Alloy D.O. 161 Review

[daveo]

 

4 hours ago, Alloy Snow USA said:

I have ordered 8 165s for next year.  3 of which are already spoken for.  We eagerly await your full review!

Is pricing available on those?

[Alloy Snow USA]

MSRP on the D.O. is $999.

[slopestar]

boo hoo. Tomorrow looks like a pow day....

    I had a chance to ride the 161 Alloy D.O this past Thursday. I'm hoping to get another day and put some more of the LCI Guys on it but for now, it has been myself and Aaron, AKA Carvin Marvin. I weigh in somewhere around 220 and typically ride a 165 Donek Saber Custom 9-11 VSR Hammerhead. 24.8 waist with powerplates and flow nx2-gt's. I ride centered on my boards at 21.5"-22" stance depending on the softboot board and stance widths available. The D.O appeared to be at 22" on the reference stance that I quickly ignored (finding the setback to be extreme/almost 1.5" as I use the effective edge to reference my preferred centered stance) and placed both bindings in the front most insert pack and rotated the discs to get me as far towards the nose/middle of the eff edge. Set stance angles at 27/18 positive of course, and scraped off the thick layer of wax (all temp?) that Piusthedrcarve must have put on it before sending it to me. I checked nothing. No edges/bevel for base /side wall. Ran a wet stone down the side to clear up one little burr I found and that was it. Insert suck was profound. Almost creating edge to edge pockets under my Flows/no powerplates attached mind you...Whatever...It looked amazing! I couldn't wait to get it on snow.

Getting off the lift was fun the first time/ gloss top Carbon topsheet is a lot slicker than my carbonium models. It was a good mostly firm day at Loveland and I had the whole family in tow. Strapped in and made a few timid feeler turns down the top cat track to an LCI favorite right hand switchback that many of us hang it out there on and I trusted it, kind of....felt good? Kept going into a few more aggressive crossunders and... WOW! Lively is an understatement. I trusted even more and set A wide and fast heelside left as the run opens up. I left the family in my dust as I was zigzagging with a huge smile down Magoo. I rode this board as if I had been on it all season. It gave when I pushed, it ran fast when I wanted to let it run. It was stiff and damp and chatter free when I opened up the throttle. Variable size turns and switch riding were also easy. The 3 radius, variable sidecut does make it a bit twitchy if riding switch as its bigger in the nose and smaller at the tail with its midpoint/narrowest part of the board, being well back from center. But the fact that it was smaller was unnoticed as it just gave back where ever and whenever I wanted. I do normally carve a fat swatch of a turn but this board absolutely cleaned up my fat turn to a fine line and left me rocketing out of each turn. I need another day/I am LONGING for another good day on this board! Before I was ready... I reluctantly but exuberantly let my Buddy C'M' take it for a spin.

He mounted his F2 titaniums in the same place I did on his back foot. All the way forward and then set his front foot in his happy place at about 20.25" width. Not sure what angles but relaxed from his norm. I posted a vid called "Birthday Laps" a little while back where he was "ON" and I was "lukewarm" for reference. I think one re-adjust for bias had him in the sweet spot. I found it first try. He was ripping it! Really liking it although he does do a Casper-Carver switch hop back to regular that almost blew him to pieces. He also suffers from overturning most of his variable radius boards and leaves a fat carve. Introducing.... Mr Fineline as a result of riding the D.O.

Before C'M' got on the Alloy, I got to ride with a few of the week day Guys. Gregory and John E. that were hot lapping Ptarmigan on their new Donek Flux models. and Dusty Bottle on an older 167 Freecarve. Cant forget my wife Katie and my son and daughter that were all ripping. It was a great day on a great board.   I do wish I was on something bigger. My Saber felt like an old and trusted friend as soon as I strapped it back on but it did lack that carbon/alloy pop that the D.O has. I was also missing a smooth stability at speed that I am guessing comes from the metal in it.

For anyone wanting something really good for a reasonable boutique price...This board rips. A lighter weight rider could do the 157. The 161 felt great but lets face it, I'm a big boy and I push hard. So the 165 would be the better choice. I am about to custom build another Saber and will undoubtedly take my riding  experience from this board into my next build. If that wasn't already paid for (prior to this test drive) I would want to keep this as my daily driver.

