dshack Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Is there a way to replace the spring on the RAB? Maybe it's my light weight, but they feel incredibly stiff to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Off hand I would say you are probably a good canidate for the BTS with yellow springs?? Since the thread got resurrected.. yes, I started riding BTS/yellow last week, and they're working great. I thought walk mode was great, but I'm very much enjoying the progressive resistance of the springs. I'm riding them with no preload whatsoever, great stuff! tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 For those who ride in walk mode, I have this question..........Why don't you get a set of soft boots????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Since the thread got resurrected.. yes, I started riding BTS/yellow last week, and they're working great. I thought walk mode was great, but I'm very much enjoying the progressive resistance of the springs. I'm riding them with no preload whatsoever, great stuff!tom. BINGO!! Sounds like a good match! Your riding continues to improve leaps and bounds (via your website video journals) You are a great example of a smart, fit guy that seeks good guideance then applies it and rides allot. Your skills have improved at a meteroric rate. It is way cool to see a person "First Day of Snowboarding" and watch the improvement. Nice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 worth it, but I bet the solutions that the EC guys have come up with work pretty well too just don't cut up your boots like they do just put in the springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekdut Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 For those who ride in walk mode, I have this question..........Why don't you get a set of soft boots????? I only sometimes ride in walk mode, usually the dial is turned, but.. lateral stiffness is the answer. There's no way we can ride in soft boots at 55+ deg in softboots of course. My BTS are on their way thankfully. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trikerdad Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I'm 6'3" and 220 and like my Indy's locked down (I changed them to a lock down system). I can still flex them forward when locked. Lateral stiffness is where it's at. What I want is stronger hinges. I've blown out one cant adjuster (which Bomber replaced) and both boots are ready to go again (the nut/washers are cracked and bent). The outside riveted hinges are pulling apart with the half moon behind the plastic bent causing it to stick out and the washer on the inside bent and sticking in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpyride Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Quote: Originally Posted by philfell For those who ride in walk mode, I have this question..........Why don't you get a set of soft boots????? Started out in Soft with Burton 3 strap. They gave me a fair amount of control, and worked out well till I started hitting the bumps hard. Forward foot would start to hyper-extend when I hit the troughs hard. Tried Hard Boots just because I found a Burton Alp with plates and Hard Boots all right there at a ski swap. I think the total for the whole setup was under $175. Started out on the new skinny board and went out and hit the bumps, and never folded my ankle again. The ride mode just doesn't offer the flexiblility in off-piste, bumps, chutes and steeps, not even to mention the long traverses and to get out of dicey spots. I need to be able to swing quickly and set an edge immediately. Can't do both in the ride mode. Can't do it significantly enough with Soft Boots even in a 3 strap binding. The beauty of riding in the walk mode, is that you're almost to soft boot flexibility, but at the end of the flex pattern, you can still set and hold the edge. The other part of the walk mode is that you can feather your edge set with your lower foot and toes. With a thinner waist on a carving board, you still have significant overhand with soft boots. Can't remember how many times I washed out on steep heelside turns with the Soft setup. After the first run on Hardboots, there is not a condition nor a situation that I would ever want to ride soft again. I'm running Raichle 123's, which are a 3 strap boot, not very stiff to start out with. The times I've tried stiffer boots I've felt like I just got caught with the Don's underage daughter, and he's fitting me with a new pair of cement overshoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 To me it sounds like that you guys would be better off in the proper soft set up. There is no good reason to ride a hardboot in walk mode, unless you are doing a controled drill or you are on vacation and have a pow day and didn't bring your soft set-up with you. Get the right tools for the right job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 To me it sounds like that you guys would be better off in the proper soft set up. There is no good reason to ride a hardboot in walk mode, unless you are doing a controled drill or you are on vacation and have a pow day and didn't bring your soft set-up with you.Get the right tools for the right job. Maybe I ought to try some modern softies. My softies are 01/02 Salomon Malamutes with the matching SP6 bindings. I still prefer my hard boots (Suzukas, BTS + blue springs all around, buckles not quite as tight as a carving day but almost) in powder. Not so much a performance issue as a comfort issue... my hard boots are really dialed and I haven't invested the time or money in getting my soft boots to feel as good. Are, say, this year's softies really that much better than those of 5 years ago and in what ways? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trikerdad Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I think almost all aspects of carving gear is relative to the physical size and condition of the rider. Whether you're comparing boards, boots, bindings or whatever. A board that a 5'6'' 140lb rider thinks is great, isn't going to be great for the 6'5" 275 pound guy. The same thing with boots and whatever kind of lean mechanism they have. Soft springs, stiff springs, lockdown, bts or anything else you can think of. A 25 mondo Indy is going to be a pretty stiff boot for that 140 pound guy where the 275 pounder with size 30's will probably think them a bit soft. Everyone who post in a thread like this should give a brief physical description of themselves and the gear they ride so apples can be compared to apples and oranges to oranges. Edited to add: I'd rather be riding than writing but we need more snow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted January 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Good