Hey, need advice on using different bars on different kites. I know the recommendation is not to mix and match brands with different kites but I am simply too small to use the Cabrinha control bars.
I have given this gear to my girlfriend who's about 75kgs, 178cm tall and she now has a 2010 Cabrinha Crossbow and a 2009 Switchblade. She finds that she also can't reach the bar at full depower. The lines to one snapped yesterday after trying to show her the depower - power function, but now that the time has come to buy new lines, question is, can she use a different bar altogether, and if so, what are your comments?
Unless she spends $450 on that Susi Mai cabrinha bar for women, which is meant to be better for shorter arms/women.
I've got a 2011 Naish Park and love the control bar with that.
Any ideas? comments? help?
much appreciated
I could be wrong but your kites are pretty old so theirfore the lines will be old too. if they are that old that they are snapping the front lines will most definetly be stretched a fair bit which will cause the kite to be more powered up than it should be, forcing you to need to ride with your bar out further than you normally would. and pulling the bar in will probably make the kite back stall. you shouldn't really need to ride with your bar all the way out and if you do your probably on the wrong size kite.
i usually have to adjust my front lines within a year and thats from bran new.
Hey Bud
I have Cab 2013 bar and am 6ft and If I let the bar go so it throws to full depower I cant reach it either.
Sh1ts me to no end but with a stretch and 1 handed I can get it.
Now wear a shorts harness and that has brought it in a touch closer.
Crap prob for such a big brand.
Pretty sure the only difference with the Siren bar is the longer ropes on the trim straps. There's an extra couple of inches below the seat of the Recoil spring.
The bar is designed with a certain amount of throw - the IDS system lets you release the bar for nearly 100% "depower", so you don't need to throw the QR...
If you're riding around and need to hold the bar that far out, then you've got the wrong sized kite up or haven't trimmed properly. Good stance should see you with enough range of movement.
If the kite is at the zenith and pulling the bar to the stops, you probably got the wrong sized kite up.
There's nothing wrong with pulling down the black tube to reach the bar, if you've let it go... I do it all the time and I'm 6 foot too, and ride overpowered as often as possible.
PS lines are prestretched - they'll actually be shrinking 
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said..
Pretty sure the only difference with the Siren bar is the longer ropes on the trim straps. There's an extra couple of inches below the seat of the Recoil spring.
The bar is designed with a certain amount of throw - the IDS system lets you release the bar for nearly 100% "depower", so you don't need to throw the QR...
If you're riding around and need to hold the bar that far out, then you've got the wrong sized kite up or haven't trimmed properly. Good stance should see you with enough range of movement.
If the kite is at the zenith and pulling the bar to the stops, you probably got the wrong sized kite up.
There's nothing wrong with pulling down the black tube to reach the bar, if you've let it go... I do it all the time and I'm 6 foot too, and ride overpowered as often as possible.
PS lines are prestretched - they'll actually be shrinking
I agree with Kami. On my Switchblades, I found that by adjusting the bar stopper further down the plastic tubing, I can reach the bar quite easily. If I need to depower, I just punch the bar through the stopper (it's designed to allow that) for instant depower. It sounds like their bar is not properly adjusted or the bar stopper is too high or not there at all.
I got the new North Bar for my wife it is adjustable on the travel by moving the depower cleat down. Works great for people with shorter arms. We use that bar on 3 different brads of kites all good. Only catch is you have to use the depower strap a little more to fine tune as you lose the bar travel.
All of this is really helpful. The kite is the right size, we checked with a couple shops and instructor.
The second movable stopper is too loose and just slides back up the bar when the bar hits it. The problem with learning is that you drop the bar a lot so you're constantly having to reach for it.
I use naish lines with my Airush and it works a treat. I like the suggestion about the North bar. I think we'll go chat with a shop too.
Thanks for all your input, much appreciated
sarahlou, this is a common problem with the older cabrinha bars before they added the spring. There might be a way to add a custom stopper ball to stop the bar from going too far away without compromising the safety system. The issue is you will loose some depower which could be dangerous in stronger winds. As others mentioned be sure to tune your lines so the kite isn't overpowered in the first place
Yes Cabrinha bar throw appears to be one of the longest on the market. Almost every other brand is better in that respect.
I happened to buy some Core kites and ...... bliss ..... easily in reach all the time, and then a North Rebel, same again, easy to use, then Ozone, yep no worries.
I do not unhook, and do not need the chicken loop, and attach almost directly to the spreader bar, shortening the Cabrinha bar "reach" by that amount (bout 5 inches, 120mm)
It should be relatively easy to fit a recoil spring and extended toggles (ones that come on the siren bars) to your bar. Best thing is to take it to your local cabrinha dealer.
Select to expand quotecbulota said..
sarahlou, this is a common problem with the older cabrinha bars before they added the spring. There might be a way to add a custom stopper ball to stop the bar from going too far away without compromising the safety system. The issue is you will loose some depower which could be dangerous in stronger winds. As others mentioned be sure to tune your lines so the kite isn't overpowered in the first place
I like this idea . It will restrict depower as said .
I found a seat harness put bar closer too.
low hook to hold more hooked power imho
Select to expand quotesarahlou said..
All of this is really helpful. The kite is the right size, we checked with a couple shops and instructor.
The second movable stopper is too loose and just slides back up the bar when the bar hits it. The problem with learning is that you drop the bar a lot so you're constantly having to reach for it.
