I wound mine under tension once, and now I normally just hold onto the end and pull while spooling it back in. I don't think it's as important to worry about as with steel cable...it doesn't really seem to "pinch" like a steel cable would. If you keep using it while wheeling, there's really no way to keep spooling it in all the way with perfect tension anyway.

 

I've read that the sun will damage the rope over time so I've got a cover coming. I'm wondering about the part that goes through the eye near the hook..any way to protect it? Thought about trying to wind some black electrical tape around it.

 

Yes. As with any polymer, the Sun's UV rays can degrade the line unless it has a lot of embedded UV absorbent. Some manufacturers place a neoprene cover on the hook's end to protect it.

In my case, I got a thimble so nothing gets exposed.