point Trikerdad. @ 140lbs, locked down feels like concrete overboots. When I went from walk mode to RAB, it felt a little stiff, but I got used to it by the end of the day. I also think it's relevant where you are at and where you want to go, ability wise. recreational, pro, etc.. Some instructors may start students in walk mode, then progress from there. I doubt starting out on Indy's locked down on a stiff 13+ SC would be a good idea. Case in point: 30+ years of rock climbing has told me putting a high arched, pointy toed, painful pair of shoes on an intermediate climber will not get them to the next level, rather better to out grow your gear, then you will feel the real performance difference when you move up. If I went back to walk mode now, I"m sure it would feel sloppy and unresponsive,(and unsafe), just as if i went back to a cheap pair of beginner rock shoes on 5.13(I wish, lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpyride Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 To me it sounds like that you guys would be better off in the proper soft set up. There is no good reason to ride a hardboot in walk mode, unless you are doing a controled drill or you are on vacation and have a pow day and didn't bring your soft set-up with you.Get the right tools for the right job. Seems to me that there was once a video made that was entitled "SIZE DOESN'T MATTER". On that video the 2 main riders were expounding of the idea that the equipment doesn't necessarily dictate what you can do, it was more of being able to adapt, or maybe going the extra step to get the most out of what you have. I'm with trikerdad. 5'9" 150 and in excellent shape. Hard Boots are superior to me in all circumstances, except for the park and riding switch-neither of which I do. By the way, I enjoyed the movie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim W Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 I have had experiences myself and with friends that when walk mode works better it is time for new boots. With regular riding the boot shell breaks down and becomes soft and weak. Locking out the walk mode causes greater deformity in the boot shell when flexing the boot. Riding in walk mode reduces some of the shell deformation. So it may be time for new boots. If my shells are that week I really do not care if I break something more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 why not put a BTS or another spring system on your softer boots like the 413? walk mode will eventually break something soft boots like the driver x, malamute, Ion(a little softer but still my favorite) and a couple others along with almost any of the high end softboot binding of today from many manufacturers will certainly get you where you wanna go. do both! thats how I see it! plus softboots own powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yyzcanuck Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 ... I'm very much enjoying the progressive resistance of the springs. ... Tom, I'm just curious about the progressive resistance. I haven't ridden with the BTS but I can't see how they provide a progressive resistance. Can you provide some more info on what you feel. In all the above threads, nobody has mentioned the LCBFL^2 system! That's the Lower Cuff Buckle Forward Lean Limiter to those that don't like acronyms. By adjusting how tight the lower cuff buckle/band is, you can increase or decrease the amount of forward lean. Tighter = less forward lean. Looser = more forward lean. In fact, I'd go as far as to call this a Progressive Resistance device because as the fixed diameter of the boot cuff is flexed forward it meets more resistance due to the ever increasing girth of the lower shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 I haven't ridden with the BTS but I can't see how they provide a progressive resistance. Can you provide some more info on what you feel. Hey Dave, perhaps I chose the wrong terms? Riding in walk mode gave me the ability to really work my ankles -- something I learned from Lowell, and that can be seen at the start of the video on this page. Using my ankles through the entire range of their motion made my turns a lot fuller and smoother. I felt that I couldn't quite do that as well with locked boots -- or even in powder mode. Installing BTS made it so that my ankles can still move through their range of motion, but the further I bend in my ankles (or "stand on the balls of my feet"), the more the spring compresses and the harder it becomes. Does that make any sense? In other words, I rely on my ankles for all the turns, and the BTS make it so that the boot's motion feels smooth as I go through that movement.. tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~tb Posted January 20, 2007 Report Share Posted January 20, 2007 Hey guys, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't "powder mode" stop the backward flex, but not the forward flex? If so, it wouldn't help to avoid the failure I experienced. Am I missing something? Galen, you are completely correct. I had my box of goodies open last night and was looking at a 5 position adjuster. the "powder mode" only stops the backward flex, but the forward flex is unconstrained exactly as in walk mode. For this particular failure, this would have made no difference. I have blown out one of these before back when I was riding the sb225s while riding in powder mode. I have ridden locked down on both front and back boots ever since. Long story short, riding in powder mode VS riding in walk mode are EXACTLY THE SAME LEVEL OF RISK. The only mode that is any safer is to ride locked into a number. So, if you like riding in walk mode, and the only other option you would consider is riding in powder mode. . . stick with the walk mode. If you ride in powder or walk mode, and dont mind switching to riding in a locked mode, I would reccomend doing so. Just my 2 cents. ~tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted January 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 Yup, figured that one out. I got RAB's immediatly after the failure, and just got my BTS's a couple weeks ago. Walk is fine for learning on(that's me), but not for hard carving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpyride Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Not much to say when I can't even tell the difference between January 2007 and January 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpyride Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Just looked back at the dates, and this is 2008 and not 2007. I must be just looking for something to do with a busted rib. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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