I use naish lines with my Airush and it works a treat. I like the suggestion about the North bar. I think we'll go chat with a shop too.
Thanks for all your input, much appreciated
You shouldnt be relying on others to tell you what kite is the right size for the conditions.
It's supposed to. As I said, the IDS stage 1 relies on all that travel -- I wouldn't change that by moving the stopper lower down! I don't see that pulling in the black tube a few inches so you can grab the bar is such a hassle. I do it all the time, while I fish the harness down from out of my armpits.... Even "standard" travel bars need the same technique on occasions. Good thing to learn too.
I put a Recoil on my 2010 bar... good mod, very simple. Get the one with t-handles on the trim straps (2012 plus IIRC) as the balls are hopeless when your hands are cold.
But if the wind is enough to be pushing the bar all the way to the red ball full stop... you need to reexamine you kite vs conditions selection process, especially if you're learning.
Select to expand quotesarahlou said..
Hey, need advice on using different bars on different kites. I know the recommendation is not to mix and match brands with different kites but I am simply too small to use the Cabrinha control bars.
I have given this gear to my girlfriend who's about 75kgs, 178cm tall and she now has a 2010 Cabrinha Crossbow and a 2009 Switchblade. She finds that she also can't reach the bar at full depower. The lines to one snapped yesterday after trying to show her the depower - power function, but now that the time has come to buy new lines, question is, can she use a different bar altogether, and if so, what are your comments?
Unless she spends $450 on that Susi Mai cabrinha bar for women, which is meant to be better for shorter arms/women.
I've got a 2011 Naish Park and love the control bar with that.
Any ideas? comments? help?
much appreciatedSelect to expand quotesarahlou said..
All of this is really helpful. The kite is the right size, we checked with a couple shops and instructor.
The second movable stopper is too loose and just slides back up the bar when the bar hits it. The problem with learning is that you drop the bar a lot so you're constantly having to reach for it.
I use naish lines with my Airush and it works a treat. I like the suggestion about the North bar. I think we'll go chat with a shop too.
Thanks for all your input, much appreciated
If your bar has to go out that far you are probably overpowered or you are dropping the kite a lot or letting out the bar as way of slowing down (try going upwind more to slow down), assuming you are using an older cabrinha bar they have a long throw to completely depower but you would only need this when overpowered. The stopper ball is not a good idea like dafunk said as it reduces the amount of depower land those old cabs can have a bit of grunt.
As you progress you will find that you can get going on a smaller kite and bar reach should not be a problem. You should never have to let go of the bar while you are kiting unless you crash. If your lines are snapping then your gear must be quite worn which would make the kite even more overpowered at normal bar reach. I would not always trust your retailer, they don't know everything.
Select to expand quoteffifty5 said..
I do not unhook, and do not need the chicken loop, and attach almost directly to the spreader bar, shortening the Cabrinha bar "reach" by that amount (bout 5 inches, 120mm)
Huh? So how are you attached to the harness then? Pics please.
Board short harness, new stopper ball or maybe just one new grubb screw. Problem fixed.
Core, North, Naish bars all have exposed depower ropes. This means lots and lots of frustrating hrs replacing them at home or in the shop.
Cab bars throw sux for sub 6' people but can easily be sorted and you'll end up with a much longer lasting bar.
Select to expand quoteCodeRed said..
Board short harness, new stopper ball or maybe just one new grubb screw. Problem fixed.
Core, North, Naish bars all have exposed depower ropes. This means lots and lots of frustrating hrs replacing them at home or in the shop.
Cab bars throw sux for sub 6' people but can easily be sorted and you'll end up with a much longer lasting bar.
Pete Cabrinha is a tall guy you know
I also suffer from the short arm syndrome. I simply can't wear a waist harness because the trim strap and bar throw is too far away for me. I've been using Dakine "Nitrous" shorts with built in harness for a lot of years now. The hook is much lower, sitting around your navel and this brings everything much closer to you. They are very comfortable and no chest crushing. They don't look like a big nappy either and people are surprised there is a harness inside the shorts.
www.dakine.com/
Sounds more like your lines aren't balanced. You have to take make sure they are the same length. I have a old Cab and the front lines have stretched 3+ inches. I took out the stopper ball out because it was annoying but I can reach full depower even though sometimes overpowered in a gust with a seat harness I got to bend forward to totally sheet out.
It wont matter what brand of bar you use because the amount of depower throw is determined by the kite not the lines.
Select to expand quoteCodeRed said..
Board short harness, new stopper ball or maybe just one new grubb screw. Problem fixed.
That's the reason why my friend rides with the boardshort integrated harness.
The hook is lower - bar is closer.
She's probably about 160cm.
She rides Naish kites.
Has the bar got the Cabrinha spring thing on it? That stops the bar sliding all the way to the end of the depower line when you let go.
I think they brought it out in 2001. It's easy and fairly cheap to retro-fit it to the older model. I installed one on my older kite and it works fine. You just buy the spring and wind it onto the depower line between the stopper and the slider for the ends of the depower straps. You don't even have to dismantle anything.
My only concern is that you sound inexperienced and I am a bit concerned with you modifying your gear if you can't work it out for yourself.
A seat harness does make the bar lower so that you have more reach. You can also turn your hips so that the bar rotates down and that brings the bar closer.
If all else fails you just grab the depower line and pull it. That depowers the kite and brings the bar closer to you so you can grab it. Again, if you are experienced enough to do these things you probably would have worked it out for yourself.
