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Re: [moggs] New Rock Empire RE Flex:
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sixleggedinsect
Sep 12, 2007, 4:23 AM
Views: 11356
Registered: Apr 14, 2004
Posts: 385
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moggs wrote: Last weekend I was climbing in the valley. I'm just getting into trad so I was on the popular moderates. I think I saw 5 fixed cams. 1 piece was a BD cam. 1 piece was a metolius cam. the other 3 were Rock Empire. I don't know if it's the people that buy them or something inherent in the design itself (perhaps they walk a lot) but the numbers were a bit staggering.
i climb with the robots sometimes, depending on how many cams i need in a given size. i think they're solid and dependable. they used to be my primary rack years ago. in certain rock they even place in more secure spots than a standard BD rack.
a lot of people, when they notice the robots, tell me that 'they're always fixed' thing. thats not my experience, and i pay a lot of attention to fixed cams (becuase i get 'em out!).
folks used to fix my trango flex cams (yep, got those too, also not my primary rack..) in the creek all the time, but it was always because they were gripped, trying to place them like a BD which shrinks down more.
if there are more trango/rockempire (all made in the same big czech factory) fixed cams, perhaps its just indicative of how much trouble folks are willing to spend getting them out, and how attractive they are to all subsequent dirtbags.
i consider the robots very similar to the old (pre 'ultralight') metolius 4CUs. i also have the 3CUs in the tiny sizes. they all look really cheap, but in terms of how they place, how they clean, how they hold, etc, id call it even with metolius. they're very similarly (identically?) sized as well. and ive never heard of one breaking..
now- the large sizes are a different matter. for some reason, across the board, the euro import cams absolutely suck in the large sizes. #3 camalot size and larger are Not Worth Buying. even if you're cheap. they walk and wiggle and are narrow and scary and they have soft springs. if you buy the large euro import cams, well you made your own bed..
except for those, i like them. better than the WC cams, even. if you need off-size cams (between BD sizes) for the creek, or are trying to put together a secondary rack, you really cant go wrong. unless you have a prodeal on BD or your mother buys your gear.
(This post was edited by sixleggedinsect on Sep 12, 2007, 4:30 AM)
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