Best value carbon fiber ski pole?

[Buster Highmen]

Since the demise of Life-link (purchased by Scott and subsequently buried) I've wanted another pair of good carbon fiber ski poles at a reasonable price.

Whatchoo got?

[stealurface831]

https://www.dior.com/en_us/products/...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Buster Highmen]

very funny.

[stealurface831]

very funny.

They aren’t carbon fiber but I’ve got some k2 flicklock-style 2-piece poles that I like.
These: https://www.evo.com/ski-poles/k2-loc...0aAsmHEALw_wcB


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[Cocximus]

https://www.dior.com/en_us/products/...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Daaaamn https://www.inputmag.com/style/dior-...n-release-date

This will be great for gaper day in a few years.

[cat in january]

Ok I am going to drop the word value.

Swix Sonic R1 Extended Handle Adjustable Touring Poles

Size needs to work for you size wise. A medium and I am near full extension on up and at full collapse on down.

I have had multiple pairs now for eight years. Broke first on second day waking edge to release caked warm pow. Idiot. Broke second when stick it in a hole on a steep stream section. Would expect most poles to break there.

Hoji played a hand making. Best touring strap sold. I believe I have a whole number better efficiency going up with these poles and as I get older I will pay for efficiency. Strong wide diameter tubes. Although it’s a twisty it is a ss threaded twisty. Ask an engineer what is stronger wide ss threads or a flick lock. Great short hand grip at threads. Easy field repairable basket. Hard to find and guess you would want large.

Now if you want fixed I like Scott’s which I got off here for $29, but I have been using my s4 aluminum Scott’s inbounds.

[Core Shot]

Since the demise of Life-link (purchased by Scott and subsequently buried) I've wanted another pair of good carbon fiber ski poles at a reasonable price.

Whatchoo got?

I still miss my life links. RIP.

I got a deal for a pair of Scott hollow carbons. Only lasted a few years. The solid rod life link was the bomb.

Stuck in aluminum world now.

I don’t care if it’s unreasonable. I want life link knock offs

[Buster Highmen]

I don't know how robust they are, but DPS has an adjustable half carbon/half alu pole for $159.

[plugboots]

Those Swix look nice (depending on how the locking mechanism works), and the K2’s are just BD flick lock knock-offs (not that that’s a bad thing), and I’ve had life links for years and they suck. My buddies and I all had them because Doug Coombs was sponsored by them and so of course we had to have what he had, probably one of us got a free pair or some shit, but anyway you pole plant and there’s nothing there, it would just sliiiiiiiiide, and it would always be halfway down a run. BD’s stay put, and if they feel loose when you flick them, you just tighten them up with a screwdriver.
Core, you want my old LL’s?
BTW, Buster, Do you need adjustable? Because I have a pair of Goode carbon 120’s (slightly adjustable), in my garage.
I never posted in the thread, but I easily have the largest pole collection. It’s not even close, hiking, skate, diagonal, back-country, etc. etc.

[EWG]

I have a pair of Ice USA carbons (best poles ever) I want to supplement with some new ones cause I can’t find a pair of Ice USAs used in 46 or 48in. I was thinking of going Zipline Lollipops. $80

https://www.ziplineski.com/collectio...32189280649329

But they aren’t adjustable.

Edit: Plug, what do you think of those Goode’s?

[Dexter Rutecki]

I've got a pair you can have. I assume they're Goodes. But I'll ask you why--I think Al poles (or whatever they are now) have been generally accepted as better than the carbon fiber experiment proved to be.

I have to find them, but I know I have a pair somewhere...I'm assuming 'free' could make them the best value??

[dschane]

BCA makes only a combo aluminum/carbon in one of its Scepter pole designs, and I like the second grips (which should be standard, IMHO) and the burly hook on the main grip for flipping heel risers.

But, I've been using an older pair of Black Diamond single piece poles. Very durable and great main grip, but no second grip.

Dynafit makes a decent carbon single piece pole. They are wicked light and I'm not sure as durable as BD's.

[plugboots]

I have a pair of Ice USA carbons (best poles ever) I want to supplement with some new ones cause I can’t find a pair of Ice USAs used in 46 or 48in. I was thinking of going Zipline Lollipops. $80

https://www.ziplineski.com/collectio...32189280649329

But they aren’t adjustable.

Edit: Plug, what do you think of those Goode’s?