Final thoughts until a week from tomorrow...If they let me keep it that long?

1. More inserts up front to help choke up on the nose. Lots of people like the backseat reference stance...I do not and neither does C'M' and he is also about my size...ok, 18 years younger and in way better shape...

2. Flat base/ That binding (insert) suck was a bit disturbing although unnoticed on snow. And the die cut "A" was raised out of the base.

3. Softer for the size for lightweight riders

I hope that helps. It was a really easy ride. held like a villain on edge and was super damp and stable at speed. Every turn gave back and I loved the clean carved line. Do not hesitate to make this an obvious choice for your softboot carving needs or to entertain something different on hardboots.

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by slopestar

[piusthedrcarve]

Great review Lance, 

As I wrote the heighest camber was at middle between front inserts and the midfle of the board. I forgot to mentioned it but I placed my front binding forward than the marked/recommended inserts and placed rear bindings 21” back from the front. 

I am curious how it ride POW. I see Loveland tomorrow will be pow condition. Looking forward reviews on POW too   & also from other LCI crews. 

[slopestar]

2 minutes ago, piusthedrcarve said:

Great review Lance,

I am curious how it ride POW. I see Loveland tomorrow will be pow condition. Looking forward reviews on POW too   & also from other LCI crews. 

Its getting mounted back up as I type. I ride My hammerhead Saber in all conditions. I think my Fullbag Diamond Blade is getting the nod tomorrow but I will more than likely take the D.O  for a spin!

[piusthedrcarve]

7 hours ago, slopestar said:

Its getting mounted back up as I type. I ride My hammerhead Saber in all conditions. I think my Fullbag Diamond Blade is getting the nod tomorrow but I will more than likely take the D.O  for a spin!

If you can ride both and give comparison, that would be very valuable to the Alloy builder. He is already thinking about 19-20 models that will incorporate our feedbacks.

Edited April 8, 2018 by piusthedrcarve

[Carvin' Marvin]

Thanks Lance for letting me get on it! Fantastic board! I'm an obligate hardbooter so the width tore my knees and ankles up a bit but it was totally worth it. If it came trimmed down to 24cm I would be all over one. Super smooth turns. The tail could be a little less tight. Like Lance said, I landed heavily on the tail coming out of a revert and just exploded from coming around so hard. I'm still sore. 

All that aside, I'm glad I got on it!

[Alloy Snow USA]

Shane @ Alloy informed me that the D.O. 157 and 165 will not have the extra 0.5 mm camber under the inserts.  That is just a spec for the 161.  Also, the 19/20 D.O. will have. Wide version.  

[piusthedrcarve]

1 hour ago, Alloy Snow USA said:

Shane @ Alloy informed me that the D.O. 157 and 165 will not have the extra 0.5 mm camber under the inserts.  That is just a spec for the 161.  Also, the 19/20 D.O. will have. Wide version.  

No wonder its base area under inserts felt like base-suck. Camber under feet works better on rocker boards but minimal on camber board in my experience. 

Glad The Alloy builder already incorporating our feedbacks. 

[barryj]

Great info Slopestar.............  I sent ya a pm but it seems from your review were having similar thoughts! , "Final Thoughts # 1"...more inserts towards the nose! so I'll post mine here -

I'm finding in my riding of the D.O. 161 that it likes a wider stance,  like 23 inches.....but I'm all the way forward on the front foot/binding and wishing there was 1 more set of inserts towards the nose.  Any of that similar for you guys??  

Don,    since  next year's models won't be available until next Oct....any chance with next year D.O. board production another set of inserts could be added towards the nose ??  

Edited April 9, 2018 by barryj

[JRAZZ]

Finally got to ride it. The TL;DR, I like it! 

 

Honestly this wasn't the best day for this board. ~12" of snowment (rare up here in Loveland, we usually go for blower), all cut up to bumpy crud.

I kept Lance's setup (27/18 forward etc...) and just tried to see what would happen. Had some issues with the bindings pushing my boots forward so I spent quite some time faffing around up top just trying to get comfortable. 

