Kiteforum.com

Hi UKSurf:
We've been testing the final Element production model in normal use for about 6 months without any problems so we haven't truly determined the 'half-life' yet. The jacketed dyneema-cored line being used is extremely strong and durable. That said, I recommend pre-flight checks which is easy to do when you are setting up and if you encounter obvious fraying of the jacket or exposure of the core, the line should be replaced. Accidental damage is also a constant possibility with any bridle system. The Element bridle is designed such that replacement is very easy and quick and the replacement lines are relatively inexpensive so there should not be any problem. It is important to use the correct line as we have found it to be the best for this application.
Cheers!
- Bill

UKSurf wrote:Going back to the original topic, I wanted to ask Bill Hansen how often he recommends the bridle rope that the sliders runs through should be replaced on the Element. I plan to replace the rest of my quiver with Elements after I purchased the 13m and liked it, so want to fully understand how this new approach differs. Will there be visible wear on the line over time giving me an indication that I need to replace it - which is much better than a pully that will just snap without warning.

@Hansen Aerosports

Thanks for letting me know about that, I did notice that the bridle that the slider runs over looks alot stronger than normal. It is much easier to see if the rope is a bit worn than if a pulley is about to fail. Nice work on the Element design, is an incredibly stable kite with fast turning and power

the infinity kites definitely need the sliders, flying in 2-4kn gives the lines heaps of wear!

on a serious note, why are they so expensive?

the infinity kites definitely need the sliders, flying in 2-4kn gives the lines heaps of wear!
on a serious note, why are they so expensive?

Hello Bradn. That is a great idea. Maybe in order to keep everything very light weight will use the "Metal Slider Pulleys" on the INFINITY and the TUTOR kite.
The retail of these "Metal Slider Pulleys" are $18 for a set and they come with the Grey line attachment also. This is not expensive at all. It's $9 each. And it includes FREE shipping in the USA.

Bradn wrote:the infinity kites definitely need the sliders, flying in 2-4kn gives the lines heaps of wear!

on a serious note, why are they so expensive?

Hi,

My advice (and I bought these sliders)- buy proper pullies or you will still end up with heavy wearing of the bridles with these sliders.

Cheers
Caesar

Hi,
My advice (and I bought these sliders)- buy proper pullies or you will still end up with heavy wearing of the bridles with these sliders.
Cheers
Caesar

Caesar,
I have been using these RONSTAN RF 25109 for (7 months) now on some of my prototypes and guess what!!! I can see some wearing on the lines already. The wheels are stuck and won't turn any more because of the thin sand that is stuck inside of the bearing. So I need to take them off and clean them very well in order to make them spin again. Well let's hope that works.
You can check the "EPIC KITES 3R GENERATION. 3GII" topic and see what few people think about it.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2377845&p=784731#p784731

Dimitri M wrote: Caesar,
I have been using these RONSTAN RF 25109 for (7 months) now on some of my prototypes and guess what!!! I can see some wearing on the lines already. The wheels are stuck and won't turn any more because of the thin sand that is stuck inside of the bearing. So I need to take them off and clean them very well in order to make them spin again. Well let's hope that works.
You can check the "EPIC KITES 3R GENERATION. 3GII" topic and see what few people think about it.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2377845&p=784731#p784731

Hi Dimitri,

The kites I bought off you came with the rings and the bridles were worn after only 4 weeks. Then I purchased the sliders from you, hoping there would be an improvement. And yes, there was an improvement to the rings but I still end up with heavy wearing of the bridle lines.

I posted on that thread you mentioned too and asked if Ronstant (or you) could send a set of pullies to me as well to see how they would work out.
Surely pullies need to be maintained- everybody knows that. But I'm sure everybody agrees there is less wearing if properly maintained.
I (and everybody else who bought their kites at the time) had major issues with the 2010 Cabrinha pullies. I don't want to be reminded of how my kite looked like after the pullies broke. But within a short time frame they sent out new pullies to replace the crap ones.

I just wanted to give you my opinion, nothing else and I hope it will work out well for you.

Cheers
Caesar

Sorry Caesar,
But RONSTAND gave me only few of these pulleys to test. So BLAST KITEBOARDING our UK dealer was the last one to get them. They are very expensive pulleys. You can always buy them at any Marine Stores or directly from RONSTAND web site.

I've been told that those pulleys are not designed to be around sand - might even have been someone here. I did put some on a Synergy and had no issues with them, but I checked them before each flight...

They're not cheap either - at least, not here...

.