Skis--How Long?

GT wrote:

"lal_truckee" wrote in message
...

Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.

Not only is it possible, it's required for a true fit - humans don't come
in 2 cm size increments so if you use poles at manufactured lengths they
will most likely be wrong.


Do you do the same thing to the clothes you buy? Jeez 2cm!

....is a little less than an inch. Would you wear shoes that were an
inch too long?

--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

Mary Malmros wrote:

GT wrote:

"lal_truckee" wrote:

Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.

Not only is it possible, it's required for a true fit - humans don't come
in 2 cm size increments so if you use poles at manufactured lengths they
will most likely be wrong.

Do you do the same thing to the clothes you buy? Jeez 2cm!

...is a little less than an inch. Would you wear shoes that were an
inch too long?

You don't have wide feet, do you? Sometimes we're glad to wear shoes
only an inch too long.

--
Cheers,
Bev
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Nothing in the universe can withstand the relentless application
of brute force and ignorance." -- Frd, via Dennis (evil)

"Mary Malmros" wrote
GT wrote:
"lal_truckee" wrote
Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.

Not only is it possible, it's required for a true fit - humans don't
come
in 2 cm size increments so if you use poles at manufactured lengths
they
will most likely be wrong.


Do you do the same thing to the clothes you buy? Jeez 2cm!

...is a little less than an inch. Would you wear shoes that were an
inch too long?

Indeed. I tried my new shaped skis (160 cm) and boots out yesterday and the
only hardship I felt were my second-hand poles. My hands ached a bit
mid-afternoon, and I wasn't even using my poles much. The poles are a bit
too long, I think, by feel and per suggestions on the web about proper pole
length. Following the suggestions here, I took an inch off them last night.

I used the penetrating oil "PB Blaster" (available at Automotive parts
chain stores and Wal-Mart) sprayed into a gap I made with a slot-end
screwdriver jammed between the boiled (for several minutes) pole grip and
pole. I see from Googling that liquid dishwashing soap might have worked
just as well. I also put one of the grips in a vice and applied a pipe
wrench to its pole. Both grips came free pretty nicely, all told. I
personally give a lot of credit to the PB Blaster.

It's easy enough that I would recommend a custom pole fit to all who are a
little handy.

Skiing went well. It took an hour or so before I felt really good on the
skis. Now I think I'm going to grow into them nicely. I'm feeling the need
for just a bit more speed, and I think they're up to the task.

Elle Navorski wrote:
"Mary Malmros" wrote

GT wrote:

"lal_truckee" wrote

Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.

Not only is it possible, it's required for a true fit - humans don't

come

in 2 cm size increments so if you use poles at manufactured lengths

they

will most likely be wrong.


Do you do the same thing to the clothes you buy? Jeez 2cm!

...is a little less than an inch. Would you wear shoes that were an
inch too long?


Indeed. I tried my new shaped skis (160 cm) and boots out yesterday and the
only hardship I felt were my second-hand poles. My hands ached a bit
mid-afternoon, and I wasn't even using my poles much. The poles are a bit
too long, I think, by feel and per suggestions on the web about proper pole
length. Following the suggestions here, I took an inch off them last night.

I used the penetrating oil "PB Blaster" (available at Automotive parts
chain stores and Wal-Mart) sprayed into a gap I made with a slot-end
screwdriver jammed between the boiled (for several minutes) pole grip and
pole. I see from Googling that liquid dishwashing soap might have worked
just as well. I also put one of the grips in a vice and applied a pipe
wrench to its pole. Both grips came free pretty nicely, all told. I
personally give a lot of credit to the PB Blaster.

It's easy enough that I would recommend a custom pole fit to all who are a
little handy.

Skiing went well. It took an hour or so before I felt really good on the
skis. Now I think I'm going to grow into them nicely. I'm feeling the need
for just a bit more speed, and I think they're up to the task.


