# chair lift bar/footrest...why not?



## bakesale (Nov 28, 2008)

If your ankle of calves get sore from having your leg dangling on the lift then you need the hit the gym. 

Not all chairlifts have footrests on the safety bar

Safety Bars are often ignored because they're annoying and people always hit your head with them or some idiot forgets that he's resting his arms on it when it comes time to lift up the bar. The bar is a good idea but people are too stupid to be courteous when pulling it down and pushing it up. I also personally don't feel the need to use one unless there is a beginner on the chair. As someone who's been skiing and snowboarding for about 22 years now I've never really had an issue, even on really windy days.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

thank god the local hill does not have safety bars or foot rests


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

when riding a lift, your body is going forward and up

when the lift suddenly stops, guess where your body is going to continue going


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## rjattack19 (Nov 7, 2008)

i rarely use the safety bar and iv never been to a resort with a foot rest although that does sound nice.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

legallyillegal said:


> when riding a lift, your body is going forward and up
> 
> when the lift suddenly stops, guess where your body is going to continue going


I :laugh:'d


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

if it has a footrest and people don't pull it down. say "heads Up" while your pulling it down... If they say no say Fu*K You!


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2010)

I hate the foot rests, they are designed for skis. I'm much more comfortable just sitting back in the chair with the heel of my rear binding resting on my toe. if you just put your arm over the back or around the bar on the side your not gonna fall off just from lift stopping.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2010)

bakesale said:


> If your ankle of calves get sore from having your leg dangling on the lift then you need the hit the gym.


Hum...glad to hear you have legs of steel, but it's not my ankle or calves that get sore...it's mostly my upper thigh muscles that ache from having an 8 lb. weight unnecessarily pulling on my leg for 10 minutes (do I really need to explain this??). Surely I can't be the only one that finds it tiring...why else would they have invented the footrests? And while I'm older now, I'm still in great shape. I'm at lifts at 9am and ride non-stop til closing...lunch is usually stuffed in a pocket. I also workout 3 times a week and skate the local skateparks 2-3 a week.




> Not all chairlifts have footrests on the safety bar


True. And obviously, I still ride plenty of lifts that don't have them...it's all about using the footrests whenever they're available (I never use a safety bar if it has no footrests...what's the point?). On lifts without footrests, I normally spread the weight by hanging the tail end of the board off my toe (like 90% of other boarders), or wrapping my back foot toe around the back of my front foot (again, like most other boarders). Still, not as good as a footrest, but works pretty well. But like I said, it's often impossible to use these techniques on a quad chair full of skiers without bashing their skis. That's when it's almost intolerable for me.

Let me ask you this-- Do you hang the tail end of your board on your toe when riding the lift? If so, why?

I'm now starting to wonder if there are people out there who've never even used footrests before with a snowboard...maybe they don't know what they are missing ?? :dunno: You can't tell me it doesn't make a difference. I don't care how strong your legs are.


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## pawel (Oct 2, 2007)

I rode on lifts with the foot rest, and its just a pain in the butt, especially when there are 6people sitting on the lift, its just easier to rest my board on top of my other foot. I dont mind having the safety bar down especially when you are going a big ravine lol


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2010)

BoardNbob said:


> I hate the foot rests, they are designed for skis.


Huh? Sounds like you don't know how to use them with a board. I prop my board right up on it and put my back foot in front of my back binding, just like I'm riding. Ahhh  



> I'm much more comfortable just sitting back in the chair with the heel of my rear binding resting on my toe.


See my other post. As a snowboarder for nearly 20 years, I'm already quite familiar with this technique. But it's not very doable when you're on a chairful of skiers, or even snowboarders (depending on who's goofy or regular). And it still doesn't beat a footrest.



> if you just put your arm over the back or around the bar on the side your not gonna fall off just from lift stopping.


Do you really think I'm afraid of falling??  Puhleaze :laugh: Odds are I was riding rickety old 2-seater lifts over cliffs before you were born. This proves my analysis is correct...some people think using the bar means you're _scared_, so they don't want to appear to be _uncool_.


