Hilux

Any more details on the bindings so we can help?

Bordy, where you have the 2 to 4 cant blocks under the toe, do you have anything under the heel to keep the ramp angle? I'm just wondering how the heel piece would then sit flat on the plate. Thanks again everyone for this discussion!

CharlieC: Correct I want zero canting ie no lateral/side to side angles. I do want pure heel/toe lift ie fore/aft lift relative to the binding. @ Phil: I got to the point where I had the cant wedges fitted together with the little ridges but then was lost as it didn't seem like I had enough wedges to do both heel and toe lift....and that if I set it flat (even with just two wedges opposed) it would be too much stress on bindings. You say "I have a pair of small wedges "pointing in opposite directions" to give me a 1 degree lift on the toe." Does this mean you set up what I just described and it flat? Thanks all Tom and Kieran for your answers, perhaps I'll try taking some pics tonight as well. I want to ensure that I'm not setting this up to break. Anyone with pics or more advice would be appreciated.

Okay folks, just got a set of f2 race ti as a spare and am not quite understanding how to properly and safely set these up. I've also got TD3s so the F2s with their wedges are a little different. The bindings came set up with the cant wedges installed so I removed them to start from scratch. What I want is heel lift and toe lift with NO canting. Preferably of equal degrees ie 3deg of heel and toe lift. Total wedges I have are as listed: 4 x cant wedges 1 x small thin lift/shim wedge 1 x crazy big lift/shim block I read where some people are stacking the cant wedges opposite of each other to make a flat lift but does this not create pressure points on different parts of the binding? If I stack all four and place it under the toe flat, wouldn't I need need to use a thin shim/wedge to angle it and perhaps a thin one on the heel to make up the different in space or "align" it properly? There doesn't seem to be enough here to play with. I have a feeling I might be overlooking something very obvious. I haven't spent too much time fiddling with them yet either but any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Perhaps I'll need to get more from YYZ...

^ @ Corey Oh my god, that looks like soooo much fun! Love the cat on there too. What plate are you tossing on there? Have you tried one of these before? I've been debating for my next board to go fun and short or get something ECish...after seeing this (and waiting for your review of course) I'm leaning towards short and turny to get around all of those meat gates when the crowds are out. Very slick indeed.

Great review! Glad you like it; Bruce totally sold me on this. I've got the 171 VSR AM Tight (10.5-12-11) non-asym and love its versatility. Was trying to "convince" Bruce to go 177cm but he said there would be no point (my concern being that it would wash out at high speeds but haven't had an issue yet). VSR is very useful for days when you get the first few early morning runs to yourself, but when the meat-gates come out, cranking tighter turns is doable. And I hear you on rider input...once you find those sweet spots it's such a versatile tool! I'm curious as to what the advantage of the asym core is? How is it built differently and how does it change the ride?

You totally lost me at "smith-grind..." ;) Googling it riiiiight...now :D

I actually think the "BJ style/turn" looks more fluid (where did that term/name come from by the way?). I like things in carving to be simple...there's already so much to think about (at least where I ride where ice is common) so it's refreshing to see such a style broken down to basic inclination and rotation...I'd call that a form of technique for sure :D

Very nice...interested ex-technique! I suppose there are many ways to lay it out Quite different then the crouch, lean back, rotate-tilt-angulate, push-out, center, and repeat technique I've been watching from the european folks. This seems to be different in that you are inclinating a lot more right from the beginning of the turn and the idea is to "stand" tall ie extend legs right at turn initiation. Looks like good snow conditions, consistent pitch, and wide runs would be helpful in going full out. Thanks for posting!

Hmmm Jay on Monday might be a plan especially if quiet. It's probably the next best mountain around as Orford has been fairly patchy this year. Sutton might be an option too although I remember some runs being only skier friendly ie narrow. Loopback was there last year so he'll have it fresh in his head as far as carvability goes but it's more $$$ for not much more.

Great angles!...camera and edge :D Looked like a great day of groom.

Quite possibly...it'd be nice to get out before the rains come

Tried them when I first got my UPZs. Didn't like the feel of Boosters initially but was also having chronic issues with boot fit and performance overall. I've been on a mission to get more flex out of UPZ without hacking them up and rigging a BTSish device. I ditched the stock liners for thermos and now have a pretty good fit and thought I'd give the Booster straps another try the other day as directed on the instructions. They do suggest for "best" results to put them over the liner and not tongue of shell. The strap is still put through the back of the shell to anchor it so only the front is over the liner. These were the "expert" mediums. What a difference! It felt like I got more range of motion and got a rebound feel after flexing forward. You can essentially adjust this rebound simply by how tight you crank the strap. And it does make a difference. At first I had it super tight and it felt like my boots were extra spring loaded. Loosened it off and found that sweet spot. My boots felt so lively, it was weird but very welcoming. For those of you wondering, I did try this on the outside (ie where you'd normally have the stock strap across the tongue/shell) and it feels more constricting, stiff and limited movement. Still felt okay but nothing special. It was more like I had the stock velcro straps on essentially just keeping the liner together with the shell. I should also note that I have tried these on my ski boots with their stock liner "as directed" and found it uncomfortable because of thickness/placement of the liner and the traditional liner tongue. It was really squeezing my leg, and the pressure was concentrated. My thermos however are fairly thick and are wrap-style so I don't notice it. Anyway, if you're at a point where you feel like you can't tune your boots anymore, for $30ish these might be the ticket.

loopback...send some of that Colorado snow this way!!!

??? Dang. Was out tonight at Cascades for a couple hours and conditions were pretty good. I vowed to never go on a Friday night again because of the school crowds but it wasn't too bad. Thinking of Sunday night or possibly day somewhere.

Glad to hear...that would have sucked if it was any more delayed. Worst case you'd have been in the perfect location to buy/borrow other boots. Have fun but don't rub it in too much ;)

Sold! Payment sent, thanks again.

Hmm weird, I double checked and I sent email this morning. Can you send me and email through the forum...click on my name "Hilux" and "send email". I typed your address as I see it in your online screen name at gmail .com. I'll try again, but please send me email as I'm interested.

Sent you an email first thing this morning, did you receive it?

Thanks Sunsurfer, so simple!

10-4...and for people who frequent "mountains" with 45 second runs :D

Sorry, I can't see the pic. Have tried other browsers and still can't...

Great, thanks everyone for the suggestions!

I recently switched back to the Flo liner for the UPZ RC10 and have noticed that the cable for fintec is really digging into my ankle. I've tried taping it different ways, thin foam, cardboard and nothing makes it better. I was using old Raichle thermo's that are very thick so I didn't notice it at all but they were taking up too much space in the shell. Any suggestions?

Mont Blanc it is! I just took this offline for details but if anyone else is interested, speak up! Wooo!