Bobby Buggs Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Well Finally got out on the RC 175 and my first impression is HOLY SH!T. Last minute plans found me at Windom in NY for the 1st Windom carve fest. Since Saturday was 40 and a bit of Rain Sunday was your Typical shiny East coast cat track Ice with piles of shaved ice from the skiers. Oh I have forgotten how much fun(NOT) it was to ride this porcelain, and how apprehensive one can get speeding over the glair. Well the Coiler all mountain, My usual ride had not been tuned since I bought it 2 seasons ago. I know shame on me but up until Yesterday the snow didn't require that level of edge. Well once the crowd thinned out after lunch I decide I was going to get the RC out and dial that Puppy in. Unbelievable!! That thing ate the ice like it was corduroy and man is it Fast. The most stable board I have been on yet. It just laughed at the ice. I call it the cheater board. I found that all you need to do was put some slight pressure on the cuff of your boot and the thing laughed at the hardest cat tracks on the hill. I didn't even need to get really low or angulate for it to hold on the ice. Total Cheater Board. When I did use some angluation it was very rewarding with some great snappy turns and outstanding confidence in the edge hold. After riding out west and not seeing any ice coast cat tracks for over a Year the first part of the day really Sucked for me Waaaaah :( I was actually thinking of leaving after lunch. The RC saved the day and I closed the lifts with it. I cant wait to get it on some actual Snow. I am just going to have to get used to the new level of velocity that comes with this ride. Again Bruce comes through with a board that will make me a better rider. I didn't think it could get better then my All mountain, I'm Glad I was wrong :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschurman Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Bobby, Congrats on your new Coiler. I too just recently received a couple new Coiler toys to add to my others and they are absolutly phenominal boards. I would say that everyone should own at least one. Definitely worth the wait. Plus, Bruce is a pleasure to deal with throughout the entire process. Oh, you should take your AM to Mike in Framingham and have him tune that bad boy up for you. It will feel better then new once he is done with it. ->Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 That's a great topsheet - your design or a stock design? I know *exactly* what you mean by "cheater board". My PR 184 has very similar qualities. I can forget about crappy snow and just concentrate on my riding. Which AM do you have? Can you give me a more detailed comparison between them? I'm thinking of either a RC 175 or an AM 177 for my next board. Specifically I'm looking for something that I can carve on steeper and narrower runs than my PR 184. The AM 177 w/ the narrower waist intrigues me, it's got the sidecut I want (same as the RC) plus almost as much edge length as your 175 and it would probably be a lot of fun in powder and even trees. Anyone else who has a Coiler AM in any size with a waist < 21 cm, would you mind posting a little bit about your board, tell me whether if feels more "alpine" or "freeride" to you, and describe the ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Buggs Posted February 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 I have a 19 cm 172 all mtn. It rides like a alpine board but is Very versitile. I can spin it around and ride it backwards even at +60s or lay it down on the steeps. I got it in a 10.5 side cut. Yeah thats kinda tight but for the narrow trails here in New england its fine. You can also stretch out the turns if you like. This is another one of those boards that if you just want to take it easy or you are tired it wont give you a hard time if you want to ride standing up. I rode it in some Powder and bumps at Steamboat a few weeks ago and it was great. I dont think the RC would be much fun in bumps, at least thats what I felt yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 That was quite helpful. I'm inferring from your post that your RC is signifigantly better on ice than the AM. You can you describe how your AM behaved on the same ice that your RC "just ate"? Why do I ask? I have an Axis 172 and a PR 184 right now. I love the way the Axis 172 handles Northwest Mashed Potatoes. And the PR 184 is my favorite board yet. My future wish list includes: * A damper, more forgiving all-mtn ride for powder, trees, bumps. I feel every bump on my Axis and it's kinda stiff for trees. * Something a turnier than my 184 for narrow steep carving. At least until I've got more mileage under my belt and fix a few technique issues. * A rocket ship - something super super super stable w/a 16+ sidecut. If a AM 177 w/ 19 waist were to work on narrower and/or steeper groomers then my wish list is shorter :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Buggs Posted February 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 A 177 /19cm with say a 11 side cut would be great for your type of conditions. My 173AM is in bad need of a tune so It was not a good day to compare the grip on the ice. In the past that board was quite sure footed and I never worried about any ice. Its just my lazy A$$ not getting the thing tuned. Its on its way right now for rejuvination. I bet a 177/19 would be big Fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschurman Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Sorry to stick my nose in here but I thought I could offer