Ok. Kites these days are pretty awesome. The Bars are pretty great too, but I think could be better. You get some or most of these on different bars but I don't know of one that has them all.
So in the grand tradition of writing a Santa wish lists:
For next Xmas I would like santa's kite elves to design....
1. O'Sh#t handles. Plus with loops for connecting the safety on both sides. I use these when I have a sketchy self launch situation.
2. Pull-pull type depower, but with stretchy lines that come all the way down to the bar. It is always when you're over powered that you have to have orangutan arms to reach the blasted depower. These could go to the outside of the bar to keep the clutter to a minimum. Oh and while we're there, how about heaps of length. I would actually like enough such that I don't need the three different knots on the rear pigtails - after all don't they just do the same thing? Why not miles of depower?
3. A donkey dick that is mounted on the loop that flicks either way - I keep ending with mine upside down - most certainly operator error, but I see most manufacturers now have them on one side.
4. Nice grips.
5. Bright grips
6. Grips that are obvious different colours for left & right (or is that port & starboard?)
7. Bar floats, but also why not make the first 2-3metres of lines out of thick stuff? Wouldn't affect performance & could save someone's finger.
8. A chicken loop that opens with the safety rather than detaches. I've never lost the loop after deploying the safetey but I reckon it must happen - why not just one that pops open.
9. Below the bar safety. That swivels so no unwinding.
10. Safety's that are reliable & easy to deploy - but not too easy. I like the Cabrinha style push away personally but it makes me nervous when hooking back in that I'm going to pop it. But haven't seen anything much better.
Any other thoughts.....
htfu and just put up with what the kite manufactures put out.
they oviously cant be too bad, cause they do pretty comprehensive r&d.
The bar needs to be tuned to the kite with the right length lines and the bar the right width to get the best performance(no 1 bar for 5 different sized kites). obviously different colours each side with a good grip texture i like the feel of the bars that are thicker in the middle makes it easyer to grip when unhooked. The rest of the bar needs to be simple not to much depower throw and just a regular cleet style depower roap. the chicken loop needs to locate in the bar and the donkey dik needs to rotate out of the way simply. Safety system needs to be simple and reliable I like the velcro ones on the Fone kites but allso like the simplicity of the older style SS one.
The lenten pro bar looks good.
I really like the Fone bar this year. (the last two werent as good)
the sling shol bar this year is better than in previous years but i dont like the under bar depower and will have to see how all the swivels an pullys last but saying that SS have allways been good with there warantys.
The cab bar is nice but has way to much depower and i dont like the quick release chicken loop i would loose it fore sure. And the lines probaly should be biodegradable so they dont last forever tangled in our trees around the coast.lol.
Last thing i would like on a bar is one that the lines last a lot longer as most lines on new kites seem to wear quit quickly when you spin a lot and start doing loops.
slingshot almost got it right this year untill they put on that swivel where the front lines cannect to to the bar
the thing weigh about a kilo , doesnt work at at unless you reach and manually spin it - it rusts and fill up with sand
the bar no longer floats at all which is really bad - i wont to take mine off
apart from that the bar functions well - but the swivel is a complete f87k up
How about a bar system with a swivel that actually works untwisting lines without interfering with the safety line?
1. Vacant seat/stool
2. Ice cold Beer/ Bourbon & Coke
3. Bowl of crisps/nuts
4. Eye candy serving the drinks
5. Mates to talk crap with you
Everything else is sundry clutter and will do nothing to improve performance or handling. W
I modified my own one up, took a slingshot 2009 bar with a 2005 chicken loop & rope. Swivel above the bar running via a pully to avoid excessive wear, loop on one front line so i can land (however slingy oh-sh1ts can do this). It means i ride suicide but when unhooking its the only way.
The problem with i have found with the depower under the bar is too many ropes running through middle of the bar & the ropes wear quickly. By running the big slingy rope there is only one, i coat it in wax & is looking good still after a season.
Juggler Nice settup but just wondering how the roap will last with that style stopper ball. Nice and simple and if it works for you its all good.
i never move the stopper balls, the rope is actually doubled over on its self, so even if the outer is the wear through, it holds its self on kinda like the old chinese finger trap.
