Is a carbon pole going to perform noticably better than an aluminum one?
Swix AluStar CT7: $59.99
versus…
Swix Carbon CT3: $129.99
And they go up from there.
Where is the value sweet spot?
I can tell the difference in weight and stiffness between my alu poles and my carbon ones. If you’re a beginner you will do just fine on alu, just make sure they are the right lenght.
The value sweet spot is when you get a carbon pole for the price of an alu one 
If you’re an odd size (very short or very tall), you can usually get some nice poles on sale.
yes.
Caleb, I assume you will be on a 155-160cm pole, that is a long pole and the alustar will deflect a lot more than the CT3. The CT3 is a great pole, I rollerskied on them for years until recently. low swing weight, fairly stiff.
Kurt
I have only tried the aluminum ones.
If you are competing, then it would make sense to get every edge over the competition. I am only doing it for cross-training so it doesn’t make any difference to me.
Yes, I find there is a HUGE difference between low-end aluminum poles and high-end carbon fiber poles. Swing weight is very noticeable…the longer an individual workout the more you will notice it. In skiing, buying high-end poles is like buying a racing wheelset…buying speed.
There is just something about a nicely balanced carbon pole. I think you can get a decent pair for $100 or so. I wouldn’t spend more than this unless you’re racing.
Recommendations?
Carbon fiber for a skate pole is money well spent, even just for training.
Recommendations?
I have some Excel poles that I think cost around $70. I really like their evolution strap but I haven’t tried others. Are you mostly skating or are you going to do any BC skiing?
Recommendations?
I will sell/trade you my used poles if they are the right size. I traded my skate skis in for some fatty AT skis so I don’t really have any use for them. If interested I can take some pics and send you the specs.
caleb, e-mail me, i can get you a pair of CT3’s for a deal…
kurt
like race wheels, i train with the heavier AL poles, then race with the Swix Star Carbon (not sure model, they are two years old). yes, you can feel the difference on a long race. even more so when some over amped male ego freak asshole from the wave behind you pushes you and then steps on and snaps YOUR BRAND NEW $250 carbon pole 4K into a 32K race so you end up skiing 28K’s with one very heavy no-grip strap AL pole in one hand, and a super light carbon pole in the other.
Please… this is Slowtwitch! More expensive is better, carbon is better, and if Cervelo made ski poles the world would be a better place.
But Normann’s poles would look suspiciously custom…
can you feel a difference - yes. altho - a crappy carbon pole like that is not that different from the alu one.
does it make a difference ? less than you would think, like anything. the flex in a pole is retreiveable, to some degree, like a spring. i have broken poles early in races, gotten a crappy spare from a volunteer 3 inches too long with the strap all out of adjustment and ended up having the race of my life. the best skiier around here, a perennial top top master’s racer uses alu poles exclusively.
carbon poles break pretty easy, ya know - like in a parking lot when your buddy slipps and steps on it ot similar. alu you bend right back.
i buy alu poles - or really really good carbon ones. middle of the road carbon poles i do not understand the purpose of - worst of all worlds kinda thing.
Khai, do you know what they reckon is the hardest thing about rollerblading?
I do exactly the same…heavy Al poles for training and Swix Star for racing only. You got new poles after yours snapped, right? I believe Swix has a one-year on snow breakage guarantee for their poles. Exel is the same I think.
ttn, i worked for swix for 4 years (i am still a tech rep for them)…i guarantee there is a difference in swing weight and deflection between the CT3 and the Alustar…I sold thousands of those Alustars to BKL skiers, where that CT3 could be a great HS or college pole.
the CT3 is a step for sure.
Kurt
i do not doubt it, truckweaz. in fact i have used both many many K’s. as i said, the feel is evident - what is not so evident is fi that feel actually means anything - my experience suggests it does not.
i would use the alu ones till i could get something better the crappy ct3. as you know, once you use a true top-end carbon pole you realize what the score is. it is at that point you realize EXACTLY how crappy the ct3 is, and how much more like an alu one it actually performs. it is a great seller, i am sure - pretending to be a hi-performance pole as it does ( it is actually mostly fierglas, is it not ? ). i am not in the biz of selling poles, i use them instead.
that is all i am saying. at that level the swing weight and deflection would not mean enuf to me to risk the breaking , nor the cost. like i say - worst of both worlds. one man’s view.
Some folks on this thread have made the analogy between Al poles and training wheels and light weight Carbon poles and race wheels. While to some extent this is true, it is not quite the same. Super light carbon poles change your timing. You can’t just put them on race day and extract maximum value.
I compare it to swimming without wetsuit in training and then putting on a wetsuit for race day. Racing with a wetsuit will make you faster on race day, but it DOES change your form. To extract maximum value, its good to practice using the wetsuit a number of times before your A race. Same with carbon poles. The swing weight is totally different on a lightweight pair and this messes with your timing, so you want to be in synch with your lightweight gear too for race day.
If you don’t believe it, head out with your Al poles and do a 100m sprint. Then do it with super lighweight carbon ones. Its like you are doing a different sport!
Not to contradict what you say as it makes sense. But in my experience I only use my carbon poles when racing…that’s it. With tri, I only use my wetsuit when racing…that’s it. And I never seem to have problems with timing, form, etc. Maybe I just adjust well I guess? Or maybe I don’t care