a comparision for you since I own a Race Carve 180, the Pure Race II 184 and the 177 AM. Mike, I think that you find the Race Carve is exactly what are looking for the steep and narrow. The AM is great and it edges great, but Bruce can change that by increasing the weight of the biax fabrics in the AM. I had him make mine a edge a little better on the east coast hard pack because, well, that is usually what I ride but I wanted something good in the soft stuff. The AM excels at that but I find mine not as good on the steep stuff as my Race Carve. Now for your rocketship, I also have a 196 PR and it is awesome. I would recommend you get it for your rocketship. Fantastic ride and you could run over a ski school kid and never notice. ;) I got the 17+ sidecut with the superboard and it is my favorite board if the conditions are right for it. ->Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Ben, exactly the kind of input I'm looking for! Do you have the 19 cm AM or a wider one? My thought was 19 cm w/ the right dose of Bruce's Magic would proabbly stick to ice pretty well. Of course, I'll discuss it with Bruce. I waited a whole entire week after riding my 184 before I put in an order for next year :) So I have all spring and summer to think about what to use it for, and also to see how my riding progresses. As far as Rocket Ships go - I'm hoping I bump into someone who wants to let me test theirs out at the mtn sometime ;) I'll probably stay away from Burners since y'all seem to break 'em so easily. Are theye any options other than Coiler, Donek, or shopping the classifieds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschurman Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 I have the wider AM, 21.5cm waist, but I would suspect that would only really effect the edge to edge quickness and that Bruce handles the torsional stiffness. In carves great, however, there are situations where I would much rather have one of my other boards. The Race Carve is a carve centric board and it's great to have all the edge length with turney sidecut. I did the same thing that you did last year. I got the Race Carve and then orderd the Pure Race 184 the next day and then I ordered the AM and the 196 to replace my Burner. I sold the Burner after I rode it once since I was worried about breaking the tail and I know that Bruce makes 'em better anyway. I think that I am all set with Coilers for now but you never know what I might think of. The waiting is the hard part but it is so worth it. ->Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy S. Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 Mike, I've got a Donek 210 you could demo if you let me demo your PR 184. I have an RC 180 on order, but I'm dying to try it out before summertime. If you want to schlep down to Tahoe, I'll put you up for free. Otherwise maybe we meet up at Bachelor in a couple of weeks to ride and watch some of the World Cup gang? If we can't work that out, I may have to make another Hood summer trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 Ben, thanks again for your input. I think I'm going to have to talk to Bruce about this one and then decide. I suspect the real question is, which one do I get *first* :D Randy, I would love to trade boards for a few runs! I probably can't make it to Tahoe this season (Bonnie is out for the season, and I make her jealous enough as it is riding twice a week) but I bet I could swing Bachelor for a day if I had a good excuse, like trying your 210. I'm sure I'd have that, um, "apprehensive" feeling Jack described on the Donek vs F2 thread. It would probably be worth a good laugh! Any chance you're doing Snowperformance in March? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 On the topic of Coilers..... I just placed an order for a 173 FreeCarve. Based on the description, the board sounded like a perfect fit for me since I'm 165lbs and ride mostly on narrow New England trails. What are your experiences, opinions, and impressions of the FreeCarve model? Also, anyone have pictures of a Coiler with blue flames? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateW Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 I haven't heard from Bruce in a while but I think I should have a blue flamer soon. I shall certainly post pictures when it arrives. :) Does anyone have (or have expericence with) both Coiler and Donek Freecarves? I'm curious about the differences between them, especially objective stuff like nose and tail height and shape. Come to think of it, does anyone have both Coiler and Donek boards and their respective stiffness ratings? I'm wondering how to convert from one manufacturer's rating system to the other (roughly - I realize they probably go about meansuring and quantifying it very differently). