I’ve had some WTB custom bent titanium handlebars for over ten years now. They’ve been on more bikes than I can recall. They’ve finished multiple Leadville 100s, XTERRAs, and other races. They’ve served me well.
But yesterday they finally gave in and snapped.
And I can’t fault them I wasn’t just riding along.
I was riding up a small flight of stairs at Harmonie Park in Downtown Detroit. And I was still buzzing on energy from recently eating a delicious Katie crepe (apples, caramel, and salted butter!) from the nearby Good Girls go to Paris crepe stand.
I wheelied up the first couple stairs before hitting the top one. The bar quietly broke in half. Oddly enough I didn’t crash.
I temporarily fixed the handlebars using sticks, wood, and rebar that I found along the way. That allowed me to ride a bit longer before heading home.
And on a related note, my Dad’s handlebar stem snapped today. He ended up with what appears to be a separated shoulder. He’s in his usualy high spirits, though this is definitely going to affect his bike mileage goals for the year.