Why You Should Pull the Trigger on the LEKI Trigger 3D Poles

[chip inderhol]

My LEKI grip "triggers" get jammed from snow sometimes, anyone else has this issue? What should I use to make it better? WD-40, door lock dry lube, anti-freeze, or something else?

I had one pole that didn’t always want to release the loop easily. Little WD-40 then press the release button for a few minutes and it worked fine.

 

[James]

Don’t use WD40. It attracts dirt.
Use silicone or some sort of synthetic bike lube - a little thicker is prob better if you have it.

 

[SpeedyKevin]

My LEKI grip "triggers" get jammed from snow sometimes, anyone else has this issue? What should I use to make it better? WD-40, door lock dry lube, anti-freeze, or something else?

I used sailkote / silicone and have been happy with the results

 

[Nobody]

I finally made a picture of our LEKI poles quiver. Only one missing is a 125 cm full carbon with broken handles, crushed shaft and distorted points (result of an ill attempt at shortening them by a shop) that I use for inline skating
Looker's left to right:
115 cm wifey's poles, "titanium" with Trigger gen 1 handles
130 cm carbon AT (fixed lenght) poles for "steep and deep", traditional handles and loop.
120 cm full alu, for SL skiing, trigger s handles.
120 cm full alu poles, offered as replacement by the shop that crushed the abovementioned ones. Trigger S handles. Previous everyday poles for the past 4 yrs, until Jan 2023.
120 cm Alu/Carbon, Trigger S handles. Current everyday poles. Bought before Covid-19 but started to use them only after Jan 2023, deliberate decision.
125 cm Alu/Carbon, trigger gen1 handles; broken, repaired and broken again, now decommissioned. My first pair of LEKI poles, 2001 ca.

 

[James]

I saw the non trigger LEKI Neolite Airfoil poles in a store. Really nice aluminum pole, light, good swing. The strap adjustment is simple and very well done. One of the best I’ve seen. Whether it holds up, don’t know, but in the store it was brilliant.

On sale for $60. Don’t know how easy to get off the grip is for cutting to length.

You pull that little black pmastic piece up with the strap, then pull the bottom strap or free end.

LEKI Neolite Airfoil at Aspen East

https://www.aspeneast.com/LEKI-neolite-airfoil-ski-pole-221621.html

Linking doesn’t seem to work.

 

[Tony Storaro]

I saw the non trigger LEKI Neolite Airfoil poles in a store. Really nice aluminum pole, light, good swing. The strap adjustment is simple and very well done. One of the best I’ve seen. Whether it holds up, don’t know, but in the store it was brilliant.

On sale for $60. Don’t know how easy to get off the grip is for cutting to length.
View attachment 202316
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You pull that little black pmastic piece up with the strap, then pull the bottom strap or free end.

LEKI Neolite Airfoil at Aspen East

https://www.aspeneast.com/LEKI-neolite-airfoil-ski-pole-221621.html

Linking doesn’t seem to work.

It does hold up. I have a pair of LEKI with a grip like that-really nice, works very well. 2 seasons without an issue.

 

[Nobody]

I finally made a picture of our LEKI poles quiver. Only one missing is a 125 cm full carbon with broken handles, crushed shaft and distorted points (result of an ill attempt at shortening them by a shop) that I use for inline skating
View attachment 202298 Looker's left to right:
115 cm wifey's poles, "titanium" with Trigger gen 1 handles
130 cm carbon AT (fixed lenght) poles for "steep and deep", traditional handles and loop.
120 cm full alu, for SL skiing, trigger s handles.
120 cm full alu poles, offered as replacement by the shop that crushed the abovementioned ones. Trigger S handles. Previous everyday poles for the past 4 yrs, until Jan 2023.
120 cm Alu/Carbon, Trigger S handles. Current everyday poles. Bought before Covid-19 but started to use them only after Jan 2023, deliberate decision.
125 cm Alu/Carbon, trigger gen1 handles; broken, repaired and broken again, now decommissioned. My first pair of LEKI poles, 2001 ca.

To complete the line-up there, these below are the 125 cm broken LEKI poles (actually, the shafts had been crushed, in a vise, where the red and green duct tape is now, the tips/points bent and one of the handles broken)
As said the shop offered me a brand new replacement model at no cost (the 120 cm thin shaft Alu above) of the same listed price value (the full carbon were costing more, at that time).
I obtained to keep the broken ones as well (being a gift from my wife had a sentimental value to me), and "repaired" them with said duct tape, covered the bent tips with rubber accessories of the type used for nordic walking/hiking and have been using these during inline (alpine) skating.
I had in mind to replace the handles and tips, went as far as getting replacement spares from LEKI, but, seeing that they are good enough for skating this way, decided to forgo the maintenance...

 

[Tony Storaro]

To complete the line-up there, these below are the 125 cm broken LEKI poles (actually, the shafts had been crushed, in a vise, where the red and green duct tape is now, the tips/points bent and one of the handles broken)
As said the shop offered me a brand new replacement model at no cost (the 120 cm thin shaft Alu above) of the same listed price value (the full carbon were costing more, at that time).
I obtained to keep the broken ones as well (being a gift from my wife had a sentimental value to me), and "repaired" them with said duct tape, covered the bent tips with rubber accessories of the type used for nordic walking/hiking and have been using these during inline (alpine) skating.
I had in mind to replace the handles and tips, went as far as getting replacement spares from LEKI, but, seeing that they are good enough for skating this way, decided to forgo the maintenance...

