Originally Posted by
Elmog
My shoulder pain is chronic, related to injuries resulting from Tennis and Baseball (old injuries from years ago). I have been fitted to my bike and have raised my handlebar level with the top of my saddle to lessen the pain. It takes a while for the pain to show up and it may be due to weak core muscles as Allegheny Jet has suggested.
I asked about the effect of fitting a carbon handlebar as I understand that carbon offers a better ride than aluminum and thought that it might be beneficial in alleviating my shoulder pain. From your answers it seems that it may have no effect on this condition. I believe I will concentrate on strengthening my core muscles and pay closer attention to my riding posture. Jim
It's probably a mistake to think that carbon will have no effect. It will have some, and, chances are, it'll be an improvement ( it almost certainly won't make things worse ). The question is whether that improvement will be worth the money you'll fork out.
Do you have drop bars, or flat? The bars themselves aren't cheap in carbon, but if you have drops, you'll need tape, too, and if you don't want to do this yourself (it's easy, but I don't like my own work!) expect to pay a little more for the labor to switch the brifters and cables over. This is a bit easier for flat bars, especially on a fixie.
That said, I got a carbon bike recently, and I feel like the road has been smoothed out. Carbon fiber dampens vibrations ( this is one of the main reasons photographers use it for tripods ), and CF bars will take away some amount of the buzz that winds up in your hands. Since your fork is already carbon, I can't say about your shoulders.
If possible (and it's not likely), try a set first.