Skip to content
OpenBeta Forum

OpenBeta Forums
  1. Home
  2. Categories
  3. General Climbing
  4. #climbing self-belay devices tested, courtesy of HowNOT2.

#climbing self-belay devices tested, courtesy of HowNOT2.

General Climbing
3 2 254 1
  • RaykoR

    auto-belay devices tested, courtesy of HowNOT2.

    Amazed with that centrifugal brake design. It's really clever, simple and effective. Centrifugal clutches on motorbikes operate pretty much with the exact same principle using brake pad materials and rotation speed. I've always wondered how some of those auto-belay things worked internally.

    I also think that centrifugal design is more serviceable if needed.

    1
  • devnullD devnull moved this topic from World on
  • RaykoR Rayko

    auto-belay devices tested, courtesy of HowNOT2.

    Amazed with that centrifugal brake design. It's really clever, simple and effective. Centrifugal clutches on motorbikes operate pretty much with the exact same principle using brake pad materials and rotation speed. I've always wondered how some of those auto-belay things worked internally.

    I also think that centrifugal design is more serviceable if needed.

    devnullD

    @rayko@mastodon.raykoworld.com there were a lot of defenders for the TruBlue in those video comments...! Namely in that the brake pads on the PD auto would wear out and thus presents a safety issue.

    While true that the brake pads in the Perfect Descent would need regular replacing, I would imagine that the TruBlue folks would still advocate for regular servicing of their device, so either way you're looking at regular servicing.

    Also really nice to see Bobby back on the channel!

    0
  • devnullD devnull

    @rayko@mastodon.raykoworld.com there were a lot of defenders for the TruBlue in those video comments...! Namely in that the brake pads on the PD auto would wear out and thus presents a safety issue.

    While true that the brake pads in the Perfect Descent would need regular replacing, I would imagine that the TruBlue folks would still advocate for regular servicing of their device, so either way you're looking at regular servicing.

    Also really nice to see Bobby back on the channel!

    RaykoR

    @devnull If you take this same principle of functioning, make the inner mechanism fixed in place, and attach a wheel to the outer shell to let rotate, you get a typical car drum brake.

    The break pads in drum brakes last a very long time in a heavier load conditions. So I imagine the wear of auto-belay using that design should last quite a long time before servicing considering the lighter load it might have.

    Making assumptions here though. And yeah, servicing would go to both regardless.

    1

Suggested topics

  • IFSCI

    Men's Boulder semi-final | Prague 2025

    Videos climbing ifsc
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    181 Views
    IFSCI
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RJmyZivRA8
  • American Alpine ClubA

