I have a set of nice original GB handlebars (embossed with map of england). However, the left handlebar is bent. the drops are about 1/2" too close to the headset. When i got the bike, it seems like the barcon on the left was in danger of hitting the head tube (exaggeration.) I want to keep the total budget of this restoration at < $100 parts, and GB bars like this cost $50-$60 and i need that money for other things, so i am challenging myself to find a way to fix these bars on my own.
my approach is to disassemble down to bare bars, heat it in the oven for a while, and then, as in "anybody's bike book" i believe, step on one side of the bars and pull upwards.
The oven part is my improvision, because i understand that it's a bad idea to cold set aluminum. my main concern is : how long do i bake these bars, and at what temperature ?? i'll wear oven mitts to do the dirty deed.
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA