Power Kite Forum

Spinning or hammerhead spreadbar?

hellnferno - 4-6-2013 at 09:29 PM

I am trying to get clean set-up for my ozone fury with my climbing harness. Looking at hook, there is two type of hook.. spinning and hammerhead spreadbar. Which one is best use for handles with strop line?

indigo_wolf - 4-6-2013 at 09:48 PM

Actually there are more types:
  1. hammerhead
  2. link
  3. spinning
  4. pulley
  5. pulley with pivot
  6. spinning pulley with pivot

The Peter Lynn catalog of spreader bars is a good sampling of what's available.

Is cost going to be a consideration? Unless you are a big fan of pain, you will also need a spreader bar pad to keep the ends from digging into you when the kite is in various corners of the wind windows and leveraging the spreader bar.

A lot of strop users tend to lean towards a pulley spreader bar of one type or another. Freestyle riders lean towards spinners of some type because there's less tangles after aerial moves. People have their favorites, but in the end, it will come down to personal preference.

Whichever one you go with, make sure you have a release system or methodology that you are extremely comfortable (second nature) with.

Intially, leave the strop and harness at home during gusty conditions.

ATB,
Sam

hellnferno - 4-6-2013 at 10:06 PM

Thanks for the information. What is your opinion on best, safe and cheap set up? I may think about buying real harness because they have spreader bar pads... It is all depended on whole set up price/safety for me.

bigkid - 4-6-2013 at 10:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by hellnferno  
Thanks for the information. What is your opinion on best, safe and cheap set up? I may think about buying real harness because they have spreader bar pads... It is all depended on whole set up price/safety for me.

Best?
Safe?
Cheep?
price/safety for me?

I think I should stay out of this one.

ChrisH - 4-6-2013 at 10:37 PM

I started out using a pivoting hammerhead and am now using a pivoting pulley. I like that the pulley has super low resistance but it's hard to get the strop back into it while in the bug. I'm getting better at it but it's still a pain. Also, the strop seems to come out of the pulley easier than the hook when you don't want it to.....hence the reason for having to hook back in. I suppose that can be fixed by not pulling on the handles so much and getting better at keeping the kite powered up at all times...aka...not slack at all. I find that it's also easier to unhook from the pulley when you actually need to. YMMV

B-Roc - 5-6-2013 at 04:45 AM

standard hammerhead is simple, safe, effective and cheap.

Bladerunner - 5-6-2013 at 04:39 PM

I would save money and buy a simple hook / hammer head. Use the saved money for a pad.

By the time you convert your climbing harness you may have spent almost as much as buying a used kite specific one ?

BeamerBob - 5-6-2013 at 05:05 PM

I have a pivoting hammerhead and keep the lock screw firmly tightened down. It was too prone to unintentionally turn the strop loose.

BeamerBob - 5-6-2013 at 05:05 PM

I have a pivoting hammerhead and keep the lock screw firmly tightened down. It was too prone to unintentionally turn the strop loose.