icebiker

Thanks, I once tried 31.0 Burton Reactors and they were too small. Hoping the HSP's will do the trick. I actually was thinking of a custom board if my hardbooting venture this season works decently. Mainly because I prefer a shorter radius + wider width than most alpine boards have. Thanks again.

thanks DB. Good to have that insight too. Yes, I am a 14 street shoe, 6' 3", and weigh 190lbs. I had to buy the boots (online) without trying them on (no retailers here in NJ carry them), so am hopeful they will fit. I plan to take them to a local bootfitter to get them properly molded.

Thanks for the input everyone. Sounds like the "gateway to hardbooting" setup I plan will be ok for the short term, but longer term I need to get more robust bindings (didn't anticipate that, but that's why I asked the experts:D ) and a proper AM board (this I knew, but can't drop the coin on this right now). As for width, really depends on if I can develop a technique for anything more than the 45/35 I ride today. I ride a 31.5 Mondo boot, with 6 degree cant on the rear, so I'd need some extreme angles on a narrow board to avoid toe drag. Will see how it goes. 110/220...I totally get what you're saying. Appreciate the input. While I do carve pretty well, and can get decently low to the snow, I think to get to the next level I need to up the game on my equipment. I figured I'd start with the boots first, based on the info I gleaned from reading on this forum and the Carver's Almanac. If the boots feel right, next will be board and bindings. I only get the chance to board 10 times a year (busy job, lots of travel, 2 pre-teen kids), so likely this will have to wait until next season. Thx again all.

I've learned a lot after lurking on this site for a few years. Now that I'm ready to jump into the hardbooting pool, I'd appreciate some specific advice with respect to my "gateway" board/binding/boot set up. Some background first: I've been boarding for nearly 25 years, but have had little to no alpine experience, other than riding a Burton M8 from 90-96 (with Sorel Caribou boots, no less ). I don't do parks/jumps, etc, but simply love to carve. I'm no armpit dragger like some of the awesome pics/vids on this site, but I can come reasonably close. I've been riding three-strap soft bindings since day one. I once rented a hard boot set up (Raichle boots with step in bindings) on an alpine board when visiting Switzerland ('99 or so) and loved it, but with most retail shops in the US no longer stocking alpine gear, I got lazy and just stuck with the soft boot/3 strap set up. After the M8, rode a Supermodel 174 until last year, when I felt it was getting too soft. So late last season I picked up a Ride Yukon 172 Wide. I run no more than 45 degree angles, so I needed a wider board.While the Ride is no alpine/all mountain board in the Prior/Donek sense of the word, it's markedly stiff (about the same as my old M8, IIRC). It's also got a roughly 9 meter sidecut radius and a 135 edge length (I prefer shorter radius for the narrow trails in the Northeast where I ride). With my current 3-strap/soft boot set up, it's a blast to ride. But I'd like to push into the hardboot realm without having to pop for a new board for now. For bindings, I have a pair of what I believe (based on the information in the bindings section of the Carver's Almanac) are Burton Performance bale bindings with the medium stiffness (blue) pads. For boots, HSP's are on the way. They are probably more stiff than my recreational carving tendencies require, but I could not locate any other brands that carried 31.5's in my price range (and I believe the Deeluxes run a bit small?). So, to my questions: 1) Will this set up (Yukon 172, Burton Performance, with HSP's) be suitable for a recreational carver? Anything I need to be concerned about (e.g. are the HSP's likely to overpower the board)? Any suggestions? 2) Can anyone confirm if the bindings (pics attached) are indeed Burton's Performance series? I bought them on eBay about 4 years ago, so am not sure. I read in the same section of the Carver's Alamanac that the Burton "Carrier" bindings are to be avoided due to breakage. Want to be sure these aren't Carriers. pics of board and plate bindings below in case helpful. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

Hi, sorry, sold them on ebay last week since I hadn't heard any replies on Bomber...

