OK, so I am learning bit by bit about the equipment and now turn to poles. Seems to me there are these considerations:
Length:
Was told to hold it upside down, hand under the basket and aim for a right angle at the elbow. However while doing that, I have been given 110, 115 and 120 by different instructors/hire shops, so now I pick the midddle length - 115, but no idea if it's right or not (am 5'6")!
Material:
I guess the issue here is weight/strength and I assume light weight and strong = expensive.
Handle:
I assume the fancy topped ones with sort of shields are for racing and that standard use ones are those given out in snowdome hire kit?
Shape:
I assume the kinked ones have either been sat on , or are for racing?
The Name
I imagine like most things, poles with certain "names" on them are dearer but not necessarily for any good technical reason?
Anything else? What would you recommend to a skier like me who is yet to start using poles for anything but propelling myself along flats/slight inclines and self-defence! Any good reason against "cheap & cheerful"?
Yeah I know, pick the ones I like the colour of .
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Butterfly wrote:
Any good reason against "cheap & cheerful"?
Not really, unless you have discovered you prefer lightweight poles. Regular aluminium poles are much of a muchness, so choose on price or colour Lightweight poles tend to be made of composite materials (eg carbon fibre) are generally are more expensive. I'd say 115cm sounds about right for you.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Ever since I lost one of an £80 pair of carbon fibre jobbies in powder I've always gone for cheap n'cheerful, although recently I've bought some Black Diamond collapsible ones for touring convenience.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Butterfly,
Length: Sounds like you've got it about right, slightly longer is better than too short with ski poles
Material: Doesn't make a great deal of difference, aluminium poles tend to be cheap and chearful and theree's nothing wrong with them, carbon fibre poles tend to have a bit more spring in them but if you bend them too far they will snap or even explode
Handle: just pick one that's comfortable in your hand, it doesn't really matter too much if it has a guard or not as you won't need them unless you do slalom, but you don't want a grip that's awkward for you
Shape: Just stick with the straight ones, the bent ones are to give downhill skiers a bit better areodynamic profile that's all.
Name: Not really important poles are poles, often if you are buying skis, boots and bindings shops can be persuaded to throw in a set of poles to match the skis for no charge they act as advertising banners for ski makers so tend to be fairly cheap
"I assume the kinked ones have either been sat on.."
In the case of one of mine which has a very avant garde aero shape that is precisely the case
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
go to decathlon and get the cheapest ones they have. I have had more problems with my expensive ones with baskets snapping off
After all it is free
After all it is free
Black Diamond flicklocks - then you can infinitely tweak the length if its not working for you and pack small for transit. Failing that cheapies and a pipecutter/hacksaw. The basket is usually a more important performance feature than the pole itself IMV.
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i would say it is worth trying before buying - i was in the "they're all pretty much the same" school until i got some REALLY bad ones from a hire shop. they were heavy and the handle was hard plastic and therefore not very grippy
would second the recommendations on BD flicklocks. other types of adjustable poles suck IME
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Butterfly, 115 sounds about right for your height. and the right angle to elbow rule is generally spot on. Most of the alluminum poles are the same and if you are spending around £ 30-50 you will get somthing light and sturdy that will do for everything.
Handles are whatever is comfortable for you wiht the variables of the wrist strap snap off or normal, the punch guards that are used for saloman races I have a set on mine poles as I find them handy for protecting my hands in the trees and for various other bumps and knocks
Butterfly, Basing my advice on your other posts re your skiing experience
Length -agree you should go longer, 110 definitely sounds too short, 115 at least and possibly 120. I am 5'8'' and used to use 120's now use 125's and find them easier to use. My wife is 5'4'' and finds my old 120's better than the 115's she used to use. One of my skiing buddies is 5'9'' and uses 130's.
Also agree about handles, hard plastic ones are uncomfortable and difficult to grip on cold days, also don't absorb vibration if you hit ice.
Personally I have been using the Leki trigger system models for 3 years now, they are not cheap but are not necessarily dear either. Much easier to attach and detach on and off lifts and always come off if you fall. Light as a feather and never lost a basket yet.
Slush & Rubble still have plenty of last seasons ladies version at little more than cheapie prices! ( assuming you are female)
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Handles - very important. If you have small hands/wrists then some ski poles are quite cumbersome.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Butterfly, 5'9" here, I talked to the mail order shop before they posted mine and in the finish they sent me 115cm - they were fine for me the two weeks this year. If you don't mind pink ones mine were £12 inc. postage from Ebay
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ali ones will bend if/when you fall on them... if you aren't in places where this may happen often, then get a comfortable ali with a good basket.
Or a cheaper compo...
The basket arrangement needs to be pretty standard for when/if you lose one...and a shop can just whack on a spare easily.