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

There are still lifts without safety bars? What great hill would allow this?

Bars and footrests are there for a reason. THey are a bit like helmets. Chances are you don't need them but the day you do they could save your ass!


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## Willy36 (Dec 29, 2008)

I have a wide board, so it's a pain in the balls to fit it in between the footrests to get it up at the start and to get it out at the end...Especially when you got douchey skiers on either side of you who refuse to move their skis one bit even when they see that part of the reason you're struggling is because their stupid fucking planks are in your way.


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## CaptT (Sep 23, 2009)

For me it's just a bigger hassle then it's worth.....by the time I get the damn thing down and everyone gets situated it's time to get un-situated and get off.....


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## little devil (Aug 18, 2009)

I put down the bar, so i dont look like a tool going up the hill. But here im pretty sure u can get kicked out if u dont always put em down.


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

whenever i block people from raising the bar after i put it down they get so pissy

and then i wait until the very last second to put it back up (usually about 5 feet past the unload zone)

SHEER TERROR

should make a movie about that


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

the foot rests are good if your sitting on the ends, but if your sitting bitche on the lift its just a pain in the ass.


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## Tmoney (Jan 14, 2009)

legallyillegal said:


> i wait until the very last second to put it back up (usually about 5 feet past the unload zone)
> 
> SHEER TERROR
> 
> should make a movie about that


This. It's great to watch the people get nervous


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2010)

Snowolf said:


> Sounds like you have a huge chip on shoulder to me; why so angry? Use the safety bar if you want, but don`t ridicule others who don`t want to.


Didn't mean to come off as angry...really just a bit annoyed. Just got back from 5 days on the mountain and felt like I had to badger fellow riders/skiers at times to pull down the footrest. The female skier's rude remark was sort of the last straw that set me off.

It seems like there's almost like an unspoken peer pressure not to use it, so I'm just trying to make sense of it, ya know? I'm not trying to ridicule people who don't want to use them. If you insist it's just as comfortable for you without the footrest, as much as I find it hard to believe, I have to accept what you're saying. For me personally, the footrest allows me to get maximum ride time in without fatigue. That's important for a former Tahoe area resident who now only makes it to the slopes once or twice a year.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2010)

avenged1985 said:


> the foot rests are good if your sitting on the ends, but if your sitting bitche on the lift its just a pain in the ass.


Definitely easier sitting on the ends, but I personally don't have much problem using them in the middle either. Still far better than letting it hang IMO.


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## yusoweird (Apr 6, 2009)

legallyillegal said:


> whenever i block people from raising the bar after i put it down they get so pissy
> 
> and then i wait until the very last second to put it back up (usually about 5 feet past the unload zone)
> 
> ...


i dont think the safety bar is an issue with or without. theres no extra work to put it down, so i dont really mind either way. but i dont understand why people would be annoyed by pulling down the bar? seriously, is it that hard and that much hassle? people need to learn to multitask...

i say go ahead a pull the bar down if you want it. thats what it is there for. people who doesn't like the bar doesn't have a choice if someone else on the chair wants it down.


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

yusoweird said:


> i dont think the safety bar is an issue with or without. theres no extra work to put it down, so i dont really mind either way. but i dont understand why people would be annoyed by pulling down the bar? seriously, is it that hard and that much hassle? people need to learn to multitask...
> 
> i say go ahead a pull the bar down if you want it. thats what it is there for. people who doesn't like the bar doesn't have a choice if someone else on the chair wants it down.


thats very true. If someone wants it down, it will go down, but they can tell you that they are putting it down before then hit you in the head with it


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## yusoweird (Apr 6, 2009)

actually i did get hit in the head once. lol but i had a helmet. no biggie...


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## avenged1985 (Nov 3, 2009)

ha i got hit when they brought it down. and then again when they brought it up. hurts like a bitch with no helmet.


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## twin89 (Jan 21, 2009)

after personally seeing a fool fall 25ft off a lift a few days ago, i ride with the bar down and encourage others to do so. you never know when shit is gona go down.


