I assured this new customer that 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles would not work for someone that tall. He commented that he had just gotten off the phone with a company that assured him that their collapsible poles would work just fine. The sad but true thing about collapsible poles is that they are horrible for even in the height range they are designed for and they are extremely horrible for those outside the range. When you extend an already cheap/flimsy pair of collapsible poles to their maximum setting they are then at their weakest, most bendy and most unreliable setting. And even at their tallest setting the poles would be way to short for someone 6' 5 1/2".
Ideally the Perfect Length Poles put the elbow at about 90 degrees and the forearm parallel to the ground when the individual is standing tall and strapped into the poles. It just goes to show that the companies selling these cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece poles are just out to sell and don't care if the poles fit correctly or not. The few other companies that carry one-piece poles here in North America only carry 5 or 6 different lengths at most and they can't fit the majority of Americans with such a small size curve. We carry 16 different lengths of SWIX and EXEL poles. There are tons of poles on the market, but there are very few quality poles out there. SWIX and EXEL poles are the most respected in Europe - for walking and for skiing.
After hosting hundreds of Nordic Walking classes and clinics during the past eight years I have developed a pretty good feel for sizing everyone into the Perfect Length Poles. ALL my customers receive a perfect length guarantee. ALL 16 sizes are in-stock and ready to ship. Once I know how tall someone is I personally select the perfect length poles for their height.
Perfect length poles help us to automatically walk with a super straight back - better walking posture is biomechanically a good thing. This improved walking posture when combined with the unique 4-Wheel-Drive type action of walking with poles radically reduces the stress to the shins, knees, hips and back. Nordic Walking is low impact and yet provides a highly effective workout - burning more calories and working more muscle groups than regular walking.
Don't get scammed by the cheap/flimsy 2-piece and 3-piece collapsible poles from China flooding the market - they are online and in every big box store. One-piece poles from SWIX of Norway and EXEL of Finland will always prove to be safer, lighter, stronger, more durable and much more user-friendly than all the flimsy collapsible poles priced from $20.00 - $200.00 per pair. Seniors and individuals with balance issues should NEVER use collapsible poles - but the companies promoting them will gladly sell you a pair. Most individuals looking for Nordic Walking Poles are sold "trekking" poles by accident too. Those collapsible poles don't have the real Nordic Walking Straps and they don't usually have the rubber tips/asphalt paws for pavement. Collapsible poles have plastic twist-lock and flip-lock mechanisms
Skiwalking.com LLC and the American Nordic Walking System have 100% positive satisfaction ratings because we provide the quality SWIX and EXEL one-piece poles with a Perfect Length Guarantee. We don't scam our customers with collapsible poles. We always recommend sturdy and user-friendly one-piece poles that are sized correctly.
