q's on new spurs purchase

eyehearttrees

eyehearttrees

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I'm not going to post a picture - they are in poor shape & I know it - but my spurs somehow only weigh 4.4lbs...I thought they were crap but now that I'm looking to buy a new pair (was given this pair nearly 2yrs ago, they have served me well!), it is blowing my mind what it costs for 4.4lbs spurs....can't make sense of it I mean hell some companies charge high despite having heavy shanks (Bashlin..)

Would love recommendations, I've met a climber who loves his (regular/green) Gecko's but those are 6lbs that'd be a 1/3rd heavier product and I'm small so weights hit me harder :p The padding looks solid though, more in-line with my current padding (compared to what I see in the magazines that look good, but weigh like 3lbs!)

The "climb right" aluminum spurs seem to be the best choice for me IMO but very open to opinions...wish I could swallow the 1/3rd weight-gain and go for the Gecko's, they're nice-looking spurs and the padding is surely better than any I'll get for the Climb Right's (would also appreciate padding recommendations, padding and straps actually since it seems retailers kinda just like to sell their in-house general-purpose straps :p ) Psyched for a new pair mine are so done, was going to "wait til next good removal and then buy them" but now thinking it's pointless to wait if I'm having any misgivings on the integrity of mine, I climb with a choking lanyard when spurring (Treesqueeze-type lanyard) but still would never want to see spurs fail on me!!

[edit-to-add: don't think it matters since it seems they're all available both ways, but I use "pole gaff" size....funnily enough I'd thought I had the longer-type spurs this whole time, til I was looking for which pair to order and measure mine and realize they're pole, not tree, gaffs :P Again though I'm a small guy, and climb Oaks 9/10 jobs, so am never wanting for longer gaffs!]
 
Think about choosing based on the spikecender you want, if you want one. Kiwi Klimbers makes a great spikecender that can go on KKs and certain other brands.
 
How did your current pair wear out, or what’s wrong with them?

I briefly owned Climb Rights, and hated them. I sold them to someone here, and he used a belt sander to change the shape of the spike, and made it similar to Buckingham and Bashlin spikes. They were much better he said, but still big and clunky, and he ended up selling them again.

I recommend Bashlin aluminum. They’re a bit pricey, but that should be the only gaffs you’ll have to purchase for the rest of your life.

Get the Buckingham velcro straps, they’re so sweet.
 
Stay away from the Cimb Rights. Possibly the worst spur I have ever climbed in.

Just because a spur is super light and high priced does not mean it is properly designed. I could climb in any spurs I choose, but I always go back to my good old steel Bucks with caddy pads..This combo is light weight, supremely comfy, has a great gaff profile, is utterly bulletproof, and affordable..Throw on some velcro uppers and lowers and ride off into the sunset...
 
Plus 1 on the buckingham Velcro!! Just spent all day in my Carbon Fiber geckos, super light and comfy (on my legs/feet). The lighter you go the more expensive materials get…… just the way of the world. I also climb on edilrid talons, very comfortable, but I’d guess you may find them “heavy”. I do like the gecko style calf strap coupled with the buckingham lower Velcro strap, very quick on/off and dialed fit. The talons take a few seconds more on/off/adjusted. FWIW….
 
rico said:
Stay away from the Cimb Rights. Possibly the worst spur I have ever climbed in.

Just because a spur is super light and high priced does not mean it is properly designed. I could climb in any spurs I choose, but I always go back to my good old steel Bucks with caddy pads..This combo is light weight, supremely comfy, has a great gaff profile, is utterly bulletproof, and affordable..Throw on some velcro uppers and lowers and ride off into the sunset...
Click to expand...
i gotta get the velcro straps, so far I LOVE my spur setup, only thing id change is maybe adding a wirecore flipline, but 16 strand rolls oh so nice
 
eyehearttrees said:
I'm not going to post a picture - they are in poor shape & I know it - but my spurs somehow only weigh 4.4lbs...I thought they were crap but now that I'm looking to buy a new pair (was given this pair nearly 2yrs ago, they have served me well!), it is blowing my mind what it costs for 4.4lbs spurs....can't make sense of it I mean hell some companies charge high despite having heavy shanks (Bashlin..)

Would love recommendations, I've met a climber who loves his (regular/green) Gecko's but those are 6lbs that'd be a 1/3rd heavier product and I'm small so weights hit me harder :p The padding looks solid though, more in-line with my current padding (compared to what I see in the magazines that look good, but weigh like 3lbs!)

