twelsch42

That's where the FR2's come in. Plenty of available rise using those bindings. I ride 28(.5?) salomon boots with ~25f/15r without ever a problem booting out. I'm no master of the EC, but know how to get my board angled pretty well. Should help out the OP here too I guess... I'm 175 fully loaded, and on my 192 with the flame bottom (03/04?) I find it pretty hard to carve tighter turns while charging hard. I attribute it to my technique and lack of leg strength. I can't stress how fun this board is. I can't wait to get another tanker.

Looks wonderful. Talk about two gifts you'll have forever.

I understand that from the factory it was 0 base and 88 edge (same as 2).

JP1: It is exceedingly rare that passenger vehicles are required to chain up or have snow tires anywhere along the DIA to Vail route. During storms commercial vehicles (semi's) are often required to chain up over Vail pass, or the divide/tunnel, or Loveland pass. Roads will be closed before chains are required for passenger vehicles along this route. OP: You'll be fine with a FWD car, as long as the tires are fairly fresh. Driving smart and safely will get you there no matter the vehicle - in all but the most terrible conditions. If the conditions do predicate a 4wd vehicle (it's nuking out) and you're not practiced at driving in the mountains, you probably shouldn't be driving anyway. twelsch

I think they're supposed to help you not bottom out your kingpin on your board.

Depends if you're carving on your edge, or just skidding your edge. I've always thought you could end up going faster carving than riding flat? As long as your good, and you stay in the carve and don't scrub speed. twelsch

Damn. Super scary. I always wear my helment. It's comfy and warm. I've seen one of Bola's damaged helment's first hand and it's scary to think about possible head injurys.

Was up at CM on Monday and saw a group of alpine riders, almost looked like a teaching/training/instructor situation. Almost everyone was wearing lime green colored hardboots. And quite a few riding kesslers. Seemed like most had pretty steep angles, but nobody I saw was really charging it or laying it out. Anyone know what group this was, or what those green boots they were wearing are? twelsch

Yes! Yes! Yes! If you're ready for a new experience in soft-boots, get the Catek FR2's. I could gush about how great they are - they will change your life, blah, blah, blah. Let's just say this - it is the best money I've ever spent. Not in a snowboarding / winter-sports kind of way. As a consumer, throughout my 30 years of life, I've never been more rewarded with purchase. All other soft boot bindings suddenly seem like toys. [the above I would consider fact, below is my opinion on the FR2's] Besides the stiffness and control afforded by these bindings, the ability to lift and cant is immeasurable. Some people run flat, and scoff ant anything more than a slight rear heal lift. I'd argue that our boddies are so different you need to make your bindings work for you - not try to work within your bindings. I have found the ability to adjust my lift and cant has made my boots fit better. My feet don't hurt anymore. I can get into the positions I need to easily with better balance. Your milage may vary - our boddies are so different. I liken it to a baseball glove that molds to your hand. You can coax a perfect fit out of these bindings if you're willing to put in the time testing things out. Any other bindings will fit exactly the same at the end of the season as the beginning. I'll try to only write a few posts like the throughout the season, but I get really excited about these bindings. :D twelsch

Sounds like you're open to options. Find out what has the most open when you get here. Then go there. Keystone or Steamboat, that seems really random. I've found Keystone to be un-fun in the middle of the season, so personally I'd be looking at the other I-70 resorts... I know that when Keystone has opened the last few years you've had to download rather than ski all the way down the mountain, for a week or two. Lots of stuff is easy to get to from Denver. I'd figure it out when you know what's open and what's not (as far as terrain goes). Or I we need more about what you're looking for. Budget trip, possible non-riding activities... To be honest most resorts don't have too much of their mountain open before Thanksgiving weekend. my morning ramblings... twelsch

Family with teen's, Breckenridge, perfect match. I say that because Breck leaves open tons of options for taking a day / half day off of riding and taking in the town. Cannot comment on ride in/out availability, but Breck has a huge base spread out over three 'Peak's.' 8 is the main base, with peak 7 and 9 flanking to the north and south. The gondola takes you from the town center, to the base of peak 8, you cannot get off the gondola and go for a run. I had a place abot 2 or 3 miles up Boreas pass road (sounds right) and was on the super-excelent-awesome summitcounty/breck bus system. I could get the bus to the Gondola, or to Frisco (city in summit county) and transfer to Keystone, Copper, A-basin ... I'm rambling twelsch

In Colorado Loveland and A-basin usually "open" mid October. Early/Mid November and other front range hills begin to open. Late November and you start to get more area within the resorts opening, to deal with Thanksgiving crowds. Barring huge extraordinary early snow, anything before December 1 usually leaves me wishing for winter. My $.02