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## yusoweird (Apr 6, 2009)

twin89 said:


> after personally seeing a fool fall 25ft off a lift a few days ago, i ride with the bar down and encourage others to do so. you never know when shit is gona go down.


thats true, thats why i still wrap my arm behind the chair when i dont have a bar haha. can't trust the lift 100% either...


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## bravo_castle (Aug 16, 2007)

If I'm riding a lift solo that has the safety bar/foot rest I don't use it.
I only object to dropping it if the jongs I'm on the lift with drop it before my board has left the ground or bash me in the head with said bar.

Some of you sound so paranoid... Do you avoid the older lifts that don't have the safety bar/foot rest?

I'll usually will wrap my arm around the chair behind me when i feel the lift start to slow or stop. :dunno:


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## Nugggster (Sep 29, 2008)

shralper said:


> I pulled it down anyway :cheeky4:


as you should!!! if she doesnt like it she can carry her :thumbsup:


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Has anyone noticed that 9 times out of 10, when the bar comes down, it's a 50+ yr old skiers?


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## Phenix_Rider (Dec 24, 2008)

CaptTenielle said:


> For me it's just a bigger hassle then it's worth.....by the time I get the damn thing down and everyone gets situated it's time to get un-situated and get off.....


Exactly- the lifts around here arn't long enough to bother.


Snowolf said:


> My only gripe is the asswipe who, without saying a word slams the thing down before you are even fully loaded onto the chair and slams your head or pinches your arm in the thing. I go ape shit on people who do this inconsiderate action.





avenged1985 said:


> ha i got hit when they brought it down. and then again when they brought it up. hurts like a bitch with no helmet.


I can't tell you how many times this has happened. They also love to smash my legs with the fucking anti-slide thing that sticks down off the bar. The POS was not designed for snowboards. It's ALWAYS retarded skiers that just plunk their ass down and whip the damn bar down. JUST WAIT A DAMN SECOND!!! Your stupid snarly spaghetti sticks are all over the place, let me get my board away from them without hitting the lift poles and my ass all the way on the chair! I have no problem putting it down if there are kids on board, but adults don't need it. The only time it would do any good is if the cable broke- and then you're screwed anyway.


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2010)

shralper said:


> Huh? Sounds like you don't know how to use them with a board. I prop my board right up on it and put my back foot in front of my back binding, just like I'm riding. Ahhh
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Umm....My post wasn't really meant to be a personal attack. Just my own opinion. I don't have a problem with people who use the bar, i just choose not to. I'm pretty sure everyone knows about the foot hanging technique. It's not exactly rocket science. You asked why not. I answered


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## DiscoStu (Jul 2, 2009)

I reckon it's way more comfortable without the bar, much rather have the board resting on my other boot than a shitty rest that doesn't fit my board anyway. And how freakin hard is it to get your board back off the footrest if you're in one of the middle two seats on a four seater?
Nothing to do with looking cool, that's what crazy hair beanies and jackets that hang down to the knees are for


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## Nugggster (Sep 29, 2008)

MunkySpunk said:


> Has anyone noticed that 9 times out of 10, when the bar comes down, it's a 50+ yr old skiers?


Depending where you live that ratio may vary highly.


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

Snowolf said:


> Sounds like you have a huge chip on shoulder to me; why so angry? Use the safety bar if you want, but don`t ridicule others who don`t want to. To each their own. I don`t use it myself for no other reason than I just never really gave it any thought. I don`t have any issue with muscle fatigue on long chairlift rides. When others use it,yes I do use the foot rest. On that same note, I certainly don`t get pissy with people who do like to have it down. My only gripe is the asswipe who, without saying a word slams the thing down before you are even fully loaded onto the chair and slams your head or pinches your arm in the thing. I go ape shit on people who do this inconsiderate action.


Ditto on everything you said. Also annoying when they slam it down and pinch your pant leg so you can't even move your leg.


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## Dano (Sep 16, 2009)

I love the lifts with foot rests because I can strap in during the ride up. Rest your heel cup on the foot rest, lean over, and ratchet that shit


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