The "climb right" aluminum spurs seem to be the best choice for me IMO but very open to opinions...wish I could swallow the 1/3rd weight-gain and go for the Gecko's, they're nice-looking spurs and the padding is surely better than any I'll get for the Climb Right's (would also appreciate padding recommendations, padding and straps actually since it seems retailers kinda just like to sell their in-house general-purpose straps :p ) Psyched for a new pair mine are so done, was going to "wait til next good removal and then buy them" but now thinking it's pointless to wait if I'm having any misgivings on the integrity of mine, I climb with a choking lanyard when spurring (Treesqueeze-type lanyard) but still would never want to see spurs fail on me!!

[edit-to-add: don't think it matters since it seems they're all available both ways, but I use "pole gaff" size....funnily enough I'd thought I had the longer-type spurs this whole time, til I was looking for which pair to order and measure mine and realize they're pole, not tree, gaffs :p Again though I'm a small guy, and climb Oaks 9/10 jobs, so am never wanting for longer gaffs!]
Click to expand...
I have the aluminum geko 2.0s..i forgot what they weigh exactly but I believe there around 4lbs. Im very happy with em.
 
While some designs are certainly better than others, like most aspects of a climbing setup, personal preference and what is comfortable and functional for each individual is the most important part. Unfortunately, without coworkers who will let you try their gear, it's hard to 'try on' things like spurs before buying.

I happily used steel Buckinghams with Big Buck wrap pads for many years and they were great, but I wanted something lighter. So I bought the aluminum Geckos and after four trees, decided I hated them. I can't say there was anything objectively wrong with them, ergonomically they just didn't work for me. So I bought aluminum Bashlins with Big Buck pads and am very happy.

Soooo, I've got some Geckos I need to sell sitting around my shop... (Edit: sold em)
 
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I bought steel Geckos as my first (and to date, only) pair of climbers. I don't spend a lot of time in spurs, but the steel ones seem fine to me. I have no complaints about comfort. I didn't have the luxury of trying different ones before purchasing.

I do find ascending a rope with them on less ergonomic than without spurs. That may be the nature of the beast. I'm faster on rope than spurs, so I'll still climb rope to start working down a spar. My "foot" ascender is on a very short stirrup (double bungee system), so it works fine with spurs.

For myself, I didn't feel that saving a couple of pounds was worth the extra cost for aluminum or titanium.

I bought mine off EBay; none of the usual sources had them in stock.
 
In hiking/backpacking it is often said 'a pound off your feet is like five off your back.' I generally agree with that statement and spend most of my time on spurs doing removals, so to me at least the more expensive but lighter spurs are totally worth it.
 
27RMT0N said:
In hiking/backpacking it is often said 'a pound off your feet is like five off your back.' I generally agree with that statement and spend most of my time on spurs doing removals, so to me at least the more expensive but lighter spurs are totally worth it.
Click to expand...
Plus Bashlins are the most well designed spur on the market..Realtively light, angled/offset stirrup, and the very best gaff profile in the biz...
 
About like a knee ascender. Short enough to provide plenty of step height without it running into my knee ascender. The Croll has a generously sized upper attachment hole. You can see a tiny screw link in it that holds the bungee.
 
@rico do you have the buck steels with permanent gaffs or replaceable? I noticed theres an angle change on the gaffs. Lookin to get a pair of steels.
 
Been poking around for . . . new KK's or carbon Distels or . . . . seems 1) availability is a BIG problem all over for some reason (Germany seems to have carbon Distels but wont ship non EU) and 2) GASP the prices have gone into orbit, even allowing for the Canadian 75 cent piece (pretend dollar). This has to factor into purchase decisions so for now it's still the good old Buckingham TI's I guess. Some online sites like the KK's look to be just parts and stickers . . . or am I missin' something?
 
i had carbon fibre spurs, lasted me 1,5 years, than they cracked above the spike.
needed a new set in a hurry so bought a pair of buckingham aluminiums. they are ok but not perfect. i bought some bashlin aluminiums with tree gaffs and some opsal pads (had to do some grinding to fit the bashlins into the opsal pads) im in spur-heaven! they are perfect. (to me)
friedrich
 
I have the bucklites I've been really happy with them comfortable and hold well. I started on a pair of steel klines (I think) then got done free steel notch geckos from tree stuff the spike part was pretty good but would get stuck in softwood kinda easy, the shanks were horrible though the geometry between where you stand and where it straps to your leg was horrible and left me either standing on the side of my foot or with a really loose strap on my leg.
 
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