Clearing Tension Knots
- Counter the turn using the opposite riser
- This isn't doing anything for the tension knot, but a diving turn will keep going faster, and cause you to pass out
- Toggle stab the unstowed brake on the tension-knotted side as hard and fast as you can
- You want to stab so fast that the slack in your brake-line does not have time to catch
- You cannot allow for any of the excess brake-line to move up when you unstow your brake
- Otherwise, you allow for the knot to tighten
Avoiding Tension Knots
It's intuitive to assume that worn lines are more likely to create tension knots (because fuzzy ⇒ more surface area ⇒ more friction), but there haven't been any studies to validate that theory. Tension knots have happened on brand-new linesets.
Another common theory is twisted brake lines. While it certainly can't help, Squirrel has tested it and weren't able to induce tension knots solely from line twists.
What we do know is that you need some level of slack to form a knot, so:
- Pack symmetrically
- Maintain line tension through your pack job
Learn More
Articles
- Squirrel: Tension Knots & Reliability Stats