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hayes wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 29, 2020 10:36 am

Attach your main line connectors to a fixed point, then check every bridle line with its opposite side by pulling a small amount of tension into the pairs of bridle, so a1 a2 a3 etc across all rows, compare left to right
Check your A main and Z mains aswell
See attached photos. you’ll quickly find the issue

I once had a very small know in a Z bridle near the tip, couldn’t see it in flight but it kept causing problems when I jumped and pulled the bar in

Shouldn't front and steering line be 10cm apart when comparing A-Z lines? Like you would have it with bar attached

yea but a metal roller and a metal axis will just seize up -this is how flexifoil sabre 1 was, and you had to roll them around all the time if not they just seized up and anything else is big and cumbersome

Flag53 wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:29 pm

I had the Pulleys fail on my 12m Soul but only after 18months of use.

Has anyone thought about fitting an alternative to the standard pulley .
I like the look of the 18mm Harken Carbo air block and even thought about the Ronstan Shock Block but I couldn’t find any reviews on the Ronstan

For an item that costs £3.59, 18 months of use seems reasonable.
https://www.gsproducts.co.uk/plastic-hs ... gJ-cvD_BwE#
Out of interest what was the condition of the pulley (s) after that period of time?
Cleaning them with a brush to remove sand after a session will help to prolong its life including the bridle line that passes through it.

no, its wear not muck

Flag 53

I have used Ronstan shock blocs as the single pulley on LEIs. They are very light and I was dubious to start with, expecting the adonised layer to wear and then corrode out. There is some signs of wear but they have been on for two years and still functioning well.

I have bought SS equivalents, I think cabrinha but have yet to use them. Personally for a foil I would be happy to use the Ronstan for the low mass and ease of inspections. They are a good piece of kit!

Regards Herman

Hi mgs,

I always check the pulleys before use but even with cleaning they didn’t seem to run super smooth .
I was flying my 12m soul one day In Fuerteventura and it felt like something was catching so I came ashore and inspected the bridles. Two lines had worn through to the final filament and two pulleys had seized .
I bought 4 new pulleys from Flysurfer Uk and that cost €33 and replaced all the bridle lines.

I now own a 9m Soul and I love the kite but the pulleys ( the same as the 12m ) definitely seem like poor quality to me .

I was only asking the question to see if there was a better / smoother alternative even if it cost more .


Thanks for the info Herman

Hi Flag53, thanks for the reply.
Looking at the following link:
http://shop.flysurfer.com/2x-pulleys.html
The product description reads “A shared development by Flysurfer and Sprenger”
“High quality and long-living”

Ronstan produce a similar looking pulley as detailed in the link.
https://www.ronstan.com/marine/product. ... =RF13101-2

My Ozone kites use Ronstan pulleys,(RF25109) these are much bigger and have ball bearings.
I keep them clean and give them a quick squirt with a silicon lubricate from time to time.
Never had any issues with them.
https://www.ronstan.com/marine/product. ... No=RF25109

Cheers mgs

flexifoil did have very similar size pullies on the sabre1, but they were metal axis and metal roller and they use to seize up

the great thing about the ronstan orbit pulleys https://www.ronstan.com/marine/product. ... No=RF25109
is you don't need to squeeze the line around the wheel to feel for if they are running free, which is a pain and leads to a little guessing, on the orbit pulley you just flick the wheel around with one finger, reassuring and so easy.
they still get gummed up in wet sand, as they all do, apart from the very super expensive ones that I used for racing cats back in the day, they were over £25 a piece back then, so expensive! tiny though, so would fit well on speed systems I still have them and flick the wheel every now and then to listen to it spin at high speed, amazing.