Review > Nicros > Burly Bits / Diff Tex Footchips

2008-02-06T16:22:00.001-08:00

We've have had the pleasure of reviewing some sweet holds in the past month, some big jugs, some not so big jugs and slappy sloppers, but now we're going back to my personal favorite the crimps :P Enter the Burly Bits from Nicros.If we want to get technical, the Burly Bits aren't all crimps. The set was designed by Kimberly down at Nicros to simulate the feel of granite. Although all these holds are small (three fingers at most) they aren't all crimps. The set includes pinches and (for lack of a better term) slopes. Enter stage right the Diff Tex foot chips from Nicros, the perfect compliment to the Burly's:So we took the two sets of holds and put up a route at our local gym, Allez Up. If ever you get a set of the foot chips in your possession you`ll realize that its going to take a laser sight on your shoes to pinpoint the good part of the hold, we had a lot of people with sloppy footwork get some air time! The holds are ideal for mad balance moves and are great for face climbs and that is where I ended up setting my route, it started below a fairly large bulge, went up and over the top and then straight up a vertical wall to it's conculsion, if your footwork was bad then you were going to have a hell of a time getting to the top, even though the route was only graded 5.9+

You would think that the Diff Tex foot chips are dual tex but they're not they have a textured area and an non textured area (Editors note: isn't that dual tex?), which is different from a Dual Tex hold, confused? So where we... here's what the Nicros site says this about them:
"1 Tick footchips offer a little more texture and varies the location of the texture when compared to the No Tick footchips. We offer three different sets of the same shapes that sport both a "textured" area as well as an "untextured" area with the texture located in different areas of the hold. These holds force you to really look at your foot placements. Isn't that what improved footwork is all about? Technical Course Setters rave about these footchips!"
Ah see, these are different from normal footchips! Nicros are being sneaky!! So these aren't your normal Dual Tex foot chips these are really really deciving... more than you think, they should pretty well be in most setters bags we think, especially as there four different variations of the same shapes!! Yup FOUR, one set textured, one set with practically no texture, and then two sets with small areas (like we have) but in different places, so you can leave up the same handholds and just switch the feet!! Would we be so mean to do that?? HELL YEAH, i'd bring a chair and a cup of coffee and watch people just get spat off of the wall :)

The Burly Bits on the other hand are dual tex! They're all made with the textured part on either side, and can be used as pinches, while the center part is smooth. It doesn't make much difference when you're using them as hand holds but there will be no smears when it comes to your feet. After bringing them back from the gym you could see the rubber on the textured part of the hold only. The crimps are bigger than you would expect due to some of the large incuts but they can still bite the fingers a little, not in a "ow ow ow" way, but in a positive way that lets you know you're on the hold properly! The sloping shapes from the set would be best on a slab. Once again balance is needed to navigate these holds.

And onto our wall :) We had them on the wall before they went to the gym, and we were having a hard time with them on the 30 degree overhang, they're do-able, but you really need to hold on! They make for some great powerful climbing, and again when you pair them with the footchips, you're going to be screaming to hold on and to get your feet on the good part of the hold. It's well documented that Noodles doesn't like crimps, he likes his fingers and would rather leave the superburly (HA!) climbing for outside or when he's competeing, but that being said even he thought that they were some pretty interesting shapes, with a good mix of shapes.

SUGGESTED USES

When we brought the holds to the gym they where set on a vertical wall. Most people could get through the climb and there where no complaints about the size but when you put them on any kind of overhang, look out!!! The crimps are bearable and the little "slopers" are only good for your feet. Some people did come back with the comment that the hold shapes felt a little too similar from hold to hold, it's a interesting point and one that we looked at once we brought the holds home, there is a degree of similarity between some of the holds but as they're all crimps with a small variation in size we can see why people think this! (It's also because we did have some duplicate holds up there aswell :P) Overall it was fun watching people try to grab the footchips rather than some of the holds to get up the route... wrong move!!

If you need to set some technical balancy moves on a slab or vertical wall these are something you should look at, if you want crimps for anything past 30 degrees overhung we suggest you give them a miss.... hopefully Kim-Burly will shape some more of the same style holds that are better suited to steeply overhung walls :)

The footchips can be used anywhere, they're going to tax peoples footwork to the absolute limit, from vertical to steeply overhung terrain we're having a hoot and will probably pick up the other sets pretty soon... they're that good!!

OVERALL BUILD
The gym has a bunch of Nicros holds (you can tell because they have the logo on them) and they seem to have withstood the test of time. When you get them in your hands they feel solid and the backs are flush with the wall. Ours came in white and orange swirls and we've received holds from Nicros in a variety of colors, these stand out pretty well, but the color does get a little lost once there is a bunch of chalk on them! All the holds have tapered holes so make sure you have bolts for all the holds, which means no one can cheat and grab the bolt!! The texture of the holds is meant to simulate granite and are a little rough at first but they mellow out in time, these holds do take rubber like there's no tomorrow, the holds are looking rather black from one month in the gym! We tried overtightening the holds with a large bar to see if we could snap one of the duplicates we had, but had no luck, so the holds are pretty damn strong!!!

For the feet, its pretty well the same as above... they're very well made and do what they're supposed to do, we're torn to say that these are some of the most technical or devious foot chips that we've ever come across!

