Paid $80 for my Stellas on B-town. Maybe not top of the line carbons, but they were worth the $ - and I've worked with carbon in auto racing for 10 years. There are many places to look for new bars cheaper than 2 bills. Each bar is different, so to say that all carbons are stiffer than all aluminums is silly. Walk thickness, bend geometry, carbon layup all have an impact on stiffness

Seth