Yard Sale Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I started carving last season and I've got a Donek Pilot 167. My toe sides are pretty nice but my heel sides are garbage. Today I demoed a Prior WCR-M (metal) 187 because the shorter metal board was taken. All of a sudden, and I mean from the very first turn, I can carve decent heelsides on the Prior. No skid, no chatter, just a clean carve. WTF? Is it all about the edge length? Am I riding 20cm too short of board? Is the WCR-M constructed with magical fairy dust? I just can't believe the difference it made in my heelsides. Not to mention its Cadillac cushy ride, light weight, and aggressive turning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbird Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Length helps.... But if you can nail heelsides strongly on the shorter board... you can imagine how monumental your heelsides will be on the long boards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 A lot of people are saying that the metal boards are real easy to ride due to the construction and softer flex. Are you a heavy rider? You might be too heavy for the pilot 167. As you get better you will be able to carve well on almost any board. I haven't rode on either board so I can't comment on how they would perform for me. I would like to demo a Prior metal just to try it. It would have to be absoutlutely incredible for me to spend 950.00 for a board. I am sure they ride well. I'll bet the Donek works well too.The other problem I have heard about the metal boards is they don't last as long. I am sure that problem will be solved in a few more years. You might want to write a reveiw on both boards on the bomber website for us to read.Keep riding- you will figure out how to make that Donek carve without chattering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonerider Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I started carving last season and I've got a Donek Pilot 167. My toe sides are pretty nice but my heel sides are garbage. Today I demoed a Prior WCR-M (metal) 187 because the shorter metal board was taken. All of a sudden, and I mean from the very first turn, I can carve decent heelsides on the Prior. No skid, no chatter, just a clean carve. WTF?Is it all about the edge length? Am I riding 20cm too short of board? Is the WCR-M constructed with magical fairy dust? I just can't believe the difference it made in my heelsides. Not to mention its Cadillac cushy ride, light weight, and aggressive turning. I rode the Metal WCR they are something special. They are super smooth, chatter free and forgiving - more so than the Madd 170 or my Oxygen Proton 165GS (and a Burton UP) - while still being softer, lighter and easier to handle. My friend compared it to his Coiler PR 180, he said the M-WCR was lighter, softer, yet more damp and extremely stable.Here's a review: http://hardbooter.com/news/archives/72-PPPPPriorrr.html They are expensive (actually $850) though and they are slightly less durable (they don't break on the first rut you hit... but don't bounce it off rocks). You really need to decide for yourself if the ride you got is worth the price it costs. There are two demo metals that are $200 off on the Prior website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Longer boards have a bigger "sweet spot" and are thus more forgiving to inexact body position. Also, longer sidecuts do better at higher speed. The Pilot has a much shorter sidecut radius than that Prior, so it's possible you were just trying to go too fast and/or too long for the Pilot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Quite simple in my opinion. The shorter the board, the more skills and technique is required… When ever I go back to a short board I remember to really use skills, while riding something longer relaxes immensely. But I think it also turns down the level of aggressiveness extremely. I see many people riding very long boards and doing nice long clean cut turns, but somehow missing this extra bite I like so much. It’s like missing the salt in the soup. Just my observation and personal taste. Maybe that’s also because these big boards weigh so much. I don’t know… Anyway, I think, master your skills on a short board and you are the hero on a long plank ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 The Metal is a nice board. You also might prefer quality longer boards, I do. I think comparing the Donek Pilot to the Prior Metal is comparing apples and oranges. I don't know much about the Pilot, other than it is an entry level Donek. I expect the improved ride has to do with a whole lot of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Quite simple in my opinion. The shorter the board, the more skills and technique is required… I agree. You really have to work to ride short boards. To OP, I do believe that the WCR Metal is a great board, but I think you are experiencing what Jack and Ray talked about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 That is the beauty of titinal boards. They are so much damper, it's almost unfair to compare them to a traditionally constructed board. Also a 167 pilot is an entry level kids or girls length. It won't hold as well as a 167 that is designed for a higher level rider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seb Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 I do own a Prior WCR 175 which I bought after last year ECES. I completed the season on this board. I bought a Prior WCR-Metal 177 early this year as I'm a young Noram racer and I felt I needed all the help the equipment could bring me. The first run I did with the 177-Metal, I couldn't believe what king of magic board I had under my feet. At the bottom of the hill, I reminbered saying there should be two events now in racing, one for Metal board, one for regular. I was saying that it was cheating to race with a metal board, etc. Guess what, at the Noram at Mont-Blanc in december, more than 80% of the racers in PGS were riding with metal board ( Prior, Kessler, Sigi and Coiler ) The construction is making a difference for sure. Magic Titanal !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggerwrangler Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 MORE MORE LOve the thread Hey I am all up for cheating! metals you say. thanks I will add that to the demo list. Espically if it can kill chatter at higher speeds:biggthump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seb Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 I don't know about other company, but the difference between with two WCR board ( 175 Regular & 177 Metal ) is big. You can't see it in pics and specs, but the metal is a lot LIGHTER than the regular tough it absorbs the ripple like anything I ride before. Doesn't make sense but yes this lighter board absorbs better. It also flex more ( it could depend on the flex number ) but its ride through the gate is far ahead of the regular WCR. Seb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wavechaser Posted January 19, 2007 Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 Another design feature that cuts down on chatter and adds control is torsional stiffness - i.e. lack of twist lengthwise, especially on longer GS boards. This is one of the big differences between regular stock boards and "race stock" or "custom" boards...same with skis. On torsionally stiff boards and skis when you hit ruts or ridges, you will feel the board bounce once or twice, and then instead of going into a major chatter or bounce, it will hook right back up into the carve. You cannot ride lazily or when tired on these rides, you have to stay aggressive and "on it". One of the things titanal does, besides the damping qualities, is to make boards torsionally stiffer. It's a beautiful thing if you like to go fast and ride hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yard Sale Posted January 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 I got to ride another big board (custom wide Coiler PR 186) today, and I'll have to say length alone isn't what allowed me to ride so well last week on the Prior 187. This 186 was intimidating whereas the Prior 187 was confidence-inspiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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