CrazyFly Savvy bar

It’s been well documented that CrazyFly are the only European inflatable kite builder, with their bespoke production facility in Slovakia turning out some superbly well-manufactured kite products, which in the current economic climate puts them in a favorable position to supply the European market. Their existing bar system was perhaps due a refresh to bring it in line with the big boys and the Savvy bar is the result of that, and it’s a ground up complete overhaul.

The line geometry pushes the front line split around 6m above the depower cleat to allow for all kite sizes to flag out effectively and makes for a cleaner above-the-bar area. The cleat itself grips a thick piece of Dyneema, and has aggressive teeth for a super smooth and easy-to-adjust above-bar depower with reassuring grip. Twin PU-covered center lines run through two apertures on the bar that have replaceable plastic inserts, which is a positive step for futureproofing the system at this potential wear point. Speaking of wear points, it’s clear care has been taken to cover any areas of bare rope which have the potential to wear, such as the PU over the depower lines, and various areas of sewn reinforcement over the lines themselves.

The QR has had a complete redesign, and now features a seatbelt style click-in system that is easy to engage one-handed; the plastics utilized feel excellent and have a decent texture to them meaning they have positive grip in a wet environment. The QR also rotates easily and independently of the chickenloop lines to avoid any twist. The safety operates by pulling one of the PU covered lines completely through the bar and chickenloop; this attaches to a thinner Dyneema line above that engages the flag-out onto a single front line at the kite end. It’s a clean and simple system that we found ultra-reliable in practice. It’s worth noting two sizes of chickenloop are available for freeride and freestyle.

As with all bar systems with twin ropes running through the bar, when setting up you need to be mindful to make sure the cleat is facing you to keep it in easy reach. They’ve thought about this and color coded the lines from the bottom up. After rotations the system automatically untwists very effectively as you pull the bar towards you.

The bar grip is a grippy and smooth leather, and has a D-shaped profile which fits comfortably into your fingers and seems to avoid fatigue. The EVA bar ends feel tough and well molded, having enough support and clearance to completely avoid any chance of deathloop-inducing steering line wraps. The steering leader lines are thick and easy to handle if you need a little extra purchase for a lightwind relaunch. There’s also some adjustability built into the steering line attachments with an insert in the base of the bar end that can be reversed, providing two widths of 45 and 50cm to trim between larger and smaller kites. Line material is from German brand Liros, maintaining the European theme. The XT version of the Savvy bar is available with 18m lines plus 2 and 4m extensions, so you can play around with your line lengths and get 18, 20, 22 or 24m lines out of it.

The Savvy bar aligns CrazyFly firmly with the competition. It’s a competitive and well thought out, full featured high-end bar that feels great in the hands, and makes their kites feel even more alive and reactive.  It’s a massive leap forward from them in terms of user interface, and a textbook example of how important the tactile end of your kite setup is for the rider.