    Guidebook XIV—Policy Spotlight

    General News climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    191 Views
    American Alpine ClubA
    A thing done; a deed. A written ordinance of Congress, or another legislative body; a statute. A main division of a play, ballet, or opera. A play for theater, radio, or television. An enticing, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances. EXPLORE, in the waning days of the 118th Congress, met every definition of the words “drama” and “act” as it made its way into becoming law. As I sat at my computer watching Senator Joe Manchin ask for unanimous consent of the bill on the Senate floor, it was not lost on me that years of work, by hundreds of organizations, teetered on the edge of achievement. And it passed in a most glorious fashion. But let me back up just a bit... Not too long ago, in early December of 2024, the AAC policy team traveled to Washington, DC, and met up with the Access Fund and American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). The mission was clear—examine and pursue all avenues to get the EXPLORE Act passed. At that time, attachment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was still on the table, as was the possibility of being bundled in with the Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded. Additionally, there was the less probable route of the bill going “stand-alone” for a unanimous consent vote on the Senate floor, but we sensed that there wasn’t enough floor time, especially given the need to end the lame-duck session of Congress, and the condition that a unanimous consent vote had to actually be unanimous without a single dissenting vote. It was an all-hands-on-deck moment for recreation-based organizations—Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Surfrider, The Mountaineers, IMBA, Outdoor Industry Association, organizations representing hunting and fishing interests and RV interests, and many, many more orgs, all working simultaneously in an effort to see this historic recreation bill package passed. Our small team focused a lot of effort on speaking with the bipartisan group of 16 senators that submitted a joint letter to the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior expressing the appropriateness of fixed anchors in Wilderness and wanting a report on the status of the agencies’ respective proposed fixed anchor regulations. The Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act, a component of the EXPLORE Act that serves to recognize recreational climbing (including the use, placement, and maintenance of fixed anchors) as an appropriate use within the National Wilderness Preservation System, further emphasized the intent of those senators, and of Congress more broadly, to preserve the historical and well-precedented practice of fixed anchor utilization in Wilderness. It is no secret that the waning days of the 118th Congress were fairly chaotic. Characterized by the forthcoming change of administrations, few clear “unified” priorities, and the pending departure of several longtime members of Congress, the landscape was hard to navigate. We left DC understanding the potential pathways to passage of EXPLORE, but still not certain which vehicle would get it across the finish line. The following week we saw it miss the cut for the NDAA Manager’s Amendment and concentrated on advocating for its inclusion in the CR. As the days drew closer to a potential government shutdown, we came to understand that the CR was likely going to be relatively tight compared to previous iterations, and would probably not allow for bills such as EXPLORE to ride on it. The CR was out for us. That is when we heard that Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) was considering introducing EXPLORE as a stand-alone bill. This was INCREDIBLE news. However, we had some concerns as we knew that the Senate was working off of the House-passed version, which had been passed via unanimous consent (UC) in April of 2024, stewarded by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR). We understood that the Senate wanted the House to address some issues in the bill, but that would require the bill to be sent back to the House for consideration and a vote...which would require time. And there wasn’t any. On the morning of December 19, we heard that Senator Manchin was planning to introduce the House version of EXPLORE on the Senate floor for a UC vote. For those tuning into the live broadcast, we had no idea what time the possible introduction would occur. It was observable that Senator Manchin was talking to a group of senators and then left the floor. A few hours later Senator Manchin appeared and presented the EXPLORE Act for consideration via a U... https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2025/5/19/guidebook-xivpolicy-spotlight
  • GrippedG

    Mountains Without Summits – a Story About Connection

    General News climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    155 Views
    GrippedG
    "In the Himalaya, Indigenous people have long pursued summitless journeys that venerate mountains" The post Mountains Without Summits – a Story About Connection appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/profiles/mountains-without-summits-a-story-about-connection/
  • GrippedG

    Here’s Who’s Climbed V17 by April 2025

    General News climbing
    1
    1 Votes
    1 Posts
    206 Views
    GrippedG
    Hamish McArthur is the most recent climber to join the list of V17 climbers The post Here’s Who’s Climbed V17 by April 2025 appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/profiles/heres-whos-climbed-v17-by-april-2025/
  • GrippedG

    Alex Megos Opens a 5.15a/b in Buoux

    General News climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    173 Views
    GrippedG
    Le Grand Saccage is the German climber's latest first ascent The post Alex Megos Opens a 5.15a/b in Buoux appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/alex-megos-opens-a-5-15a-b-in-buoux/
  • GrippedG

    Five Climbing Films that Influenced a Generation

    General News climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    150 Views
    GrippedG
    View these iconic movies below: The Real Thing, Rampage, Stone Love, Inertia 2, A Day in the Life, and Stone Love The post Five Climbing Films that Influenced a Generation appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/five-climbing-films-that-influenced-a-generation/
  • GrippedG

    Matt Fultz Has Climbed His Ninth V16

    General News climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    128 Views
    GrippedG
    This is the second ascent of the burly problem established by Nathan Philips The post Matt Fultz Has Climbed His Ninth V16 appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/matt-fultz-has-climbed-his-ninth-v16/
  • IFSCI

    IFSC, ITA PRESENT SECOND EDITION OF WEBINAR SERIES

    General News ifsc climbing
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    146 Views
    IFSCI
    https://www.ifsc-climbing.org/news/ifsc-ita-present-second-edition-of-webinar-series