pole flex

[PV ers Dad]

Will the flex change as the pole gets older? more used? or change in temperature?

[Bruce Caldwell]

A pole flex can only change when it loses material.
1. by cutting th epole at the butt
2. Poles in the past were made with a filament thread running the hoop wrap of the pole and this was applied with a resin on the mandrel. If the pole was flexed too far this resin crackled and was deposited at the butt of the pole. Look and see if your pole does this if so the flex can be a bigger number and the pole will be softer to bend.

[prsport3]

I seen a 460 20.0 to to a 20.5 when bent to 90 degrees once and then bent 99 more time and end up a 21.0. That's a 5 pound loss in stiffness at that length.

Other data support the same conclusions when testing new poles then the same pole at a later date.

[PV ers Dad]

11.5' 130 59
12' 130 59

These poles have the same fex numbers and weight will they both feel the same except for the lenght?



how about these poles 11.5 130 59 and 11.5 140 59

[prsport3]

Flex number are only for a lenght. the 12 ' pole is 10 pounds stiffer at the same grip as the 11' 5" pole.

[2-15-46]

getting back to the same old question...at what point of the pole do you measure from??? 1 inch from the bottem and 1 inch from the top? or one foot from the bottom and the highest gripping point from the top??

[Rhino]

getting back to the same old question...at what point of the pole do you measure from??? 1 inch from the bottem and 1 inch from the top? or one foot from the bottom and the highest gripping point from the top??

What are you talking about?

[2-15-46]

how does one measure the change in flex?

[prsport3]

Well, all the manufactures do it differently but for your own records try this. You can also use this to get relative stiffness between poles of different lenghts by using the same suspension points.

Suspend the pole 6" from the botton and 12" from the top. Hang a 50 # weight in the center of those suspension points and measure the deflection in cm. Do this in the shade.