trango cinch - whats the verdict?

[wilcox510]

i'm sure this has probably been covered but i cant find anything with the search option. whats the verdict on the trango cinch compared to the gri-gri? sounds like lowering is a bit tricky. anyone?

[RuMR]

G O O D!

[paborden]

I had this buried in another post:

 

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Speaking of which, any first-hand reviews of the Cinch yet?

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Got a chance to use it this weekend, actually. Its a little confusing at first, since feeding out slack requires the opposite movement than the grigri (the main lobe pivots upwards to feed out slack, versus downwards on the grigri). That said, once you get the hang of it, on the cinch it is easier to keep your hand in a braking position and feed out slack at the same time. The cinch is also much much lighter and more compact.

However, reductions in size come at a price. The brake level on the cinch seems miniscule and is MUCH more pressure sensitive. There is also much less braking surface on the cinch -- whereas the grigri has that entire rolled over flap, the cinch only has an extremely small area directly below where the rope exits the device. On the grigri, you roll the rope to the right, over the braking flap. On the cinch, you have to hold the rope straight down below where it exits the device. Less surface area = less braking.

 

Because of this, I'd feel much less comfortable handing the cinch to someone not familiar with the device or belaying in general. Granted, that's not something you really want to do with a grigri, either -- but, with the cinch, you really really don't want to do it.

 

Would I buy a cinch over a grigri? No way -- old habits die hard I guess. Try one and make up your own mind.

[elementalphotos]

On the cinch, you have to hold the rope straight down below where it exits the device. Less surface area = less braking.

I don't have the Cinch, but my thought on if you need more friction for lowering, you can wrap the brake end of the rope half way around one thigh, and use the added friction to control the lowering.

 

Works better if you're wearing thick long pants.

[bobbyperu]

it rocks! its like a lightweight open-faced griz griz...no sweat on the lower-out works fine!

[RuMR]

On the cinch, you have to hold the rope straight down below where it exits the device. Less surface area = less braking.

I don't have the Cinch, but my thought on if you need more friction for lowering, you can wrap the brake end of the rope half way around one thigh, and use the added friction to control the lowering.

 

Works better if you're wearing thick long pants.

 

or you could clip a biner to your leg loop and route the rope through that...