Women's handle bars

[spokewench]

The girls hooked you up with what is available out there in less than a 38 size. It is one of my pet peeves that the really nice manufacturers of carbon handlebars don't make them in smaller sizes. I talked to a manufacturer that I will not name here a few years ago when I was outfitting my race bike and they assured me that they would come out with a carbon bar in small sizes the next year. They did not and have not. When I went to Interbike last year, they still did not have them so I was *****ing about it and my husband got mad at me cause he thinks I'm crazy sometimes. But, What the Hey, if you can't supply to all the users of bike gear (i.e. women and smaller men) then I don't have to give you my business do i?

[missymaya]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I know my LBS will help fit me with the appropriate handlebars, I just want a one up so I know what I want and I can get my bike!! Thanks for the input again!!

[sklarewc]

I had finally decided to spring for carbon bars--I need 38 cm, too, and had been drooling over the Ritchey evolutions--but then I read a bunch of posts on a different forum that said (1) their dampening ability is far less than one might expect and (2) they are susceptible to cracking or breaking (or "snapping like a twig" in one post) and you have to be really careful when transporting them, not to mention when leaning them up against the wall. But I know there's always a couple of naysayers on these forums, so I take some of what I've been reading w/ a grain of salt. And carbon bars sound so appealing--my shoulders & wrists are always the parts that hurt the most after about mile 50. On the other hand, I'm about to shorten my stem--I think that's why I have shoulder pain.
To those of you who have carbon bars, what's the story? Are they worth it? Any problems w/ durability?