Overview:
If you’re reading this, you probably don’t have a Rally yet. And that’s a problem.
Let’s just say, it’s the plastic I was waiting for. It’s all I’ve thrown since Ohio State. It’s the only yoyo so good that I was willing to write a review for it.
See- the Protostar feels nice (weight wise), but it doesn’t quite have the momentum and heft I wanted. It also dies when it touches your hand. Other plastics I owned were ok, but still not what I was looking for. And yes, I do love plastic. FYI- I have not played with a DERLIN yoyo, but people told me the current derlins weren’t as good as the Rally. I have played acrylic, though. Cool stuff.
Why do I like the Rally? It owns up to whatever I throw at it- through sloppy, lazy, missing-all-the-tricks play- with more than enough sleep time. Over the 10 days I have owned it, the Rally has surprised me every day. Well, maybe not as much as going from a Code1 (as an EDC) to an Avalanche “surprised me everyday,”* but still…
Stats:
Diameter- 58 mm / 2.28 inches
Width- 43 mm / 1.68 inches
Gap Width- 4.2 mm / .17 inches
Weight- 67 grams
Catch zone
Pre-purchase at States/First Impressions:
“nooooo… it’s so…. wrong… it’s plastic but it feels metal… wat.”
Comfort, Feel, etc.:
I like the blast. It’s a tad rough, but it’s plastic. Good shape. Soft to catch. Nice “thump” at the end of the string, unlike the Code2. A bit on the heavy side. Vibey for a plastic, but could just be my Rally. (I’ve had a dead smooth Proto before, which IMO was scary to say the least.) The plastic is a bit soft (other plastics tend to dent it when applying pressure).
Update: it’s actually very easy to tune. Mine’s pretty smooth now and I kinda don’t wanna mess with it anymore…
Response/Bearing:
Snappy pads. No snags, which is amazing for my standards. I use regular, standard poly (type 6). Pretty much feels like flowable.
Not so good bearing. I probably just got a bad one. It died in 5-6 mins/while at States. Threw in a generic concave (but probably doesn’t need it).
Play:
For a plastic, the Rally is … too good. It plays faster than a Proto IMO. Definitely more stable. Easy to adjust to right out of the box. It’s really hard to tilt during a combo (unless you try of course). Good horizontal stability. Has a nice hop/pop. Sometimes I “over pop” lol. Rejects well but sometimes messes with the tension. Keeps loops open. Great grinds (duh). Catches pretty much anything and will land on everything. You can still miss, though. Good for trick development. Very fun, reliable, consistent.
THE RALLY IS REALLY GOOD FOR CHOPSTICK COMBOS. IT ALSO WEAVES LIKE CRAZY - LIKE IT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE JUST LIKE THE END OF THIS ELEPHANT! I have small hands so this is quite amazing.
Comparing the Proto to the Rally, they’re not THAT different. The Rally plays faster, more stably, and longer. And the Rally has a blast, or “doesn’t die when you touch it.” The Rally does get kinda “boring” like a Proto, but it’s more subtle. It took me 10 days to get bored with the Rally, and only about 2 with the Proto. PLUS the Rally does some pretty funny things for a plastic… it’s not JUST superb like the Proto. The Rally’s got its quirks.
Overall, the Rally is very fun to play. I prefer playing it over my Stargazer (but not over my Chief lol). I will continue to use it as an EDC. It works with my small hands… and it’s gigantic. Wat. It does anything you want it to (within reason). It is not a miracle throw by any means, but it is definitely a fun, competition level throw.
Props to One Drop.
Rating:
9001/10
(9/10)
Play worth/Actual:
110/45
CzechMate aka CZM8 review coming next week. Maybe pics too.
*- Ironically, I didn’t like the Avalanche at first. Got it when they first dropped. Hated it. Traded it. Traded back. I won’t let it go now… (NB- I hate using the word floaty)