Once I got going I almost immediately fell in love. It definitely loves to spit you out of turns. I'm a bit lighter at 185lbs and I think the 161 is exactly right for my weight. It is both lively and damp as well. It powered through the chop very very well. Damp and controllable. Once I found some firmer snow I could just see peeks as to how much fun this can be! Quite scary because inevitably I would push it too hard and submarine the nose (which happens quite suddenly). That being said the turns I did get in were fun and poppy. For me the sidecut worked great. I liked the tight tail - felt that it allows me to complete turns well and made transitioning toe to heel and heel to toe really fun. 

I really need to try this board out on a good groomer day. I was curious about it for quite some time (after seeing the thegoodride.com review) but I honestly didn't think it would be this nice! I am also surprised as to how maneuverable it is. You'd think with the width, camber and sidecut it would want to keep going straight, which it does, but once you lean over it really rewards you with tight turns. I even took it through some trees which was surprisingly fun and easy. 

Sorry for the disjointed review, I really did like the board and I'm trying to put down everything that I felt. It is most definitely not for the conditions we had today but this means I really need to give it another go. Can't wait!

 

[Shred Gruumer]

On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 9:29 AM, slopestar said:

Full review to come

Awesome!  how bout some more photos of it two.... different angles and what not...especially the center 3D area... and any other graphic Text imprints.

[Shred Gruumer]

On ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 8:45 PM, slopestar said:

and placed both bindings in the front most insert pack and rotated the discs to get me as far towards the nose

Funny as I do that with all my boards...  some set back on alpines boards are like 5 inches  way too much nose!

[Shred Gruumer]

On ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 8:45 PM, slopestar said:

More inserts up front to help choke up on the nose. Lots of people like the backseat reference stance...I do not and neither does C'M' and he is also about my size...

Yes.... What he said!!!!   I go all the way forward...then adjust the width off of my front foot...making sure Im centered stance to about 4 cm back.

[slopestar]

22 minutes ago, Shred Gruumer said:

Awesome!  how bout some more photos of it two.... different angles and what not...especially the center 3D area... and any other graphic Text imprints.

I’ll take and post some photos before I send it on it’s way. 

[JRAZZ]

Finally got to ride it on good groom. What a fun ride!!

 

I think that the sidecut explains it all. Ignore what the site says, It really is a 11-9 sidecut (that's 11 nose and 9 tail ) that 9 is right around the rear binding and the board rides like that! Lay into the nose and it gently eases into a turn, stomp the tail and it whips around. Sounds weird but it's really fun! It's an absolute blast to ping pong from side to side on a flattish run. Steeps were not a problem either as it's very easy to turn this board quickly. The way this board shoots you out of each turn is addictive. Gives a while new meaning to "finishes your turn". However if you get going too fast it's almost impossible to control your speed without slarving. That sidecut gives it a Jekyll/Hyde type of personality. Above 30 mph it does not want to turn but rather bomb. This is not really bad as it's very very stable and damp at speeds but it seems less versatile than a normal VSR board.

I swapped with @slopestar's Saber for one run and the differences were stark. The Saber is stiff and has a 9-11 sidecut (the proper way around) so it acts like you would expect. You press on the nose and you get a quick turn. Lay on the tail and it releases. FWIW I liked the DO's sidecut better. It suited me more than the 9-11 VSR. I felt that I could maneuver it around easily and that it was super lively. The Saber on the other hand felt way more predictable, almost safer. Both are very damp.

 

So in a nutshell, here are the pros and cons:

Pro: Stable at speed, easy to turn (at slow speeds), holds a carve really well, super fun!

Cons: Does not carve at high speeds. Somewhat temperamental but not scary (exciting though).

 

So I can't say enough good things about this board. Definitely a great addition to any quiver. Will I be getting one? Dunno, I had my heart set on a Donek Flux. I need to try that one out first.

