Jack M

Hey now, most of my experience has been on "race" boards, this was just my first of the "new school" variety. These NSR shapes simply haven't been easy to get in North America until very recently. I grew up on the Safari, PJs, FPs, and then Prior WCR, Donek 186. Then I went "freecarve" I guess you could say with the Madd 170, then the first-gen Prior 177 WCR Metal, then my Coiler Schtubby. And I've had a Madd 180 since '05, a stiff 16m mofo which you could call an old-school GS shape. I enjoy full-on race boards very much. That wouldn't be me. True, my Schtubby is 14m and I love it to death, but I wouldn't tell anyone that's what you have to have. :D I guess "finally" is the right word, but I would also say that <i>finally</i> true new-school PGS sticks are becoming more available. I want to try mounting it further forward. In the middle inserts plus a 1/2 inch back on the back foot I think I had a fair amount of setback. It was a significant effort to really hammer the nose from there. But still at 185 it's simply not an every-day board. Come now, you make it sound like I've never ridden a good board, or haven't really been able to have fun on a snowboard until now. It's not like I've been riding nothing but Asyms in one-piece suits all along. My Schtubby is still king for a do-everything freecarve stick. I took my Madd 180 out for a day this year and had an absolute blast. Sure, coming off the metal its limitations were more obvious, but they certainly didn't ruin my day. To make the car analogy, I think the difference between "old school" shapes/materials and these world cup level boards is like the difference between a BMW 3 and a BMW M3 or an Audi A4 and an Audi S4... the M3 or S4 are better of course, but the others are still fun to drive.

Hehe. Thanks buddy, but it looks like Bola will broker for me. It's Coiler's answer to a Kessler, so you can think of it as a race board and/or a long freecarve board. It's 185, so by that sheer fact it's not very maneuverable when not carving compared to my 170. I believe it's 20.5cm wide, and the Monster is about 23cm wide, so that's a significant difference. It <i>should</i> carve longer than the Monster which has a blended radius of 14 to 15m, I believe. Terrain is groomers only, but the nose makes easy work of afternoon chop. Rider ability should be expert. You need to be able to carve at about 40mph (best guess) and you really need to know when and how to pull the e-brake.

Come on, that's just too far. You're doing exactly what you've previously accused other people of doing, discounting their opinion and calling them out. erm, yes, I kinda missed that. Let's play nice, mmkay?

I will say that after riding the NSR185, which is a blended radii if not an actual clothoid, that I did feel what Bola was talking about with regards to the reduced g-loads. I haven't quite gotten my head around it, because mv/r² is mv/r², but it just felt so easy and it could help explain why I was able to hold an edge on such lousy conditions at high speed.

trigger is pulled! I'm on the list for a 185NSR. Now just waiting for the 160 proto to arrive. looks like next season... no worries. i know the 158 can be outdone...

Absolutely! Right after I win Powerball!! Indeed. This was beyond cheating, it was bizarre. Two other hardbooters called it quits before noon, and when I met up with my parents around 10am they were like "conditions must not be good for carving, eh?", but I was having a banner day. Would have been a 158 day otherwise.

Bruce also mentioned a slightly turnier 182 NSR that he likes better, but I fell in love with the 185 so that's what I want. I'm also getting a Kessler to compare (assuming they'll excuse my lack of FIS ranking). BV, you need an apprentice!! Hope I can test the 160Z this season somehow.

This is so hilarious. 6-7 years ago you wouldn't even see sidecut radius printed on skis or mentioned in ski magazines. They were clueless about it and what it does and means. Now they're all about sidecut radius, and now we snowboarders are moving past it! Come on skiers, try to keep up. :p

Race boards are awesome for freecarving if the turn size and speed are what you want to be doing. I disagree with the "beat yourself up with a race board" sentiment, unless you are looking for all-mtn riding. I think what a lot of people mean to say is that their favorite freecarve board would not be something that a racer would use in a PGS or PSL FIS race, such as my 170/21/14, or the good ol' Donek 171fc (171/19.5/11.2)

waist width does not affect turn radius. what size are your feet? I don't recommend stance angles greater than 60 degrees anymore, but it's personal preference.

Haha, yes, on paper 13.7m to 17m and 20mm taper does not quite compute to me, but in practice with the right flex pattern obviously more is possible than I previously thought. I haven't ridden a Kessler either, but that is going to change too...

