GLeasy Bars

Re: Phase 2 complete

Tom, let's hear the idea...

I thought of doing the same thing I did to make the bars fit on to the ascenders in the first place...slip on a piece of PVC over the bar, then slip on the handle bar cushions.

Looks like another trip to home depot!

love
nick
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

In order to get from the OD of the bar to the ID of the bike grips you're going to have to find a really thick wall piece of tubing for the sleeve.

Or...

YOu could find the right size OD tubing or get an old handlebar from the thrift store. Then make up a couple of slugs with holes in the center the same diameter as the GLeasy Bars and the same OD as the ID on the handlebar tube. Locktite the slugs into the tubing. Make the handlebar tube a tiny little bit longer than the GL bar length. Put a large diameter washer under the head of the 1/4" screw and snug it up. You'll compress the tube/slug to keep it from rotating. Or, you could probably just Locktite the whole works to the GL bar.

Just one idea that came into my head...
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

By the time you go to that much trouble it probably would have been easier to have the right size bars fabricated for you! Of course, that might be more expensive and not nearly as much of a fun project.

I still think that grip tape might be an easy answer here, if not quite as elegant. They make very nice cork lined tape for professional racing bicycle handles. It's very sturdy and very easy on the hands. Bicycle supply stores should carry it.
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

Epoxy is a marvelous thing. It will fill the gap between a squishy bmx set of handlebar grips, and hold them to the bar for you.
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

It's not too bad. Go with the 1/2 to 1 hour work time stuff. Cheap plastic cups work great for mixing, as they can be thrown away. You might want to try this site out. Lots of info. www.westsystem.com
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

To increase the bar diameter, you could whip the bar with some rope of the appropriate size.
If you started and ended the whipping so it was hidden, it would look really cool, especially if you picked some really pretty colored rope. Plus it would be consistent, with you liking rope and all.
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

NIck ,

I dont have any trouble with the size of the bars , but thats just me.One thing holds true is that your really not gripping the bar.In order to get the proper upward movement , I place my hands a little differently then you would expect.As Tom said, it's a chin up , but your hanging on with eight fingers rather then trying to grip the 1/2" bar with all ten. That will throw your thrust off and outward, so to speak, putting a bend in the rope and making the ascender not run up the rope as smoothly as it should.

Putting handle bar grips or beefing up the bar is an idea we came up with a long time ago however, it doesnt change the dynamics of the way you move the ascender, body mechanics and hand placement does though and it's the difference between someone looking smooth and one who is extreamly jerky in motion.But thats my opinion, after watching many people gripping the bar that way .Do what works for you .

When I demo the Gleasy bars for people on srt, they say, " Thats the Bomb, I want them ". however, I have to explain to them, what works for one , doesnt always work for another.

I let Jerred Abrojena use them once and as good as he is, had much trouble. His dad Gary used them and it looked as though he had been using them for twenty years.

Heres a pic of the way I hold the uppers. I use my thumbs and palms to move the ascender correctly up the line . It makes for a straight ascent up rather then out and up .

Thanks
Greg
PS I dont if I mentioned it to you before or not, but notice the biner hooked into the line. Helps Keep rope tracking through the ascender correctly.
 

Attachments

  • 20814-#1 upper facing out.webp
    20814-#1 upper facing out.webp
    50.2 KB · Views: 137
Re: Phase 2 complete

That's a good idea Mike has. Easy to try and see if it helps? Plus you're pretty good with rope, no? If that doesn't work good enough, whip it with some leather strapping that you have from that stuff you made for my grcs.
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

Nick,

A couple of suggestions:

1. Instead of bike grips or whipping, tie a Turk's Head on each bar. It'a a beautiful and functional decorative knot used by seamen to make grips on ships wheel spokes and any number of other tools.

knot%20009thumb.jpg


Turk's Head 1
Turk's Head 2
Turk's Head 3

2. You shouldn't be doing "pull-ups" on the upper ascender. That'll tire you out in no time. The heavy lifting should all be done with the leg muscles and the upper ascender should be raised in one fluid motion while you're standing up on the foot ascender. Also, keep the loopie sling short so you're not raising your arms much above shoulder height (this will also conserve strength) and so that it can't get out of reach when you hang on it.

The keys to efficient SRT (cavers are the experts on this) are:
- use legs, not arms
- take small steps

The most efficient ascending system (which is too cumbersome for arbor work) is the Rope Walker, which is like climbing a ladder - using alternating legs for climbing with 8"-10" steps and arms only for balance. The second most efficient sytem is any variation of the sit-stand systems (frog, Mitchel, Texas, MarBar), which use both feet together for the lift and hands primarily to raise the safety/ratchet ascender.

- Robert
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

Why not use the kong dualcender

It's a dualcender but even on single rope it works great.
I use it dayly for about a year and a half now. On double and single ropes.
Its smaler and i think lighter than those big things with the bars.
The space for your hands is tlited a little so your wrists aren't stretcht out like with the petzl acenders.
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

Dutch,

One concern with the Kong butterfly handles is that they are arranged in a really poor ergonomic way. The wings put the climbers wrists, elbows and shoulders in an alignment that isn't natural. Over the long haul this is going to hurt your joints.
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

I tried a couple things to fatten the handles a bit. I know which I prefer right now, but I thought I'd throw it out to you guys and see what y'all think.

Click on the pic and you can see that the left side is a turk-headsesque type knot (not exact because I've not practiced much with the turks head). The one to the right is consecutive square knots (or maybe they were granny knots).

The plan I have, after trying these two is to do the consecutive overhands, then when I get to the bar, go over these overhands with MORE overhands to fill in the small gaps between the bars and add a bit more thickness.

I did this in hemp. The final copy will probably also be hemp, but presoaked and stretched so it stays super tight on the handle.

love
nick
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

[ QUOTE ]
That's a good idea Mike has. Easy to try and see if it helps? Plus you're pretty good with rope, no? If that doesn't work good enough, whip it with some leather strapping that you have from that stuff you made for my grcs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mark, now that you mention it, I could do the first layer of overhand knots, than shrink-fit-sew a piece of thick leather over that. The knots underneath would give the leather some really cool texture!

I wonder how it'd hold up in the rain?

love
nick
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

That's some nice looking fancy work Nick. Good to go back to traditional ropework and blend it with modern tools.

I like the idea of covering with leather. After reading Brion Toss' book I've wondered where that could be incorporated into arbo gear. I'll bet there are some leathers that are treated to work in the weather. After stretching and drying I'll bet some kind of treatment could be worked into the leather. Silicon or some other juice.

I like the looks of the right handle.
 
Re: Phase 2 complete

Nick, very nice work. If you cover with leather, I think the leather will lay better on the one on the right and be more comforable to grip. For a sealer, I wonder if you could use a water based poly-urethane on the leather. I don't think it would be too slick because of the pliablilty of the leather. If it was, you could give it a light rubbing with some 400 grit sand paper to give it a little texture.

Jim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom