How Bike Handlebars Are Made

Back in 2011 we got to see the inner workings of Spank's handlebar manufacturing process. Luckily we also took a full camera team and were able to make this video to show you guys how it was made.
We'll check back soon and see if the process has changed...
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[@MikeBifulco]

A very human, and totally not robotic sounding narrator @___@

[@jakp8777]

Mike Bifulco I was thinking the same thing, does this guy even breathe?

[@aleclevy-obrien4376]

Mike Bifulco I think they were going after the voice of the original how it's made show

[@benjaminmckinney9453]

oh, this is definitely a human--just has a good sound editor (I used to be one)

[@rickmartin976]

You used to be a human?

[@benjaminmckinney9453]

Y E S T H A T I S E X A C T L Y W H A T I M E A N T

[@bigarnd]

Insane how the most simple part of a bike is so intensely engineered.

[@bigarnd]

dakadar lol true, though... if 'not breaking' was the only qualification then we would be solid reinforced steel bars... it's all the considerations I was pointing out... like damping etc! 😎

[@andrewdo5261]

bigarnd Its not the most simple part of a bike.It determines what postition you ride in and how you feel comfortable in that postition.Its the easiest to make the bars!

[@CanIHasThisName]

People have taken bikes for granted. So much that many even consider them primitive tools that have nothing to do with modern technology. But modern bikes, especially mountain bikes, are a significant display of human engineering. And that goes for each and every part, from spokes to electronic shifting.

[@FalcoBikes]

The average westerner has a pretty skewed view of the world... If people did not care about lightness and strength of a handlebar or looks, we'd be using 5lb steel pipes that cost $0.2 rather than a 0.5lb alloy pipe that costs 250 times more. In fact many crappy $20 bikes are being ridden around the world. So a triple butted Spank alloy "simple part" is almost like space technology to them.

[@lilwillie428]

Those were some pretty Dekuls

[@migatron1]

purdy!

[@BisdremisKostas]

By the way , a big "thanks" to all those people that help us have a pleasant ride with their work.

[@lukecate]

seems like this video skipped the butting step(s) that produce the differing diameters of the bars (which would be interesting to see), as well as the application of colored dye to the anodized surface.

[@bobdixon3048]

The guy at 5:02 has a can of beer on the work bench

[@carlito5011]

That's my kind of dude right there. Lol

[@Penguin_of_Death]

2:40 - that's not a handheld hardness tester, it's a micrometer

[@simonhuang4610]

you definitly wrong, i think

[@MartinTeerly]

Spank is rather new company for me. I never had any of their product. I got a set of wheels from them and I'm very happy and now I'm thinking about handlebars. It looks like this company knows how to make bike parts 💪🏻

[@jtieo84]

wow extremely informative.. definitely having more of an appreciation after having watched this

[@el_gappuccino]

DEKULS

[@bicyclist2]

I noticed that too.

[@Obankenobi]

BUTT-TING

[@bradcomis1066]

Dee-kals is just the American pronunciation. I think most of the Commonwealth countries also pronounce it deck-al.

[@sonnydale8383]

@@bradcomis1066 no they don't, everyone in the UK says dee-cals

[@bradcomis1066]

@@sonnydale8383 Dang. I think you're right. Dek-als is a Canadian only thing. 🤷‍♂️

[@chrisz.9974]

They didn't show how to get the thicker and thinner thickness.

[@Metal-Possum]

That's the most important part! I already knew how to bent something, the thicker part is what I was most curious out.

[@RideAlongside]

They mentioned that they go through more than once if various inner wall diameters are desired.

[@Derkenblosh2]

Love it! keep up the good work PB !

[@adriangabba]

Wow, I never thought it would be that complex with so many QA points. I wont complain about the price of a handle bar ever again.

[@muertect8586]

Thanks it helped me to understand the process

[@LukasEkers]

2:38 Thats a micrometer but okay, 4:03 now that is a hardness tester.

[@mrfrogg46able]

excellent vid i love stuff like this

[@billhalt8811]

Learn something new every day.

[@respectablebogan3276]

Wow! Interesting thx guys

[@burningtheangel]

This is awesome. MOOOOAR!!!

[@workshopninjathe1st]

Solid handlebar - this video makes me even more confident to send them...

[@martinj9647]

I thought deckles was some sort of special anodized sealing compound or something until I realized he was somehow destroyi the word decals 😅

[@JimEckhardt]

So much effort for a handlebar. Wow.

