Kite Bar zum Kiten für Soft- und Tubekites: ✓ 4 Leiner ✓ 5 Leiner ✓ ClickIn Release ✓ Loop

The design and adjustment options for the bars vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Bar width

For optimal performance, your bar width should be adapted to your kite size. This way, you can ensure that large kites do not react too sluggishly to control impulses and that small kites do not become too agile. Many manufacturers make it possible to make the necessary adjustments on the same bar and to make it wider or narrower using different setups. These adjustment options are often sufficient, but sometimes it is still necessary to buy a second bar in order to be able to use a wide range of kite sizes optimally. You can usually find information about the optimal bar setup on the manufacturer's website, or you can ask us.

Quick Release

The way the quick release works (“push”, “pull”, “twist”) is not standardized. However, over the last few years, releasing by “pushing” the chicken loop has become the norm.

How many lines and which safety solution?

There are bars with 4 flying lines and bars with 5 lines. However, 5-line bars are now rarely used. A fifth line was created in the past to improve the (formerly not so good) relaunch behavior of the kites. In addition, if a release was necessary, kites could blow out very neutrally on the centrally attached 5th line. Among other things, the fifth line has aerodynamic disadvantages.

Modern 4-line kites are usually equipped with a single front line safety. In this case, a single front line is shortened when the safety is released and the kite blows out. With the double front line safety, two front lines are shortened, whereby, depending on the shape of the kite and its attachment, more residual pull can arise in certain wind conditions.

Line length

Sometimes you can choose between different line lengths when you order your bar, or you can attach extensions to your flying lines to make your line length flexible.

The shorter your lines, the more responsive your canopy will be (often desirable for wave riding or for particularly low kiteloops). Some kiters like the feel of shorter lines with very small kites and use shorter lines in strong winds. Undoubtedly, longer lines offer you advantages in light winds. In light winds, you need to find the ideal compromise between line length and the increasing inertia of the kite. The standard line length for modern kites is often between 22 and 24 meters. For light wind conditions/large kites, the line length is often closer to 27 meters. Shorter lines are often chosen in a length of 18 or 20 meters.

Adjuster

The adjuster allows you to continuously trim your kite and bring the pressure point “into position”.

The most common adjuster system is the so-called clam cleat, which we also know from sailing, for example. You can shorten your front lines to depower them using a rope and attach them to a cleat. To power up the kite again, you release the rope from the clamp by “pulling” and “pushing” it, and you can extend your front lines again.

The so-called pull-pull system is also common, where you have two different “grips” (often color-coded) that you can use to either extend or shorten the front lines. In addition, there are solutions that allow you to adjust the rear steering lines while riding.

Chicken Loop

Chicken Loops come in different sizes. Some brands provide you with different loops with the bar to perfectly customize your bar for what you want to do. Large chicken loops make hooking and unhooking easier, especially for “unhooked moves”. If you don't unhook during your maneuvers, you are usually better off with a smaller chicken loop because the depower range starts closer to the harness hook and you tend to be more comfortable with less use of the adjuster.