I’m real tempted by both the bar and one kite. Probably a 7m. It’s a bit of a gamble in the US though, since I have no way to test anything beforehand, and also with a new brand, who knows if they’ll be around for service or with new kites in a year or two.
Both the kite and bar look really appealing but I’m not sure if I’m ready to spend the money yet. I might start by ordering just a bar.
I'd rather take a Teflon tubing, 6/4mm as Rainer mentioned above.
Uncoated main line (or both) to reduce the friction between the lines.
And the bar should slide much better on PTFE than on PU tubing.
At 3$/m you just need to find others interested and share a 50m roll.
Sorry, the rope is $2-3 per meter, I can't even get a price for the multi chamber pu tube as they only do manufacturer runs in the thousands of meters... need a few kiters to chip in on a 1000m order lol.
I like the suggestion of Teflon tube. I didn't even know this stuff existed. Thanks.
And by the way Rainer, if I hadn't already spent $600 on ropes, swivels, rope splicing kits, rolls of kite lines etc to make my own bars, I'd definitely buy yours!
here´s the small video of the safety system of my Pintxo bar. I have made it with my old prototype bar, as I still use it. Some parts look a little bit different, but that does not affect the function. The serial parts are not lacquered like at my prototype.
I hope this will explain how the safety system works.
Because the carbon piece through the bar is tapered, maybe you could mould the larger side so that it matches the outside of the bar, and can be bonded onto the outside of the bar?
I am sorry, but I do not really understand what you mean.
and also with a new brand, who knows if they’ll be around for service or with new kites in a year or two.
I can fully understand your thoughts, but I think you should know that I am the founder of the brand Spleene in 2002 which I owned until 2012 and worked as head designer until summer 2018 for this brand. I am the inventor of the Door in 2002. So you can be sure that I have some experience in kitesurfing business and I would not have setup a new brand just for a short while. I hope that helps to have some confidence in what I am doing.
here´s the small video of the safety system of my Pintxo bar. I have made it with my old prototype bar, as I still use it. Some parts look a little bit different, but that does not affect the function. The serial parts are not lacquered like at my prototype.
I hope this will explain how the safety system works.
When I was doing something similar with that type of release, I was concerned about crushing the flagging rope each time the Q/R was connected, so put a small bead on the flagging line to move it to the side.
I’m real tempted by both the bar and one kite. Probably a 7m. It’s a bit of a gamble in the US though, since I have no way to test anything beforehand, and also with a new brand, who knows if they’ll be around for service or with new kites in a year or two.
Both the kite and bar look really appealing but I’m not sure if I’m ready to spend the money yet. I might start by ordering just a bar.
Having owned the first ediditon of Spleene SPX in 9m, which I bought 2nd hand in 2013, I don't doubt the design capabilities of Rainer. Didn't know his name before this topic, so no affiliation whatsoever. I just liked the SPX a lot and was sorry after I sold it. It was a very balanced 4-strut bridled open-C allrounder. With light bar, decent depower, easy relaunch.
The only risk with the Kauper XT kite is if it doesn't match your taste - resale value wouldn't be great even in new condition. I would surely take the risk if I needed this type/size kite!
@Rainer, my only concern - why one pump on so thin struts?!
I'd rather take a Teflon tubing, 6/4mm as Rainer mentioned above.
And the bar should slide much better on PTFE than on PU tubing.
Thanks for this advice. I am going to make some tests with this tube and let you know how it works.
Just a heads up that PTFE is heavier than PU (~2.2 vs ~1.3 g/cm3). Down side of PU is that it becomes harder at lower temperature and UV resistance is not that great, esp. for transparent PU.
You may as well look at other fluorpolymers with very low surface friction and excellent UV resistance & mechanical properties - ETFE, PDVF, PFA, etc.
All these are widely used for tubing. Plenty of manucturers with various standard sizes normally available in stock.
The answer is NO. The Pintxo bar does not float. For me it's not essential that a bar floats. If I am connected with the kite via bar system there is no need. If I disconnect myself from the kite I am mostly on the beach and make a break to drink or eat something. For me it was more important that the bar is simple and easy to maintain if necessary. Therefore the carbon tube is not closed at both ends so water, sand, dust etc can come out easily. The main goal was a clean and simple design.
BTW: I was asked the same question in the German forum too some days ago and so I was curios if there are some bars on the market really floating. So I went to the spot and asked some other kiteboarders if I could test their bars with huge floaters etc from several brands. What do you think was the result? None of them floats! They sink like a stone. I was super surprised, because I would have bet with those big floaters they should float easily. The opposite happened.
@Rainer, my only concern - why one pump on so thin struts?!
Would you prefer to have a separate valve on each strut? Me definitely not. I like it easy and quick. Beside that it´s always super difficult to pump such thin struts hard enough with a big pump.
The Maverick kite has no plastic clips to close the one pump system. I have never closed them myself and I do not see any kiteboarder closing them. So the security aspect is similar. If you do not have them is same safe like if you do not close them. Moreover these plastic clips sometimes are bending the tube between the one-pump-valves so the air cannot go out easily. So I designed my kite without these clips and I am happy with it.