Power Kite Forum - Spreader Bar: roller vs hook?

Spreader Bar: roller vs hook?

airin - 10-10-2011 at 03:04 PM

I'm just in the process of putting in my order to A Wind of Change for a harness. The new PL Base harnesses comes with a roller bar but I know they used to have a hook spreader. I've heard the roller causes less wear on the strop but really it isn't too big a deal to swap out that little bit of climbing accessory cord now and then. Apparently with the roller the strop can fall out more easily if the kite's tension eases off. Kent can offer me either type bar. Which one would you recommend, hook or roller?

kitemaker4 - 10-10-2011 at 03:26 PM

I myself use a roller and have for many years now.

Susan (npw goddess)

tridude - 10-10-2011 at 03:39 PM

I perfer the hook......coat the strop with surf wax.....GTG!! only bad thing is dont have a safety release..................

tridude - 10-10-2011 at 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kitemaker4
I myself use a roller and have for many years now.

Susan (npw goddess)

Susan,

Do you have a safety release rigged up?

BeamerBob - 10-10-2011 at 03:48 PM

I use the hook spreader but don't like the drag the strop has on it. The surf wax idea could be a great solution without having another spreader bar. I switch between depower and fixed bridle so the hook is more versatile. I'm not sure there is an effective way to hook a chicken loop to the roller and it be secure so as to not fall off. I hate when that happens. :o

csa_deadon - 10-10-2011 at 04:00 PM

I'm with Bob on this one. More convenient switching back and forth.

Airin best thing you could do is try out a hook, and a roller bar.

You're gonna find you like one over the other. Think there's a few of each up in your neck of the woods.

ripsessionkites - 10-10-2011 at 08:34 PM

roller

cheezycheese - 10-10-2011 at 08:41 PM

how bout a hook with a wichard release... :dunno:

markite - 10-10-2011 at 08:45 PM

Depending on what type of harness you have many have a separate pad that the bar is attached to - and then your webbing strap weaves through the end of the bar. Because I switch back and forth but like a hook for one and roller for the other I have two pads with attached spreader bars and switch for whatever I'm using that day. It doesn't really take long to swap the pads/bars around. The one thing to keep in mind if going this route is checking how the bar attaches to the pad and velcro positions etc. My spinning hook bars are wider than the wheel bars so the velcro on the pad does catch a bit but I did extend the velcro tabs a little to make sure it was holding the wider bar secure.

airin - 10-10-2011 at 09:13 PM

So a lot of you guys use a hook because you switch between depower and fb. Does it follow then that if you only flew fb you would prefer the roller, and, if so, why?

Susan and Rip, you both prefer the roller - why do you like it better than the hook?

tridude, I'm not familar with the safety release you mentioned, could you describe it?

markite - 10-10-2011 at 09:32 PM

For me - hook works best on the chicken loop for depower. On fb the I have several different bars with different rollers and all are way smoother than sliding a strop through a hook and less wear on the strop line. One some previous bars with rollers I changed just to get a bar with the roller out a bit further. A couple of times at NABX I got clothing caught in the roller and stuck at some pretty high speed when you don't want to move the kite that drastically to get unstuck.

ripsessionkites - 11-10-2011 at 01:43 AM

i only use a hook for kitesurfing or any kite that has a chicken loop / donkey dick

the roller in my opinion is better for FB kites. when you run courses or need to keep your kite moving its nice to have zero friction.

have said that, if you're doing only nice long runs up and down the beach its nice to have a hook because it somewhat locks into place better. however under high tension / extremely powered you'll want the roller to have control over the kite.

@ Mark, you should just kite naked so there is less things getting stuck in your roller.

airin - 11-10-2011 at 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ripsessionkites
...
the roller in my opinion is better for FB kites. when you run courses or need to keep your kite moving its nice to have zero friction. ..

Makes sense, thanks Rip.

hiaguy - 11-10-2011 at 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ripsessionkites

@ Mark, you should just kite naked so there is less things getting stuck in your roller.

LOL! I don't think the good folk at Wasaga are ready for that.

rocfighter - 11-10-2011 at 12:04 PM

I have two spreader bars. Both hooks. One with a wichard and pulley for FB, the other just the hook for DePower. I was thinking of making one with a roller to try it. But haven't yet.

indigo_wolf - 11-10-2011 at 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ripsessionkites
@ Mark, you should just kite naked so there is less things getting stuck in your roller.

Can still get things stuck in the roller.... just a different pain quotient. :o :lol:

ATB,
Sam

BeamerBob - 11-10-2011 at 01:31 PM

I just ordered a roller hook. Been thinking about it for a year now and figure its best to have no compromises either way by having both a hook and a roller.

RedSky - 11-10-2011 at 03:19 PM

Libre Animator roller. Spins 360 for kite loops and pivots left and right. A tab keeps the strop from coming out. Highly recommended.

indigo_wolf - 11-10-2011 at 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RedSky
Libre Animator roller. Spins 360 for kite loops and pivots left and right. A tab keeps the strop from coming out. Highly recommended.

Arminator?

Peter Lynn Prodigy is similar

ATB,
Sam

BeamerBob - 11-10-2011 at 05:43 PM

Looks like the PL model doesn't have so many things for the strop to catch on other than the wheel. The Libre doesn't look quite so professionally made but more of a garage build. I've never used either but just ordered the prodigy. It might be that both are fully functional in practical use.

kitemaker4 - 11-10-2011 at 07:12 PM

No I do not have a safety release.

Susan (npw goddess)

Quote:

Originally posted by tridude

Quote:

Originally posted by kitemaker4
I myself use a roller and have for many years now.

Susan (npw goddess)

Susan,

Do you have a safety release rigged up?

kitemaker4 - 11-10-2011 at 07:16 PM

I have never tryed the hook. All I know is that in the past the hook really chewed up the strope line and you had to replace them a lot. I do like being able to control the kite with the roller.

Susan (npw goddess)

Susan and Rip, you both prefer the roller - why do you like it better than the hook?

ripsessionkites - 11-10-2011 at 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BeamerBob
Looks like the PL model doesn't have so many things for the strop to catch on other than the wheel. The Libre doesn't look quite so professionally made but more of a garage build. I've never used either but just ordered the prodigy. It might be that both are fully functional in practical use.

I've used a prodigy spreader with a chicken loop last year snow kiting. i was too lazy to change out to hook. works.

the tab on the Libre is metal, the tab on the PL is plastic.
the PL one is easier to get out. CBE likes to break his tabs off though. LOL.

if the tab is missing it doesn't make much of an issue. you're suppose to be flying under tension, not still arm strength with the kite.

hope this helps, and as always Sam for adding pics. the Kite-Wiki. =)

lamrith - 11-10-2011 at 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ripsessionkites
you're suppose to be flying under tension, not still arm strength with the kite.

I am def still working on that one. I always find my chicken loop hanging loose as I pull the bar toward me like a dork rather than let the harness carry the load.

cheezycheese - 11-10-2011 at 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lamrith

Quote:

Originally posted by ripsessionkites
you're suppose to be flying under tension, not still arm strength with the kite.

I am def still working on that one. I always find my chicken loop hanging loose as I pull the bar toward me like a dork rather than let the harness carry the load.

Becomes easier when you are in motion. :wee:

RedSky - 12-10-2011 at 06:58 AM

Quote:

German engineering dude! ;-) The Libre version is built to last. The strop never catches BTW. Not tried the PL one though.