bobdea Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 is as good as Bordy and a few others have said, get yourself a metal Kessler, prior or coiler really, they are that good and worth the extra $200 or so they are different rides for sure and take some getting used to BUT they are also SUPER friendly, thats what got me was when I was expecting to get tossed the thing just ate up the bumps and kept carving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Yes, so fun and forgiving, the thing just runs over anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 What did you ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Dont forget a Donek Olympic construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Sorry Art, I've ridden an Olympic and it's dampness isn't in the same league as a Kessler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vandalrob08 Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Both Two totally different rides!!! Right??? I mean my buddy has the Prior WCR Metal 183 and when you get your weight over the nose it folds super easy. If ridden properly the board absorbs everything! My Olympic donek supports almost all of my wieght on the front without folding and absorbs bumps Super well for my 145 lbs!!! Whatev, a donek and a Metal board definitley cant be compared!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 I have owned both the Donek 175 GS Olympic (which I believe you ride RaceBoarder) and the 183 Prior Metal and I also weigh 145 pounds. They are certainly very different boards and need to be ridden differently. I had to ride the Metal a number of times before I began to understand it, now it is my favorite board. These are my thoughts on the two boards: The Donek is fairly stiff, very stable, and lively with zero taper and will hold an amazing edge in good snow. It will really lock into the carve. I find it has a very constant turn radius and wants to hold its line until the end of the carve. I think for obvious reasons the Doneks have very wide appeal. The Prior, on the other hand, is incredibly damp and has a softer flex. It is more playful and just sticks to the snow. I can carve it in conditions that I couldn't touch with the Donek. For me, the Prior will turn tight or wide, and will easily release from a carve, or hold an edge until the end, depending on what I want. It really absorbs the terrain and requires much less energy to ride than other boards. Additionally, I have never felt like I was going to fold the nose on the Metal, except on the first few runs I made on it. It is definitely a different ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 What about a Tinkler 203 system with titanal plate? Never had such a blast with a board. It goes to grutt, soft snow, bumps and carves on blue ice if there is none. Never had a board with such specs: Length 203cm,waist 18.5cm, side cut 15m, Taper 4mm, flex soft (you can stiffen it by turning the screws on the sticks, black board silver Titanal plate. I even can board it down the fall line on steep pists with small agressive turns. It boards like you have never been on another board before. Even sliding the board at low to moderate speeds is possible without effort. My favourite for this season without a doubt, thanks Mike for building me this one, worth every penny of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Agreed Phil. Just throwing out another option. Funny how different the rides are but can turn us hackers into decent riders. Buell, I also agree with your descriptions. I thought the Prior did better in the crud overall and was easier to ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEJ Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Damn! Now I have to throw the quiver away and start again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnshapiro Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 I demo'd a Prior metal and found the extreme dampness to be somewhat disconcerting. I prefer a more lively feeling board. More "road feel" if you will. It rode real well, it just isn't for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sandarapark Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 just a thought though...how fragile is a metal board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Houghton Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 I have over 20 days on my Prior metal, still absolutely perfect in every way. Takes a few days to get used to the ride, it's so different from traditional construction. Like the first time on radial tires after you've been used to bias ply (if anyone here is old enough to remember). Excellent in every way, even helps you to improve your technique on your older boards (if you ride them at all after you've experienced metal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yard Sale Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Funny how different the rides are but can turn us hackers into decent riders. Yup. Ten days on my Prior WCR-M 177 and I'm improving each day. But it didn't take me any time to "re-learn," as I was doing well the first run on the demo board. I think in a few years all higher end boards, including freeride boards, will be of metal construction. The comparison to radial tires is an apt one. (I remember the transition from bias ply motorcycle tires.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terekhov Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Yes, so fun and forgiving, the thing just runs over anything. ... and die young. what about mega-fragility of this boards? seems 20 days is a practical limit, and soft snow + metal bindings is a death for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Those issues are getting sorted out. Last year I saw Kesslers snap all over the place. This season I haven't seen any snap. The guys and girls on my team have had theirs all season with no issues. We have had a Prior de-lam, get fixed then about a week later break in two. Each year they are getting better and more durable. The trade off is more than worth it in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Question for the Metal Board experts... How much of the benefit of the metal is, in your opinion, reduced weight? I've tried two decks that incorporate titanal into their construction. One was super light. One was super heavy due at least in part to a plate that that the bindings were mounted on) I strongly preferred the heavy one. Am I missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Houghton Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 I'll have to say it again - an hour or two on a metal board will not give you much of an indication of how it's operational envelope differs from traditional construction. A few days will give you a much better idea, a few weeks a good understanding. Just the fact that it takes so much less energy to carve hard is worth the change - imagine instantly having another 20 or 30 per cent endurance. And I'm talking about the Kessler/Prior metal boards, just wood and metal, no glass. If there's glass in the mix, then the board is not so light (eg. Tinkler) but still a nicer ride because of the metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abakker Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 it seems to me that with all the technology going into these boards nowadays, someone should come up with something to replace the wood as that appears to be the weak link. just look at the main forum, 4 boards in 3 days from different riders. i imagine that there are synthetic/metal solutions (no foam) that could improve on wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebu Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 You gotta remember though, people are going back to tubes instead of solid state in their guitar amps because they have that warmer sound and everything. Any time there is an "advancement" in something, there are going to be people that like it the old way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gecko Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 You gotta remember though, people are going back to tubes instead of solid state in their guitar amps because they have that warmer sound and everything. Any time there is an "advancement" in something, there are going to be people that like it the old way. Going back....that's not exactly correct...since the first solid state amps came out (and that was years ago) many folks were digging around for tube amps, and I rewired a few Fender heads for friends when I was in college )I won't talk about how long ago that was). But in my opinion just because something is new doesn't mean it's better. For me Metal is out of my budget and while I might see some benefit from it I don't yet trust the endurance of the product....from anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Houghton Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Don't know why, but somehow I sense the start of another asym vs sym thread here. There's nothing wrong with "traditional" construction, and if you're not worried about the last tenth of a second or so, a traditional board will work well for you (asym or sym, metal or not metal). I just like the fact that I can ride longer on a metal board before my legs are trashed. Proved it time and again by going back to the old stuff and doing side by side comparisons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wavechaser Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Remember that metal boards, like more traditional construction boards, can be built differently for different purposes. For example, a metal board meant for free-riding is going to have a completely different feel from a metal board built to WC "race stock" standards. The full on race boards will be much stiffer torsionally and will need to be "ridden" and committed to the turn fully, whereas a "production" metal will be more forgiving. Even with the advantages of metal - it's still in the overall construction as to how it rides. And if it built specifically for you, and your intended uses, even better!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 just look at the main forum, 4 boards in 3 days from different riders. None of the broken boards in the main forum are metal constructed boards. Stuff breaks you shouldn't be surprised by that. I see broken equipment on a weekly basis. Between boots, bindings, boards, and bones, it seems like someone is always breaking something. There is a fine line in designing something that will perform well, yet is durable. Sometimes the best performing product is the most fragile, while the most durable rides like crap. Pros and cons....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 So what's the bottom line...Are they durable or are we looking at an experimental piece of equipment? Hate to be part way through season and have one delam or break. Are they as durable as say Donek standard production? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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