Non-knurled handlebar

[jamesdart]

Why would a company have the option of knurled, or not, on a handlebar?

 

[Bicycle808]

You got me. I like'm knurled.

 

[Bicycle808]

On second thought, and I'm assuming you mean the Al's bars, it might have something to do with replicating some BITD bars. I mean, we all want them knurled b/c they're less likely to slip with knurling, but if you got some Kos or Cook repro bars b/c you want them to look like the originals, and the originals weren't knurled.....then you might not want the new ones to be knurled, either.

If it's for a rider, though, no question: get the knurled jawns.

 

[Araya51]

Never understood why they were unknurled knowing they would have that slipping problem. And when you cranked them so tight to keep them from slipping you've already pinched them and the bars are jacked up now.. Never could figure that one out.???

 

[Bicycle808]

Never understood why they were unknurled knowing they would have that slipping problem. And when you cranked them so tight to keep them from slipping you've already pinched them and the bars are jacked up now.. Never could figure that one out.???

Yeah, I mean, by the 70s, moto bars were knurled....and even if that didn't give the early BMX manufacturers a clue, after the first couple rounds of bars slipped, why not address it? Knurling has zero material cost, and negligible labor/tooling costs, so what's the point? And, yeah, nothing sucks more than pinching a set of new bars.

 

[deven_science]

The only time I run into non-knurled bars is custom bars, such as Sensors. I know when I make a set they aren't knurled. I haven't had too many problems with slippage. The knurling in the stems seem to bite pretty well.

 

[jamesdart]

I didn't get to try them yet but I'm thinking I'll punch the bars.

 

[thebigorangecat]

I would much rather have non-knurled for this application, these are moto bars on my cruiser.......

 

[Bicycle808]

Nonsense, TBOC: I like the exposed knurling. Looks BA.

 

[horsefarmer]

Tried swapping bars on my Austrian made JC Higgins - but it came with a non knurled one.
Wish I'd left it alone tho cause now I cant seem to keep it snug anymore!

 

[jamesdart]

Yeah I had some apes on my typhoon for a little while they had a shim on them from the factory with just a few faint lines stamped, they wouldn't hold for anything. I had to tack them to the stem.

 

[horsefarmer]

Ya, I tried a strip of beer can as a shim - didn't work. Maybe a tack weld would do the trick.

 

[jamesdart]

I did it right on the bottom. cant tell unless you look from underneath.

 

[horsefarmer]

Thanks! I'll try that.

 

[order99]

Do you have a Dremel with a small cutting wheel? I ran across one of those smooth bars in my slowly- filling 'spare parts' box, wanted to try it on. No knurling=no grip, so I took ten minutes and my Dremel and, well...knurled it-worked great. Deep scratches are all you really need, maybe 1-2 mm. Without a Dremel you could do the same thing with careful application of jeweler's files or a hacksaw...

 

[horsefarmer]

Thanks, will try it!

 

[c.p.odom]

I have used a JA Stein knurling tool on hundreds of bars, always the best solution: http://www.bikepedia.com/PA/Item.aspx?item=217419

 

[horsefarmer]

I searched interwebs turned up....
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c...set&tc=Crown-Race-Knurling-Tool&item_id=SN-KT
@ Price: $209.95 it's to steep for me!

 

[jamesdart]

Yeah, I looked at that thing and said yeah right that looks expensive.

 

[thebigorangecat]

I searched interwebs turned up....
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c...set&tc=Crown-Race-Knurling-Tool&item_id=SN-KT
@ Price: $209.95 it's to steep for me!

See if you can rent one from a local machine shop or they might even do it for you??