View attachment 227152

I hope you put some sort of inserts there, not just the duct tape, yes?

 

[Tony S]

I obtained to keep the broken ones as well (being a gift from my wife had a sentimental value to me), and "repaired" them with said duct tape, covered the bent tips with rubber accessories of the type used for nordic walking/hiking and have been using these during inline (alpine) skating.

Are you a sailor? Do you have to keep the red one in your left hand and the green one in your right?

 

[Tony Storaro]

Are you a sailor? Do you have to keep the red one in your left hand and the green one in your right?

It is called port and starboard hands man, please…

 

[Nobody]

I hope you put some sort of inserts there, not just the duct tape, yes?

No, just the duct tape. It holds the shaft together well enough and, as long as when pushing I apply force longitudinally only, it holds.

Are you a sailor? Do you have to keep the red one in your left hand and the green one in your right?

If anything, despite my pilot’s licence expired three decades ago, I still arrogantly claim to be an aviator ;-) . (and yes, port and starboard are used in aviation as well, or at least were used when I was studying)
As for the red/green duct coloured tape, lay the shafts in the snow and imagine three vertical stripes green-white-red…what nation’s flag has those colours? :-D

 

[Tony Storaro]

As for the red/green duct coloured tape, lay the shafts in the snow and imagine three vertical stripes green-white-red…what nation’s flag has those colours? :-D

Iran? Mexico? Tajikistan? Hungary?

 

[Nobody]

P.S. You’ll see the refinement of the flag concept on the other poles, in the previous picture…

 

[James]

No, just the duct tape. It holds the shaft together well enough and, as long as when pushing I apply force longitudinally only, it holds.

I know that wouldn’t work for me. I apply too many weird loads to them. I once bent a Goode carbon pole like a heavilly loaded fishing rod trying to not slide down the mountain after losing a ski. Impressed it didn’t break.

Carbon things are dangerous when they break due to slivers. They can fail catastrophically with little warning. Maybe consider hanging those on the wall?

 

[Tony Storaro]

I know that wouldn’t work for me. I apply too many weird loads to them. I once bent a Goode carbon pole like a heavilly loaded fishing rod trying to not slide down the mountain after losing a ski. Impressed it didn’t break.

Carbon things are dangerous when they break due to slivers. They can fail catastrophically with little warning. Maybe consider hanging those on the wall?

This is an accident waiting to happen if you ask me. I’d just saw them in half, clean the edges, stick inserts in there and glue them together again. And only then use duct tape-for aesthetic purposes.

 

[Dougb]

Unfortunately, I was skiing in knee-deep powder in the trees at Heavenly two weekends ago and planted one of my beloved Spitfire poles that I won here on something very hard under the snow and bent it.

 

[Tony S]

Unfortunately, I was skiing in knee-deep powder in the trees at Heavenly two weekends ago and planted one of my beloved Spitfire poles that I won here on something very hard under the snow and bent it.

Nothing that happens in knee deep powder qualifies for sympathy.

 

[SpeedyKevin]

Has anyone shortened/cut a LEKI 3D pole? One of the shops in Mammoth said that they were unable to remove the grips.

 

[James]

Nothing that happens in knee deep powder qualifies for sympathy.

Well if he got buried by a slide I suppose.

Solution is to put the bent pole on the wall. Maybe frame it. Then when people ask about it, you can relive the run.

 

[Nobody]

I know that wouldn’t work for me. I apply too many weird loads to them. I once bent a Goode carbon pole like a heavilly loaded fishing rod trying to not slide down the mountain after losing a ski. Impressed it didn’t break.

Carbon things are dangerous when they break due to slivers. They can fail catastrophically with little warning. Maybe consider hanging those on the wall?

Those pole of mine aren’t bent nor cut across. They were crushed in a vise…they still resist well forces applied along their length. I am not using them to ski but to roller blade, and I am wary to apply forces across which could cause complete breakage (at least it hasn’t happened yet), just pole touch to initiate the turn, that’s all.

This is an accident waiting to happen if you ask me. I’d just saw them in half, clean the edges, stick inserts in there and glue them together again. And only then use duct tape-for aesthetic purposes.

I did that with one LEKI pole that was cleanly cut while skiing (see picture, the pole is on the viewer’s right, and verbiage in post #164) . It did not last long, despite the alu insert on the inside and a carbon fiber reinforcement “sock” on the outside…fact is, when one pole plants in the snow, there is always a “bending” action on the pole, more so on carbon fiber poles. As long as that component is within the material elasticity specs, the pole won’t break, just vibrate. But in the case above (clean cut pole, mended with reinforcement inside and outside) that will always be a weak point, and it did break again while pole pushing on a flat section. Not to mention that the alu insert I used, noticeably reflected on the swinging.

Has anyone shortened/cut a LEKI 3D pole? One of the shops in Mammoth said that they were unable to remove the grips

That’s the origin of my poles demise. I brought them to a shop confiding they would know what and how to do it. There is a thread on ski talk where people say they did it, though. I experimented on the broken pole (of picture in post #164) and was able, following instructions found over the internet to cleanly remove the tip. As for the handles, I did not try but the method of putting them in hot water to mellow the glue is said to work. I would be hesitant in doing so on an intact pole, though, given the price of LEKI poles