I have purchased three of these ropes in the past year. The first one was for me. The second one was for my girlfriend. The third one was because I was using the first one in a tight space in my garage and sliced it in half by accidentally hitting a metal shelf support. Whoops!
Some reviews have implied that there are drastically different models of this rope. All three ropes that I purchased were close to identical. The latest one has a screw-on cap versus a simple pop-off cap and that is the only difference. I can only assume that Valeo has improved these ropes over the years or the negative reviewers received something weird.
Beyond the little mishap I had with the shelf support, the first two ropes held up great with regular use. The one thing you have to understand about jump ropes is that they are disposable goods. A lot of negative reviews talk about ropes breaking but you will not find a jump rope that doesn't eventually break. I have bought a few different brands and styles of jump ropes and the Valeo rope had the best performance and held up the best out of all of them. I use mine on my concrete floored garage which isn't the best surface and it has held up fine. My wire jump ropes have not held up anywhere close as well.
Regarding performance, I think my best with singles is 150 RPM -- 100 singles in 40 seconds. Not bad. I also do double unders with these with no problem. The rope is relatively heavy compared to wire which means you have to whip it harder but it is also much easier to feel in order to get the timing right. There is a trade off. You will not be held back by this rope unless you are really an elite jump roper.
There are some negative reviews about the adjustability of these ropes. Having purchased three of these ropes in the past year, I simply do not understand these reviews. Perhaps the negative reviewers received older models or perhaps they were fakes from third party sellers. I do not know. All I know is that these are brain dead simple to adjust. All three ropes came with crimpers on both ends. This essentially gives you two shots to get it right though you could probably easily bend back the crimpers for a few more tries as long as you don't cut the rope too short. I had no problem finding a good length.
In summary, if you need a fast, durable, cheap rope, these are a no brainer. Less than $10 and you get a great rope. When my first one got chopped in half, I didn't think twice about ordering another. I would not hesitate to order another one if I need to.
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Easy to adjust, here's how
Reviews I read before buying this rope complained about adjustment difficulties. It is easy to adjust this rope, so I uploaded a couple of pictures to show you the ropes. :>)Adjustment: The end caps easily unscrew from the handles, and the rope ends can be pushed back out with a little manipulation. Each end will have a crimped ferrule and an extra, un-crimped ferrule on it. To shorten the rope, figure out where you want to cut it, and cut off the end, including the crimped ferrule that is on it. (Good scissors will cut the rope, but needle nosed pliers make the perfect tool for this whole operation.) No need to try to remove the old crimped ferrule from the scrap end. The un-crimped ferrule should be left on the rope, and the rope should still pass through the handle. Now crimp the new ferrule on the rope about a half inch from the end. Don't try to totally crush the ferrule. (Out of spare ferrules? See below.) Finally, pull the rope end back into the handle, put on the end cap, and go jump rope.Rope length advice: You will find advice on the web about how to determine how long to make your rope. I'm not an expert, but I can tell you it is easier to shorten a rope than it is to lengthen it. Err on the long side! Don't worry about running out of metal ferrules (two extras come on the rope). If you need to make more than two adjustments, you can use a small nylon cable tie instead (see picture), just be sure it is tight. I found that until the rope was short enough, it was hard to jump well. When it was the right length, the rope no longer felt loose and sloppy, but it didn't cramp me either.This is a good jump rope!
