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How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

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t3rse
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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby t3rse » Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:54 pm

I shortened my CL significantly. I made a DIY slider with a bungee loaded hook, and the CL is plenty big enough still to find the hook.

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby kooshball » Fri Sep 26, 2014 2:36 am

sijandy wrote:
kooshball wrote:I am looking for ideas on how to move the control bar closer to my harness...

When I ride and edge hard, it is almost impossible to have the correct form since when I lean back, I can no longer reach the bar and it either over-powers or stalls the kite. If I ride around hunched over then I can reach the bar but this is no good.

Any ideas on how I can get the bar closer to my body?
What harness are you currently using? If Dakine, i've noticed there spreader hooks are a lot longer than other brands i've got (mystic/airush) so maybe just a straight harness/hook swap might save you an inch or 2.
I am currently using a Dakine Pyro harness and Liquid Force CPR bar...

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby sijandy » Fri Sep 26, 2014 7:34 am

kooshball wrote:
sijandy wrote:
kooshball wrote:I am looking for ideas on how to move the control bar closer to my harness...

When I ride and edge hard, it is almost impossible to have the correct form since when I lean back, I can no longer reach the bar and it either over-powers or stalls the kite. If I ride around hunched over then I can reach the bar but this is no good.

Any ideas on how I can get the bar closer to my body?
What harness are you currently using? If Dakine, i've noticed there spreader hooks are a lot longer than other brands i've got (mystic/airush) so maybe just a straight harness/hook swap might save you an inch or 2.
I am currently using a Dakine Pyro harness and Liquid Force CPR bar...
Yeh Pyro's what i had in mind when i was referring to the long hook, dunno if all dakine's are like that. The quality of the hook didn't look great to me either, thinner metal than my others and the welding's pissed as f***... i recall dakine being renound from spreader bar failures. Or if you've got access to welding gear mod it urself.

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby IanNJ » Fri Sep 26, 2014 1:51 pm

The new response bar from Liquid Force

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby windfreak74 » Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:42 pm

Having short arms on 60-70 cms depower travel is sometimes a hassel!
i recently done a modifiication on my spreader bar using the same switch chicken loop which i removed 2 inches of the tube and use a rope for increased mobility. i was able to shorten the distance by 3 inches to a confortable distance and increased the range sideways for my bad back its incredible how much better you can walk with the kite on the beach and ride switch stance.
the rope encased on polytube is a 8mm vectran rope with a 8 knot on each end.
the tips and knot are sewn so they wont untie.
maybe this mod can help someone but not very diferent from others posted.
i still havent cut the hook until i get used to the free feeling.
cheers!
Pedro
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2014-10-01_10-00-12_320.jpg
Last edited by windfreak74 on Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby merl » Wed Oct 01, 2014 3:06 pm

I'm going to completely ignore the funny typo in that post and ask how you shortened the switch chicken loop. Is it complicated?

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby windfreak74 » Wed Oct 01, 2014 3:22 pm

hello Merl,
happy to make you smile! :thumb:
take pin out of the chicken loop.
retrieve the spectra rope out or the plastic tube.
cut 1-2 inches of the platic tube to desired size.
use a sewing kit to make a new loop on the spectra.
use splicing method.
leave a Little longer than before.
use the twisting method to adjust tensión.
20 minute job.
it sure be nice if switch offered on the an extra smaller spectra rope for the chicken loop so people could choose which to use.maybe seling them on the website!
use and sew at your own risk!!

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby windfreak74 » Wed Oct 01, 2014 5:42 pm

comparison to previous setup.
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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby tomatkins » Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:05 pm

When you finally decide to cut off the hook, then, an interesting experiment might be to just loop the chicken loop around the bar itself... and see if it still slides OK. If the sliding action is acceptable, then you would lengthen the “throw” by another 3 inches or more. I would guess that the sliding action would be better, if the hook-less spreader bar had a little more curvature, but you might be surprised by the experiment.

Actually, I bet that you would get a pretty good idea of the result by just tying the lines to a tree and leaning back, and noting how easily the chicken loop slides back and forth. If the poly tube of the chicken loop sticks too much, you could experiment by taking off the tubing and see if the bare rope slides acceptably. Be sure to carefully evaluate any potential problems with the quick release, after you modify the factory built unit. Voiding the warrenty is a minor thing, compared to accidentally compromising the release mechanism.

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Re: How to shorten control bar reach for smaller arms?

Postby herbert » Thu Oct 02, 2014 12:33 am

I would second that cautionary note with respect to the idea of putting the chicken loop directly on a rope for sliding as in the photo or putting it directly on the spreader bar. As the chicken loop slides fully to one side, I could envision the chicken loop wedging and having a lot of increase friction and not always releasing in an emergency. If you test the chicken loop release on dry land....attaching it to a variety of places on your harness and bar, I find that the plastic of the chicken loop itself is pretty "sticky" (as tmatkins rightfully said) and though it will always easily release from itself...open up..so to speak....it needs to be unencumbered for it to slide and fully separate from you. That happens pretty reliably with a standard length and width hook. Anyway...some very good and thought provoking ideas here....just make sure you test them at every angle, etc. Imagine leaning back from a tree and having it release. But then imagine being face down...kite in deathloop....and direction of pull being straight up toward your face so that the spreader bar and/or slider rope is pulled tight and flush up against your body. Will the chicken loop slide out then?

Anyway...sounding like a broken record here...but...the issues raised I think have been addressed quite well by the Boardriding Maui CS. The chicken loop has been shortened....to zero...by eliminating it. The spreader bar hook can be removed. With the pull coming directly from the bar, rather than the hook, the torque to your body from a kite to your side (toeside or walking up beach) has been drastically reduced. The result is that you don't need the slider any longer. I think the slider is a good response to the fact that we have hooks. But it is a solution that adds stuff. I think you get as good or better a result by eliminating two things...the hook and the chicken loop. My experience is based upon comparing my a) Jaybar, b) a standard hook and chicken loop, c) a BRM CS tied to the hook and d) a BRM CS tied directly to the spreader bar. "d" wins out for me. (bar can be closest to body if needed, longest range of motion, low torque on body, safety)

I think one could get these advantages by doing it homemade....following the model of the BRM....you should have an emergency release that works under load (as others have shown in this and other threads) and a system for safe flagging. I'll just use the BRM CS...it works with all my kites. (If you ride unhooked you can disregard this whole idea).


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