independent bar , better, cheaper

[FabsPH]

Why is there no company yet?
There is no reason why we have to pay (they want us to) an insane amount of money for a bar/lines.
Close to 400 bucks for nothing more then cool colors and comfy grips .
And if a kite needs a 5th, you are double fkd.
Looking at new gear, but wtf, no way a bar/lines are worth 400 bucks.

Are new lines coated in gold?
Is a $400 bar safer then a 10 year old one?
design wise...

talking about bar, not chicken loop and push release...... which are not worth a billion dollars either

you know what I mean....
...there you go... vented... feeling better..

[bnthere]

most bars cost more than $400, that has been the case for a few years now. a bar is arguably the most important piece of kite gear you own, you generally only need one, and assuming it is functional and unbreakable (which unfortunately many are questionable in both cases) i am willing to pay it.

however, i also vote for better bars and for less cost.

[Jbrook]

I suspect would be hard to market first few years. I am all for it as I saw one bar was $550.00 dollars plus tax. Would have to have more than 1 version thus would make it complicated due to, 5 line and 4 line and also some have the Y down low and some have close to kite. Maybe have to have all bars same and custom fabricate Q lines or something for each order, using Q line would make bar last longer as some lines on new bars just sux shit. Hehe

[sarc]

Decent bar = US$ 50
Safe Chicken Loop = US$ 90
Q-Power Line 500ft = US$ 150 or less
Leader line, depower line, cleat, stoppers and thingamajigs = US$ 50

We're already up to $340... so making it yourself is not an enormous cost saver... however you can have the exact setup you like and if you are flying North Kites like me you don't have to put up with shitty bars and crappy lines (I do like their chicken loops and depower cleats tho...)

[edt]

Decent bar = US$ 50
Safe Chicken Loop = US$ 90
Q-Power Line 500ft = US$ 150 or less
Leader line, depower line, cleat, stoppers and thingamajigs = US$ 50

We're already up to $340... so making it yourself is not an enormous cost saver... however you can have the exact setup you like and if you are flying North Kites like me you don't have to put up with shitty bars and crappy lines (I do like their chicken loops and depower cleats tho...)

I think your costs are too high.

composite bar: $30
new ozone megatron chicken loop: $35
lines: $100
leader line, chicken line etc: $25
naish swivel/safety : $50
cleat: $25

I get $275 to make a brand new bar. I have three bars I have made myself out of various parts, it's definitely cost effective to make a bar, you save about $75 over last year's 2012 naish bar for $350.

By contrast making a brand new kite is not worth it, if you try to purchase enough teijin technoforce t9600, dacron, tubes to make a 12meter kite yourself it gets up to about $800 new. Unless you can get a bulk price on the canopy material you are just making a kite because you like making stuff.

The north bar is really high quality but it comes at a price.

[Starsky]

An independent bar could do well with an online sales model and menu style for component that you assemble yourself.

Could seriously undercut most brands and appeal to people that have perfectly good useable parts they like but have broken or just dont like others.

[sarc]

OK but if you are making you own bar and are not using q-power then.... why bother?

I've still got Q-power lines in very usable state after 10 god-dang years of use and abuse...

[elliott george]

I like the idea of a independent company making bars. This would definately lead to some new innovations as they would concentrate purely on making bars.

Maybe a company like mystic who already make a range of kitesurfing accessories could develope not one but a range of bars for different styles or one bar with different accessories to customise a bar suited for what you want!

Also making your own bar can be a pain in the ass depending on what company you want to use.
Slingshot makes getting replacement parts in the uk at least a pain in the ass!!

[edt]

OK but if you are making you own bar and are not using q-power then.... why bother?

I've still got Q-power lines in very usable state after 10 god-dang years of use and abuse...

I dont like mini 5th line bars, all my bars are single center line flag u cant use q-powerline on them at least not near the safety system.

[FabsPH]

making own bar is just crap.
There is no reason why bars cost so much.
R&D, sure. but actual material and production cost can't be that much.
Maybe nobody wants to be liable for injuries?
In the US I get it, ..you hurt yourself, sue the idiot who invented gravity.