I love them, they are really well made and while I have left a pole while skating from time to time, I also have done it with a regular strap.
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Slimmest alpine ski poles?
- Thread starter skipotato
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FWIW, LEKI does have Trigger S Easy (traditional style) pole straps as an option... You can get them from the LEKI Site if none are available locally.
<-*is starting to suspect we all need serious pole grip clinic time*
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I think the thinnest and lightest alpine ski poles are the Masters ST Carbon Light at Ø10mm and 131g based on a 120 cm size pole. The Sinano Beat-RC is Ø10.5mm and the Gabel Carbon Classic SC is Ø11mm, unfortunately I doubt that any of them are available outside Europe / Japan. LEKI also do a Ø11mm pole but, I think they are only available with the stupid trigger grips, which has to be one of the dumbest marketing gimmicks ever.
I’ve been using thin carbon fiber poles for around 30 years. Initially because of a shoulder injury, I would never go back to aluminum poles. The first ones I got were Goode Pure Carbon Classics with adjustable grips, which were brilliant. Unfortunately, they were stolen and as they are no longer imported into Europe, I couldn’t get another pair.
I’ve been using thin carbon fiber poles for around 30 years. Initially because of a shoulder injury, I would never go back to aluminum poles. The first ones I got were Goode Pure Carbon Classics with adjustable grips, which were brilliant. Unfortunately, they were stolen and as they are no longer imported into Europe, I couldn’t get another pair.
I've been using the same Scott aluminum poles since 1988...
Maybe I'm doing it wrong???
Maybe I'm doing it wrong???
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If one follows alpine racers for poles, you’re likely to have poles 10 inches too long. They also don’t need to hold the top of the grip to walk uphill, so that doesn’t relate to recreational skiing.
One could follow mogul comp skiers, and the poles would be much shorter than what one is used yo. Likely closer to a better length for most. Does any mogul skier use the Trigger system? Maybe as many who don’t use Pivots. Mogul skiers these days don’t seem to hold the whole grip.
It’s likely the grips are huge and heavy. On the plus side, if they need to change a track on the groomer, you could use the poles to hold that side off the ground.
One could follow mogul comp skiers, and the poles would be much shorter than what one is used yo. Likely closer to a better length for most. Does any mogul skier use the Trigger system? Maybe as many who don’t use Pivots. Mogul skiers these days don’t seem to hold the whole grip.
Maybe.
It’s likely the grips are huge and heavy. On the plus side, if they need to change a track on the groomer, you could use the poles to hold that side off the ground.
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How in the hell did you break them?
I have had three pairs of Goode carbon poles in the last 30+ years, two of them are still in service. The original would still be good to go except that I lost the tip at some point & wore the carbon down dragging it on the ice. I have cross blocked literally thousands of slalom gates with these poles without knuckle guards & never had an issue.
I have not used Goode poles exclusively, but almost since they first came on the market. I did have a pair of Scot carbon poles for a short time, but broke those on my first slalom run.
I also currently have a pair of Grass Sticks bamboo poles. They are just as light and seem just as durable as the Goode’s.
Heh.
You're not trying hard enough - and the proof is the Goode parts litter under the chairs from when our three local hills used Goode for their rental gear.
Yes I know the Pro have more carbon - but the rental grade ones are both flexier and less subject to fatigue because other fiber content.
The Goode composite rental poles were awful, heavy and super flexy.
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The big reason to use the strap that way is to avoid tearing the ligament in your thumb. I’ve seen someone do that who fell over basically standing still. Had the strap over the thumb, fell on the pole, tore the tendon.
They broke below the basket. The carbon fiber tube cracked, opened up, the metal tip fell out. Goode replaced that section with a plastic piece below the basket, kind of like Swix poles. That sort of ruined the lightness.
They next pole broke an inch or two above the basket.That’s the achilles heel of carbon poles. If you hit them with your ski edge when skiing, they get nicks there making a very weak spot. Late season on a cat track we were playing ski polo, hitting a crushed can down the path. On one wack the whole bottom of the pole went flying.
When I first got them, I thought the adjustable length on Goode would be a plus. Allen wrench to loosen, then turn handle. Adjust on the lift! Then you find out the thread for the grip is something like 32 threads per inch. So that’s 32 turns of the grip to change it one inch, times 2.
That’s the problem with just having an engineer develop products.
Same problem. Alu pole - in fact one of the aero profile Scotts I mention above. She never found the other basket.
Eh.
On the upside, turn ratios like that mean there's absolutely no chance you or a beginner will do an extra heavy pole plant and rotate the grip down the shaft after leaving the set screw loose. Phrased another way, high turn ratios -> smaller, lighter set screw.
You might have been too pole-advanced for those.
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I guess I’ve just been lucky. The newer ones have easily replaceable tips & baskets.
Dave was also a former US ski team member & was out on the hill testing frequently
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Anyone else cringe from cold, open-lattice metal decks for this exact reason?
Like the ones at Snowbird, to pick a non-random example.
An obvious conspiracy of the ski pole and boot manufacturers
Seriously though. My grand nephew almost went down hard twice while negotiating the metal steps at Heavenly a couple weeks ago. Why were we walking down sharp metal steps in ski boots when there could’ve easily been a snow slope to ski to the car park
An obvious conspiracy of the ski pole and boot manufacturers
I didn't realise the boot lot were in on it, thank you! And thus the Gripwalk cartel is exposed. I’m not a fan of super light poles although I can see there value in back country touring. I tried a pair of LEKI carbon poles at Killington on a typical “ packed powder “ day and found the vibration and flex annoying. Ideally, I’d never think about my equipment- it would be a seamless ,invisible interface between me and the mountain but, as witnessed by my presence here, I’m way to OCD for that.
I prefer a bit of weight for the same reasons the OP doesn’t- weight at the end of the pole acts like a metronome and helps with timing. I use 7000 grade aluminum Scott’s - light enough , damp enough , and it don’t worry about them getting clipped in a lift line. But that’s just me.
I prefer a bit of weight for the same reasons the OP doesn’t- weight at the end of the pole acts like a metronome and helps with timing. I use 7000 grade aluminum Scott’s - light enough , damp enough , and it don’t worry about them getting clipped in a lift line. But that’s just me.
Great many people on this forum seem to appreciate flexible poles as it softens the plant on hard snow. I absolutely can't bear this flex, it just feels....flimsy... and if I am skiing carbon poles, it is most of the times the LEKI Vario (viper?) poles as they are waaaay less flexible than Komperdell or Stockli poles.
But my main choice is simple LEKI aluminium poles. No flex and if I lose them-no biggie.
You are right that there are tiers of flex - and lack thereof.
I will also observe that there has been a quite large change in carbon and composite poles in the last less-than-5 years, towards less flex. Maybe a lot of that is still in the nordic market tho.