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05.27.2004

I installed my Planet-X downhill bars in the spring of 2002. Rode them hard the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Today (the very beginning of the 2004 season) they snapped clean through... what?!?! I thought they were indestructible? Thank GOD I was only bunny hopping a 2' high log. As I pulled up I felt the bars give, only got the rear wheel about 6" high... slammed the back end into the log, landed nose heavy - the bars broke clean and I hit the dirt hard. I am only sooooo glad it didn't happen on a nasty drop or a high speed kicker or gap - damn that could have been really ugly. I am really disappointed - I loved the feel and stiffness of the Planet X bars and really thought they would be the last bars I ever owned. I never in my wildest dreams imagined them snapping like plastic after two riding seasons. There was no warning prior and the failure was instant and total - really made me think and I had about an hour long push back to the car. I used to launch off of anything with complete confidence in my bars and stem - now I am a little bit in shock! I think I will contact Planet-X and see what they recommend as their absolute burliest, bomb proof bars and give them another chance (maybe the Goliath - pro)... right now, however, I just can't get images of them snapping on a big drop or high speed gap - will probably have nightmares for a while :(

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05.28.2004

sent an email to planet-x... wasn't real happy with their response. You can tell alot about a company by their customer support - most companies are real responsive with sales, few are truly responsive with support when you have an issue. I have found that for some reason, bike companies act defenisve and accuse you of being the problem, instead of responding reasonably and helping you deal with an issue... not sure why!? needless to say that based on the response, I will be trying a new company for my bars - 243, 24seven, Raceface or maybe Block8. This is why I love this gearblog idea... you get to see what my experiences are with both components and companies - better than me getting some free parts just so I can tell you how great they are... will keep you posted.

my email:
hey guys... snapped my dh bars after 2 seasons of riding. Disappointed and shocked - I really loved my Planet-X bars and stem, thought they would last forever. I want to stick with planet-x bars despite being a little shocked at the complete and total failure (without prior warning)... is this a freak or is two years about the dh bars lifetime given hard hardtail freeriding? what would you recommend as your absolute burliest, bomb proof bars? I like the geometry and feel of your dh bars, are the goliath bars comparable?... thanks in advance for your prompt response.

Planet-X response:
I cannot imagine why anyone involved in "hardtail style revolution freeride" would run the same bar, without inspection or just planned replacement for over two years! Or be "shocked" to have it fail.

I also can't imagine why anyone would think a $40 bar would last forever.

Stuff breaks. Handlebars especially, and if nothing else, please use this example to make sure you check your gear over regularly.

In the whole 2 years you've been riding that bar, you've never stacked, caught the bar on the ground? You've never had the bike cartwheel down the trail? Never?

If any of these happened, and I was riding extreme stuff I would change my bars as a matter of course.

Of course, thanks to the Planet X guarantee you can get your bar replaced free of charge. Perhaps due to the old planet x warranty (if you break it in 2 years, we replace it free of charge) you imagined that it was IMPOSSIBLE to break the bars. Some people ended up reading our guarantee as a CHALLENGE to try and break our products!

The goliath pro bar/stem combo is our strongest ever bar stem and might well be worth you looking at. But even then, in hardcore riding, i'd replace after a big crash, or every year.

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06.08.2004

Got some temporary bars installed on my bike so I thought I would post a few more pictures of the bars. Nasty, huh! Despite Planet-X's response about changing bars every year... I am still amazed out how a complete failure of the bars could occurr without any fore-warning, visually or otherwise... the bars had never been in a serious crash, just hard, hardtail riding... when something is sold as bomb proof and dependable it is hard to understand the manufacturer then telling you to replace the bars every season OR run the risk of smashing your face on a big drop when your bars snap in two - seems like they should put that in writing on the product!