Who wants to talk Crampons? 2015

Get the Lynx. The Petzl heel piece is superior. I've broken all the others, but have yet to bust a Petzl heel lever. The BD Stainless failures are enough to keep those death traps off my feet. After breaking a pair of sabertooth's I won't go back. I repeat: get the Lynx, you won't be disappointed.

You can also thread the strap through the top of the crampons (above where they are attached to the lever) and use the free end to pull the lever open.

Tom, I talking shit and trying to be funny too. Like you, I wrote the word "seriously" when I was being serious. Haha..

I can understand the price tag of the Bladerunners being a deterrent but they're worth it. I got a pair of Cyborgs around here somewhere that I might sell. Hell, I'll be in North Conway on the 19th (I need to get away from the ridiculous temps of the Adirondacks!!) until about March 6th. I've got Stingers, Cyborgs, Rambos and Bladerunners you can try if you can get there.

Don't type that!! I'm finally able to comfortably lead steep ice again. The season better not end soon.

Dobson wrote:Yeah, that's the issue with the Cassins. They may very well be the best, most versatile single pair of crampons on the market. At the price, however, you need to compare them to the versatility and durability of having two pairs of other crampons. For example: the Bladerunners don't climb hard mixed near as well as G20s (which feel almost as nice as my bolt-ons), nor are they as light and easy to walk in as mountaineering crampons.

I felt the Rambos and Bladerunners were about the same on rock. What makes the G20s more secure?

Bill Kirby wrote: Don't type that!! I'm finally able to comfortably lead steep ice again. The season better not end soon.

Jeeze I haven't accomplished any steep leading all season. Can't figure out if I'm A) not getting after it enough B) just a complete pussy or c) have sharpened my Sabretooths to effective uselessness. Trying cyborgs last weekend felt like a new lease on life. I could get up to North Conway on that 21st or 22nd.

The only reason I'm on 4s and 5s is I've been out like 20-25 days so far, I learned from Ian Osteyee and my fancy gear. I can't imagine leading in dull Sabertooths!

I got 3 other friends hanging out that weekend. I think the plan is to gangrope somewhere on Saturday. Good day to test a bunch of cramps. I'll PM you when it gets closer to next week. The weekend after I got no one in town.. Unless Warbonnet is still coming!

Edit: Oh yea, it's being smart not being a pussy. Every ice leads gotta be perfect otherwise you're getting fucked up. I listened to my ego not my head when deciding on a 5 last year.. I almost hit the deck from 20 feet up. Took about a month for me to lead a 4 again.

Bill Kirby wrote: I felt the Rambos and Bladerunners were about the same on rock. What makes the G20s more secure?

Not more secure, really; more precise. On steep terrain, you need to engage your aabdominals to bring your foot up to the hold. The heavier your foot, the harder this is to do with control. Your feet are effectively at the end of a big lever, so a little gram shaving goes a long way. The faster and more smoothly you can get your toe on the hold, the less your arms have to work. In terms of sheer weight, the difference between G20s/Darts and a modular crampon like the Bladerunner is the difference between an ultralight boot and a heavy leather. I find that as long as I'm not doing figure fours, there was little reason to wear fruit boots over a combo like the Rebel Ultra and G20.

The tertiary points on the G20s are also better for forefoot hooking. They are closer to the front of the foot, and there aren't any points behind them to get in the way. This might be the biggest reason they feel like my bolt-on crampons.

On more mountaineer-y mixed climbing, the difference is less about which crampon is more capable, but more of personal style. The Bladerunners points are more likely to gain purchase on something if you just mash them into the rock, while the G20s will require careful, deliberate placement every time.

My two cents about Petzl crampons: they seem to last longer. Someone mentioned the Sarken and I'll also add that there not my favorite technical crampon. If your doing a bit of everything and want one do it all, the Sarken is it, but if your looking for technical, look elsewhere.

A quick point on flexible front attachments as opposed to wire bails. Wires keep your foot further back, which prevents your toes from banging and allows more of the front points to engage. My sarkens had the flex-lock attachment on the front at first and I ended up chopping it with an angle grinder and replaced with a wire bail. Huge difference on steep ice undoubtably.

What kind of boot do you have? Size?

