Are carbon handlebars worth the cost?
 

How much shock will they absorb? I mean will I feel an obvious difference from aluminum? I already have a carbon fork so maybe it's not worth it. Talk me out of spending my hard earned money--please!

Choose a nice pair of Deda, Zipp, Oval Concepts, or Cinelli carbon bars. They'll be absolutely SWEET on your bike! Go for it.

Replaced the flat alloy bars on my Novara Big Buzz with generic (performance?) CF bars and was impressed with the reduction in vibration. But, once I forgot how it used to be, it seemed again like a rough ride, thanks to the heavy duty alloy frame and fork. Not as rough as it used to be, but still not a Comfort Bike. Thank goodness.

Thanks for the info.

I won't use them. I doubt you will gain any weight advantage and the cost is prohibitive. They do look cool though.

Bzzkill bar plugs FTW

Weight is not the decisive issue - vibration damping is.

Do the Bontrager Buzzkills work ok?

Not worth it.
Get wider tires.

I have Performance CF bars on one bike, and FSA Wing Pros (Al) on another, and honestly, being a clyde, the additional flex of the CF bars take a little getting used to. Your choice of tires, wheels, and fork all conribute to the amount of buzz you'll feel at the handlebar. On a price/gram scale, Al wins hands down. Something like a Deda 215 bar would be a worthy upgrade. Or you could do what Treespeed says and get wider tires. Cheaper option, would make a noticeable difference.