New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Ski poles

post #1 of 18
1/25/09 at 2:55pm
Thread Starter 
Not sure how I did it, but I lost one of my poles. It is no great loss as they were freebies with my first set of skis. They started out straight but now look like racing poles (bent).

I quickly searches e-bay and an on-line seller to get an idea of cost, but I will buy from my local shop - Pedigree Ski in White Plains, NY. I saw poles (new) ranging in price from $10.00 to almost $100.00.

As most of the time my poles are dragging around turns or being poked into the snow as I turn, what is the value of an expensive set of poles. My current ones were cheap aluminum sticks, but they were fine for my needs. Any reason I should spend more thatn $20.00?

Not trying to be cheap, I would rather buy good stuff once rather than a bad purchase followed by a better option. That is more expensive!

Thank you for your input.
Reply
post #2 of 18
1/25/09 at 2:59pm
Expensive poles are good for making you feel like an idiot when you lose or break them. Or anger, when they get stolen.

Cheap poles are good for skiing.

I like having an extra pair in the car so when they're lost (esp in powder days since I don't use straps) or stolen (especially at crowded eastern hills) I don't have to pay $70 to the ski shop at the mountain.
Reply
post #3 of 18
1/25/09 at 3:01pm
Thread Starter 
Ted,

One of these days we need to get together. I am planning on skiing Hunter Sunday Feb 8th and 15th. Let me know.
Reply
post #4 of 18
1/25/09 at 3:10pm
Aluminum poles are good for breaking your wrist when you stab them into the earth at speeds that were not meant for pole plants.

Fibre-glass poles may be a little more forgiving.

I went skiing without poles today, thanks to an impact and subsequent sore thumb that occurred last weekend. Aluminum poles again last weekend, but thankfully not the Scott grip that broke my wrist last time around.
Reply
post #5 of 18
1/25/09 at 3:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ts01 View Post
Expensive poles are good for making you feel like an idiot when you lose or break them. Or anger, when they get stolen.

Cheap poles are good for skiing.

I like having an extra pair in the car so when they're lost (esp in powder days since I don't use straps) or stolen (especially at crowded eastern hills) I don't have to pay $70 to the ski shop at the mountain.
Expensive poles break?
Reply
post #6 of 18
1/25/09 at 3:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayPowHound View Post
Expensive poles break?

Scott team issue poles for my birthday....yay..they break
Reply
post #7 of 18
1/25/09 at 3:30pm
I got a set of rossignol Phantom Oval poles with break away straps and 2 extra powder baskets for like $40. Most seasons i go through at least 1 set of poles. Never buy anything above $50 for poles. A sweet ass $100+ pole isn't going make you ski better, and if you suck you'll look like a dork that can't ski with $100+ poles. Then you break/lose your sweet poles and be pissed you gotta buy another pair. Save your money for equipment that is worth it (ski's, shells, boots, lift passes, BEER and women).
Reply
post #8 of 18
1/25/09 at 3:39pm
I am on my second season with Swix Viper CT3 Composite poles. They are expensive, but I am careful about where I leave them and honestly I don't think I could break one if I tried. They are 80% carbon-fiber, and have a "woven fiberglass outer layer." They are light weight, swing very effortlessly and, as said, appear to be indestructible. I am very happy with these, and think they were well worth the money spent on them. I expect them to last me for many years.

Reply
post #9 of 18
1/25/09 at 3:49pm
I got 5 pairs of Leki Alu-Carbon poles (well, 4, then a pair of Alu DH poles). Lekis are pretty kick ass and the Alu-Carbon poles swing without any effort, and have the durability of Aluminum and the weight of Carbon Fiber. The trigger is awesome too, easy to click in, and they come off when you take a nasty digger and when you feel like clicking out at the bottom. Have had 2 pairs for a year and a half now, and got the other 3 later on in '08.
Reply
post #10 of 18
1/25/09 at 5:25pm
Scott - you're right, we should do some actual skiing at some point! Possibly the 8th but the 15th I'm elsewhere.

What RTTT just posted about Leki's is my sole exception to the "cheap poles are the best" rule. I got a couple pair on steepandcheap so the price was right but if you're going to pay top dollar at Pedigree you ought to check out Leki's releasable strap gizmo. Leki's are my sole exception to the "no straps" rule -- I really like releasable feature.
Reply
post #11 of 18
1/25/09 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ts01 View Post
Expensive poles are good for making you feel like an idiot when you lose or break them.
Relatively expensive poles are good for not ending up all bent like the OP mentioned. Aluminum poles not made from 7xxx series alloys are junk. All cheap composite poles are junk. A pole with the performance of a 60 dollar Aluminum unit costs something like twice that in composites and still isn't as bombproof.

I don't ski with nice composite poles because they cost too much and are stolen too often. They are also more likely to break. I break good aluminum poles too, but only after seasons of use.
Reply
post #12 of 18
1/25/09 at 6:05pm

Poles

ScottK, yes you can break expensive composite poles, yes you can bend a good aluminum pole when trying to self arrest sliding down Headwall in the ice a Squaw. Done both.

Just buy reasonably priced aluminum poles, good sturdy ones that fit your hand well and swing easy.
Reply
post #13 of 18
1/25/09 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete No. Idaho View Post
Just buy reasonably priced aluminum poles, good sturdy ones that fit your hand well and swing easy.
I keep going back to Scott Team Issue (Series 4) poles for those reasons.

Dennis
Reply
post #14 of 18
1/25/09 at 6:40pm
http://www.levelninesports.com/ski-g...44.html?page=1

Poles for between $14-$54. Only thing that sucks is it's a $15 flat shipping rate.
Reply
post #15 of 18
1/26/09 at 1:07am
Light carbon poles actually feel different then alu poles. You might not believe it until you try this, but there is difference. But then again, they also cost even up to 10 times more then cheap alu poles. I'm happy user of 100% carbon Exel World cup poles which retail for about 100-120eur. Now are they really worth this much? I don't know, I guess not. You can get carbon, even though not 100% poles for less then 40eur here, so I doubt these are 3 times better. But I really like these poles, if nothing else they look cool, and on top of that, I had chance to get them for free
Reply
post #16 of 18
1/27/09 at 6:32am
Here: http://www.artechski.com/swixslwcproracepoles.aspx

Swix world cuppers $50, and that's before the 10% discount. Made of 7075 aluminum, so they're sturdy.

If you don't like the 'anti dropping device' which is really just a flexy little plastic tab, you can tear it off. Nice poles, you wouldn't be disappointed.
Reply
post #17 of 18
1/27/09 at 6:37am
Scott Series 4 poles are a great value for the money.
Reply
post #18 of 18
4/13/10 at 11:46am
I'm also shopping for new poles. 

I'm using Leki HTS 6.0 poles for 15+ years now.  Great balance, swing, thin and very strong.  They are very comfortable.  I don't know what the materials are, but I'm sure it's not aluminum.  I've skiied on top of them many times and they haven't broke yet.  However, I need longer poles as my current ones are extra short for moguls.

What are the differences in materials?  Do the Leki release straps work well?  I ski in trees frequently.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Ski Gear Discussion