Aluminum vs Steel

[Kurlon]

Are aluminum bars any more bend resistant that standard steel bars? I'm about to swap in a 3rd set of bars for a friend and would really like something that's a touch more resilient before practicing in a parking lot to solve their low speed issues...

[Expat]

If the thickness is the same, then steel will be more bend resistant.
Steel will almost certainly be cheaper plus, if the bend is not too bad you should be able to pull it back with a long tube.

[Kurlon]

I've never been comfy straightening street bike bars, especially on someone else's bike.

[The Magician]

make the bars out of a stronger material.. something else might bend. The bars bending is like a crumple zone i guess you can say.. i'd rather the bar bend than something else more critical, like the clip-on.

[SSearchVT]

Unless you put a kink in the tube you should be OK straightening a steel bar a few times. It's better to put a bar on it and use steady pressure over beating it back into place with a hammer. Aluminum is a tough call because it tends to work harden a lot more than steel.

It may look a little odd - but have you thought about mounting some off-road bark busters to add some strength to the bars?

[Expat]

I've never been comfy straightening street bike bars, especially on someone else's bike.

I agree but for low speed parking lot stuff, you should be OK, check the area where the bend was for flaking of chrome or cracking of paint to be sure they are OK.

[gregp]

Are aluminum bars any more bend resistant that standard steel bars?

Yes! By far! A good set of Renthals will out last a set of mild steel bars 10 to 1.
I have used the cheaper Rocky Moutain aluminum bars (Tusk brand?), and although they are not quite a tough as Renthals, they are still way more bend resistant than mild steel bars.