stem almost to the end of the bar. I kept
> that pair to remind me to inspect AVA bars regularly.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Houston, TX
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Cino1947@aol.com>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 8:25 PM
> Subject: [CR]Re: Replacing Aluminum handlebars
>
>
> > The old French AVA bars and stems have gotten bad rap in the past. Has
> anyone
> > had experience with them breaking?
> > Josh Berger
> > Bronx, NY
> > In a message dated 10/23/2003 7:38:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> > classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
> > Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 16:07:17 -0400
> > From: Joe Bender-Zanoni <joebz@optonline.net>
> > To: Grant McLean <Grant.McLean@SportingLife.ca>,
> > <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> > Subject: Re: [CR]Replacing Aluminum Handlebars
> > Message-ID: <01cc01c399a1$4272a5a0$6400a8c0@jfbender>
> > References: <D40031E5F7ACD71195BC009027887CFF11871B@SLSERVER>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> > MIME-Version: 1.0
> > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
> > Precedence: list
> > Message: 5
> >
> > Aluminium fatigues based on the number of cycles and loads. The fatigue
> > failure starts as a microcrack, then fairly rapid crack growth proceeds.
> > Therefore the commonplace warning to inspect for cracks on old aluminium
> > parts.
> >
> > The parts are not "weaker" after use. If cracks have not initiated the
> parts
> > will test just as strong at year ten as new.
> >
> > If an alumium alloy is very hard like a 7075-T6 component it can crack
> > through rather quickly. So typically high strength alloys can fail more
> > suddenly when they do go.
> >
> > Joe Bender-Zanoni
> > Great Notch, NJ
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Grant McLean" <Grant.McLean@SportingLife.ca>
> > To: "Classic Rendezvous Mail List (E-mail)"
> <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 3:40 PM
> > Subject: [CR]Replacing Aluminum Handlebars
> >
> >
> > > *famous* Lou,
> > >
> > > I too read that and scratched my head.
> > >
> > > And one can only imagine that a super-conservative company like nitto
> > > would make bars that last longer than many others.
> > >
> > > Recently, our shop has seen a rash of modern cinelli bars opening like
a
> > > can-o-beans (at the stem) after only a few months! (yikes)
> > >
> > > Grant McLean
> > > Toronto.Ca
> > >
> > > O \O/
> > > _< \_ _< _
> > > (_)>(_) (_)>(_)
> > >
> > > In the latest Rivendell Reader, #30 (I'm sure you are all subscribers,
> > > right?), Page 14, in an interview with the President of Nitto, the
> > > question is asked about whether aluminum handlebars should be replaced
> > > every five years, even if they have not been crashed. The answer says
> > > that if you have an aluminum handlebar that is ten years old and never
> > > used, that it will be "significantly" (quotation marks added by me)
> weaker
> > > than when it was new. Anybody know why this would be? It doesn't
make
> > > sense to me, but then, I'm no metallurgist, just a rocket
> > > scientist.......Lou Deeter, Orlando FL