Big Paulie shows a picture of a Trek and implies in the text that this was a fork or stem failure. Looking at it myself it appears that the stem wasn't properly tightened on the steering tube and simply came off.

I've seen several pictures like this and in every case it looks like an assembly error and not a failure.

Theoretically carbon should be a more reliable than aluminum for handlebars and aluminum should be better for stems because of the joints in the stem. But aluminum has been used for handlebars a long time and the bugs are worked out of that process. We aren't as educated about carbon bars at this time though I'm crazy enough to have a set of carbon bars on my all carbon C40.

What we can be sure of is that people will continue to demand stupid light components. At this time it appears to me that lightening up a good standard bike such as a 20 lb Trek aluminum bike will cost you something like $1000 lb until you get to 18 lbs and then $200 and ounce after that.

My bikes weight between 21 lbs ($7000 C40), 22 lbs (Eddy Merckx Ex Pro), 23.34 lbs (Look KG241) and 24.5 lbs ($1100 Basso Loto) WITH SEAT PACK, WATER BOTTLE FULL, PUMP and air in the tires.

Looking at numbers like that makes you want to buy a Fuji Newest (mine weighs 23.45 lbs).