[@MrMichall777ll]

I dd not knew that process is so complicated!

[@freemancarl]

*Now that's a presentation.*

[@eikcam]

That was pretty good.

[@cup_and_cone]

Decals... "Deckels"... lol

[@claritean]

seems like its unclear how english shouldbe pronnounced ?

[@musamor75]

Roman Lukáč " shouldbe " you say ? Then how exactly should it be written ? Correctly I presume. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

[@dimensionsofearth]

So sick!

[@TimoKrausMedia]

Great Video but whats up with carbon bars?

[@msuuzzal]

Good job Bro

[@musamor75]

Very informative documentary. Thank you for posting.

[@jimmelroxas99999]

nice cool buetiful handle bars

[@Spookyshoes]

Impressive.

[@michelevitarelli]

is titanium really not conductive?

[@j3di3]

very interesting!

[@GG-cn6es]

2:32 who else hears that fire beat?

[@pvillaluna1]

Now I want Spank handlebars

[@ride-time]

I wonder how they managed to get Stephen Hawking for the voice over? Didn't realise he was into bikes.

[@hidad5601]

Old mate hawking is into everything with two main wheels

[@reddaB]

That was cool

[@RobertAmine]

cool to see

[@chrisgizmunt927]

Hydration during buffing, courtesy of Sapporo at 5:03. Friday build?

[@alexgramatakos4308]

yea

[@florianw3066]

the sauce will never die

[@earthlife3431]

Now I know why handle bars are so expensive even though its look like simple tube. Thank you!

[@carlito5011]

Yup, because the machines that form them are like a million bucks a pop, right?

[@batbawls]

5:02 Sapporo beer!?

[@gicking3898]

Very informative video. Had no idea a $10 handlebar had so much work and machinery involved. Offhand, I'd say the factory was in Taiwan, due to the type of Chinese writing present on some of the machines.

[@FalcoBikes]

The average Spank alloy handlebar sells for US$42 to US$120.

[@leaftye]

Standing too close to that bender. It looks like the red tape marks the area off limits during operation. Some cnc benders have a mat that halts the machine if someone stands on it while it's running.

[@jonathanmcarthur4004]

good video. I really liked the 'How its Made' theme but could you not get the original voice guy?

[@kechikexplore3518]

I love blue

[@FreeLander5280]

Well that rules out my Home Depot diy bars

[@unicambd9078]

I need the machine

[@markkligerman6861]

I'd love to see someone turn this into a song.

[@Endisupertramp]

Workers just casually strolling next to acid tanks, no respirator or anything.

[@jrnbautista82]

How to discreetly inhale and exhale continuously while speaking.

[@GravityBunk]

Stop smoking

[@Be4tJumper]

back in 2011.... Why is it only being uploaded now? cool video though

[@sp00n]

Probably rediscovered in /Projects/2011/visits/Taiwan/new new 2 (2)/new (with voiceover)/project.avi

[@Simo-qg6jb]

Steel handlebars For Real mans !

[@earthstick]

I really want someone to make a simple bullhorn bar that is wide - 52 cm (that's wide for a bull horn). A flat bar with a round section, 22.2 mm outer diameter, 19-20 mm internal diameter, 25.4mm or 31.8mm clamp area, 150 mm long horn extensions that are at 90^ to the flat bar, with a large radius bend. The aim is to put a Rohloff twist shifter on the flat section of the bar and bar end brake levers in the ends of the bar.

[@4091740]

No wonder the good ones cost so much!!

[@AkashAkash-ns7fj]

Added all company factory equipment brands in India🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@Mekhanic1]

What about heat treating?

[@sos8747]

Mekhanic1 its not a sword

[@TheyForcedMyHandLE]

I was wondering that too. They anneal to allow for working and I take it that the subsequent cold working is enough to get the properties they're looking for.

[@WilliamMorrow-dl9nh]

It went together easily in less than an hour. kzbin.infoUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Make sure the front fork is forward or the pedals will hit the front tire. Tires are both a little soft so it needs air before I ride it. The rear wheel didn't come with a clamp regular bolts hold it on. The front had the clamp. No scratches out of box. Rims are a little off with a slight wobble. They could have spent more time with the spoke tool fixing the run out. So far out of the box I'm happy with it. I did replace the pedals with a nice aftermarket set. After riding it a bit my A$$ is a bit sore so I ordered another seat. Overall I'm nearly 60 and didn't ride a bike in 30 years. I like my new 29" Schwinn. It will be used for casual rides with my friend.

