Help! My LBS overtightened my shifters

[bkboom123]

Alright so I went in to my LBS about 2 months ago to get a crank put on (didnt have the right tool). They offered to go through real quick and make sure everything was torqued correctly. I took notice when they said my shifters weren't nearly tight enough and they told me that was the only part they really needed to torque.

So today my dad, tkbike, was taking my bars and stem off to put on his new project bike and there is a "cave in" crack where my right shifter was. Obviously overtightened. Never noticed any performance issues on the road with it the past two months, but it is a pretty deep crack and cave in.

1) what do i do about this?
2) how do i approach the LBS about this?
3) Has something similar like this happened to you?

FYI
these were the carbon Zipp SL model

Thanks!

[Charles M]

Did you watch them use a torque wrench?

I would simply tell them exactly what happened. There's no need to try and be clever. If it's a reasonable shop they will take care of their problem.


The only issue I have seen with Zipp bars was a forum complaint about a set purchased on EBAY where the OP was honest and they turned out to be knock knock off bars and not Zipp.

[paulrad9]

Is that a $300 handlebar? I'd tread lightly as they were trying to help by torquing things down but it sounds like they might have tightened to wrong specs. Bring them in along with receipt for the work and ask them the same question you posted; they may offer to indemnify you right away, otherwise you may need to be that squeaky wheel if the crack ruined the handlebar

[bkboom123]

yes that was a $300 bar. I picked it up from the serotta shop in 'toga, it came off of a demo bike. It was immaculate
:confused:

[c-record]

Pretty serious. I'm not sure how the lever clamp could cause that crease. It only tightens so much but I guess it's possible. Be objective and present the problem like you're trying to reach a reasonable solution. I'd think a good shop would replace the bar if it was truly their fault. Like I said, variables complicate this bummer of a situation.

Let us know.

[Lifelover]

Maybe the bars were cracked during/after the initial installation. That's why they appeared to be under tightened at the shop.

Being a LBS owner would suck!

[Lifelover]

Loss the Fn $300 bars!

[bkboom123]

well i was replacing them with deda bars......I think I am going to start liking aluminum a little more now :beer:

It was when Serotta was dumping demo parts last summer and I got a darn good deal on them, and they looked in perfect condition. I figured if i can't trust serotta, then who can I trust?

[avalonracing]

No but I did have a Jiffy Lube once put over 80lbs of pressure in each of my car's tires. I was about to take a trip and decided to double check them as the car felt a little weird.

[-dustin]

every time a carbon bar is trashed at the shop, i grab a shifter and tighten the hell out of the clamp, trying to see if i can crack the bar. has yet to happen...Easton, 3T, Specialized, and something else...Profile, I think. One or 2 of Zipps bars scare me, though...suckers are thin.