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschurman Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Fot those that ordered the blue and/or orange flames I have attached some pictures. ->Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateW Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 Ben, what is the board on the left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschurman Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 On the extreme left it's my all moutain 177 with the 21.5cm waist. The next one over is a 195 PGS custom. Next is a 196 Pure Race Superboard with a 19 cm waist. Then is the 184 Pure Race II Superboard with the 19 cm waist and the farthest right is a 180 Race Carve with the 18.8 cm waist. If anyone has any questions about any of these boards, I am more then happy to try to answer them. ->Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 and how much did it cost for that construction as it seem alot more work goes into those I miss my burners sooo much now that I have caught the Coiler bug (got a PR custom 190 and just put in a order for a little brother for it too) my 190 scared the hell out of me the first time hit ice on it, the hold was insane to the point of freaking me out! bottom line is Bruce make the sickest rides around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Buggs Posted March 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 2nd time I got to use the board was this weekend. How does Bruce make these damn things go So Fast. The RC blows by my personal speed limit in a moment. Good thing the board can turn on anything, I just get freaked a bit at the velocity but then remember to trust it and suddenly my balls return:eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar(angel Posted March 3, 2004 Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 Unless Ben is willing to give up the split tail pictured, your outta luck on getting Bruce to make one for you. I enquired about having him produce one for me after seeing a comment here on Bomber in another thread about a Coiler "split tail" and was basically told that he wouldn't do it unless I was willing to "make it worth his while". I was kind of put off by his initial response to my request, and even though he made attempts to explain his reason for not wanting to do one for me in subsequent e-mails, I had already decided to take my business elsewhere. I'll probably regret not owning a Coiler, but he made me feel bad about even asking him to consider building one, as if he "would do it, but wouldn't like it" and only if I was willing to pay heavily for it. Even though, I still turned a friend of mine onto his website and he's ordered a new board for next season. Guess I'll just have to ride my 178 Burner and wonder what it would have been like......:( Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim S Posted March 3, 2004 Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 Ben, those boards look insanely fast! About how many turns can you do on Fabian's Express at BW with that Super board? I got a Volkl 168 on order but you will leave me in the dust on your machines. But lets do another Spring Expression Session at BW before the season ends anyway.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Varsava Posted March 3, 2004 Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 Paul: It is unfortunate that you were put off by my comments and I'm not going to deny saying those things but in the case of boards that require that much custom fabrication I do have to make it worth my while. Reason being that I have so much work and get farther behind when slowed down with the complex jobs that always seem to take more time than you calculated. Another factor is that I have only done a handful of those boards and just don't have a pile of data to draw on to get it to an acceptable level of performance that I would be comfortable with while selling for the inflated price required to build it. In comparison to the refining that is done on the other boards, the splits are definitely behind design wise. I was just trying to make my point clear right from the start that I did not want to do it . Since it would most likely take me at least 1.5 times the regular construction time, I cannot afford to spend that time and not get compensated for it as my development time is currently spent doing other things. Bruce Varsava Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarvCanada Posted March 3, 2004 Report Share Posted March 3, 2004 Bruce is best boardmaker. He is easy to work with, always gets back to you quickly, packs his boards meticulously and they come to your door looking so good! The craftmanship is so good. many people have stopped me to stare at my 186 during my carving runs. here in quebec where it's french, they say "C'est un sno ca??! Ben la! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschurman Posted March 4, 2004 Report Share Posted March 4, 2004 Originally posted by Jim S Ben, those boards look insanely fast! About how many turns can you do on Fabian's Express at BW with that Super board? I got a Volkl 168 on order but you will leave me in the dust on your machines. But lets do another Spring Expression Session at BW before the season ends anyway.:D Jim, absolutly! I am going to ECES next week but lets hope that the snow holds up. I was at Sunapee today and it was warm. They have lost a lot of snow and it's getting kind of brown now but let's keep up hope. Congrats on the Volkl. ->Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschurman Posted March 4, 2004 Report Share Posted March 4, 2004 Originally posted by CarvCanada Bruce is best boardmaker. He is easy to work with, always gets back to you quickly, packs his boards meticulously and they come to your door looking so good! The craftmanship is so good. many people have stopped me to stare at my 186 during my carving runs. here in quebec where it's french, they say "C'est un sno ca??! Ben la! I concur on every point! Lots of love in Bruce's boards. ->Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted March 4, 2004 Report Share Posted March 4, 2004 PR rides its got loads of snap but damp as well a very powerful mix gonna give it a rip in about 12 hour sure to put a smile on my face Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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