This is a long post. The TLDR is: This is the year of the bar. Check out a bar makes that don't match your kite. You'll be surprised by how different, each one is. All the ones I know of are brand cross compatible now!
Cabrinha 2016 Control Bar
I had been meaning to get some time in on the new Fireball system, but haven’t had a chance to give it its proper work out. This weekend changed that. What was supposed to be a focus on the “revolutionary” (their words, not mine) new system turned out to be a full workout of some of the other features available from Cabrinha that I hadn’t yet ridden. It seems like there are 50 iterations to the Cab bar this year, so let me break it down simply for you. There are 3 different pairs of options available on the bar, for what (if math serves me correctly) is a total of 6 unique combinations. Here they are, with their marketing speak terms included, followed by my thoughts.
1. Adjustable length bar end or not. – Cab speak: Overdrive 1x or plain old 1x
I’m into season 3 on adjustable bar ends. I love that I can use the same bar for 7m-14m kites (probably even wider if you tried). I also use the adjustably for slowing/ speeding the kite up as wind conditions change during a session. Wider bar= more leverage = faster perceived kite speed. I will probably keep that feature, but until I rode this fixed length bar, I didn’t realize how heavy the adjustment mechanism was. That’s not to say its that heavy relative to the competition. The Slingshot, Best and Naish bars feel similar in weight to me (those are the only ones I’ve ridden recently). But when you put the overdrive next to the fixed length cab bar, the sleeker package feels like it spins around in fast forward when time to un-spin your bar after a rotation. While I’m gonna stick adjustable, point goes to the simpler of the two options, for its simplicity and light weight package
2. Two strap or single line above-the-bar depower – Cab Speak: Recoil or TrimLite
I prefer above the bar depower systems, but I have monkey arms, so reach is not an issue for me. And while I don’t like the “smack you in the face” stuff flapping around in my line of sight, the additional leverage I gain when adjusting above the bar v. below the bar during over powered situations kind of sealed the deal for me. Interestingly cabrinha has no interest in this debate, and has instead decided to go with two different above the bar depower systems. The older standard for them is the two strap depower (one for more power, one for less). It is not unique to cabrinha (Best and Blade are two examples that stick out in my mind). What is unique about cabrinha’s two strap method is the little spring (recoil system) below that mechanism. The idea was to 1. keep the bar within arms reach unless kite got over powered, or you pushed the bar away and 2. to keep the depower straps within reach. It works, and I’ve gotten used to its best feature, which is keeping the kite from fully depowering when un-spinning the bar after a rotation. It feels sooo good to hands free slap that bar around as you ride away from a move. I’m sure it looks cool too. The second depower option Cab gives you is the (also) above-the-bar clam-cleat style depower (trim lite) system. Sure, it’s a rip off of what north and F-one use, but I love it. It works, its clean, AND it includes a stopper bar on the poly center tube, which is super fun. I forgot how much I missed stopper balls. Riding around on long tacks while hands free was a fun novelty. On this seemingly trivial option, I am going to vote for the Trim-lite, because of how clean it makes the center line assembly look.
3. Fancy ball in socket connection or chicken loop – Cab Speak: FireBall or QuickLoop
Ok so this is the thing I was actually supposed to be reviewing, but honestly it took a back seat to my thoughts on the other bar features. Why? It works. It works, like really well. At one point I went to do the little shimmy I do to pull my harness back down (a nervous tick at this point), and I realized, my harness was right where I left it, and as I shimmy, I cant use the horizontal pull of the kite to help me make my adjustment because the FB lets my body rotate independently of the bar/ lines/ quick release system. I was riding along wobbling my hips/ torso and literally zero harness movement. What’s more, Annie (wife) really liked this too. She liked that it brought the whole bar assembly another inch(ish) closer by removing the now industry standard chicken loop. That loop assembly takes up a lot of horizontal space. The one pain in the ass, I will say is that while one of us was riding a Quickloop and the other a Fireball, changing kites out was not do-able on the fly. Had to land them both, change harness bars and then head back out. Not a problem if you’re not a teacher or husband wife kiting team, but a consideration nonetheless. Also be ready to shell out another 100 bucks on new spreader bar to mate up with the fireball. I should also mention that I tried to unhook with the FireBall and it was terrible. It was a minute of me fumbling around trying to get it back into that little socket hole. It was frustratingly reminiscent of young adult love. That said, if you don’t unhook, this is a remarkably secure and ergonomically incredible (my words, not theirs) system. You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least give this system a serious look. Because I still have delusions of grandeur, I am going to stick with the Quickloop for the purpose of unhooking, but I can say, Annie voted Fireball. She only got vetoed because we want a matching system for quick kite swap outs, and because they’re my f’ing kites.
Ill finish by saying this: Anyone who feels they MUST ride kites with a bar of a matching make, consider this your permission to break that 2001 trend. Every kite bar on the market right now includes single line flagging safety systems and line lengths that are even (all 4 lines the same length) when at full power (bar fullly sheeted in). That’s awesome because we can pretty much universally pick what we like and ride it on any kite. I have been riding Cabrinha Switchblades since 2011 and have yet to find something that outperforms it. So this year, I bought another quiver of Switchblades. That said, I held off on buying bars because I wanted to test these systems, and because I am seriously considering taking a crack at the new North Click system. If I don’t go Click, I am going to go Cab Overdrive Trimlite Quickloop (were you paying attention?) I encourage everyone to feel/ touch / try a bunch of different bars and find what you like. The build quality on most bars on the market is so fantastic now, they should last you many more seasons than a kite, and when the lines go, it’s a pretty reasonable replacement cost.
If you have more questions specific to the Cab control bar lineup, PM me on the facebooks. -Jim
2016 Cabrinha Control Bars
Moderator: MK