Agreed, Gord is looking for soft-boot carving on groomers, trees, bumps, pow.... (his words). Then Algunderfoot suggests an 4x4 / 4wd which relative what Gord is looking for is really pretty darn carve specific, seeing as it predicates riding with hardboots. If Gord already has a Colier AM, then my only suggestion would be get a tanker which is larger than your Colier AM. And I don't even know how long your Colier is. twelsch

I think you mean Prior's 4x4. I own an older 169 and have ridden it on groom with HB's, early season only. Any 4x4 is to skinny for anything but HB's and is not an all-mountain board at all. You could ride it all over the mountain (I think) but it's much much more of a carve specific board than anything else mentioned in this thread. It's stiff (relative) and has a very low profile tail and nose compared to anything you'd call an all-mountain board that you could carve on. just my opinion twelsch

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=18952 What I was looking for may be different than what you're looking for, but I was considering the ATV and the Tanker, and a few Doenk's. I ended up with a (used barely) 192 Tanker. I freaking love it. If you'll read my thread everyone told me to go big with the Tanker. I was a little worried about about the thinner waist of the 192, but with the catek FR2's you can get some nice lift off the board, which helps keep your toes out of your trenches. I'm into riding the whole mountain searching for a 'big mountain' feel and for forgotten powder stashes - I think the Tanker is a blast. It looks like a 192, but rides like a much shorter board. twelsch

After owning that combo (192 & FR2's) I stopped looking for other snowboard equipment. For my riding, I could not imagine a better combo. thinking of winter during a long hot summer ...

I'm been commuting to work across downtown Denver for over 2 years. I'll safely (oxymoron alert) disobey traffic laws in front of officers without ever an incident. Blowing stop-signs / red lights without a worry. I have heard of tickets for riding on the sidewalks and riding down the 16th street mall (although it's ok to ride the mall on Sundays ?!?) twelsch

Get over yourself. This is the internet. Your posts have been insightful, you want a cookie? And now you start this thread which reads like 'PEOPLE DON'T WORSHIP ME ENOUGH'. You're way to big time for BOL. laterz.

The idea of getting your heel edge before you start the turn was key for my heelsides. The way I thought of it was that I needed to get my edge - or begin my carve - when my board was almost flat. Then ride it out to get my board up at an angle. It takes some finesse to smoothly begin the carve. I have about 4 days on my new-to-me 192 tanker. It's been a blast so far. (thanks TVR!) twelsch

This is a very versatile insulation layer I got this year: Mont-Bell Thermawrap http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=73&p_id=2301223 Super light (that marmot in the link few comments up weighs twice as much!!), very compressible, and way way warmer than it looks. I don't even notice this jacket if I take it off and put it in my backpack. Makes it easy to stay warm all the time. All the ultra-light gear freaks love the thermawrap stuff from mont-bell, and I agree. It's like something from the future, really. twelsch

Thanks to T.V.R. I'll be picking up a 192 Tanker tomorrow. Monday I should get my first ride if everything goes right. I can't wait to see how my FR2's ride on something this big ... super excited. Expect a detailed report next week. twelsch

thanks thor - details worked out. twelsch

Interested in the rad-air. Check your mail. Thanks twelsch

I'm by no means an expert - but here's what helps me out. I have to start my heel-side carve when the board is nearly flat on the snow, and slowly bring my toe-side edge up into the air. I have to very gently ride into the carve. I seem to get little to much angle to my board, to quickly and start to skid. twelsch

I've been changing things up daily. Sometimes testing different cant/lift options after a few runs. I used to run my softies (salamon synapse) on burton cartel bindings at about 24f/12r. With the FR2's I got up to as far as about 40f/30r but was noticing some weird strain in my rear leg's upper hip/bum area. I backed off after a few runs to about 15r and I could really get more pressure out of my rear foot to my edge. The FR2's are so adjustable that it's hard say if the strain I was getting was because of the angle, or the lift/cant or a factor of both. I am still dialing things in for sure - even as far as my stance width and fore/aft placement on the board. I'm getting more rear leg burn centered on my side-cut than I was riding set back in a 'powder stance' - Whether riding power or groom. I really like the ability to adjust the rear cant outward on a deep powder day when I know I'm going to be weighting my back foot quite a bit. And it's interesting to feel how adjustments to my cant/lift affect my posture and stance when riding flat (down a cat-track for example.) I have ridden hardboots - still dialing in my boot fit so I don't mess up my feet anymore. It's going to take some time and some money. I'm having so much fun on my softies I don't want to spend a day not riding to visit the bootfitter - call me crazy. Last I rode on my hardboots at 55f/50r. twelsch