1. Skyrunners - imho not seen any in the last year but before that they were very bad, the frames were weak and so were the springs. With regards to using them for the Olympics I think it would have been a matter of who can get the the stilts ready in time, with FL having more contracts with companies maybe they couldn't fulfil it and skyrunners may have been the next choice. Many Chinese companies were claiming to have given them stilts so it may have also been a case of many companies contributing. JJ's had some earlier this year I think they found the frames were ok but the springs were really bad but I'm sure sprog will give you some more info.
SkyRunner frames are incredibly varied, with pretty much no quality control that I could see. The framework varied in thickness, there were some dodgy-looking welds in places, and some were pretty noisy too. Some, on the other hand, were actually pretty good.
The main problem is with the springs. They were poorly constructed, if you look at normals springs when they snap they're made up of multiple, super-thin layers of fibreglass that create a nice surface that breaks apart evenly. SkyRunner springs, however, seem like they have been slapped together in a rush. The layers of fibreglass vary in thickness, resulting in a spring with multiple stiff and weak points across one area, which is (IMO) what causes them to snap. When looking at a snapped spring it's clear to see where is snapped, as rather than breaking evenly the edges are quite jagged and rough. That's the main reason I'm against SkyRunner, they may be cheap, and although violating the patent is certainly a bad thing, it is the poor build quality that is the worst thing about them.
I believe we all make derogatory comments against them based largely on hearsay and not due to personal experience with them. Because the manufacturer continues to insult the patent owner with his "less than ethical" marketing practices, we rally together to trash his product at every given opportunity. I repeat, there was some merit to the negativity based on the earlier MkI models but since the MkII's were released I have not encountered many dissatisfied users.
Having seen the JJs go through about 12 MkII's within a month or so, I'd say they still have a long way to go.
2. PoweriSers - imho they were a great choice but since the last year both the springs and the frame has given customers a headache, with a few mods the frame can be sorted but the springs need work, I believe this is something they are working on at the moment Pro-Jumps (FL brands) would be a better choice. These are the only known manufacturer that produces their stilts in a country outside of China.
My 2005 PR5070 springs are pretty stiff, I think that has always been the downfall of riSers. I'm not sure if they'll ever get it quite right. The frame quality was brilliant and the hooves lasted for ages until last year, when a few of the problems showed up. The advantage of riSers were they were the only cheap brand with cuffs and better bindings, but that's now not the case so there's no reason to choose them over others.
3. 7 Leagues - imho they simply are not worth the money, the frames have failures that need to be looked at and solved, the springs are great but only if you are under 95kg in actual weight people above that feel they can bottom out too frequently and do not get the best that they could. They do however have the best spring covers, slightly longer lasting soles - "maybe" and bushings that last slightly longer but they are not everlasting. If they were around the £200 mark I would say they are best of the cheaper brands but at their current price it is not justified. Contrary to popular belief 7's are also made in a factory in China.
Agreed, 7s are overpriced. However, I disagree on the frame failures bit Naz, there's only 2 recorded incidents of the frames imploding (Locky and Bobman), and they could quite simply have been something that slipped through quality control accidentally, or because Locky and Bobman seriously beat their stilts around and maybe knocked that area a few too many times. I'd say the other failures with twisted frames, damaged support rods, and whatnot are down to a lack of user maintenance. People see 7s as brilliant so feel they do not need to do regular service checks on them, which is not the case. I still check mine every 3-6 months to make sure everything is running smooth.
My current hooves have run for 10 months, before that my other set lasted me 14 months, so IMO they are still best value. Agreed though that the bushings, whilst good, aren't as brilliant and service-free as made out, I've replaced my sets twice so far in 2 and a half years on 7s.
I don't doubt you on the statement they are made in China, but from my original correspondence with the 7s team they heavily implied parts were made in china then assembled in Austria. However, this has most likely changed due to profit margins and whatnot, so i'm not going to disagree
4. Pro-Jumps (FL Brands) The frames have consistently proved to be of a great quality, the springs are of a good character and are becoming more and more reliable - the new springs that are getting developed if they can make them reliable they may prove to be better than 7s, the rubber soles last well but importers are often let down with the odd bad batch, the bushings could be better but if you look after them they will last - replacements are not too expensive but its something that could be improved, the spring cover is something else that needs work on. Overall at the moment for what you get for the money spent these are the best choice imo
I'm glad you see the faults in your own product Naz, and I agree with the majority of what you have said. The only things I feel that were bad with FL were the carbon fibre springs that were sold by other distributors in May 2007, they were awful, and the problem with the hooves from late 2006 to early 2008, they just seemed to disintegrate after a few hours. However, the major problems have been fixed, and like you said they now need to focus on improving the spring character (I still find them a little stiff), the spring protection, and the moving parts.
You need to cool off Spud. You take everything so personally!
If you're making a joke, put
on the end. It's hard to interpret things online.
I weigh 90 kg but am unable to get a pair of S-Rex's to flex. My own are T-Rex's and they are sheer heaven to use ...very, very comfortable and responsive. I'm not an extreme jumper so far from qualified to discuss bottoming out.
Then you need to improve your technique! I'm 54kg and I can bottom T-Rex's fairly easily, and I know people who are about 60kg who can hammer through S-Rex's with ease too.