Thanks much Dave. Would appreciate your sending me a few pics. Also, if I needed liners, are replacements easily found (if so, from where do you recommend?). Thanks Greg

Looking to buy race plate-type hard boots (not TD-style). Used to have 31.5 Burton Reactors, but they were a tad small. I would consider 31.5 or larger (does anyone make larger boots?) My contact info: icebikerxyz@optonline.net (delete the "xyz"). Thanks

Great shape, comes with pair of 3D discs. All straps/bolts/clips complete and functioning. Highbacks and plates solid, no cracks. $50 plus shipping.

Hi, assuming you'd parcel out the available parts, I'd like to buy the cant plate. email sent. I'm in NJ. thanks

Folks, for those out there with big feet like me, I'm selling my Reactors. Bought them slighly used 2 seasons ago to try my hand (feet?) at plate bindings. Used them 3 times before reverting to a three-strap Torque set up. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=190086047510&rd=1&rd=1 Drop me an email at icebiker123@optonline.net (remove the "123") in case of any questions. Thanks Greg

Thanks RJ (and Nate)! Awesome!

This should be an easy one for the long-timers on this forum. I tried a search using various strings, and didn't find anything. If you could provide the formula and dimensions necessary, I'd appreciate it. I'm trying to calculate the sidecut of my current board so I know what to base a future board purchase on. thanks in advance.

Thanks folks, MUCH appreciated ...this'll give me something to go on. If you have any tips for sites that sell decent used boards (other than the obvious like eBay or BO classifieds), please let me know. Cheers Greg

I have Size 14 (Mondo 31.5) canoes for feet, hence my concern about width. I prefer tighter turns (tend to freak out at going overly fast...prefer nice easy turns across the fall line)....my instinct tells me go for something like a 165-170, but seeing as the steeper the stance angle, the less maneuverability one has when you have to suddenly quit the carve and skid around some obstacle or other trail disturbance (yard sale, etc), I'm thinking that a smaller board might be better (e.g. 160) since it would be easier to swing around (less length/swing weight to get in the way)...just not sure if at my weight/height this would overpower a smaller board. I started on an old Elite 150, and rode a Cruzer 160 for a while shortly thereafter, but that was when riding was simply glorified sledding and sticks were ironing boards with graphics...I've stuck with 170+ since then, so am a little uncertain about going any less for the kind of riding I do now.

Greetings, as you can tell, I'm a newbie to this forum. Occasional lurker, but finally got around to signing up. I have a basic question, but have searched the newbie forums (no content) and FAQ (no content) to no avail, so hope some of you can help out. I've been boarding for 18 years, gradually working toward a carving style over the past 8. I ride what I guess you'd call an all mountain setup (Supermodel 174, Torque 3-strap bindings, airwalk freeride soft boots). Part of my delay in moving to a full carving kit was the challenge in finding hard boots large enough. I now have a set of older Burton Reactors and plate bindings. Tried them on the Supermodel at the end of last season, wasn't wild about the set up. The board felt overpowered, like the camber was too soft. So, I'm in the market for a stiffer (but not race-stiff) carving stick and need your advice on what to consider. I have read the Carver's almanac (very helpful), but here are the questions that still remain: a) for my size/weight (6'3", 190lbs), what range of total length/running length should I be considering? I tend to prefer blue groomers in the AM, then would switch to the Supermodel for post-lunch runs. b) which manufacturers run toward the wider waist widths?....given my foot size and preferred stance angle, I'm looking for something around 25 cm...surely they make carving boards for us Big Foots, yes? c) if I was looking for a slightly used board, which brands hold up best? I have been a Burton rider since the beginning (with a brief daliance with a Kemper in the late 80's), so that's all I really am familiar with. I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but answers to the above would help me get started. Thanks in advance folks, Greg

I ride a Supermodel 174 with Torque 3-straps and soft boots. Picked up a set of Reactors/plate bindings and tried them on the Supermodel. They worked OK, but made the board less lively, kinda "flattened out" the ride...in otherwords, no issues with insert pulling and so forth, but just didn't feel like a good match. For what it's worth, I'm 6'3', 190 lbs, size 14 feet.