• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Mad Rock not releasing

sconnieman

sconnieman

Active Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2019
Messages
157
So I just got my one stick setup complete enough to start practicing. I don’t know if there’s something wrong with my technique, rope, or mad rock but I can’t get it to release the rope to rappel consistently. It mostly seems like it’s all or nothing until I’m half way down the tree. Doesn’t matter if I hold the tag end with a death grip or let go entirely. What’s the deal?
4c24928111b9a507084b518b2d8405eb.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
What line and what diameter is that?

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk
 
That was also my experience with the MadRock until I practiced with it a bit. Doesn’t take much tension to pull down on that lever to get it to start letting the rope out. You gotta feel it out and when it starts to give a bit then basically pull no more unless you want to zip down fast. You’ll get a technique down that should let you down pretty easy once you get the feel of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You probably experience this.
If so, do this for a smooth descent.
 
Westdesign03 said:
That was also my experience with the MadRock until I practiced with it a bit. Doesn’t take much tension to pull down on that lever to get it to start letting the rope out. You gotta feel it out and when it starts to give a bit then basically pull no more unless you want to zip down fast. You’ll get a technique down that should let you down pretty easy once you get the feel of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Do you have to take a little tension out to get it started?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
sconnieman said:
Do you have to take a little tension out to get it started?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

No you shouldn’t have to. It’s important that the rope doesn’t get bunched up on the back side of the safeguard too where it feeds into the device. Otherwise you might have a hard time getting it started moving. If the rope is feeding fine into the device from behind it should work. You just need to pull on the handle a little more and you’ll start to feel it slide on the rope even while at tension. Right when that happens is when you should almost stop pulling and try to maintain the tension you have on the handle. You’ll almost naturally start to rappel at a reasonable speed then. This is also when you have to feel it out a little to see if you want to pull the lever slightly more to get a little more speed or just stay right where you are with the rappel speed. Hopefully that makes some sense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Do you have a different rated rope to try it on? I have some of that rope but only have a Beal Birdie so I can't tell you if the combo works at my place.

You could possibly try it out on a couple different tethers you probably have already. Just to see if it works better for you. (ground height)

You can always get yourself a Figure Eight...
 
I had that experience as well (9mm C-IV), and being a larger American (270lbs), you just need to pull that lever a little harder I think, which isn't easy with my big banana hands either. I was thinking I was going to break that handle/lever off too (wish it was longer/beefier for more leverage), but from my recollection when first using it, just takes a little more force to release from my memory (though looked like you were pulling more towards the end of your vid). Do you have your tag end in an autoblock by chance? That way you don't need to worry about pulling too hard as it will release and you can descend controlling speed with the autoblock
 
boyne bowhunter said:
I'm using the Madrock on that exact rope. I'm running about 230ish right now and not having any difficulties at all. In fact it runs pretty easy through it.
Click to expand...

It seems like the farther I get down the easier it gets. I’m 215 so I don’t know why it’s so difficult. I’m hesitant to use an 8mm rope because that’s out of spec and not worth dropping out of a tree


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Get some gloves. I'm 6'3, little over 300 lbs and had a similar issue. As soon as I started using some gloves, I could pull that lever hard enough for it to release and could control my descent, and it felt like it took less effort. With my bare hand it hurt like hell and would be a jerky ride down once it did release, if I could get it to. Now I just have a pair of crappy ones in my bag for that reason, and so the rope don't burn my tag end hand!
 
sconnieman said:
It was a pretty sappy tree


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
It is possible that sap worked into the jacket. Since the Madrock uses friction, it'll heat up the sap and gum things up. You can buy special soaps fro rope that you can use to wash your rope.
 
MNFarmHunter said:
It is possible that sap worked into the jacket. Since the Madrock uses friction, it'll heat up the sap and gum things up. You can buy special soaps fro rope that you can use to wash your rope.
Click to expand...

There is sap on the MR and over a lot of the rope. I was curious as to how you’d wash the rope and device. Most of the sap on the MR is on the handle. Can’t find any on the inside.
7612248cd33404dffdc52b11078bde3a.jpg

a3a8675a7ffdf4198e0d17f58d7aefe5.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top