Beckmann AG

FYI, The "Norm", as pertains to the familiar means of learning to describe carved turns on hardboots has no overt connection to "the normal force". At least not as depicted. Rather, it has everything to do with learning how to operate an alpine board using the least complicated posture, and also a as a means of removing a rider from a posture that has already become too convoluted, (and therefore ineffectual) in part due to misunderstanding multiple sources of information on the topic. Easy to see, however, how things could get lost in translation.

Nashua 557 or equivalent. Designed for flexible ducting, it has some elasticity, therefore cushioning. Should stress that this is a practical way for the average person to experiment temporarily with forefoot posting, as a lead-in to a longer term solution.

Assuming your board is appropriate for your weight, foot size and available terrain, and assuming your bindings are properly configured, there is absolutely no reason why, with your purported level of fitness, your legs should go Fukushima. Although 40' does seem like a rather short workout. One of the most common issues for the 'entry level' skier/rider (turning, but not carving turns consistently) is working on the assumption that acquisition of posture leads to the desired outcome, rather than understanding that outcome produces the posture. In other words, you can configure your bicycle so that you resemble a pro rider, but in no way will that produce proportional results. In other other words, you're doing it wrong. Either change your approach on the macro level, or resign yourself to what you have.

Dan, No idea how you ride. However, the average rider is usually bent at the waist during phases of each turn. The upper body mass will 'want' to move tangent to the arc, and something must constrain that tendency. Depending on your posture, and where the loads of the turn misalign with that posture, odds are good you're overloading your system in general, and the noted shocks push you toward the breaking point. While the spine has a considerable range of motion, it's fair to assume it will handle variable loads best when aligned vertically with those loads, rather than at some angle toward the horizontal. One option is to get stronger, which by default increases muscle density. Another option is to optimize your posture.

^This should be interesting. Points/areas of contact with respect to time. Within reason, your board does what you ask of it. Might be you're speaking slang, when it needs to hear proper English.

Better yet, bring your spy camera and do a bunch of filming. The maths are funky on this one...

Depends on context, application, etc. Considering the mass and materials used in most of the 'higher end' boards, the effect of the boot is likely overbalanced by the rest of the system. That said, it's harder for a given input to 'displace' the greater mass. Again, depends on the rider, gear selection, and technique. And again, probably won't make much difference for the most popular configurations. That said, in most athletic situations requiring cyclical changes in direction or displacement, lighter footwear is considered an advantage. It used to be you could to get a bicycle racing frame with either 'road race' or 'criterium' geometry. The former was more stable for longer events over greater distances. The latter was for precise and rapid handling in close quarters. In that context, the twitchier handling characteristics would let you essentially 'put the bike wherever you needed to be'. Similarly, on the feet of a skilled rider, on a board with favorable rebound characteristics, lighter boots will allow that rider to exit/enter/modulate a turn faster and with greater accuracy. One of the primary gains associated with the use of carbon fiber in footwear is the 0ptimized 'transmissibility' of the material. Which is to say, your brain has a much better understanding of what is going on under the feet on account of better, faster, cleaner data transmission. Think cable/broadband v dial-up. The process of maintaining equilibrium in the athletic context can burn a lot of energy in short order, so when you make it easier to 'balance', you by default make the athlete more 'effective'. This may be one of the reasons why runners are faster in the Nike Vaporfly series. Less energy devoted to equilibrium means more available for propulsion. Of course, that carbon effect is mitigated by other materials between the boot shell and the snow. If you already ride a damp board/binding combo, a carbon boot shell will simply confirm that, rather than fully enhancing snow feel. On the other hand, there are many situations where additional data is simply wasted or unwelcome*. And few have any practical side-by-side experience with carbon element footwear, so it's difficult to justify. -> *I heard that some athletes on the Dodge ski boot had difficulty sorting the signal from the noise, and that situation 'detracted' from their performance. Or at least their perception of same.

Width of the link itself, at the distal, 'hook' end is .390".

Cant speak to the Knee binding in particular, but I have a gauge for the Salomon Spheric system that indicates .5mm. I'd assume .5 or slightly looser should be fine.

If your plans involve 'professional' feedback, you'd be better off hiring a friend to shoot you with their/your hand-held computer. For the most part, it only takes a brief sequence of turns to identify any dominant obstacles to progress, and that's well within the capture range of the average phone. if you fancy yourself a visual learner, the distorted image probably won't be much use, as it doesn't resemble anything you're likely to see in the wild, in real time. Unless you happen to ride with, (or just want to look like) Reed Richards.

Ramp measured 9.6 in the pair I had in the shop. UPZ is +/- 12.

Technique is a byproduct of interface. Nobody is going to ride with poor technique if good technique is fully accessible, unless of course they want to do things the hard way. Or choose to remain ignorant. ->That you present with rigidity suggests that to relax would be problematic. Shifting the bindings will mitigate the effect of the problem without addressing the problem. Use the needle point to immortalize your actual solution. Maybe one foot test your softy with the front highback removed. Am not familiar with your back issues. Care to elaborate?

