T-Bars-- agggghhhhh - Page 2

Ripcord · 11-22-2005, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

Good questions. Yup, I'm a plank-ape. And I think the t-bars are the regular type, not a j-bar, and definitely not a poma.

The replies on this forum so far have not been encouraging on the t-bar question. I did manage to survive the bunny hill t-bar years ago when I learned to board, but for obvious reasons I never went back on the thing. I know I can somehow get myself dragged up the hill like a sack of cement on a hook, but I would like to find out if anybody has ever successfully mastered the technique.

The T bar (as described) is certainly the hardest of the 3. I've been riding for years and still wipe out on these. The technique if you are on a two person T-bar (at least for me) is to gently skid away from the track. Don't go out of the track, but keep angled slightly away from center and skid. I always wipe out the second I start to lean into the bar, so I try to slightly away from the point that is pulling me. It's not the magic bullet and you need to stay balanced, but it has helped me.

mcA896 · 11-27-2005, 07:59 PM

i couldn't do them for the longest while, and one season something just clicked.

i stand at the ling and wait for it to swing up behind me with front foot strapped in, and back foot on the stomp pad, then when the t bar approached you grab onto the verticle piece and plop your ass down. be prepared for the t bar to extend, then just chill the rest of the way up. i think what gets most people is when the bar extends, and they werent prepared for that.

Lickqid · 11-27-2005, 10:23 PM

What are you worried about, falling or just not getting up the hill at all?

Zman · 11-28-2005, 02:42 AM

i actually hook it between my legs so pulling on my forward leg....gets a little sketchy/painfull if pulling up more than forward but otherwise works quite well

spacemanspiff06 · 12-05-2005, 02:03 PM

i rode straped in, facing sidways, with the bar on my upper leg pulling me along and holding on for dear life. this way i still had full conrtol to steer going up.

COmtbiker12 · 12-05-2005, 05:58 PM

Just don't sit down when you are riding it, that surely sets you up for crashing.

I find that (And I'm goofie and prefer to be on the right side of TBars) that if there's a skier next to me that I try and be lazy and have them edge enough to stay on the track and then I edge the opposite way (towards the middle) so that my edges stay away from their skis.

And I try and have most of my weight split between my feet and lean against the t-bar. Of course the only t-bar I've ridden is at Breckenridge and that has QUITE a bit more vertical pull than it does horizontal.

gnurider1080 · 07-24-2006, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by COmtbiker12

Of course the only t-bar I've ridden is at Breckenridge and that has QUITE a bit more vertical pull than it does horizontal.

oh man i was doing laps off of that thing one day and i was so sore by the end of the day from that thing digging into my right leg the whole way up. that track gets steep! it also doesn't help when there are 20-30 mph gusts that want to blow you off of the thing.

SkaredShtles · 10-14-2007, 12:32 PM

Goddam it's quality entertainment watching snowboarders on T-bars.

driver bob · 11-09-2007, 09:16 AM

The T-bar sucks and in Scotland (where I used to live it was the standard way to get around the hill).

I could only ever manage with one foot unstrapped and then it was never elegant getting things moving.

As I recall...

Grab the bar, lots of weight back, wait for the "snap" which always felt like my arms were being ripped out and then use my free foot to help with balance until I got moving and comfortable.

Realizing that in North America and Europe T-bars and pomas were the exclusive misery of bunny hills was a revelation !!