Gear Review
Black Diamond Spire Elliptic Trekking Pole
Fantastic Poles
By Matt Lutz
Ranked #173 - Trekking Poles
November 10, 2008
The best feature of the Spires is their FlickLock. The lock holds the pole in place and you know it's closed; no turning and wondering if the lock is holding like other poles. The lock does need minimal maintenance, however. The screw that holds the lock's latch needs to be checked after and before every trip. It is a standard Phillips screw, and can be turned easily with a penny, knife blade or fingernail. I consider this minimal maintenance just part of taking care of one's toys, so it is not a detractor.
For their weight, these are the best trekking poles around. The straps are a easily adjustable and large enough to accommodate gloves (but not big mitts) and have a 3D mesh to wick away moisture. Should you break a part, you can get replacement parts from Black Diamond.
I've put a 400 or so miles on mine, and they look good-as-new. They hold just as well, too.
View Details: Black Diamond Spire Elliptic Trekking Pole
Helpful Votes: 4 Yes
Tech Specs:
- Usable Range:
- (standard) 41 x 55 in, (compact) 37 x 49 in
- Collapsed Length:
- (standard) 27 in, (compact) 25 in
- Shaft:
- aluminum
- Grip:
- dual-density rubber and foam
- Tip:
- carbide
- Locking Mechanism:
- flickLock top, binary bottom
- Included Baskets:
- 1 pair
- Weight:
- (standard) 1 lb 4 oz, (compact) 1 lb 3 oz
- Recommended Use:
- hiking, backpacking
- Manufacturer Warranty:
- 1 year
Change me.
4 Comments Last Reply: March 8, 2011 By: MELISSA
I know this is a little late, but yes! Many people have a problem with the bottom section. I work in outdoor retail and I see a lot of these come back. Me included. One day, it just stopped working. I couldn't move it even with a vise.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
You can remove the lower section by depressing the lock buttons, then pulling it all the way out. But before you try that, blast a bit of WD-40 up into the locking mechanism and slide the pole in and out repeatedly (get your mind out of the gutter...that's what you need to do) and also depress the buttons a bunch of times to free up any grit and debris. Wipe the whole thing down with a clean rag, and repeat until it's smooth. If that doesn't work, and the pole is still caked with crap, then remove the section completely, and try using a light scouring sponge to scrub it off. Lube up the little spring loaded ball locks and the rubber dirt covers when you're done. Worst case scenario- bearing in mind that it'll take the paint off the lower section of the pole, and will melt any plastic it comes into contact with- wipe it with a bit of lacquer thinner. Best to remove the section completely before you try this.
Helpful Votes: 2 Yes
I've never seen something like that on my poles. I have had some grease on the lower two sections, but nothing like that. It sounds like you got some foreign substance on the poles that adhered to the pole.
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes
Have you had any problems with the bottom section getting sticky. After 7 days on the west coast trail one of my poles was very sticky, there was some sort of grit caked onto the pole that would not come off very easily ( my nails couldn't scratch it off) what would you advise for fixing this?
Helpful Votes: 4 Yes