[@SeatTimeClips]

That voiceover...

[@vencibushy]

12 volt current? Really?

[@rearviewmirror95]

I dont buy it either. And titanium is still conductive...

[@drbigmix7752]

My bar was born here

[@adamsifford6228]

Bmx bars are harder than straight bars fo jumpers and Mt bikes.

[@BradBuege]

Good lord guys, great content and I am grateful for it, but that narration was off. The robot voice would be forgivable if it wasn't like one continuous run on sentence for 6 minutes, way too fast to hear what's going on or really comprehend it.

[@charlesjo4435]

Spank spike Hb 🤟👍👍👍

[@jackfairclough9269]

Annealing, Butting and mandrel rod.....

[@mitskoala0380]

Jack Fairclough i see what you did there ... Lol

[@MrKfq269]

One of the 70,000 factories that left America for foriegn shores all thanks to NAFTA.

[@MakexItxJustxEasy]

LOOK LIKE FROM TAIWAN

[@alinz2005]

Aaand this is why you don't buy bars off aliexpress

[@johnwatkins3901]

Should learn how to say decal

[@rodrigobava4811]

RODRIGO NAHUEL

[@franta5832]

They did not show how the bulge in the clamp area is made.

[@pbillings808]

The rest was butted to a smaller diameter, leaving the clamp area alone.

[@My-Opinion-Doesnt-Matter]

2:57-2:58??? Really?

[@drbigmix7752]

Why is everyone wearing a rugby shirt?

[@domecrack]

Deckels.

[@w.m.aslam-author]

I'll never look at my handlebars in the same way again.

[@gatecrashermonkeyhardstylz4378]

epic fail on the use of the micrometers....

[@Trottinet-work]

Would love a normal human voice

[@KL00100]

So we can't make them here? Oh that's right a nickels worth of material and a dollar worth of labor for a sale price $100 or more.

[@CanIHasThisName]

R&D costs money. Building a factory costs money. Running a factory costs money every day. Material that didn't make it to the store still cost money. Transporting the product all the way to the store costs money. In between all of that, every employee expects to get paid and every party needs to make a profit. If it really was as simple as giving a bit of material to a guy, him working on it for a bit and abrakadabra, a customer has it in his hand after it's done, yeah, you might have a point.

[@GrimYak]

K Lor make what where? Check what bike companies are us based. Top 2 Giant and Merida are in taiwan. This is one industry that you do not lead

[@keirfarnum6811]

Why can no one pronounce “dee-cals” (decals) correctly anymore? It’s not “deck-uhls”.

[@wowfubar]

good to see China working!

[@GTChucker86]

That's Taiwan

[@migatron1]

Cool video, Annoying commentary voice!!!

[@beabiker1757]

The guy at 5:30 is barefoot... There is no way that would be legal in the states. Gotta love China.

[@Sacapuntas69]

Dude, that is rubber boots he is wearing!

[@florihupf]

That audio is unbearable

[@JoUtan01]

So this is what Chinese Child labour Sweat Shop Factory looks like... Boycott !..lol

[@EatBuildRideRepair]

I wonder how many of these steps are skipped during the making of a chinese quality handlebar, which sells 10-25 usd on ebay :( Some people risks their lifes, because can't afford a little bit more money of such an important part like handlebar.

[@FamousAndYouKnowIt]

Gee, Chinese sweatshops are looking pretty nice these days. I'll bet this vide wasn't staged at all.

[@NiceTryBill]

this is bike industry, so the factories are most likely in Taiwan. now, these factories aren't worker owned socialist Utopias, but these factories are well regarded as having better wages and workers rights than, say, a foxconn circa 2009. safer factories make better products and reduce downtime, which is hugely important considering the volume of clients these massive factories serve.

[@WaterFallingDown]

yap, its Taiwan. Traditional Characters.

[@Mister_NO.]

Somehow i doubt this is how every single one of them is produced. This is probably one of the few factories in the world where so much QA work and measuring takes place. I can bet my life that in the 99.9% of the "factories" there are only 2-3 people working, the whole process is automatized and it takes less than a couple of hours for the whole batch of them to be ready for shipping.

[@bobsbushcraft8061]

Haha butts

[@claritean]

Give us these videos to understand what are we paying for please, now i wont complain anymore.

[@avinashnarasimhan]

Disappointing!!