As a fall/winter project, I am looking at upgrading my wife's aluminum XC hardtail bike with some new components. The frame is a winner and is well worth the expense and effort; the wheels and drivetrain parts are good. The fork and brakes are middle of the road and will be upgraded (that's another discussion, however). As a starting point, I am considering a carbon seatpost and handlebars for improved comfort. Not having any experience with carbon components, I wanted to poll the gang here and get some advice.
Background: comfort is first priority, as in vibration absorption; weight is secondary -- we are not looking to lose any grams off the bike with this (we will save significant weight with the fork upgrade, and that will be sufficient). Strength is important, but we don't need bombproof build, as she is only 130 lbs. OTOH, we also don't want ultra-light and flimsy, and have anything snapping off mid-ride and causing a disastrous crash. In summary: strong, reasonable weight, not too flexy and light.
As for brands and models, I am thinking something like the Easton EC70 or Truvativ Noir T30 models should fit the bill. But I am really not "in the know" on these components, so am not familiar with who is doing good work with carbon parts. There are lots of others to choose from -- FSA; 3T; Enve, Crank Brothers, etc. Not to mention the different carbon technologies being used -- high modulus; unidirectional....
Any recommendations and insight into the world of carbon bits for bikes are greatly appreciated. Alternatively, if anyone has tried a carbon bar or post and found that it was no great improvement over aluminum, then tell me so and I may not bother with these after all, and just focus on fork and brakes.
Thanks,
Svend