Thanks to bschurman for the chance to try his new Coiler NSR 185 this weekend.... I sent him this text from the chairlift: omfg omfg omfg!!! This is hands down the best long board I've ever ridden. This changes everything. Conditions on Saturday were bluebird skies, high-20s temps, and sugar-on-concrete thanks to the R-word earlier in the week. In other words, shyte except for the weather. I was riding with a fellow HB friend and he bailed to go x-c'ing by 10am. I spotted another fellow HB-er on his board first thing in the morning, and then I saw him at 11 and he had switched to skis. I thought what's the matter with these guys, conditions are epic! In the afternoon I donned the skis to ski with my kids and I couldn't believe how bad conditions were. How could I have possibly been carving this stuff before lunch? And at what felt like about 40mph, and to actual applause from spectators on the lift?? The big decambered nose really makes a difference. With this feature, the nose works with the sidecut, not against it. I would see bumps, piles, and ruts, but I wouldn't feel them. I was astonished. The board would simply carve over seemingly anything. I can really understand why this geometry helps in a rutty race course. The Schtubbies have this too, but not quite as much. But those are different boards. If I could only have one board, it would still be my Schtubby. The NSR is a longboard, not a quiver-killer. The 13.7m to 17m blended (clothoid?) sidecut really works well. If you hammer the nose you can tighten up the turns, and if you pressure the tail the board really accelerates. Riding in the middle, the sidecut somehow feels like normal, the multiple radii and flex pattern all working in harmony. Don't let that 13.7m number fool you, this board rides long and smooth. I felt like I could pour myself a spot of tea in mid-carve. I thought there might be some overlap with my 14.2m Schtubby, but there wasn't. I set up my bindings in the middle sets of inserts on each foot, with the back foot a half inch further tailward in the TD2's rear-set holes. I didn't have a tape measure, but this felt like about a 19.75" or 20" stance with some set-back (1"? 2"?). I imagine the turns could be tightened up more by mounting the bindings more forward. Anyway, to sum up... "I have GOT to get me one of these". Bruce, you've got mail.

Absolutely yes, if you are set up properly. That means dialing in toe/heel lift and cant, stance width and angles. Get it right and you can do it all. Get a Coiler Schtubby X2 if you are in eastern North America, or a Coiler All-Mtn 172 if you are in the west. These boards literally do anything you want outside of a halfpipe. You can thank me later.

Not exactly summer, but... http://www.chrisklug.com/camp.html

Welcome! check out the links below...

Ok, so seriously what about the SV650? Great bike, and they sound awesome with an aftermarket silencer. ar(angel, I have a Hawk 650GT... have we been over this already? Yours looks great.

I agree with Sean (Donek) about the sensitivities of stance setup in hardboots. However I don't recommend splaying your feet more than about 5 degrees unless you are naturally very duck-footed. Much more than that and your knees are going to be fighting each other. The light weight of softies is definitely better in trees where you HAVE to make a turn RIGHT NOW. Otherwise, I've found that with the right board and right stance, I don't need to ride softboots anymore for anything. Sure it took a lot of practice to get to that point, but it's very do-able and enjoyable.

I want the latest, greatest, baddest PGS board. I weigh 180. Actually my M-spec Schtubby 170 is a straight 14.2m, but it is a quiver killer. The 160 Bruce is building me now will be multi-radius.

IMO, cruisers are like freeride boards.... missing the point. ;) Seriously though, I consider the severely limited handling and lean angles of cruisers to be a safety problem. I love Ducatis, and the maintenance stigma is becoming a thing of the past. Hard to go wrong with a Monster. It sounds like you might be looking for a bike that wouldn't provoke your inner hooligan as much... in which case larger displacement bikes maybe should be discouraged...? Speed Triple and Monster 1000+ are fast bikes. Maybe consider the Monster 800 and Triumph Street Triple? Suzuki SV650? Personally I wouldn't get a bike that I wouldn't take to the track. I've gotten to the point (since becoming a father) that I really only use my moto for commuting and then I get my jollies on at an annual track day. Going out for a joyride on the streets is now a wholly selfish and borderline irresponsible activity. Riding a moto on the track <b>IS</b> the same thing as what we do on snow.

loaf.

If I'm understanding the definition of clothoid, then I would say Coiler is doing this too. agreed. I filled out their request-for-info/quote form on their website, stating I was interested in getting a board. I got an email saying that someone would be in touch with me ASAP. That was in January.

I've never ridden a sidecut longer than 18.5m, but I can't imagine trying to freecarve a 20+ meter board, linking full C-shaped turns down the hill. At least not on the steeps I like to ride. I'd want to demo before buying. My go-to board is 14m and I love it. The sidecut radius number is the radius (or approximate radius if the curve is not radial) of the curve cut into the side of the board. As you tilt the board up on edge, the board flexes and that radius decreases. At a 60 degree edge angle, the radius the board wants to carve is half its sidecut radius, or in this case 10m. The longer the board's radius, the faster you have to ride it, generally speaking. There is more info in the tech articles here.

Yeah, you're ready for an alpine board. It will open the door for you. There is some good stuff going on there, including some cross-under technique. I think you're to the point where you'll need an alpine board or at least a much longer freeride board to move forward.

I used to do this with TD1s, but I used nickels instead of washers. Washers would have made a lot more sense. Anyway, you'd be able to use washers as thick as nickels and use the same bolts. I'm speaking for myself here, Bomber never endorsed this cluge.