I'm looking for advice on 4 line bars and the appropriate width to buy - if anyone can help?

I've previously only used handles but want to try a bar (with thoughts of trying kiteboarding this summer).

I need something I can use with a variety of 4 line kites - sizes from 1.8m to 4.9m

Thanks,

Gonna go with this and assume it is real. Please be so kind as to tell us what sort of kites you want to be flying with this new bar. Are these fixed bridle kites that you have been flying on handles or deposed kites. I'm assuming the former but it affects the answer. Thanks.

It's real

I've been away from kiting for nearly 20 years and just getting back into it.

I'm flying NEW 2.5 and 4.7 Rage and my OLD Quadrifoil XS & XM and FF Blade (version 1) 4.9 fixed bridle kites.

So far as I know there's only the Peter Lynn crossover bar for 4 line foils.
I owned one and it was nervous about its adjustment, and handicapped the twisters I flew it on.
My solution was to chop shop it for parts.
Maybe someone who's a better kiter might shed some light, but I gave up and went to handles with a strop for 4 lines and a bar for the NASA kites and depower kites.
Big Mikes kites has a video on the bar, it seems to work for him, but not for me.

Quote: Originally posted by plingboot

It's real I've been away from kiting for nearly 20 years and just getting back into it. I'm flying NEW 2.5 and 4.7 Rage and my OLD Quadrifoil XS & XM and FF Blade (version 1) 4.9 fixed bridle kites.

Thanks! I was trying not to be insulting with the "are you real?" question, but we have a lot of new posters posing as kiters. I agree with Ed (read Sally). The conversion bars will likely leave you disappointed. While some say they dumb down FB kites I liken it to a frontal lobotomy.

Decent Ozone Turbobar video here from a good PKF tribesman from Australia:

Thanks for the replies.

I spent saturday having a 'refresher buggy lesson' on the beach and the instructor had me flying their kites which were all bar controlled.

I can therefore see exactly what you mean by dumbing down the kite. However, if I'm hoping to have a crack at kite boarding I think it's probably going to be worth the time flying/practising with a bar.

welome aboard!
not that its any of my business but I'm from NY so...
fly those on handles...dont even try a bar
buy a dp kite w/ a real bar and then also have one more kite

I had mixed luck with a crossover bar. It worked well with Beamer-like kites such as a new kiter might have. Higher performing kites like Reactors were dumbed down and flew much better on handles. The strop and handles take care of power management without losing the fine control of FB.

I'll throw my 1 cents in and agree with abkayak here. Get a depower to practice for water, fly your FB on handles. (only flying since last october with an eye to getting in the water soon - went through similar thoughts as yours, I think we all do. Now I have too many kites, and need a couple more

Years ago I spent a lot of time with a Kitesurfer XXL experimenting with crossover bar setups, and then re-bridled it temporarily to see if I could get it to work as a depower kite on a depower kitebar. I put it back as FB with long handles and strop, and that's the only way it should be flown. Awesome kite, BTW.