Might be mistaken, but I believe the wings/pins are there to create a secure wedge fit between the receiver and front bail, while the retention pins maintain that relationship. The retention pins themselves shouldn't bear much weight.

As a general rule, if you tweak a particular variable to both ends of the scale, and you don't really resolve the issue, you're probably working the 'wrong' variable. As Lonbordin suggests, you may have extremely limited dorsiflexion on one or both feet, which would cause you to lever against your highback when you try to bear weight on your entire (front)foot. From the board's point of view, pressure and leverage both look like turning inputs, so even though you may not be bearing weight on your heel, the contact at the highback is creating a similar input/effect. Adding heel lift to the front foot plate will affect pressure distribution, but will also move the top of the boot cuff forward, and so you'll still be applying leverage to the heelside edge, especially if you straighten the front leg to relax. There is also the possibility that you have some manner of hindfoot issue, whereby the heelbone is slightly elevated, such that it won't bear weight unless either you 'rock' back on your foot, or you fill the void underneath. That you also notice the tendency on softboots suggests that the problem is one more of conformation, than it is of equipment configuration, given that softboot gear is less sensitive to the more subtle alignment issues. Do you tend to have tight hamstrings and/ or lower back pain, notable Achilles tendon issues or injuries? If so, uni or bilateral? Are you a very good swimmer? Are your calf muscles overly developed? Do you tend to walk/run and or balance toward the forefoot? Are you hypermobile? If you stand casually barefoot on a level surface, close your eyes and relax, will you immediately fall over backward? Do you recall any particular difficulty during your earliest snowboarding efforts? ('Normal' novices tend to favor their heelside edge. Those with hindfoot issues tend to favor the toeside edge, despite being more 'muscular').

Aha.

Is there even a hint of this issue while riding soft boots?

I realize my shop is remote, but not that remote... ->Didn't put my foot in MRJD's shell, because, you know; Cooties® About all I can say at this point is that they appear to be more foot-shaped than 'the usual suspects*'. My feeling though, is that they will be more workable, and offer more tuning options. *"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was convincing the world other boots didn't exist".

Check the alloy. Don't know what Bomber is using, but the softer/cheaper stainless isn't particularly strong, and also tends to gall. As a reference, 18-8 is roughly half the cost of 3-16 from MM.com, so... Am also thinking the Bomber hardware is broached to take a larger wrench.

Are you looking to buy 'new', or 'new old stock'? One of the gains from the 'Carbon' model is the carbon cuff inlay may (if you're the type to notice things) enhance feedback. The lower shell plastic is relatively easy to form, but does not 'bounce back' as readily as typical polyurethane. The latter being relevant if you need to punch for hot spots. (The last is fairly narrow). Previous versions could be skied with or without two different tongue configurations. Am wondering if the location of the Boa winder on the most recent models will be problematic for 'more aggressive' riders?

Frame the 'competition' as one of you vs. yourself, rather than you vs. context.

Did you have this problem last season, or is this (as stated), a new development? Did you change/alter your interface, or have you been trying to incorporate 'new' movements, concepts, etc., 'as seen on TV' ? New helmet, new goggles? That you're getting asymmetric grip suggests asymmetric weight distribution. Heelsides can be more skiddy than toesides simply due to the tendency to bias more weight to the front foot heel on a heelside, and more weight to the rear 'toes' on a toeside. This can be further affected by translation of rotational movement as a rider looks over the heelside shoulder just prior to toeside edge release. Either way, the board is granting what you ask of it. Make sure you're asking for what you want, not what you think it wants to hear.

By design/intent, 'metal' boards are neither light nor flickable. Since you like the general handling of your metal FC 175, maybe try a glass FC without a plate? Doing so will give you a better appreciation of how material change affects a given platform, and from there you'll be better prepared to sift through your many options for board design/geometry, etc.

'Crushed' toward the distal, or proximal end of the toe? If you pulled the sock immediately, would the toe be white? When you remove your feet from the boots, does the 'circulation' return immediately, or does it take progressively longer to regain sensation if you ride for several days in a row? Do you feel solidly 'planted' on both feet while in the bindings, or do you feel like you're bearing weight to the outside of each foot? You might wear the liners around the house, at your desk, etc for a few hours and see if the liner itself is more of a cause than the shell.

Are both feet affected, or only the left? Goofy or regular? Greek, Egyptian, or Cuboid? All toes affected, or only the longest? Heel contour: Svelte or bulbous, bone spurs/protrusions or not? Known pronation/supination, or not? Adequate foot support? Does a shell fit reveal that you have more or less than 1 cm clearance? 'Pain' means different things to different people. Can you be more specific as to what you're experiencing?