[slopestar]

Spot on. I love this board for its enthusiasm at slower speeds. Super nimble and quick with an energetic finish followed by an even quicker entry into the next turn.

i started on a stock 164 saber 10/13 radius followed by old faithful 165 hammerhead saber 9/11 radius and the Alloy. If I could blend all three... not sure if that’s possible. The Alloy comes alive where most boards don’t and that was amazing. I am a much more dynamic rider when I’m on it. But erazz nailed it with the speed/turn barrier. I would ride this board a lot if it were in my quiver. Here in CO, many of us are grateful for the Alloy demo! It is a great board. Interested in seeing what the changes will be for next season and would love to see better videos of other riders on theirs. A video review from a pair of American freestyle type guys I saw just didn’t do it...justice. The review or their riding... If you send me a 165 next season... expect a check in return. The board won’t be going back into the demo fleet. 

Thank you again! She’ll be in the mail in a day or two... sniffle, sob, sniffle

[Poloturbo]

Cool erazz but at 27/18 what is your boot size?

On a 25.8 waist does it boot out?

Edited April 23, 2018 by Poloturbo
Spelling

[slopestar]

im In 8.5 Flow Talon Focus 

Edited April 23, 2018 by slopestar

[piusthedrcarve]

10 hours ago, slopestar said:

Spot on. I love this board for its enthusiasm at slower speeds. Super nimble and quick with an energetic finish followed by an even quicker entry into the next turn.

i started on a stock 164 saber 10/13 radius followed by old faithful 165 hammerhead saber 9/11 radius and the Alloy. If I could blend all three... not sure if that’s possible. The Alloy comes alive where most boards don’t and that was amazing. I am a much more dynamic rider when I’m on it. But erazz nailed it with the speed/turn barrier. I would ride this board a lot if it were in my quiver. Here in CO, many of us are grateful for the Alloy demo! It is a great board. Interested in seeing what the changes will be for next season and would love to see better videos of other riders on theirs. A video review from a pair of American freestyle type guys I saw just didn’t do it...justice. The review or their riding... If you send me a 165 next season... expect a check in return. The board won’t be going back into the demo fleet. 

Thank you again! She’ll be in the mail in a day or two... sniffle, sob, sniffle

@slopestar & @erazz

Thanks for the reviews.  You guys reviews would help Alloy's builder to change some for next year (2019-20) model.  In Korea, they call the carving/bombing down with hammerhead deck as 'technical riding'.  One of the technique they advocate is to weight on front foot and drive.  I think the D.O. spec. is designed for the technique.  @erazzbased on the CO rider's reviews and my experience, along with the confirmation of SCRs of the D.O., is it safe to say D.O. needs nose-press to track. (instead of "does not carve at high speed)? I didn't noticed it much since I'm an old timer who ride for-after unless a deck demands otherwise.  do ya think it would be better to reduce nose SCR a bit so that it can initiate turn better at hight speed?  I see 165 of 18-19 model has 13m on nose. 

[barryj]

9 hours ago, Poloturbo said:

On a 25.8 waist does it boot out?

I think Don told me  or I read it somewhere that the D.O. is a 25.2 waist........... just fyi-

[JRAZZ]

Jumping between Lance's Saber and the DO the Saber carves much better at high speeds. I agree that the DO needs a firm front foot at high speeds but it becomes very hard to carve properly. It just becomes a different board.

Immaterial. Had a chat with Don this morning. The DO is staying with me. It's just the perfect board for me.

[barryj]

8 minutes ago, erazz said:

The DO is staying with me. It's just the perfect board for me.

Congrats on the  new acquisition erazz!    With the massive amount of camber a base grind is going to be hard to get it flat and I'm thinking that with the obtuse board angles on the D.O. changing the edge angles could only be done adequately by hand .... and that changing the edge angles isn't a necessity as well as it carves.....do you have  a plan for  a base grind or changing the edge angles??

I'm having that same thinking of acquiring a D.O. but torn between the 161 or  waiting for a 165  

Edited April 23, 2018 by barryj

[JRAZZ]

All depends on your weight I guess.

I'm 185 and I think the 161 is perfect for me.

 

FWIW, 4 separate riders told me that yesterday was the best they've ever seen me ride. That's a big part of why I like this board.

[barryj]

7 minutes ago, erazz said:

All depends on your weight I guess.

Weight..... and board stiffness I think.   Don says theres  incrementally 15% more stiffness between each model length of D.O....... so as I like a softer board, not sure  I want 15% more stiffness that comes in a 165    The 161 feels plenty stiff.    I might hold out until next season to demo a 165.