Won't be long before your grips rot off. Petroleum
products and rubber just don't get along. That's
why others recommend dishwashing detergent to remove
pole handles. Also, your force method was overkill.
Something that is stationary and will pull the handle
from the bottom will compress the handle making the
hole larger and east to slip the handle off. We used
a vise with the jaws set just slightly wider than the
diameter of the pole. Usually no lubricant is need to
get the handle off, but water or water and dish
detergent is often needed to get the handle on again.
VtSkier (Old shop rat)

"VtSkier" wrote
Elle wrote
I used the penetrating oil "PB Blaster" (available at Automotive parts
snip
Won't be long before your grips rot off. Petroleum
products and rubber just don't get along.

On the side of the PB Blaster can is the following: "PB restores life to
O-rings and rubber seals."

Also appearing on the side is the caution: "PB Blaster may affect some
plastics."

After removing the grips, I rinsed them thoroughly with boiling water and
Windexed them several times, inside and out, because I hate the smell of PB
Blaster and didn't want the stuff seeping deep into the grip material, on
principle.

If you can't Google and want the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for PB
Blaster, let me know.

That's
why others recommend dishwashing detergent to remove
pole handles. Also, your force method was overkill.
Something that is stationary and will pull the handle

I think you mean "push" the handle from the bottom.

Anyway, I pushed and pulled. There was no way the grips on my poles were
going to budge with my low upper body strength and without a lubricant. I
tried and was going to give up until I thought of the PB Blaster.

It wasn't overkill.

from the bottom will compress the handle making the
hole larger and east to slip the handle off.

That's a good point.

We used
a vise with the jaws set just slightly wider than the
diameter of the pole. Usually no lubricant is need to
get the handle off, but water or water and dish
detergent is often needed to get the handle on again.

Elle
Old Automobile Repair Rat

Elle Navorski wrote:
"VtSkier" wrote
Elle wrote

I used the penetrating oil "PB Blaster" (available at Automotive parts

snip

Won't be long before your grips rot off. Petroleum
products and rubber just don't get along.


On the side of the PB Blaster can is the following: "PB restores life to
O-rings and rubber seals."

Also appearing on the side is the caution: "PB Blaster may affect some
plastics."

After removing the grips, I rinsed them thoroughly with boiling water and
Windexed them several times, inside and out, because I hate the smell of PB
Blaster and didn't want the stuff seeping deep into the grip material, on
principle.

If you can't Google and want the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for PB
Blaster, let me know.


That's
why others recommend dishwashing detergent to remove
pole handles. Also, your force method was overkill.
Something that is stationary and will pull the handle


I think you mean "push" the handle from the bottom.

Anyway, I pushed and pulled. There was no way the grips on my poles were
going to budge with my low upper body strength and without a lubricant. I
tried and was going to give up until I thought of the PB Blaster.

It wasn't overkill.


from the bottom will compress the handle making the
hole larger and east to slip the handle off.


That's a good point.


We used
a vise with the jaws set just slightly wider than the
diameter of the pole. Usually no lubricant is need to
get the handle off, but water or water and dish
detergent is often needed to get the handle on again.


Elle
Old Automobile Repair Rat


The PB is probably OK then. I hope the screwdriver
point didn't damage the handle. Also, be aware that
there may be:

1. A screw down from the top of the pole into a
wood or plastic plug in the top of the grip which
holds the strap in place AND makes it so you will
pull the plug out of the pole if you apply a LOT
of force without removing the screw first.
--or--
2. A plug in the top of the pole with a molded in
pin which holds the strap in place by protruding up
through the grommet in the strap from below. This
does not need to be removed before the grip. It
will be obvious that this is the scheme when you
loosen your grips slightly and the straps fall off.

I have at least one pair of poles without either
of the above. What those (carbon fiber) poles do
have is a compression ring tightened with a hex
key bolt and nut at the bottom of the grip. The
straps are held in place in some other way. The
particular poles I have have straps which are
releasable if the pole gets caught on something.
This to preserve my shoulders, one of which is in
not very good shape anyway.

