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Kite Bars...

front fork bar

Kite Bar made out of a bicycle front fork. Elegant and comfortable!

I simply ground the forks off and welded them together. The notches where the wheel axle used to go are handy for winding the lines on and the mudguard attachment points are good for attaching the rear leaders!

No chicken loop on this bar, but I have added a harness loop with a QR pin.

Closeup showing lines and 'two ring' safety leash:

axe handle bar

Chicken loop bar, made from an axe handle. Note cutouts in the ends for winding the lines, leash to one of the front lines. The chicken loop has a pin style quick release. I had to use it in Rethymno as I was being dragged down the beach, and it worked! :-)

But the QR pin was not stainless steel so it rusted and I have replaced it with a new stainless QR pin. I have also replaced the homemade sheeting strap with a cam cleat.

I've also made a much smaller chicken loop for this bar because the loop stretches out with the pull of the kite and moves the bar too far away from me. The lees slack there is in the harness and chicken loop, the closer the bar can be to the rider, and so you get a larger depower range without having to be built like a chimpanzee.

The images of the quick release are not very clear, but basically a loop of rope on the ckicken loop goes through another loop of rope at the end of the sheeting line, and a pin stops the loops from coming apart. Pull the pin and the centre lines and bar are separated from the harness, and the leash (which is still attached to harness or wrist) pulls on just one front line, safely disabling the kite.

Contact me! redhot@freeuk.com