The best bar and why?

Kmun · Since 05 Jul 2009 250 Posts Obsessed

Below the bar un-cleat & sheet can be done “by Braille”.

Drop shoulders back, hips forward, pull sheet line.

To release rope & cleat lock tension; drop your shoulders back away from the kite. Counter this by driving your pelvis forward. A.K.A. the “one pump hump”. This one motion will reduce sheet/cleat tension. Un-cleat and adjust to length. All three steps occur concurrently.

In addition; dropping chest & shoulders back is also the proper direction to counter balance overpowering kite (think teeter totter). Also the best posture for stomping (hard edging) the board.

Above the bar systems:
Avoid bending FORWARD at the waist in order to grope at above the bar systems. Especially in scary overpowered conditions this is counterproductive to the favorable counter balance of upper body leverage.

The above the bar cleat requires a bit of hand/eye attention than below the bar. Comforting (at first) to visual problem solvers I may not be best for kinesthetic learners. IMO; the more complex it is up above the bar increases the demand on hand eye coordination. Below the bar cleat can become a “blind” intuitive process without need to look.

Above the bar strap/webbing depower systems have a variable friction coefficient during their life span. Stiff working (when new), wet sand or zero line tension (pre-launch) demands more fiddle factor for adjustment.

bwd · Since 04 Aug 2007 385 Posts Obsessed

bigjohn · Since 13 Mar 2012 663 Posts Addicted

Yikes!!! Okay so against my better judgement I am posting to this tangent of a thread that has deviated so far off subject it's ridiculous.

How to depower slingshot "below the bar" compsticks (no joke, this works):

1) While riding put kite at 12:00
2) With both hands fully sheet in bar (if you can do this one handed then even better)
3) Release 1 hand and place it on the depower line
4) Simultaneously pull the depower line while you are sheeting out with the other hand.

The action of sheeting out releases the pressure on the depower line making it much easier to pull.

kieran · Since 06 Jul 2011 45 Posts

I'm love Compsticks but don't love below the bar depower, so I modified mine to a race style depower. Just need the right cleat, works great.

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

- Push away center QR release that is proven and tested to release under all loads.
- Quality CL material that will spring open and not get hung up on anything.
- A "closed" CL end that cannot snag on anything when open.
- Quality firm bar end floaters that won't allow a bar end wraps and last for the life of the bar.
- Above bar trim as I find the below bar trims a huge pain in the ass. No leverage. I like to just reach up and pull (that's what she said).
- ONE BAR FOR ALL KITE SIZES!! One that can safely, quickly and easily adjust. I have never understood kite companies who sell 3 different expensive bars for different sized kites. A total scam.
- Center, out of the way leash connection.
- Quality lines.
- A minimum of a one year warranty.
- Kook proof connectors.
- 5 lines:-).

bulae99 · Since 12 Jul 2006 1691 Posts I give out bad advice.

Not a scam but a performance option when you buy a SS kite.

Most small kites are on a small bar, say 18 inches for a 6mtr to an 8mtr. This is a good thing as the smaller kites are faster and if you have long bar you might make a mistake and over steer it.

I know my 12 meter RPM has runs on the same size bar as my 10mtr RPM, but my 14 has the bigger bar with longer lines.

The bigger bar is 22inches with 23 mtr. lines, I think. It allows for more power because of the length of the lines. The longer bar allows for more steering when doing downloops and turns.

I know some companies have extension bars with moving ends etc., but it seem like they have issues.

A.K. · Since 01 Jul 2006 190 Posts Stoked

Line tending bar-end bungees will just beak after sometime. Just tie off the lines to tend your lines. What I am most interested in is safety features - and the most important safety feature remains the "oh shit" handles. Give me "oh shit" handles that can save my life not bungees to tend my lines.

-A.K.

dwaynej · Since 09 Sep 2013 207 Posts Stoked **CGKA Member**

Sherman Is on the weekend and a kiter flying a Core with a compstick went though a routine to set the depower on the compstick before getting into the water based on wind/feedback from the kite... Certainly made my launch the kite and jump in the water routine look a little "simple" Wink

dwaynej · Since 09 Sep 2013 207 Posts Stoked **CGKA Member**

macgruber · Since 06 Dec 2011 490 Posts SE PDX volcano Obsessed

I have 2 generations of Airush Smartbars. They both have little triangle pulls above the bar which I think can hang up on lines too easily if a drift launch goes bad. I should change them to some sort of stopper ball. Otherwise the bar is perfect. They have 2" sections with detents that can be removed to change from roughly 22"-18". I've undone these before at the coast when I need to pass them through lines after an inversion in waves. It truly is one bar for all kite sizes. My 2012 bar has a high Y but 2013 and newer have low Y for much easier self landing. The lines are color coded too

SpaceRacer · Since 04 Nov 2007 434 Posts Obsessed

There is one thing that I still don't understand and that is why/how any company can put ANY KIND OF CARABINER TYPE CLIP ON ANY BAR? Should not be. This type of clip can snag onto anything. For a while North was using the pinch lobster claw type of clip (you know what I mean and I am too lazy to send a picture). These seem so much better and smarter but even North has gone back to the carabiner...although they have this sleeve that goes over it. Not sure why. Seems like the pinch lobster claw all by itself is sufficient and less costly the carabiner with sleeve.