• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Fancy Poles

wa-loaf

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
15,109
Points
48
Location
Mordor
We're getting desperate when we start talking about poles.

I can never bring myself to spend money on poles. $130 bucks for a pair of carbon fiber poles? :puke: When I buy poles I just go to the bargain bin and don't like to pay more than 20 bucks. My current poles are a pair of Lekis I picked up cheap in 1997. No need to replace them until I can't bang the bends out anymore.

Who buys the expensive poles?
 

andyzee

New member
Joined
Sep 14, 2004
Messages
10,884
Points
0
Location
Home
Website
www.nsmountainsports.com
I like expensive on the cheap. Last poles I got were Lekis on sale at Sports Authority for; reg. price $100, on sale for $29, purchased three pair. That's the way I try to buy most of my ski gear.
 

SkiDork

New member
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Messages
3,620
Points
0
Location
Merrick, NY
I snapped a pair of fiber pole by skiing over them. That would not have happened with metal.
 

twinplanx

Active member
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
1,748
Points
36
Location
lawnguyland
Buy poles? I'd rather try the lost/found sometimes they even have decent goggles,(hint think end of season mid week):)
 

bvibert

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
30,394
Points
38
Location
Torrington, CT
I've never really seen the point of the fancy poles. Then again I've never tried any so I guess I don't know what I'm missing...
 

tcharron

New member
Joined
Dec 5, 2006
Messages
2,222
Points
0
Location
Derry, NH
stole is a strong term... I prefer finagled :beer:

Generally, if something ends up in lost and found, I figure there's a good 50% chance I'll never see it again. :-D

I had a pair of goggles last year that ended up that way. I didn't really care, they where like 20$ Scott night goggles. I KNOW they ended up in the lost and found, two days later, nowhere to be seen.
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2007
Messages
1,415
Points
0
Location
new hampster
higher end poles are generally lighter and stronger regardless of whether its a composite pole or an aluminum pole. When I was a bumper I'd go through 2 or 3 pair of $20-$25 poles a season...sometimes they'd bend if I looked at them wrong. Since I've been using more expensive poles I haven't bent a pair in over a decade and there have been times I was positive I bent them into a C...but to my surprise, nothing happend. 7075 aluminum poles are more expensive, but much more durable than a 5083 shaft...think bike frames, higher end = stronger and lighter weight. I prefer aluminum for two reasons, swing weight and hand feel...some of the composite poles feel too light, like they're not even there. Second, and more importantly, alu poles make a distinctive noise when you hit them together...that's how I'll let a boarder know if I'm on his blindside or just let someone know I'm there. If you're going through 2 or 3 pair of $25 poles a season, step up and buy a $75 pair and see what happens...better yet, look for the deal that andyzee got.
 

marcski

Active member
Joined
Jan 10, 2005
Messages
4,576
Points
36
Location
Westchester County, NY and a Mountain near you!
For years, I was always breaking poles and I had mismatched pairs that I picked up either at the lost and found or finagled from the rental shop at the local/regular hill. However, about 8 years ago now, one of my skiing buddies gave out a bottle of Knob Creek and a pair of composite poles for a wedding party gift. (frankly, I don't know off hand what brand), but I still use them to this day. For what its worth, they've lasted longer than any other poles I've used. I don't think they cost him more than $50 bucks.
 

Hawkshot99

Active member
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Messages
4,489
Points
36
Location
Poughkeepsie, NY
I used to go through a pair of cheap aluminum poles a year, bends, breaks ect. Bought a pair of Carbon fibre and have had no problems with them. Had them for like 3-4 years or so, and they are still straight and not broken. They have payed for themselves, and now I am making money.

Plus I have expensive poles, I must be a great skier!:snow::beer:
 

wa-loaf

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
15,109
Points
48
Location
Mordor
Besides having to pay for them, I'd be too afraid someone was going to walk away with the pricey poles. Maybe I'm too paranoid about that kind of thing, but it would suck to spend even $50 on poles and then have someone rip you off.
 

Hawkshot99

Active member
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Messages
4,489
Points
36
Location
Poughkeepsie, NY
Besides having to pay for them, I'd be too afraid someone was going to walk away with the pricey poles. Maybe I'm too paranoid about that kind of thing, but it would suck to spend even $50 on poles and then have someone rip you off.

Do you lock your skis? If so slip the cable though the strap on the poles. My Scott's you cant just feed the strap out of the clasp, you need to cut it.
 

roark

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
2,384
Points
0
Location
Seattle WA
$5 Kermas. The only piece of equipment I still use that dates back to the 90's.
 

snoseek

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
6,260
Points
113
Location
NH
Besides having to pay for them, I'd be too afraid someone was going to walk away with the pricey poles. Maybe I'm too paranoid about that kind of thing, but it would suck to spend even $50 on poles and then have someone rip you off.

split your poles along with your skis when going inside.

theives are lazy and generally pretty dumb, not many will figure it out.
 

Birdman829

New member
Joined
Sep 19, 2005
Messages
525
Points
0
Location
Burlington
split your poles along with your skis when going inside.

theives are lazy and generally pretty dumb, not many will figure it out.

I second this and almost always split my skis. I don't think that the thieves are necessarily dumb, it just isn't worth their time to find the match for your ski when they can grab any of the 200 other pairs that are together right in front of them. It's not much, but it can't hurt.
 

riverc0il

New member
Joined
Jul 10, 2001
Messages
13,039
Points
0
Location
Ashland, NH
Website
www.thesnowway.com
I am a fan of the Goode composites. Then again, my primary pole has generally become my BD touring poles since I love the swing on them with the added weight. Super expensive poles don't fly in my book since I have the habit of bending them by falling on them or wrapping them around trees. Though my last Goode composites lasted a lot of years before they finally gave out.

Fancy poles? Heck no. But definitely not the cheap ones either.
 

twinplanx

Active member
Joined
Mar 8, 2007
Messages
1,748
Points
36
Location
lawnguyland
Generally, if something ends up in lost and found, I figure there's a good 50% chance I'll never see it again. :-D

I had a pair of goggles last year that ended up that way. I didn't really care, they where like 20$ Scott night goggles. I KNOW they ended up in the lost and found, two days later, nowhere to be seen.

Come to think of it I do have a pair of clear lens somwhere :grin: I'll have to dig 'em up ... What Mtn did you lose them at ? :beer:
 
Top