Kite Bars

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Choice of bar size:

Keep in mind that the longer your bar, the easier it will be to turn your kite. Also, remember that the smaller the kite, the easier it will turn. So, the smaller the kite, the more you need a smaller bar to balance behaviors.

Conversely, the larger your kite and the more you use it in light wind, the slower it will be. A longer bar will have a greater leverage effect to compensate for this natural loss of reactivity.

Therefore, consider these parameters to choose the size of your bar and adapt the steering to the feeling you like and the conditions encountered.

If you want smooth and progressive steering, then you should “undersize” the bar. If you want more reactive but less forgiving steering, you should choose a longer bar.

For example, if I want smoother steering with my 9m2, then I will go for a 46cm bar.

If I want hyper-reactive steering, then I would go for the 52cm bar.

Oversizing the bar will have little interest and paradoxically will result in a feeling of heaviness in steering in the case of the 62cm. This one will be perfect, even essential in light wind. But in stronger winds, it will be slower to untwist and manipulate.

Between the 46 and the 52, there is no sensation of heaviness. These are two very close bars.

Note also that the 52 is perfectly usable on all our kites. No kite will not work or perform poorly for this reason. The 46 and 62 are just optimizations for perfectionists.

It should also be noted that two bars generally age only half as fast as a single bar for the whole quiver 😉

The key size is 52cm; it is the most versatile bar that you should choose if you want to have only one bar for a quiver 7-9-12 or 8-11 or even 8-10-13. If you want to add a second bar to your quiver, here are our recommendations with GONG kites:

The recommendations below are based on the behavior of GONG kites. Since our bars are compatible with a large number of kites, you can adjust your choice according to the type of kite used.

Choice of line length:

Your bar comes standard with 80cm pre-lines, 19m lines, and 3m extensions already mounted.

The standard setup is the most versatile and will be your best choice for 90% of your sessions.

In some cases or to meet a specific feeling, you can shorten your lines.

  • 22m lines:
    The “standard” length provides a more progressive and predictable bar feel. Your wind window will be larger, offering more power at launch. This setting is favored in light to medium wind conditions and for everyday freeride use.
  • 19m lines:
    Shorter lines offer a more direct response from the kite, increasing its reactivity. The wind window will be shorter. This setup is perfect for advanced kiters. Ideal for waves for more agility/radicality and for kite loops in freestyle. If you choose to sail with short lines, you will also gain a few knots in high wind conditions.

Note that 22m and 19m are not extreme line lengths and remain a fine adjustment to your piloting sensation.

Choice of chicken loop:

To adapt the bar to a wide range of programs and rider needs, GONG offers you the possibility to complete your bar with different types of chicken loop options.

As standard, the bar is delivered with the Freeride standard loop, which allows you to bring the depower closer to your body for all sizes and limits unintentional unhooking in case of improper positioning of the donkey stick by the user (because you will mechanically overdepower less involuntarily).

For foilers and wave riders using a rope harness, it is imperative to choose the Slider loop. It will allow ultra-smooth sliding of the loop without risking damage to the rope or chicken loop. Note: this chicken loop is mandatory if you use a rope, as the TPU coating of the standard chicken loop is not designed to slide along a rope. This can quickly damage the coating of the chicken loop and cut the inner dyneema.

For Wakestylers, the Freestyle loop is a “must-have” to allow easy hooking/unhooking in a larger loop.