Breaking in springs is a myth!!

[XarnuSonci]

Ok, we've all heard about how you have to break in new springs, and for the past year I've believed that to be true, however after a year of bocking and my 2nd pair of stilts i now know that what we've all been blaming on springs that are too stiff can really be blamed on us not knowing what we're doing.  The reason we can't jump high off the bat when we first got our bocks is cause we didn't know how we had to figure it out.  My first day i could only jump about 8 inches, and a month or so down the road i could jump a few feet. We'd all assumed it's cause the springs come very stiff from the factory, this is wrong.  After a month of bocking i just figured out how to get the most out of my springs.

How did i come to this conclusion:  I just got new bocks 2 weeks ago, and could get full spring travel out of them in after about 10 minutes of adjustment to the new feel.  If you look at my vid from the 7's comp the indian air/ airwalk/whatever you want to call it, i learned that trick the first day i got the new bocks, as you can see on the vid i'm almost bottoming out the springs.  So new springs are not too stiff, first time bockers just don't know how to bock yet, so they can't use the potential in their springs for a few weeks while they learn what they are doing.

A fact for thought:
Springs do get softer over their life, but this is just gradual fiberglass wear and tear, not some drastic softening the first few hours of use.

K speech over, I'm surprised it took us this long to figure this out.  I know others have replaced their springs before me, odd that they didn't notice.

[OriginalTwo]

Or maybe you think this because your old springs were so sh** that even if the new ones are stiff you have the strength to push down and get more height.

I agree with breaking them in personally after my T-rex experience. No proof either way though.

[petterekman]

Interesting. I also believed in the breaking-in-thing, but hmm... You could be right...

By the way, how much do you weigh? And how easily do you bottom out your springs?
I'm about 92kgs, and after about 5hrs of bocking and getting used to them I can bottom them out quite easily.

[MCTom]

I still cant bottom out mine, but thats probably because I'm right at the bottom of the weight range, and I'm a wimp, I lose balance every time I start to get high

[Kiola]

i would have to come to agree with that XS.. i also have got myself new springs and then instantly got the best bounce out of them.. that is unless they really are a few notches above your weight then surely it is because you need a wearing in process!

[MCTom]

Hrrm, since they slowly get softer over time, theoretically your first ever bounce could be the highest you could ever get

[petterekman]

Hrrm, since they slowly get softer over time, theoretically your first ever bounce could be the highest you could ever get

Yeah, but don't say it out loud... It's a depressing thought!

[poweriser kid]

i agree
my 7's springs were easy to use
i thought that it would be realy hard
pk

[Kiola]

Hrrm, since they slowly get softer over time, theoretically your first ever bounce could be the highest you could ever get

i think theres a point were it peaks .. not straight away.. but over a bit you get your highest.. and then the hieght goes down again (which is capable)

[poweriser kid]

so we should be getting less and less hight every time we go out
i hope that dousnt hapen to my 7's
pk

[Dawesome]

i agree tbh XS. and yes the strength and stiffness of the inital spring does hinder you initially if u are new to them, not so much when u know how to jump to the springs desire.

But to say brekaing the stilts in is a myth is a bit far imo. I think that the springs do become softer as you go on them, and there is a point where they are nicely softened so you can really egt all you can out of them.

[jono]

I agree with dawesome

[Balthezar Arith]

erm... is this a war?  I always opt for the best of both worlds.  Everything in the universe has a break-in point.  with my stilts (cheap flyjumpers M90) I could walk around without them compressing at all with normal walking.  Now, after about a month of jumping around, they squeak and juggle comfortably beneath me, and I have gotten 10 lbs lighter since using them, so yes, they get broken in.

BUT!!!

I dont think they have such a wear down point that they hinder you from jumping when they're new.  I thought my right spring was getting more 'broken-in' than my left, because I of course am right handed.  But after jumping these last few weeks, I can bottom the left spring out just as much, and sometimes more, as the right, even while running.  Its just getting used to them that make them better. 

ALSO!!!

Since jump hight is not COMPLEETLY dependent on the spring, but the bocker's strength and agility as well, more hight can be attained with practice and exersize.  Just look at Athoul's training.  meaning:  EVERY BOUNCE CAN BE AS GOOD AS YOUR FIRST!!!  untill your springs shatter of course...  then all you can do is chunk them into the air and pout.   

[XarnuSonci]

wow didn't expect this to generate such an interesting discussion, unfortunately i don't have time to comment, more from me tonight, keep this up i wanted to generate a good convo out of this and its building.

[petterekman]

wow didn't expect this to generate such an interesting discussion, unfortunately i don't have time to comment, more from me tonight, keep this up i wanted to generate a good convo out of this and its building.

If you have the time, I would really appreciate it if you could just tell me how much you weigh.
I'm a bit disappointed that I, as a complete newb, still can bottom out my bocks fairly easily, when I'm just 92kgs and on 90-120 springs!