Failing that, the BD's are the best that we have collectively demo'ed I'd say ( from the DB test centre )...they don't collapse easily at all... but they aren't cheap and I wouldn't think you get the best use out of them.
something I'd buy in resort or at least get a feel for....rather than just get cheap online..IMV
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I disagree re length, many skiers have poles that are too long, slightly short is better than too long. Shorter poles can help in turn initiation and long poles in the moguls will have you "stroking the giraffes neck"
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
JT, I would have thought at the level Butterfly and I are at that a pole, was a pole, was a pole. When I can confidently ski a black maybe I'll treat myself to some Leki's until then I think my cheap online jobs will suffice.
Butterfly, If you are looking for poles does that imply that you've got skis sorted? They do usually come as a pair from hire shops.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
re teh handles: I woudl have loved the Leki trigger system but I just couldn;t grip the pole - hands too small I think. I tried several poles that just weren't comfortable. As long as the length is right I would say focus on how the handle feels.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
holidayloverxx, ditto - if you have to carry them all day, I can't see the problem with spending a bit.
snowshine, yep they've been arround for many years, personally I prefer a hip flask though, those poles are a heck of a lot more than buying some reasonable poles and a hip flask should cost.
I'm definitely in the shorter is better camp. I'm 6' 2" and started last season using 135cm poles. By the end of the season, I was using 120cm!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
supernaut, ..Hmmmm 120cms..? that might be a hard position to make work IMV
After all it is free
After all it is free
I am 6 foot and have adjustable poles and after a lot of trial and error my perfect length is 122.
Long poles can be handy if you do a lot of pole-ing.
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It's interesting that people are advocating shorter poles. If you look at the world cup skiers (SL and GS) even when free skiing they use poles between sternum and collar bone height. This is also the thinking by the CSCF.
I'm 5'62 and use 120's even in moguls.
I find shrter poles lead to poor hand position and squatting which puts greater strain on the quads.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Philbo, agreed,
supernaut, jbob, here is a video on pole planting, check out the length of Bodie's poles. Longer poles help you stay taller and keep you hands up and forward. http://youtube.com/v/41llqEmmlQI
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Tue 2-09-08 13:15; edited 1 time in total
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Megamum,
Think I'll go for lunch with my son one day this autumn in Sheffield - Decathlon are only 5 mins walk from where he works.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Butterfly I would agree with those recommending the leki trigger system poles - they are a bit more of a fiddle to get on initially but then are really handy on lifts etc. They aren't hugely expensive - I've got the titanlites and they were about £30. I would really recommend them, I have small hands and I find the fact that the strap fits flat along your hand much better than standard straps and makes it easier with small hands to grip the pole. Certainly how the grip feels is quite important and I would also go for lightish ones. Would agree with those who say go for the longer poles - I would have though 120s - I am not quite 5' 2" and I have 115's.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Why not drop into an artificial slope and try a variety of those that are in the rack to check for the various heights.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Megamum, Megamum, I used 115 at MK last week and they seemed pretty reasonable in that I didn't notice them when skiing down (not having the first idea yet about actually using them!) and they seemed the right kind of length for negotiating my way around the bottom of the slope back to the lift. I might give 120s a go for comparison next time I go to a "fridge". I won't be buying any for a bit - no need until I next go abroad, so no rush.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Pick the shorter poles. 110cm.
They force you to lean forward when planting.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Oh help, I agree with Whitegold again.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I would disagree that short poles force you to lean forward when pole planting. They may force you to break at the waist which is not desirable.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Whitegold, is "leaning forward" when planting a good thing... hmmm...
Philbo, skimottaret, it's worked to help me get out of the back seat, but I do have to think about getting my weight forward, and not break at the waist. I agree that's a potential danger, though.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
another fan of the trigger system here...good for some many things and cuts down the faffign when at lifts, getting stuff out of back pack etc etc its also good if you need to pole as you can get that cross country style pole flick going.
Hurtle, sorry but shorter poles wont help you out the back seat, flexing at the ankle rather than the knee and keeping your thighs high/ and pelvis forward will help with that. Perhaps the very fact that you were concious of being in the back seat helped you get out of it, I doubt very much shorter poles had anything to do with it.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
skimottaret, whatever you say, but I've lost count of the number of instructors who've advised me to keep poles on the short side.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Shorter (but not too short) poles force the upper and lower bodies forward and encourage firmer planting. Hurtle is right.
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we may have to agree to disagree, IMO short poles dont force anything forward but can cause waist break or overly crouched posture. we have a BASI trainer and the ex british childrens team's race coach so far saying too short doesnt help solve problems....
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
skimottaret,
Quote:
a BASI trainer and the ex british childrens team's race coach
Must be right, then. I'm afraid that I failed to check the credentials of the various people (of different nationalities) who have advised me.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
, or are for racing?
.
