I’m sure everyone has heard of the instant & catastrophic failures of carbon. Some manufacturers say; if you really “ding” carbon, even clamp it too tight, it should be replaced as the integrity of the material has been compromised and this will eventually be your point of structural failure.

On a road bike, carbon bars absorb a bit of road vibration but on a MTB, I don’t believe it provides much effect especially off road. I think that carbon bars are OK on X/C applications but I don’t recommend carbon bars on DH / Free ride bikes. The forces on the bar are severe while pounding down a slope or when landing drops and the chances of a getting good “ding” while DH or FR is great.

I’m not completely sold on carbon bars as they are not much (if any) lighter than aluminum bars and the risk of catastrophic failure would always be in the back of my mind thus making me timid to do some of the crazy things I like.

T.J.