Leki Ski Poles

[Fairweather]

I give up. Just split the tube on my third pair. They slip when reasonably tightened--they split when tightened enough. Also; the titanium (or the acrylic over it) oxidizes to the point that the poles won't slide shut. I'll suck up the extra 4 ounces and buy a pair of Black Diamonds this time.

[denalidave]

I've had the same pair for over a decade and they are still fine. My buddy even accidentally dropped them down a crevasse that was only about a foot wide and maybe 20 ft deep. It was about 30 below zero and getting colder as the sun was setting. My 2 climbing partners kept telling me to just leave them down there but I was not leaving without em. Hell, I'd just bought them (used)for that trip and paid a whopping $25 for the pair. It took us about 45 minutes to McGuiver them out using our rope and carabiners/pulleys to lasso the basket and pull them out. Maybe it is a case of they don't make em like they used to... I was thinking about getting a new pair next season but will go with the BD ones now.

[pindude]

I give up. Just split the tube on my third pair. They slip when reasonably tightened--they split when tightened enough. Also; the titanium (or the acrylic over it) oxidizes to the point that the poles won't slide shut. I'll suck up the extra 4 ounces and buy a pair of Black Diamonds this time.

 

I had a pair about 20 years ago, but lost one pole when it fell off a roof rack somewhere on I-90. The other pole still lives on as a mismatched pair used by a ski partner.

 

If you're looking to save weight, why not go carbon fiber? I've got a pair of BD carbon fibers I've had now for about 7-8 years.

[jordop]

I've had the same pair for over a decade and they are still fine.

 

Ditto. Use em year round.

 

If you're looking to save weight, why not go carbon fiber? I've got a pair of BD carbon fibers I've had now for about 7-8 years.

 

If you're ever in some bad yard sale ski crash, or somehow get entangled with your poles, carbon fibre can break and impale; my experience is that aluminum is more likely to simply fold over.

 

A good friend is still picking carbon fibre pieces out of her stomach after breaking a pole in a boulderfield and jabbing herself about 10 years ago . . . even though that's a pretty extreme scenario, isn't this the reason carbon poles are banned from ski racing or something?

[RichardKorry]

I had my red Habler Leki Extremes for ~20 years till I broke one doing something stupid. I bought a new pair and love them. I find that they slip on rare occasions but I'm still happy with them.

 

[pindude]

Yes, Jordrop, breaking them is a slight concern. After the first winter season I had them, I decided to use them only for BC and touring, not in-bounds, where I'm a little less crazy. I also never use wrist leashes, in- or out-of-bounds, primarily to avoid shoulder/arm/hand injuries in a potential fall.

 

I broke the lower shaft of one of the CF poles in-bounds the first year I had them. When linking slalom turns straight down a fall line, a snowboarder going faster and banking a big GS turn was about to collide with me on the same side I had just pole-planted, and I had to throw in a quick turn in the opposite direction instead, before I could completely remove the pole. I skied right over it near the basket. My edge didn't chop the planted pole in two, but it sure broke it...a new, replacement lower shaft at retail was more $ than I originally paid for the pair.

[AlpineMonkey]

I took a bad fall with Leki poles once when I was crossing a steep rocky/icey bank and had all my weight on one and it collapsed. I remeber rolling about 20 feet down the hill through gravel and got a bloody back. I had them collapse on me more then that, but at less serious times. Now I have bd poles and have never had a problem.

Edited June 14, 2008 by AlpineMonkey

[denalidave]

I've never used the BD's but it seems like they have a better and more user friendly locking mechanism. I have trouble trying to unscrew or tighten the Leki's when it is very cold out. What's the verdict on the BD locking system?

[Mark_Husbands]

I have Leki Extremes from 1993 and still use them summer and winter. Had to put a little epoxy on one this year where the threaded part started slipping in the shaft. Working fine again.

[woodchips]

I give up. Just split the tube on my third pair. They slip when reasonably tightened--they split when tightened enough. Also; the titanium (or the acrylic over it) oxidizes to the point that the poles won't slide shut. I'll suck up the extra 4 ounces and buy a pair of Black Diamonds this time.

 

I think any aluminum (some of them have titanium in the name, but are made out of aluminum) poles really benefit from opening them up and drying them out after a trip. I find that when it's cold out, I have to re tighten them after 15 minutes or so out of the car, and then they're good for a while. While the BD lock mechanism is nice, everything else about the Lekis is better. Also, Leki's customer service is WAY better than BD's. Leki has sent me new shaft sections on two occasions when I've broken them. BD has never been helpful when I've had problems or questions; they'll just tell you your're SOL and to buy some new ones.

 

Dynafit uses a similar lock mechanism to the BDs.

[Kalama]

Owned 3 pair of Lekis and now BDs. Will not go back. The BD "Flicklock" is bombproof, does not slip and is super fast to adjust. The Lekis are a bitch in cold weather to loosen or tighten.

Edited June 27, 2008 by Kalama

[tradhead]

I know a few people that have had issues with the BD poles bending very easily due to thin walls and lack of heat treat...

 

The old-school expanding mandrel works well until you build up some aluminum oxide inside the pole in my experience; sand paper usually does the trick to clean that up.

 

Just my two cents.

[Kletterhund]

I was an early Leki user and yes, twisting was always a pain.

 

BD was the obvious answer and I have been very happy - went through three sets of Expeditions. Yes, I have had some sections bend, and they do not repair well if at all, but these instances were under pretty heavy abuse and BD offers repair/replacement options.

 

I just bought a new pair of the BD Carbon Fiber Elliptical . . . CF upper section with lower two sections elliptical Al. Spendy @ $150 but man these things are light and the elliptical shafts should stand up to some heavy torques.

[JoshK]

The BD flicklock system is better than the standard oldskool barrel-cam system. Anybody who tells you otherwise is either uninformed or biased. With that said, either type can work but I find all and all the BD system is a lot more reliable in cold weather and is more agreeable when poles get slightly out of line. I break/lose poles enough that i'll break whatever I have, but the BD ones sure are nicer while they they still work...