Clamping shifters on non-gritty area of carbon handlebars?
 

Just received a Whisky carbon handlebars and found its gritty clamping patches are much lower than my other ones. In order to maintain the same position of the shifters (and really have a comfortable transition from the bend to the hoods) I will need to clamp the shifters slightly above the gritty patch, i.e. onto the smooth-surface part the bars.

Is this a No-no for carbon bars? I plan to use some non-gritty Motorex carbon paste to help grip the shifters if that helps.

They’ll be fine. Yup, carbon paste and don’t tighten so tight that they don’t move if the bike falls over. They’ll move rather than break. BUT the thickness of the bars are the same even places where the non skid stuff is.

That I certainly hope so but have no way of verifying. The optimal clamping location is just below where the bend starts.

Is this a general recommendation for mounting levers? (I've always tighten the clamps firmly due to concern about levers moving on the handlebars.)

Tighten till you are just able to move them with heavy force by hand.

Same for any bars. Carbon, aluminum or steel. You don't want them to break should your bike take a tumble, and you need to be able to put them back in their spot afterwards.

[emoji15] same same.


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with carbon you have to be a bit more cautious, usually you don't want to put more than 8nm of torque (depends on bars, some have recommendations, some don't). I just installed 3T bars, max is 8nm, I started at 5.5nm, lever moved with a bit of force so I went 6.5 and landed on 7nm.

Way I've always installed lever mounted shifters..and Have seen more than a few broken bodies when the bike just fell over. YUP, 'sweet spot', levers don't move when riding but 'move' rather than break if it hits the ground.

Pretty unlikely they would make the handlebars in such a way to make it thin and unsafe not on the non skid part but your bars..

I have wondered why manufacturers do not make the "gritty section" a little bit more generous in both directions to account for preference.

My Easton EC-90 bars have no gritty section but they do have graduated lines, to help get the lever clamping bands in the same place on both sides I never use carbon paste and use a screwdriver type torx wrench to tighten the clamp bolts.

I agree that it shouldn't matter where the clamp band is placed.