While on the subject of poles, and straps, I would
recommend not using straps when in an area where
the pole might catch on something, like trees.

Most of the patrol at my area don't even have straps
on their poles, which they DO use when not hauling
sleds or carrying 'boo and a drill.

VtSkier

Since the ski pole is probably about 5 times your shoe size (or whatever), a
fair comparison would be to say would you wear shoes that were 1/5 inch too
long. Shoes are typically come in 1/2 sizes, and while I've never measured,
I'm quite certain that a 1/2 shoe size represents more than 1/5 inch.

-GT
"Mary Malmros" wrote in message
...
GT wrote:

"lal_truckee" wrote in message
...

Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.

Not only is it possible, it's required for a true fit - humans don't come
in 2 cm size increments so if you use poles at manufactured lengths they
will most likely be wrong.


Do you do the same thing to the clothes you buy? Jeez 2cm!

...is a little less than an inch. Would you wear shoes that were an inch
too long?

--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

Elle Navorski wrote:

"VtSkier" wrote
Elle wrote
I used the penetrating oil "PB Blaster" (available at Automotive parts
snip
Won't be long before your grips rot off. Petroleum
products and rubber just don't get along.

On the side of the PB Blaster can is the following: "PB restores life to
O-rings and rubber seals."

Also appearing on the side is the caution: "PB Blaster may affect some
plastics."

After removing the grips, I rinsed them thoroughly with boiling water and
Windexed them several times, inside and out, because I hate the smell of PB
Blaster and didn't want the stuff seeping deep into the grip material, on
principle.

If you can't Google and want the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for PB
Blaster, let me know.

That's
why others recommend dishwashing detergent to remove
pole handles. Also, your force method was overkill.
Something that is stationary and will pull the handle

I think you mean "push" the handle from the bottom.

Anyway, I pushed and pulled. There was no way the grips on my poles were
going to budge with my low upper body strength and without a lubricant. I
tried and was going to give up until I thought of the PB Blaster.

I've removed bike and motorcycle grips by holding an open-end wrench of
the proper size around the bar at the inside end of the grip and bashing
the wrench repeatedly with a rubber hammer.

It wasn't overkill.

from the bottom will compress the handle making the
hole larger and east to slip the handle off.

That's a good point.

We used
a vise with the jaws set just slightly wider than the
diameter of the pole. Usually no lubricant is need to
get the handle off, but water or water and dish
detergent is often needed to get the handle on again.

The problem with detergent and foam grips (not used on poles as far as I
know) is that the damn things bubble and are unpleasantly sticky way
longer than you want them to be.

Old Automobile Repair Rat

Isn't 'Rodent' more politically correct?

--
Cheers, Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.

Seems to me one could argue that the meaning of "fit" with ski poles is
different from that of shoes.

One wants that right angle at the elbow with properly fitted poles. One
inch off could, I would argue, be noticeable as far as effort required to
push with the poles. People with longer arms would see even more
amplification of an improperly fitted ski pole. Or so it seems upon first
examination.

Shoes that are as much as 1/4 size too large aren't going to be terribly
noticeable for many makes of shoes, even good athletic walking shoes. On an
hourly basis, I don't think we demand as much of shoes as we do ski poles.

"GT" wrote
Since the ski pole is probably about 5 times your shoe size (or
whatever), a
fair comparison would be to say would you wear shoes that were 1/5 inch
too
long. Shoes are typically come in 1/2 sizes, and while I've never
measured,
I'm quite certain that a 1/2 shoe size represents more than 1/5 inch.

-GT
"Mary Malmros" wrote in message
...
GT wrote:

"lal_truckee" wrote in message
...

Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.

Not only is it possible, it's required for a true fit - humans don't
come
in 2 cm size increments so if you use poles at manufactured lengths
they
will most likely be wrong.


Do you do the same thing to the clothes you buy? Jeez 2cm!

...is a little less than an inch. Would you wear shoes that were an
inch
too long?

--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.