A friend was swapping out some parts and discovered an issues with his bars. We knew he had corrosive sweat but was surprised by the extent. I forgot to photo the bars before cutting them for a Frankin Bike Project but it was just above the brifter clamp. We suspect it's mostly from being used on the trainer.

Can you just sand corrosive sweat off? Or throw it away?

er, the problem is that the bars have been corroded...the metal is actually pitted.

A friend recently was rewrapping his carbon bars and they literally crunched in his hand. Scary stuff...

That is surface corrosion on Al, nothing to be to worried about as it occurs on just the surface and does not continue to penetrate through and contribute to loss of strength.

Since it is surface corrosion, the last thing you want to do is sand it down as it will only corrode again to a similar point too create an oxidized layer and ultimately you'll lose thickness of the Al leading to loss of strength and possibly failure.

Are you sure your friend isn't one of those creatures from ALIENS. Didn't they corrode stuff with blood or sweat?

A friend was swapping out some parts and discovered an issues with his bars. We knew he had corrosive sweat but was surprised by the extent. I forgot to photo the bars before cutting them for a Frankin Bike Project but it was just above the brifter clamp. We suspect it's mostly from being used on the trainer.

Is that a HOLE in there? Eek.

Is that a HOLE in there? Eek.

Yes that is a hole and the pitting is very deep. However, we did our best to break the bars and were unable to with just our hands.

This guy does seem to have very corrosive sweat. Before he started spraying his bike down with silicone before using it on the trainer he had significant corrosion on the derialler cables on the down tube at the stops.

That is surface corrosion on Al, nothing to be to worried about as it occurs on just the surface and does not continue to penetrate through and contribute to loss of strength.

Since it is surface corrosion, the last thing you want to do is sand it down as it will only corrode again to a similar point too create an oxidized layer and ultimately you'll lose thickness of the Al leading to loss of strength and possibly failure.


You may not be able to tell form these pics but that is not just surface corrosion. There is a small hole and the pitting has eaten more than 50% of the material thickness in a fairly large area.

That's why I use carbon bars.

I had the exact same thing with my bars when I put new tape on them this spring. It all cleaned off with a nylon pot scrubber.
I'm replacing them, after 3 seasons, this winter.

YIKES! I've never seen anything like that. I retape my bars at the beginning of every season & they always look like new. I'm still using some that are nearing 20 yeas old.

I use Cinelli cork bar tape, so the sweat goes right through and dries on the bars. Most of it built up over the winter, from trainer workouts.

...how often do you guys tape your bars that this wasn't noticed before? I'm just wondering. I go through maybe 5-6 bar tapings per year.

...how often do you guys tape your bars that this wasn't noticed before? I'm just wondering. I go through maybe 5-6 bar tapings per year.

Until I destroy the last one? I'm on 2 this season.

YIKES! I've never seen anything like that. I retape my bars at the beginning of every season & they always look like new. I'm still using some that are nearing 20 yeas old.

I guess your sweat don't stink :D

... I go through maybe 5-6 bar tapings per year.


Every two months!?

Are you getting stranded on your rides and using to wipe your a$$?

how often do you guys tape your bars that this wasn't noticed before? I'm just wondering. I go through maybe 5-6 bar tapings per year.

Apparently, Fausto Coppi never retaped his bars :wink5: There isn't any, but it would have been easy to notice corrosion on those bars . . . :D

Photo shows Coppi's 1953 Bianchi Corsa. The bike has an early integrated headset.

I guess your sweat don't stink :D
Probably smells about as much as anybodys, but I'll stand by my statement. I have bars that I've been riding for around 20 years and they're fine. I believe that peoples body chemistry varies, and that some folks have very acidic, corrosive perspiration. Dunno if that has anything to do with odor. :confused:

Every two months!?

Are you getting stranded on your rides and using to wipe your a$$?
LMAO!!