Bald Paul

I just got this email today.
"We are writing to inform you of an important safety notice.Whisky and Salsa have had reports of some handlebars cracking where the brake/shift levers are installed, which has the potential to cause a crash and serious injury to the rider.
Customers who purchased Whisky No.9 Carbon drop bars or Salsa Carbon Cowbell and Cowchipper models between 2017 and 2022 should stop use until further notice.
More information and next steps will be coming soon from Whisky and Salsa."

Oh, great. Now I have to find a set of bars to replace my Whisky No.9, along with new bar tape. :-(

Polaris OBark

Just ride no-handed and don't shift or apply the brakes. You'll be fine.

But, seriously, thanks for posting this.

freeranger

Good to hear you're only replacing the bar and tape-cheaper and easier than teeth!

veganbikes

They should hopefully get a replacement together for you and if not maybe a credit. I wouldn't want carbon there personally I don't mind a carbon fork but handlebars for some reason just don't do it for me.

Attilio

Oh cacca. I just got a Carbon Salsa Cowchipper bar for my Warbird this year. It really does help take a load of the wrists especially on longer rides you don't get as sore. Thanks for the update.

Polaris OBark

Yesterday I had a wee fall and it turned one of the brake levers on my carbon bar. I put it back carefully when I got home, but it got me thinking about whether and how frequently this might be a site for failure. (FSA in my case.)

Koyote

I think the best practice is to remove the tape and inspect your bar after an incident like that… Which is one of the reasons I’ve stayed away from carbon handlebars. A bike, especially a gravel bike, hits the dirt occasionally, or even just tips over in the garage. I prefer to just be able to pick it up and keep riding.

rsbob 

Gives a whole new meaning to ‘drop bars’

Bald Paul

How will I be able to stop when I see a half empty vodka bottle in a dumpster?

freetors

Interesting... Is this actually a recall? My cutthroat came with those bars but I haven't gotten a letter yet. And I'm not seeing anything on their website about this yet.

Bald Paul

Like the automotive industry, first goes out a letter telling you that there is something wrong with the product, and that details will be forthcoming. THEN the recalls go out after they determine the least expensive (for them) way out.
I was notified by the shop I purchased the bars from.

indyfabz

If you bought the bars as part of a complete bike the manufacturer probably doesn't have your contact information. Maybe you will get a notice from the shop where you bought the bike.

Barry2 

HERE IS THE LINK

and here is the image just incase the link changes.



Barry

70sSanO

Simple. Drink half a bottle before you ride. Then you can use the dumpster to stop and not feel a thing.

Always live by the mantra, what I don’t know can’t hurt me, therefore I am invincible.

John

mbcracken

I had a pair of the CowChipper. When I took the shifter off yesterday, there was indeed an indentation in the CF...a bit of a "I got lucky" moment feeling then.

Sounds like Salsa will not have replacements until maybe Jan.

Cheers,
Mike

drlogik 

Carbon fiber is extremely strong and resilient; however, any mechanical stressor, gouge, scratch, chip, or tightening or torquing something too much around it, compromises that component and renders it a ticking time bomb in my opinion. It may not ever fail, or it may fail right away. One never knows for sure. That goes for forks too. Frames 'maybe' not so much so unless the frame is damaged in a crash. Handlebars though, I have no data to support this statement but I would think they'd be most prone to failure.

Bald Paul

UPDATE: owners of the bars will be getting a prepaid shipping label to send the bars back so they can be destroyed. A new set of replacement bars will be sent early 2023. I asked if there would be any consideration for taping the bars (replacement cost for bar tape) but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

freetors

Wow, so that sounds super inconvenient. I have to retire my gravel bike for some undisclosed amount of time while they try to find a replacement. Or buy another set of bars, install them, wait until my new ones get here, and then reinstall them, and then be left with some bars I don't need?

Bald Paul

I agree. Unless you just happen to have a spare set of handlebars lying around, you'd need to buy another set, install and tape them, then take them off and install and tape your new replacement bars. Then your 'almost new' bars become a spare set you have lying around. Plus, you've gone through 2 more sets of bar tape.
Personally, I'm rolling the dice and continuing to ride with them until the replacement shows up. I know that should the bars break and I crash, it's on me. I don't hear any odd noises when I load the bars, nor do I feel any flex, and I just recently replaced my old bar tape and didn't see anything wrong. Not saying that it's any type of guarantee that the bar won't fail, but I figure it's getting colder outside, and I'll be riding my trainer indoors soon. That bike has alloy bars. I just hope that 'early 2023' is before riding season next year really gets underway.

veganbikes

Sometimes warranties and recalls are like that. It happens. What would be worse is if they didn't bother to recall or issue a safety notice or you had to pay to send the bars back which would be ridiculous on that front. These days with the industry being in such a poor state it is hard to get product out for a whole lot of reasons and they probably won't be back up to normal till 2024 or maybe 2025 and possibly longer depending on what happens in the world.

If you did end up with new bars you would have an extra set in your parts bin which can be super handy at times like in this instance or you could probably easily resell them to someone else if needed be. Though having a nice parts bin can result in some very useful results. One of my favorite bikes (and a favorite of people who have ridden it) was built from many parts from the parts bin.

Bald Paul

I was sent a return shipping label yesterday, with instructions to remove the bars and return them.
I responded by asking if Whisky was willing to (a) issue a full refund to help defray the cost of a set of replacement bars and bar tape, or (b) send a set of their #6 (alloy) bars for me to use in the interim which would be returned along with the defective carbon bars, or (c) wait until replacements are ready 'sometime in 2023' to get my old bars back.
Waiting to see the response.

GeezyRider 

You have to give Salsa credit for stepping up and admitting there is a problem and working to resolve it. I don't have any carbon bars but this makes me especially glad I don't ride with cheap Chinese carbon bars from Amazon, ebay, or aliexpress, etc.

Bald Paul

Don't let them kid you, they aren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They are doing this to keep from getting sued.
I have a feeling they know that 90+ % of people aren't going to disable their bikes by removing the handlebars and waiting for replacements for months. But, by saying they will pay to have them returned to be destroyed, and will send out replacements sometime in the future, it gets them off the hook legally should someone's bar break and they crash. "Well, we told you not to ride with them and that we were willing to replace them." Of course, they would have to be able to prove the person had been contacted about the recall and issued a return shipping label.
Dang, there goes my new Lamborghini.

GeezyRider 

I don't doubt that you are right but at least people with these bars are aware of the potential for problems and they can only blame themselves for any consequences of ignoring the warning.

gif4445

It just reinforces my decision to stay with alum handlebars. Briefly considered carbon for dampening and weight advantages, but decided to still with my aluminum due to multiple attachment points. I have a hybrid aerobar set-up that attaches to the bar in 4 locations. Didn't think I was doing the carbon bars any structural favors.