Ender
02-28-2007, 05:02 PM
I recently ordered a new set of hiking poles, because I no longer have my old reliable Leki's... to make a long story shorter, the Leki's handles were starting to break down and crumble (my best guess is that I got Deet on them, and over the years they degraded), but the main reason is that I left those Leki's on a bus in California, so yeah, I lost them :rolleyes:
First Glance
Anyway, After looking at poles in the store, I ordered the Black Diamond Contour poles, mainly because of the Flicklock and Binary adjustment mechanisms for securing the sections. These poles are 3 section adjustable, with the Flicklock for the upper section and the Binary for the lower section.
The Flicklock doesn't work like the tighteners that Leki, and pretty much every other pole manufacturer uses. The adjustment mechanism is on the outside of the pole, a swinging arm that tightens the shaft and secures the pole when closed, and can easily be adjusted with one hand, even with mittens on.
The Binary works extremely easily... it just snaps into place when you pull out the lower section. You can not adjust it to different lengths, it's either extended or it's collapsed, hense the binary aspect. Collapsing it is noticably harder however, because it requires pinching two buttons imbedded in the shaft, something not easily done without considerable effort.
These poles come with a 15* corrective angle to the grip. Mainly, this is a personal matter as to whether one thinks this is necessary or not. I personally like the 15* angle, as it makes the poles easier for me to swing with less arm movement. So, this was a big plus for me.
The poles do not have shock absorber springs. My old Leki's had these, so I'm curious as to how I'll like the poles without them, or if I'll even notice a difference.
On first glance, the poles look very well made. Both of the adjusting mechanisms worked well out of the box, and could handle my weight when extended. This is important to me because I use the poles very heavily on downhills, sometimes putting a full 100% of my weight onto the poles. They need to be able to handle this, and the BD's seem more than able. They are also lighter weight than my old Leki Makalu's. The handle grip extends past the handle down the shaft, to give more usable grip for uphill climbs without having to readjust the poles.
Initial conclusions: I feel that these poles should do me well, but until I get them out into the field I won't know for sure. I really like the Flicklock and Binary systems, both are much much easier than the Leki twist mechanisms, and seem more secure. I'm curious about not having springs... hopefully I don't even notice a difference.
I will add an update to this post as soon as I get out onto a trail, which should be end of March, early April.
First Glance
Anyway, After looking at poles in the store, I ordered the Black Diamond Contour poles, mainly because of the Flicklock and Binary adjustment mechanisms for securing the sections. These poles are 3 section adjustable, with the Flicklock for the upper section and the Binary for the lower section.
The Flicklock doesn't work like the tighteners that Leki, and pretty much every other pole manufacturer uses. The adjustment mechanism is on the outside of the pole, a swinging arm that tightens the shaft and secures the pole when closed, and can easily be adjusted with one hand, even with mittens on.
The Binary works extremely easily... it just snaps into place when you pull out the lower section. You can not adjust it to different lengths, it's either extended or it's collapsed, hense the binary aspect. Collapsing it is noticably harder however, because it requires pinching two buttons imbedded in the shaft, something not easily done without considerable effort.
These poles come with a 15* corrective angle to the grip. Mainly, this is a personal matter as to whether one thinks this is necessary or not. I personally like the 15* angle, as it makes the poles easier for me to swing with less arm movement. So, this was a big plus for me.
The poles do not have shock absorber springs. My old Leki's had these, so I'm curious as to how I'll like the poles without them, or if I'll even notice a difference.
On first glance, the poles look very well made. Both of the adjusting mechanisms worked well out of the box, and could handle my weight when extended. This is important to me because I use the poles very heavily on downhills, sometimes putting a full 100% of my weight onto the poles. They need to be able to handle this, and the BD's seem more than able. They are also lighter weight than my old Leki Makalu's. The handle grip extends past the handle down the shaft, to give more usable grip for uphill climbs without having to readjust the poles.
Initial conclusions: I feel that these poles should do me well, but until I get them out into the field I won't know for sure. I really like the Flicklock and Binary systems, both are much much easier than the Leki twist mechanisms, and seem more secure. I'm curious about not having springs... hopefully I don't even notice a difference.
I will add an update to this post as soon as I get out onto a trail, which should be end of March, early April.