icebiker

When I ride my Donek Axxess/Race Plates/Track 225's, I find myself struggling in the more mogul-ed up sections of trail that crop up late in the day. Despite the softer flex of these boots, the cuff is high enough that I don't get the flexibility to move the board around quickly in these sections (which I normally would enjoy on my free-ride/softies set up). However, I'm hooked on the easy in, easy out of plates...so tired of softies/straps! So, once I move to Sidewinders for the Axxess, I'm thinking of putting my Race Plates on my Ride Yukon twin-tip board (ditching my old Burton Torque 3-straps) and using that for late day bumpy stuff or powder days. I would not use this set up for true carving. To this end, I'd like to find a pair of low-cuff hardboots. Was thinking of something like what Damian Sanders used to ride back in the day (Koflach), or some MGX's, or similar. Any advice out there on what to look for? I've started to comb eBay but figured you guys could give me some other names/models/brands to include in my search strings. FWIW, I'm mondo 31. Thanks

Hi, while the boots are indeed taken, the new heel/toe blocks are still available. $10 plus shipping. Should be able to ship anywhere in the L48 for less than $5.00. Let me know your zip and I'll get back to you. Thanks

If it's any help, you'll find the longer running length on an alpine board will do wonders for keeping your momentum on the flats and you'll find yourself not needing to skate as much. Plus, as someone else said, it's dead easy to unclip and re-clip. SO much easier than softies with all that clipping and ratcheting. I don't miss that one bit.

I ride K'ton, Okemo and other VT slopes and feel what NickG said about sidecut radius is among the most important factors for the east coast, especially when you are starting out, and given that you said you like to go fast. The comparatively narrower trails on the east coast will mean you'll need to tighten up your turns in order to work within the left and right trail boundaries. If you're riding a 160 freestyle board right now, you've likely got about a 7 or 8m sidecut radius, and a short running length (guessing 120 cm or so?), so it's pretty manageable. An alpine board of the same overall length will have a longer radius and longer running length, and you'll want to take this into account as you evaluate your options. For comparison, I ride a variable sidecut board of 9-11m (172 overall length and 155 running length) and find its just right for the tight trails in NJ, NY, PA and VT. That said, others far more skilled than I can go bigger with no problem. Once you're ready to experiment, I'd recommend Pico as a great starter mountain. Lots of wide blues there and no crowds to get in your way;). I'm up there a few times in Jan/Feb, happy to help you get started, so feel free to PM me. Definitely spend some time on this forum. It's truly the most helpful group of enthusiasts (of any sport) out there.

Thanks for the quick, insightful and diverse replies, they are exceedingly helpful. I hadn't thought about the Sidewinders and did a bunch of reading on them after you suggested them as an alternative, and i think that's the way I'll go if I decide to retire the Burtons. It's reassuring to hear that other heavyweights have been fine on the Race Plates, but the SW's sure seem to fit the bill. They are pricey however, so I've got some serious thinking to do now. Maybe a good idea when I'm asked "Honey, what do you want for your birthday?" :D

I need some advice on whether to stick with my current Race Plates or move up to TD3's. I have read on these forums that the Burton bails are prone to breakage over time. I bought a pair of front and rear IBEX bails as a precaution, but don't really want to think about the consequences if one should break mid-carve. My Race Plates are likely 10 years old at a minimum (orange body, without the textured toe/heel blocks). I bought them a few years ago from a BOL'er, and they are in great shape. I don't feel they are affecting my performance, only my confidence in pushing more aggressive carves. The reason for my concern is that I'm 6' 3", MP 31.5 and 210 lbs (not including boots and gear), which is a lot of leverage on the bindings during turns. I ride a year-old Donek Axxess 172, so I'm not concerned about the board. I'd consider myself an "intermediate +" carver, and prefer long speed-scrubbing turns versus fast fall-line screamers. My boots are Track 225's. So my questions: 1) Do I have reason to be concerned, or do you think the Race Plates are ok based on what I've described above? 2) If you think TD3's are in order, what elastomer would you recommend to get a similar level of stiffness to the Race Plates (which are not that stiff, and I'm good with that as I prefer a more all-mountain set up than a race-oriented set up). Any other guidance is appreciated. Thanks!

I have size 14's (31.5 mp) and ride roughly 45 degree angles. I require a board with 24 - 26 cm waist width to avoid boot out. I'm 6'3" and 210lbs. If you can run tighter angles then you'll have more board options. I carved for years on my Burton Supermodel with softies, but eventually wanted to get into hardbooting. However, I found it difficult to find a stock board that would meet that width requirement, so about a year ago I approached Sean at Donek to build me a wide (26 cm) Axxess 172, and haven't looked back. Literally took NO getting used to....from turn 1, it's been perfect.

Thanks guys. Hubs are Salsa (made by Formula). 170mm rear (vs std 135) and 135mm front (vs std 100).

My new ride for 2012-2013....for those days when paying $70+ to ride the ice-coast's finest isn't the best use of a winter's day;). Salsa Mukluk 3, XL.

