UKC

Hello everyone!
I'm trying to decide on a training board to buy my boyfriend as a valentine's day present; I've whittled it down to The Rack by Camp or the Metolius Simulator, but I'd like some personal opinions as I'm not a frequent climber... thank you!
Laura

In reply to psychofreckles:
I have a simulator (old style one, not one of the new fangled 3D thingies). It's huge and heavy, more than you might expect just by looking at it in the photos. It's also phenomenally ugly. If I were buying again I'd almost certainly buy one of these:

http://www.beastmaker.co.uk/

In reply to Alun: OooOooo

I have only seen the Beastmaker 2000, the 1000 looks interesting (more likely be able to use it).

Hmmmmm

In reply to psychofreckles:

Safest bet is definitely a beastmaker 1000

In reply to plexiglass_nick:
Thank you - I'm not sure of font route numbers in comparison to ours - my boyfriend is climbing 6c's, and the very occasional 7, so would the 1000 series be right?
Thank you all again!

In reply to psychofreckles:
A Beastmaker 1000 would be far better than the other 2 boards you are looking at.

In reply to krank:

Thank you, definitely sold!

In reply to psychofreckles:

I had a look at the new simulator & it deifinitely ticks all the right boxes. It's also ergonomically engineered so it take some of the load off the elbows when you're training. It is much easier on the the skin than the old one as well. I think he'd probably be able to use more of the simulator but the Beastmaker is very good as well. At those grades the 1000 might be a safer bet.
Bill

In reply to psychofreckles:

French of Font 6cs and odd 7?

Either way, I'd go with the idea of buying something you can grow into - there's no point in getting a board if you can hang too much of it already unless you are going to start adding weight or doing one-arm work from the word go.

Despite being pretty weak I went with the beastmaker 2000 - I can hang a few of the big holds on it, and I know its not going to be something I'll ever grow out of because there's so many sick tiny holds on it

AJM

In reply to AJM:

I have no idea, he climbs at UCR in Bristol - I checked their site, they grade as F3-F8a?

Laura

In reply to psychofreckles:

Does he climb 6c on the roped routes or on the boulder problems is more what I meant - a Font 6c boulder problem is very different to a French 6c route.......

In reply to AJM: Oh sorry! He climbs 6c lead, bouldering I'm not sure, this puts a spanner in the works... I'll bung him a text...
Laura

In reply to psychofreckles: If he leads F6c then he should boulder around V3-4 at least. I'd go for a Beastmaker 1000. My wife resisted me having a resin fingerboard as they look ugly, but the wood of the Beastmaker sold it to her

Andy F

In reply to AJM:

He just said he's about a 6c with bouldering too?

Laura

In reply to andy farnell:

I've just spoken to him and he says he's bouldering about a 6c at the moment as well... I honestly have no idea whether to go with the beastmaker 1000, as this sounds like it's about right for him judging by what people have said on here, but a few people now have said just go with a 2000 as it will last longer in terms of his training...

Laura

In reply to Anonymous:

Thanks anon!

I'm definitely thinking the 2000 now... I'll gamble, I know buying anything for people to grow into isn't always a great idea, but I know someone further up there ---^ said they'd grown into theirs, and if he struggles with it at first, with your handy tip its not the end of the world!

Thank you to everyone for your help, much appreciated!

Laura x

In reply to psychofreckles:

6c is harder than I can boulder, and I'm managing ok with mine - you can do offset hangs on big/small holds if you can't hang a small in each hand after all.

In reply to psychofreckles:

Personally - and this is just personally - I have a beastmaker 2000 and if I were buying again I would get a 1000 I think.

I am climbing roughly at the same level to your bloke from the sounds of it.

We had this discussion on another thread, Serpico who is the resident training guru also is in favour of buying a board you can 'grow into' as AJM has said.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=389562

I think the exact choice of 1000 series or 2000 series is not that important, there are things you can do with either board to make them harder or easier, (say taking weight off with a pulley to make it easier, or using one hand to make it harder). Both look like really good boards.

The only differences are that the 1000 has jugs instead of the 45 degree slopers, and doesn't have any monos on it. Personally I think for the purposes of warming up it's useful to have a set of larger holds on the board, unless your bloke already has a pull up bar or something he can warm up off. That's not to say you can't warm up on a 2000, it just requires being a bit disciplined and being creative. And I am so far off being able to do anything useful with the 45 deg slopers and monos that I would happily trade them in for the jugs, and I don't think I would be limiting my options with what I could do on the board any time soon.

My personal opinion is that the 2000 makes a great second fingerboard for anyone who already one but finds the holds too big. If I were going to have only one fingerboard I would probably get the 1000.

honestly I don't think you can go far wrong with either board though.

In reply to psychofreckles: I am also looking at getting a 1000. What is the cheapest way to get one delivered?

In reply to psychofreckles: plenty of big holds on the 2000. With finger boarding you tend to improve quite quickly, so if i were climbing 6c i would opt for the 2000.

In reply to andy farnell: Come on Mr Farnell, you know your going to be converted to one of these... > http://tiny.cc/nZ7uw

In reply to Paul R: sell sell sell!!!!!!

In reply to chalkyjim: lol