Wayne Dowler

Birthday? Someone has a birthday? Happy Birthday John! So very glad to have met you and to call you my friend!!

Ditch the Kevlar unless you are 100% sure you will be flying alone! Stuff is brutal around any other line and will cut people down! Use LPG or Skybond or Shanti Speed for them instead! Good lines, a bit expensive, but if you cut someone down using that Kevlar, you will know how the other guy feels!

So you have the Rev? Stored like that, there should be no problem - unless you have old Kevlar lines!! OK for solo flying, just don't try flying them with others or you will cut lines! Usually characterized by a tan color, not white or faded white. The synergy is no longer in production, I would very carefully inspect all the fittings for wear or brittleness. Some fittings from that era degraded over time - check thoroughly! The Rev and the synergy, while both quads, fly completely different. I would choose to learn the Rev, as it is the most commonly used. Handles are measured using the blank before bending - 13" handles would be just over 12' after bending. The blanks are all given as "odd" sizes - 11", 13", 15" - the finished handles are just a bit shorter. Back to the Rev - do you know the model and/or make? Lots of different sails with multiple venting options out there. Too vented means low wind won't be strong enough, full sail can be too much if it blows too much, I suggest getting it out, setting it up, and posting some pix. We can then provide more detailed info! Don't forget a close up of the lines!

I like a Zen in low winds - that thing is a tank on a scale!! But the huge wingspan makes up for overall weight! I've even ADDED both wear and fold strips to mine! SR is right on - technique will over come equipment darn near all the time!!

It is called - "The New Kite Curse"!

Like SR said - the bridle evens out the streeses and distributes them pretty equally over the whole frame. The Indoor never encounters that in much stress in an indoor environment with the speeds we create. However, take the Indoor outside - you had better be aware of the wind and strength! Those LE joints aren't supported by anything now, so beware of the conditions you use it in! PS: the rods aren't fragile, any more than most of their rods, but no bridle support means careful in what conditions you use it!

JB and I do this with every Indoor sail we touch! Add some LE bend, add some longer top leaders, and maybe put some vinyl caps on the bottoms of the verts. Changes the way the kite feels!

none - never sit down

First time using it yesterday, lack of a current roster is annoying. Never know who is actually on, unless they chime in. Other than that, went pretty much normal.

As a follow-up to my Rev 1 experience - I got a 5th hand set of "B" pros several years ago. At this point, both the std and mid have finally given up the ghost and the f/v is a ticking time bomb waiting to fail. Homemade wear strips extended their lives some, but the screen tears and the sail fabric flat wearing out, has doomed them to strictly street duty as of now. (lots of tape to hold them together) Both sails tore right at the TE, from center panel out towards tip. Bought a std from Bazzer before he left for OZ, left now with figuring out where to get a replacement series. Time will tell.

Planned obsolescence might be the way to describe it. Rev knew that their high end sails were in the hands of mostly serious fliers that would wear them out. Why do you think the "B" pro was developed? It found the weak points of the factory sail and strengthen or improved them. But even those wear out if flown hard. That mesh strip at the LE has always been a weak point, failure to do anything to improve it shows a lack of concern. On my own well flown Zen, I had to put home made wear strips down the verts to stop sail checking and fold strips to fix screen tears. But it won't last forever .....!

Eventually if flown - sun wears the color and fabric from the UV rays it is exposed to every time you fly. Some parts wear faster, rubber fittings seem most vulnerable. Really old kites with vinyl fittings are terrible.

20 years??? SURE they will - if you never fly them!! Or at least don't push their wind range too much and switch sails as the wind changes. I do have an old Rev 1 from 98-99 still in my bag. Held up pretty well over the years, but I don't fly it a lot unless alone and want to fool around with something "old school"!

The Ashes is a Phoenix - just the SUL of the lineup. I also didn't care for the TE vents at last years WSIKF, but that was definitely at the low end of the wind range for that sail (std). This was before the Ashes was added to his set. In their proper winds, one of my teammates that has a set, has no issues flying along with the rest of us.

I got some stock in a bridge ...........

If the winds are low enough to use a Zen - I don't recommend it!!!

Rev 1 is bigger.

Where about are you going in Oregon? Portland is the major city, but there are many other places to see! PS: when in June? Lincoln City Kite Fest June 24 + 25

Date you picked for this to end??

OSK = Ocean Shores Kites in Washington State. Andy, the owner of the store up there, has direct input to the Chinese factory.The Vertigo and Exodus lines are made with his specs. He has specified things like fabrics used, rod construction and QC, even stitches per inch. Panels are cut by laser. For the money, a pretty decent product. I flew them last summer and was impressed with their overall performance and "bang for the buck"! The Windrider is their own product. It has been the subject of countless horror stories of bad lines, cheap construction, lousy materials, etc. Ever hear the term knock-off? This was among those that tried to make a cheaper copy of the Revolution kite, Most failed. Even harmed the reputation of quality kites available. I'd put it this way - cheaper isn't always better. Now to be honest in the comparison - the Exodus and Vertigo lines haven't been out very long compared to others, so the jury is still out on durability. But overall quality of construction and components seems to be far superior to the Windrider line. If price is your sole reason to choose, think of it this way - would a few bucks more spent now, end up giving you a longer time investment, than something that might need replacing sooner?

Close is good, but equal is better. Most lines, even from the start, are rarely even! Few make exact linesets. It's you that has to check! riff's method of checking is a great field check to see how they influence flight. Nice thing is it can be done at anytime. Breathe!!!!

Sorry - misunderstood.

Rev not responsive to outside influence? Who'da thunk it?

That is the weak spot on the kite. JB and Bazzer have addressed it by putting strips of fabric over the screen at those spots. Now the fabric absorbs the flexing .