Adjustable size bars

[b-kite]

How effective are adjustable size bars? For example, the Naish Torque bar can be adjusted as either 20in or 17in. Does it really make a difference when you change the width from 20 to 17 inches? Or is getting an actual 17in bar more effective?

[sflinux]

Two bars in one. A 20" bar is too big for a small kite (i.e. 8M), where a 17" bar is too small for a big kite (i.e. 17M).

[Rob112]

I'm sure it can be useful, but to be honest i fly all my kites (12m boxer to 6m pivot) in the same setting (20"). By the time I remember to switch it I'm on the water.

[Matteo V]

Two bars in one. A 20" bar is too big for a small kite (i.e. 8M), where a 17" bar is too small for a big kite (i.e. 17M).

For beginners and even some intermediates this is true. A shorter bar can also help when unhooking.

But once you've been kiting for a while and you've actually used large are bars with smaller kites, you just realize that you don't need to turn the bar so hard with a smaller kite. And once you hone that skill, a larger bar on a smaller kite can be very much beneficial for extremely fast turns as you would do when wave riding.

[Havre]

Same as for Rob. I got a 50cm bar I use for all my kites from 7 to 17m. Would have been nice with a slightly bigger one for the 17 I got to admit. Never had an issue missing a smaller bar for the smaller kites.