new saddle

GreenMntnBoy410

GreenMntnBoy410

New member
Location
Vermont
So I want to upgrade my saddle from fixed D-ring to either a floating D or rope bridge. I made the mistake of buying a fixed D for my first saddle and after climbing on it for a year I found myself several times in situations wishing I could turn my hips. After searching several sites, rope-bridges appear to be more popular than floating D. My big questions are: What do you guys prefer? I'm guessing the advantage of a rope bridge to a floating D is the ability to replace the bridge. How long do they typically last and how do you go about replacing one?
 
I think most people would tell you between 6 months and a year. If you're looking at the weaver cougar, which is priced quite nicely, you are gonna want to look into replacing their stock bridge setup. The mod is called the "liger" you can find videos of it online (I think countryboypa did a good one). It's pretty simple to do, but it is your life support so it's good to have somebody experienced walk you thru it. Other saddles come stock with an actual rope bridge, but they are more expensive (ergovation, treemotion). I really prefer the rope bridge to my old fixed D. And I rock a ligered cougar. Also, I'm from the burlington area, where you at?
 
410, I started on a floating D weaver which was tough and was a nice entry level saddle which many have worn with pride for numerous years. I then went to a sequoia with a webbing bridge and swivel. That was such a change in the way I climbed, lightweight and comfy with lots of mobility. Now I have a TM and that thing is a dream of a saddle. Be informed that no saddle makes the climber. But take your time and adjust the TM it really is a very nice saddle. The rope bridge gives you nuff mobility. The lower D's come in handy when suspended for lengthy periods. There are some nice saddles out there, try to find someone who has a saddle you like and take it for a spin. I am not that fortunate, but I do also say body type and climbing style play a big role in the saddle that will be a person's choice.
 
Yeah, I assumed that bridge type would be subjective and vary from climber to climber. I originally got the fixed D because the thought of my hips moving was pretty intimidating when I didn't even have the skills to get into the tree in the first place. Now after almost a year of climbing I find myself in situations (usually when limb-walking) where I wish I could turn my hips. I'm 6'2" 220 lbs, so I don't know where that fits into the equation of deciding which saddle to pick. Being so new to climbing, I know I've got a long way to go towards defining my "style." I assume when you say TM you're referring to the TreeMotion. That thing is a beast, but the $500 price tag makes this poor college kid cringe. The more I look, the more I'm leaning towards the Cougar.
 
410, If you go with the Cougar, definitely do the Liger mod asap. With it you can dial in the length of bridge to suit your climbing style. I also put 2 DMM 48mm rings on the bridge to clip in to, and if I need, I can clip into each one individually for leaning over cuts.
 
I'd like to advise against the Cougar, their bridges have failed twice (well inspected in the case of my friend) recently up here in the NW and nearly killed my friend and another fellow up here in the PNW. BUY THE BEST GEAR YOU CAN POSSIBLY AFFORD! IT'S YOUR F&*(&!G LIFE ON THE LINE! I have a TreeMotion it is very comfortable, the Ergo is very good to and may be be better for someone who primarily does kills. The Kolibri is robust and comfortable I hear, the best thing you can do is try on, and hang in as many saddles as possible. And don't buy from a copycat discount company.
 
John. The Cougar is a decent saddle, the stock bridge just sucks. Most of us here are aware of the bridge issue including the incidents with your friend. If you look back, a lot of discussion occured on that subject including contact with the manufacturer. Nobody in this thread are promoting the stock bridge, just the contrary. Everyone suggesting the Cougar is recommending a simple conversion which immensly improves the performance of the Cougar and provides a bridge that can easily be inspected. GMB410 is a relatively new climber and as a student is also cash strapped. A Ligered Cougar could be a viable option for him. I fly one, so does Rich Hattier, and I find it a good decent mid priced saddle.
 
I had a TM for two years and recently went to the buckingham ergo lite. I did like the TM but not how it adjusts. I dont need infinite adjustment points. They can be become infinitely unadjusted. A few mods on the ergo lite(after market bridge) and i can hardly tell the difference. Its probably 150-200$ cheaper.
 
Just a thought, maybe we should stop calling it a Liger or Ligered Cougar and start calling it a Castrated Cougar.
 
Thanks for the input gentleman, like oldoak said, I'm a cash strapped student, so a $500 saddle isn't much of an option. I understand that you need to buy the best you can get, but that's way out of my price range. Stupid question, why are the bridges failing on the Cougar? And if Weaver acknowledges it, why would I still need to the mod, or is it more of a comfort thing?
 
GMB410. Best discussion re the bridge unger General Discussion/Anchor Bridge Recall thread. As for why the modification, I don't know who came up with the idea and as has been mentioned before, Countryboy has a good vid on the retrofit. I can only say that the stock bridge only has about 9 inches of usable area where my bridge has about 12 inches of usable area. The small paws also provide 3 different locations for the bridge as well as an extra set of attachment points for a lanyard. Makes things behave like a TM of Ergo with an added cost of about $50.00.
 
I'm currently climbing on a sequoia and if I had to do it over agin, and plan to when I wear it out is to go for a tree austria. The sequoia dosen't have enough padding and seems too light duty for my comfort, I've also heard good things about the austria.
 
I have been climbing on the Buckingham Viking for a year and a half now, and I feel it is quite comfortable and at a very reasonable price.

My buddy also climbs on this saddle off my recommendation and he is happy with it as well (his is called the puma) but they are identical saddles, just branded differently for the separate dealers.

http://wesspur.com/items/sad124.html "Viking"

http://www.sherrilltree.com/Puma-Harness-by-Buckingham "Puma"

http://buckinghammfg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=2505&ParentCat=250 "BuckCat"
 
I had a treemotion for several months and traded it and went back to my trusty sequoia. I like how it doesn't shift at all on me and has the SRT attachment point. Both are really comfortable saddles,

jp
grin.gif
 
I'm not tying start a controversy here but why reward a company that puts out an inferior product that jeopardizes arborist's lives. Case in point, I remember when the first "Cougar" of our group was purchased, I thought wow neat saddle, then I climbed in it and didn't really like the beltline cut, or the padding, but my friend (different) liked it so I didn't knock it. Then the bridge started disintegrating and I thought that's weird considering that I was climbing on a twice passed down Butterfly 1 that was in fine shape after years of hard use. Then all the other stuff happened and I guess that is well trod ground. But the fact is that Weaver put out a product that sucked because the bridge sucked and our lives often hang on the bridge. Don't tolerate companies who put out safety gear that falls apart, especially the part we depend on most.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom