It's worth remembering that each and every zip wire is unique and that no two zip wires are the same, although the general principles of installing a zip wire are the same.
One other thing to bear in mind when installing a zip wire is that there is no real science to working out the best height at either end or tightness of the wire. It really is a question of following our generic instructions and then fine tuning the ride until you find what you are comfortable with.
Because of this, it is impossible to give specific installation information to every purchaser of a zip wire, but what we have put together, and is supplied with every zip wire kit, is a set of generic instructions which will be more than enough for you to install your zip wire ride correctly and in a proper manor.
When deciding on purchasing a zip wire there is no right or wrong lengths to go for. It really is a matter of buying what you are comfortable with and will fit in with your needs. We have sold kits from 15m in length right up to 380m that have been put over a lake.
There are a number of ways to fix a zip wire in place - between two trees, between two supports (A-frames) or a mixture, but one thing that we strongly recommended is not to fix a zip wire to the corner of a house or other brickwork unless you have structurally reinforced the bracing point.
For suppliers of poles to make A-frames, please see our
FAQ's Section which has links to some companies that can supply poles to most parts of the UK.
Positioning: Whatever length you decide to go for, the one thing that you must make sure on is that you have enough free space around where you are going to install your zip wire.
Ideally you need to leave around 2m of free space either side of the centre line of the wire and also 2m of free space to the side and behind any trees or frames.
If there are likely to be trees nearby, then please make sure that these are not in the line of site or interfere with your zip wire ride.
Ideally all zip wires should be positioned on level ground. However, it's appreciated that this is not always possible and sometimes will need to be placed on a slope. If you have a gradual slope then this can make your ride even more interesting but bear in mind if you have a major slope, then it is still possible to build a zip wire ride - please call us on 0800 24605802 to discuss.
Fall Off: The "Fall Off" is the name given to the difference in the height for fixing the wire at the starting end and the height for fixing the wire at the receiving end.
All good zip wires need to have some fall off built into the ride otherwise you will not go anywhere.
Please remember:
That your "Fall Off" needs to be added onto the sending end height (unless going down a slope).What makes a good fall off? Well as we have mentioned above, there is no real science to making the ideal zip wire as everyone's requirements are different. Some people want a medium speed ride and others would like a fast ride. So in order to achieve this it is very much a trial and error process to find your optimum height that your sending end wire needs to be at.
Quite simply, if you want your zip wire to go faster then the height at the sending end needs to be increased.
Below we have put our suggested "Fall Off's" which are a good starting place:For 10mm wire and runs up to 80m:
For runs up to 20m: - up to 1.0m
For runs between 20m - 40m: - between 1.0m and 2.0m
For runs between 40m - 60m: - between 2.0m and 3.0m
For runs between 60m - 80m: - between 3.0m and 4.0m
For 12mm wire and runs up to 100m:
For runs up to 20m: - up to 1.0m
For runs between 20m - 40m: - between 1.0m and 2.0m
For runs between 40m - 60m: - between 2.0m and 3.0m
For runs between 60m - 80m: - between 3.0m and 4.0m
For runs between 80m - 100m: - between 4.0m and 5.0m
Deciding on your "Fall Off":If you have a 40m run, we would suggest that you have a fall off of approx 2.0m.
So if the height of where you will put the wire at the receiving end is 2.50m off the ground - then your height of where you put the wire at the sending end should be 4.5m - this will give you your "Fall Off" of 2.0m
The Whip: One of the best experiences after riding your zipwire is the "The Whip" - What is the whip we hear you asking?
Ever good zip wire should end with "The Whip" - it's something that every rider looks forward to and is the last bit to your experience of riding a good zip wire.
As you approach the spring brake stopper at the end of your run, make sure that you are holding tight because as you hit the stopper at the end of the brake, you will naturally be thrown upwards towards the wire.
The art here is to make sure that don't go through more than approx 60° angle. Any more than 60° and you will be in danger of hitting the wire and possibly in danger of hurting yourself.
If you are going through more than 60° at the braking end, in our experience this would suggest that you are generally travelling too fast on your ride and therefore you need to look at either of these two options or both options together:
1) Try lowering the sending end height of your zipline....try moving by 0.25m at a time or
2) Try raising the receiving end height of your zipline....try moving by 0.25m at a time or
3) Try both option 1 and option 2 at the same time.
Please remember that with any zip wire it is a question of trial and error until you find the correct balance between speed and the whip at the finish.
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