My vote is for g20. Nothing fits better on my scarpa Rebel and dynafit tlt G22 works too.

Koflach Degre 12, Nepal Cube 46 (haven't received these yet)

Koflach fits really good in sabretooths, with upgrade to large front bail, have to assume the fit is that same for cyborgs

G20/G22 when you say these fold in half??? points in or points out?

Tom Sherman wrote: G20/G22 when you say these fold in half??? points in or points out?

Your choice! Choose wisely, though.

You have a big enough boot that they should fold without too much interference. With a 41 boot, the points contact and won't close fully.

Ughhh, bought crampons

Saw the sale at GEAR-X, $150 plus 10% back in May, couldn't resist.
BD Cyborg's coming my way for $135.
Also threw in two express screws at an after rebate price of $36 each.

Looks like I'll stay reppin' BD, let's hope I'm happy. I'll probably be in the market for some of the bad-ass crampons recommended for mix climbing in another 3 years.

Thanks all for the input!

Mark Ra wrote: Another vote for the Cassin Bladerunners. There are two fixed frontpoints just behind the mono so you won't really be losing any purchase vs. dual. If you really want to get into semantics then call the Bladerunners a tri-point. They're the best 'pons out there, they're just expensive.

Third vote for the Bladerunners. I balked at the price and then bought them anyway. Holy fuck, it was worth it. They feel super secure on ice or rock.

Why go over this whole thread and buy something that you already had your mind set anyway? As far as I could see from a quick glance, there were more recommendations on Petzl Lynx on this thread than on BDs...

I know 2 people on whom BD crampons failed - the bolt that connects the front point just broke. My partner was about to lead a pitch when he found that he was missing his front point! Good thing we only had 1 pitch left and were pretty close to the road.

I've been lusting for G20s, but a friend broke the middle bar that connects the front and heel pieces and Grivel replaced it something not as rigid. Just an FYI.

doligo wrote:Why go over this whole thread and buy something that you already had your mind set anyway? As far as I could see from a quick glance, there were more recommendations on Petzl Lynx on this thread than on BDs...

Doligo you always hatin' on my posts.
That's what I got from this thread too, and believe me I've wanted to checkout the Lynx but the price tag is absurd. I was really weighing it out when I thought best I could get for Cyborg's was $155, and what it was worth to me for the extra $100. The extra little $20 made it to ridiculous in a difference in price, for me. That's why I went with BD's. And I know they'll fit.

EDIT: and if you READ, you'll notice the first thing I said was "If I buy the Lynx"

As for crampon failure, that was my biggest concern in considering purchase, but in the 2 days this post was up and 1 page of response, no one expressed any concern about that front area. (someone may have expressed stainless steel shearing concerns, but I believe that's been a non-issue since 2011) So let's hope I am happy.

I wasn't hating on your post per se (I'm hating on BD), but I've seen so many threads here when people ask for others' opinions and then go and buy something they had had their minds set on to begin with... I guess the threads are generally useful for others' benefit, still...

When you convert your points from dual to mono or vice versa, make sure to tighten the spacer bars really well. Supposedly, that's the reason those bolts fail. Good luck! I'm not a desk drone anymore to check MP everyday - sorry I couldn't give my 2 cents earlier.

Thank you for the heads up, that was my big concern, that that was just another place to go wrong. But I'm in for em now...

As for not being a desk drone congrats. Here I am trying to tick another day away...

Tom Sherman wrote:Thank you for the heads up, that was my big concern, that that was just another place to go wrong. But I'm in for em now... As for not being a desk drone congrats. Here I am trying to tick another day away...

Tom, so does that mean you're not coming up to N Conway? Haha..

Doligo, Not everyone is a desk jockey. I'm sitting at a bar right now.

I'm up in NH just about every weekend. But an opportunity might have shown up for the 21st/22nd. I think I'm going to head into Burlington to Gear-X and size up some boots. I won a La Sportiva voucher earlier this season. So if you're really trying to get after it, you mentioned the weekend after? I'm down.

Word on the streets is IME doesn't have the Cube so, that's why Gear-X

Tom, PM me whenever you head there. Hope we can meet up!

The Gear Exchange is a great place to try on every boot on the market to see what fits the best. Good luck! You'll be killing it with new boots and pons!