WHAT THEY'RE MADE FROM
Resin... strong resin :)

PACKAGING / SHIPPING
These holds came in with a few chips here and there, but this is because UPS (or was it Fed Ex?) played touch football with the package again. We've noticed that this has happened alot with some shippers. The hold were well packaged, they were all wrapped really well, it was just the rough treatment from shipping that caused any damage. As per usual Nicros had replacements to us super quickly!

RATING
NOODLES SAYS
Kimberly maybe an evil genius, or just plain evil (She's not really)... these holds are going to give you a run for your money, the crimps are good enough for most people to haul on (We've heard of people using them on a 60 degree overhung wall) on most flat, slab or overhung terrain. I don't like crimps, but these are big enough for me to play on without having to worry too much about my fingers aching the next day, but this is dependent on who set with them and the feet. And speaking of which... wow, the feet are amazing, I thought that my footwork was alright, but I had a few moments at the gym (and at home) where my foot wasn't placed in the correct position and they slipped off. Put both of these sets together and you're going to be able to set some super technical crimpy routes that push your footwork to the limit.

If you're looking for tech feet, look no further... if you're looking for a set of granite style crimps then these are for you, but be advised the steeper you go the more air time you'll end up getting :D

The route that Chris set is interesting in parts, the start is super nice, and once you get past the box (mind you head (Dan)) we get into the steeper terrain, where, for want of a better word it gets interesting, when I say interesting I mean HARD... really hard! There is a specific hand sequence that you have to follow, which is fine, til the match at the end... if i'd had the camera rolling all the time from ourside all you'd have heard is Chris swearing, he was having a hell of a time. I did catch the photo on the left though, he was having fun as I did other things, but you would hear him fall on the last move... it's nice to see, but better to see him kill his own route in the end. Overall, I don't like crimps, and these are an exception, but they wall a very fine line for me... they're more like edges than super crimps (like the E-Grips) and so you can climb on them for longer, how long depends upon what you want to do to your fingers. Me? I did the route three times in an evening and I know my fingers will hurt tmrw, but that's fine!, I had a blast on the holds, just as we did the first time, just as I did on Chris' route at the gym and as I will in the near future. That's something from me... I've not banished them to being footholds, they're still there and will be used a lot... all I need is the other three sets of foot holds so I can play with people :)

CHRIS
I have mixed feelings about these holds. Its like a girlfriend you've just broken up with. You love her? You hate her? The set itself has some big holds but some of the smaller ones and the slopers are very deceiving. Some of the holds say "rest and chalk up here" while others say "move, move, move!". When I set the holds on the overhang I made sure to make short moves because I like my tendons the way they are but when it came to setting at the gym it was easier to let the moves flow into one another. I'm a solid 5.11 climber and I was worried that some of the moves on the smaller holds would turn people away but it was the other way around. The solid climbers where flying up it and a lot of people worked it and sent it in the end.

EVE
Ok, so I don't want to sound like a hater but... What happened there? First of all, these holds are ugly! It's like they tried to go all 80s about it (which I would luuuuuuuv) but then chickened out of it last minute and ended up with lightly colored wannabe tie-dyed swirls on a easily dirtied boring white background! The hand holds are shaped alright, crimps being crimps they're not comfortable per say but fairly easy to stick to. Gives a nice challenge, for me! The foot holds on the other hand are a bloody nightmare (great, the Brit rubbed off!) Either I'd slip right off or, when I'd find something more usable, I'd have to hang there, looking like I've got a twitch, trying to land EXACTLY at the millimeter where your toe fits nicely. Personally, I like a little more flexibility. It should be noted that the swirly Burlys were much more appreciated (by me mind you) on the boulder than on the wall. I think it's because having the right hand sequence is crucial to success with these holds (since your feet seem to hang there for show more then for support) and if you screw up on the wall, it quickly becomes a long power route. No good for my girly arms! Conclusion....you want a challenge? There's a challenge! I hope you don't use much leg flexibility and balance work when you climb though! (Editors note: Chris' route at the gym was all flexibilty and foot work, and it was wicked)

DAN
I love 'em! As far as small holds go, these are definitely among my favorites. There is a really good variety of angles in the set, both positive and negative, and also a good variety in the depth of the holds. It keeps climbing interesting, while keeping you from getting too comfortable up on the wall, which is a good thing. The texture is by far my favorite thing about them though. The best word I can think of to describe it is "chunky". Don't ask why, you won't understand until you've held the hold yourself. It's not like anything I've ever really seen in the gym before. Probably the closest plastic has ever felt to real rock to me. Kudos to the designers on this one! The foot holds are nice, but in my opinion nothing to get too excited about. Definitely a good addition to any climbing wall and definitely a challenge. Not too many flat edges here! I would say a really good set to practice keeping your feet on the wall while its trying to spit you off.

PROS

Great for setting
Big pinches, small pinches, crimps... mini slopes, this set has them all
Footchips are super technical, you will end up with great footwork!!

CONS

Could pop a tendon on an overhang, crimpings baaaad!
Some of the shapes do feel a little similar to one another

PRICE
Burly Bits are $27.97 (Normally $39.95 THEY'RE ON SALE!) for 10 holds
Diff Tex Footchips are $37.95 for 10 holds, there are four different sets for your setting pleasure!

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Review > Nicros > Burly Bits / Diff Tex Footchips