I also prefer the alloy because the price is right, and the weights are pretty comparable for the size that I need. I also plan on eventually racing, and I am concerned that a crash could cause $200 carbon bars to fail in a major way. Personally, the most comfortable bars that I ever used were OEM bars from a Giant that my bike fitter swapped for my Deda 215 Shallows. Unfortunately, I can't find them in an OS model to fit the stem that came with my new Cervelo, and I am wary of using a shim in my current stem.

~Rhiannon