Goodes are bomber. Mine are 25? years old. Back then I was breaking and/or bending poles and the guys at Granite Chief in Squaw had these and the guy bent it like at 90° and it didn’t break, and I bought them on the spot.
I’ve even sliced a basket off on my BD flick-locks w/ my ski edge, and that hasn’t happened to my Goodes.
I just don’t use the Goodes anymore because I just use my BDs and I ski mostly back country now.

Hmmmm, I think the new BD aluminum top/carbon bottom ones are hollow because my wife sliced one in half at Crystal a year ago.

[dschane]

Goodes are bomber.

Agreed. I had a pair for 10 years, and then one night I got high and went for moonlight skin/ski . . . . have never seen them since.

[JayPowHound]

lower grips are easily done, I learned this maybe 20 years ago.. roll up a strip of med tape into a string. wrap around pole. cover with flat tape.

not sure I can dig up a pair done this way or find a pic tonight, but I will. it's solid.

[Djongo Unchained]

Life-Links...


I've been using the ole yellers on the left for about 8-10 years; gots me a spare set there.

Iirc, the middle pair is the last iteration of the original with the screw together probe, the AC/BC. They're one size too tall for me, maybe a 48-50. I think I got them for deepest days, then found my misplaced ones.
Nothing feels better, and I mean nothing, on those deepest days. I become a better pow skier with the elderest set.
Buster could have them if they fit.

[Core Shot]

I will take second in line on those if buster passes.

For those that don’t know, the solid carbon are the bomb.

Low swing weight. Hard to break. Easier to sit on, on the chairlift.

Goode was very similar.

FYI. Powder baskets from Scott will fit life link. And they don’t snag tree branches like the old life links.

[EWG]

Still not ICE USA. Love those things.


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[Buster Highmen]

Those Swix look nice (depending on how the locking mechanism works), and the K2’s are just BD flick lock knock-offs (not that that’s a bad thing), and I’ve had life links for years and they suck.

Tell us how you really feel about life-links.
;-)

My buddies and I all had them because Doug Coombs was sponsored by them and so of course we had to have what he had, probably one of us got a free pair or some shit, but anyway you pole plant and there’s nothing there, it would just sliiiiiiiiide, and it would always be halfway down a run. BD’s stay put, and if they feel loose when you flick them, you just tighten them up with a screwdriver.

I didn't even know about the Coombs connection, I just always liked the swing weight balance and the baskets, either yellow or red.

Core, you want my old LL’s?
BTW, Buster, Do you need adjustable? Because I have a pair of Goode carbon 120’s (slightly adjustable), in my garage.
I never posted in the thread, but I easily have the largest pole collection. It’s not even close, hiking, skate, diagonal, back-country, etc. etc.

I like a shorter pole, I think the ones' I'm using are around 45", but I'd have to check. I have one pair of ye aulde l-l's left, all subsequent buys have felt clunky.

[Buster Highmen]

Life-Links...


I've been using the ole yellers on the left for about 8-10 years; gots me a spare set there.

Iirc, the middle pair is the last iteration of the original with the screw together probe, the AC/BC. They're one size too tall for me, maybe a 48-50. I think I got them for deepest days, then found my misplaced ones.
Nothing feels better, and I mean nothing, on those deepest days. I become a better pow skier with the elderest set.
Buster could have them if they fit.

Thanks! That would be awesome. More reasons to git my butt out there this year.

[Buster Highmen]

I've got a pair you can have. I assume they're Goodes. But I'll ask you why--I think Al poles (or whatever they are now) have been generally accepted as better than the carbon fiber experiment proved to be.

I have to find them, but I know I have a pair somewhere...I'm assuming 'free' could make them the best value??

Let me check the length, but I think I use 45". That would be cool. Delivered to SWCO?

[plugboots]

120 would be 47” obv., so I could check mine, if you want, cuz I’m not completely sure.

[Fred Pabst]

Black Diamond fixed length carbons are nice. My pair I have had over ten years. Pro-Tip...the Leki Snow-Flake basket fits on them perfect. The threads match up and they are a better quality than the stock BD basket.

[Djongo Unchained]

Yo Plug, are you referring to the 2 piece Variants like these that slid?

There were a few tricks to make that friction slider work best. A little talcum powder down there to keep it moving when you overtightened them...

[plugboots]

I’m talking about the sliding style. I tried a lot of stuff to get them to stay in place, and then I got a deal (as I recall), on some flick locks and basically never looked back. I think we have three pair now, and use them as spare hiking poles.