Originally Posted by
samovar
The issue with carbon bars, based on various posts here an elsewhere, is that they can crack if the Ergon grips are torqued too tight. That said, a lot of folks with carbon bars report no problems. The solution is to use bar plugs that reinforce the the bars internally and prevent the cracks. Ergon makes them, but they are pricey, and I'm curious if others have used different solutions.
Ergon is pretty specific about those reinforcing plugs - they're intended for use with thin-walled aluminum bars only. Ergon's instructions regarding thise particular grip models and carbon bars is summed up very concisely. "DON'T"
Might be woth noting that those reinforcing plugs are grouped with the Technical , ie competition oriented grips, which is where you'd expect to find thin-walled alloy bars. Carbon fiber bars has never caught on in professional mtb biking the same way it has in consumer mtb biking. Maybe because the average guy with carbon bars really only uses the bike in the street.