There are a ton of things you can replace before thinking about a new carbon drop bar. They are a hassle compared to aluminium, in fact Pro Tour mechanics avoid them - now bike frames are so light they need to install heavier stuff to get the bike up to the 7.8kg (or was it 7.4kg? I forgot). I read an interview, and the guys said that in the heat of the moment they did break (overtightened) a few bars and seat posts.
Things to upgrade first (in general, not sure about your ride): saddle (needs to fit your rear), tyres (I am still on Conti GP4000S, plenty fast and relatively reliable when it comes to punctures), inner tubes (latex, no, I will not change to tubeless, it's a mess), bar tape (I like fi:zik, nice grip and comfy), brake pads (kool stop salmon or triple compound, basically if you can brake later you can ride faster longer), wheels (that's a big one, tons of money can be spent here), better shoes, faster helmet (aerodynamics!), bottom bracket / crank set (some crazy weight saving is possible here). I would first optimise the contact points (saddle, bars - shape and tape, shoes) and then worry about the rest. The more conformable you are the longer you can push really hard. Or maybe tubes and tyres first, cheapest tuning to do.
How much weight would you save with the drop bars? Not much. Spend the money on something else, see above, or a massage after the big race, a nice dinner (after the race), some tools to do more maintenance yourself... or a professional bike fit!
To save weight I myself could nowadays just lose some weight (though that was not really an option when still racing triathlons) - heck, I would be saving money (chocolate, beer, home made ice cream... ) as well
![[-]](https://forums.bikeride.com/images/flatty/collapse.png "[-]")