Sure thing JP....Benttech, NWBoarder, let me know by this weekend ok?

No word yet from NWBoarder, but let me know where in US you'd want me to ship to in case he decides not to take them.

Looks like $20 via USPS Parcel Post.

the shells on these boots are cracked at the heels so are not rideable, but they have plenty of spare parts on 'em (buckles, lean mechanism, tongues, etc). The spare (new) set of heel/toe blocks is $10 if you want them. The shells are free as long as you pay for shipping. Sorry, the Porsche and the Ferrari are not included:) UPDATE: Shells have found a new home.

Yep, I had an '89 Aggressor...the only board I've ever had without inserts. I kept pulling out the rear heel screws...so much so that it looked like swiss cheese before the season was up. Shame, was a great riding board for the time.

Interested in the bindings if you'll sell board and bindings separately. email sent.

I thought this topic might be in relation to an oddity I noticed last week: I posted a response to a Want to Buy thread (link below). I am currently the last person to have posted. Yet when you go to the "Want to Buy" summary screen, it lists the "last post by" as being the person who responded prior to me. Bizarre. Thread here: http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?37369-Deluxee-225-mondo-31 Want to Buy Summary screen here (thread is about 12 items down the list): http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/forumdisplay.php?35-Want-to-Buy Just sayin';)

Not sure if this helps, but it would appear Sims was using that neon/rough edged "Triangle S" as far back as '87. The following pic is on the back on TWS Issue #1 (Oct 1987). Note the Sims "S" at bottom right.

Hey there guys (Dave, long time no speak)...as it happens, when I was shopping for boots (I'm a US 14) I tried Head SP's (31.5) and Deeluxe 225's (31.0). I found the HSP's a tad too short. The Deeluxe's had more room. Goes to show you can't go by shell size alone. The BOL measuring guide was spot on. I did have to grind out the inside of my right boot a bit (right foot is a hair longer than left), but between that and the fully moldable liner of the Deeluxe (HSP's are only moldable in the lower section), they fit great. A bit more roomy in the ankle area than I'd like, but I've taken up the slack with a pair of ankle sports wraps. The best part for me, though, was the ease of entry into the Deeluxe's. Note that I have high arches. The tongue hinges fully away from the main shell, enabling you to get your foot in with no contortionist moves (unlike the HSP's...they were murder to get into given my high arch bone).

On the subject of passion....when I started boarding (softboots), it totally consumed me...i would while away summers waiting for winter, never really doing much other than boogie boarding at the beach once in a while and watching lousy ski movies (anyone remember Fire and Ice? lol) to get my "snow fix." I ordered my vanity license plate (See avatar) within a few months of my first day boarding out of this sheer passion for riding. Then, a few years later, I tried mountain biking and that gave me some seasonal balance. I loved boarding and biking equally. During the mid-90's I started focusing more on mountain biking to the point where snowboarding took a back seat. In fact, one season I didn't board at all. Mountain biking to this point has been my #1 passion. I ride in any conditions...snow, ice, dirt, 90 F+ heat, sub-zero F cold, rocks, roots, you name it. The rockier/more technical the better...East Coast terrain is great for this type of riding. However, having completed my first full year of hardbooting (in a lousy winter no less), things are swinging back now! While i've always liked to carve, a proper alpine set up makes it simply the most fun to be had on the mountain, period. I freakin LOVE boarding again, with as much (if not more) passion as when I first started. I'm already jonesing for next winter (hopefully a better one than last!) I owe most of this re-birth to all the great advice and support of you guys on BOL, and to the folks that make the niche products we depend upon to fuel our passion. Here's to Bomber, Sean Martin, Chris Prior and the rest of the select few out there that enable the rest of us!

Ok, I have a set of Torque 3-strap bindings, for which one of the baseplates is cracked, but the high-backs are ok. Let me dig them out tomorrow and get back to you. Where are you located?

Hey Carvedog, thanks but I need to pass. Good luck with the sale though, you've got a bunch of stuff in great shape.

Interested in: 1) the race plates mounted on the purple board 2) the grey rubber pads (2) in the parts picture email sent

I'm afraid I can't give you a comparison, since I haven't tried the later models. But I've had my 09/10 225's for a season now (bought them on close-out from Bomber), and I couldn't be happier with them. I find them forgiving enough when the terrain is bumped up (using powder mode), and easy enough to firm up when the terrain is ideal for holding an edge.

That's awesome!! Nice going. I remember a post on here from someone who did a "board" trifecta...snowboard, skateboard and someother boad (sailboard, perhaps?), but couldn't find it. Golf's a good one...takes a chunk out of your day..yet you still managed all three. Now, let's see you skip the X5 fit all that stuff into your 'vette for a day ;)

Warm spring day in NJ yesterday, so I aimed for a "triple play day". Squeezed in some boarding, MTB'ing and kayaking. First time I've managed all three in one day.