Garage sale board

[John E]

Stopped at a garage sale this AM on impulse. They had a Sims Carve 161 with Catek World Cup Series 1P bindings. The price was so low that I figured I couldn't go wrong and that maybe it belonged to the woman's son or ex and she didn't know anything about it.

So, can anyone tell me more about this:

Sims Carve 161. Tip=250mm, waist=200mm, tail=250mm. RL=142mm (these are based on my measurements). Serial number = 3650081

I know this is a short board. I'm presently on a Nidecker 163 so this isn't that much shorter than mine. The upside is that my Nidecker has a 189mm waist so I could run lower angels on this board.

I'm not familar with the Cateks. I played with them a bit to set the angles but it's not very clear what angles they are set at. Also, they have 4 set screws to set cant & lift. It appears that the central mounting bolt just binds these screws against the mounting disk.

After I bought the board, the woman said that she had another board that she thought about selling but that if she did "I'll probably never get back on a board again". It was a Vokl RenTiger (sp?) with Bomber plates on it. So, the Sims was her board & she was just trying to get rid of it. She appeared to be a short (5' 4") 40 something woman. Not your typical hard-booter.

I also picked up a Yakima Space Booster roof box that looked like it had never been installed for $40.

Anyway, can anyone tell me more about the board & bindings? Are these "museum" pieces?

[bobdea]

this woman sounds like a keeper, got her #???

the sims deck was a good board in it's day (1995)

catek world cups are still a solid binding just heavy, stiff and not too damp but better than most bindings out there.

[modifiede30]

That Sims board sounds like a piece of s*&t, why don't you go ahead and ship it to me and I'll get rid of it for you....just kidding. The specs on that board sound very similar to the size and measurements I've been looking for. If you decide to sell it, let me know.

[Fleaman]

I have never ridden that board, but I ride with a guy who rides them all day. He is a monster in the bumps and steeps with it. he can lay down a nice trench too.

From what I can gather is it a softer board.

As for the Cateks, set your angles and tighten down the center bolt. then adjust your canting. when all screws seem tight, give them all a 1/4 turn.

Make sure you check the screws for tightness after a few runs, sometimes they come loose. I have had no problem but some do.

[modifiede30]

I have a set of Cateks on my board, and I really like them. Go to http://www.catek.com/tiltcalculator.htm and it'll tell you exactly how much cant, lift, etc you're using based on the number of turns for each bolt.

You definitely need to keep tightening them periodically, since the kig-pin or set screws tend to work themselves loose. I usually do this at least once before riding and again sometime during the day - its really not that big of a deal - just bring an allen wrench that works with the king-pin and it'll just need a tightening to firm things back up. I periodically shake the binding plates to see if their coming loose. You'll get used to it once you get into the habit of checking.

[inkaholic]

Old,

Some of my old racers ran this board and were quite happy with them. As for the Cateks, both Big Mario and D.T. have them so you can probably hook up with them for local help. Also Bola at All Board Sports sells them so he can also provide info. Meet us up at Lovey again on a firm day for some carving fun and info. You will pick up a ton riding with us. I hope you had fun in the pow last time out with us.

Ink

[Chris Houghton]

e30

If you tighten the center bolt before you adjust the four set screws it will stay tight. You do not have to retighten twice a day if the bindings are assembled in the correct sequence. The trick is to tighten the center bolt when the four setscrews are not touching the base, then adjust lift and cant. Hope that helps.

[modifiede30]

e30

If you tighten the center bolt before you adjust the four set screws it will stay tight. You do not have to retighten twice a day if the bindings are assembled in the correct sequence. The trick is to tighten the center bolt when the four setscrews are not touching the base, then adjust lift and cant. Hope that helps.

I've done it both ways and it still seems to work itself loose. Maybe because they're older and don't have the little divots in the base plate they don't work as well.

[John E]

Another question about Cateks & binding angles:

There is a "window" in the boot plate that allows one to see the degree marks on the mounting disk. They appear to go from -25 degrees to about 70 degrees. However, there is no indicator so it's judgement on what angle I'm really riding. If I sight down on the mounting disk, there appears to be some marks that are at about 0 degrees. Each mark looks to be at about 10 degree increments. Is there a more sure way to determine angles?

Also, since I'm starting out, I'm trying to run the lowest angles possible. The board waist measures 200mm and I'm in 27.5 Raichles. If I make sure that there is absolutely no boot overhang, the binding angles seem quite high (70 degrees +).

It would seem like the best way to ensure no overhang would be to put the boots on the board and view it from below (not above). If one sees any boot or binding hardware, you need to increase the angles. This is what results in high binding angles.

[Gtanner]

The WC's don't have much in teh way on angle indication, but are pretty solid. If you want to get rid of them, drop me an email.

These bindings could be a little harsh for someone starting out (i.e. no room for error). You could look at getting a set of softer bindings to start-out (used F2's/SnoPro/Burtons are pretty cheap). With angles, having a little overhang is ok to start out with, you can move it up as you get more comfortable.

-Gord

[modifiede30]

To be honest, I've done very few measurements of the angles on my cateks, and used the good ole trial and error method - setting them where I felt comfortable on the floor, then used them on the slopes, and adjusted to get where I wanted them - I still don't really know what angles they're at, although I've made some guesses. The nice thing about these bindings is how easy it is to adjust the cant and lift on the fly.

[mackDan]

These things are great for matching up to your specific leg/knees with minimal loading of your joints. But the adjustability is as hard to get right. As noted tighten the center bolt first.

With the board on the floor (carpet) and a chair next to it, put your boots one and get a friend to help you. Then dial the 4 corner screws close so you have about maybe .1 or .2" of gap on each one.

Then get in the bindings, CAREFULLY, since they will spin and flop all over the place. Rock your boots to locate the binding uppers to match to the lower (match binding angle). Then rock back and forth and find a comfortable position. Squat down trying to keep the bindings in the right place and note any pressure/PAIN on your feet/boots/knees/hips. Have your friend roughly note the spacing between one or two of the corner screws (or note if one is touching). Step out of the bindings. Screw the screws down a few turns, specifically the ones your friend noted the gap on, to get close to where you think you like the bindings.

Repeat the above step a few times and get the front/back and Left/Right canting to where you think you want it. If you need to adjust the binding angle a bit too (if you find that one foot doesn't want to stay at the binding angle you have set the lower part too). The squating part gets more useful as you get close to having all the screws tight.

Then go ride a day or two and try and think about how your boots/feet/knees/hips feel through out your turns and then redo the above steps (you don't need a friend helping, since you only loosen them a tiny bit).

They you should LOCKTIGHT each screw or carry an allen wrench and check the tightness periodically. Loose bindings will spin and you'll get injured.

[eastcoasticerider]

Its worth it for the Cateks!!!!You stole that board.....Lucky you......I love my Cateks Freerides.........so smooth.....even in cruddy stuff.Makes a mediocre board even perform better................

[John E]

Dan - thanks for the input. I will try this over the weekend. I didn't think about the danger of loose bindings. I have some Loctite threadlocker in the garage.