BadBrad Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Same here. I hadn't bought any new equipment since the 90's and bought a new Prior 4WD this year. I'm thinking now, though, that the ideal board for me might be a WCR 169 metal. Others I'm considering are a WCR 173 metal or a Coiler AM. I'm hoping that some demos at SES will help me decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdboytyler Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 That is my impression as well.Also, I found that the first day on a metal board will not necessarily tell you how it rides. The metal board will find its way through the carve in much different way than a standard wood board and the rider must actually learn to let it do its thing before realizing its potential. I would not expect that metal is for everyone, but I wonder how many of the posters in this thread harping on metal have actually ridden one at all, let alone for a day or two. Buell I've never had the chance to ride a metal board yet. Even though I'm skeptical about how much a metal board will help a recreational rider, I'm still trying to talk a friend of mine into buying a Prior WCR Metal board (because I want to try it out). He was asking for concrete evidence on the superiority of metal, other than race results. My friend is currently riding a Burton FP. He’s just looking for something different and new (and he can afford high-end equipment). If he actually buys that metal board, I’ll post video of me riding metal vs. Donek Olympic construction. If he can’t feel the difference between the Burton and the Prior, at least he’ll have a shiny new board. This is the 21st century. Everybody and their brother has video cameras. I’d like to see more video reviews that do side by side comparisons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUD Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 For those of you concerned with durability, see this thread: http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=15268&highlight=titanal+durability It is from last March and I am pretty sure they have only gotten better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I’ll post video of me riding metal vs. Donek Olympic construction. If he can’t feel the difference between the Burton and the Prior, at least he’ll have a shiny new board. Interestingly enough, I rode a 187 Metal and 182 Donek Thorndike GS (Olympic) back to back last season. Unfortunately, no vid at the time, but I don't think anyone would have SEEN much (if any) difference in the way the turns looked from a distance. Rode both decks at similar speed, turn shape, level of aggression, etc. The Donek was a rippin' ride, make no mistake! But the difference in FEEL was instant and it was NIGHT & DAY. For ME, metal won hands down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Have you ridden a metal board? If you have then thats a great view, backed up with first hand experance. If you have not then arn't you just quessing the proof isn't in the ride? I don't spend money on alpine gear very often but I sure can tell how they ride reguardless of cost. i did however pay for a Kessler.... After riding several for free for months.......Whats that tell ya... B: I have a metal Coiler Freecarve. I have about 3 days on it. It's like other metal boards I have ridden - very smooth, quiet but a little disconcerting in the way it locks into a carve. I can see why racers like it - it holds an edge and smooths out the chatter but for a recreational rider, it takes some getting used to. I love my metal Coiler. I'm glad I ordered it. I am a Believer. But, I get my back up when I read posts that claim metal will "transform your riding" or "make all other boards seem like junk". I think that's pure nonsense. In many threads on BOL, a reader is left with the impression that one's snowboarding life is incomplete without a metal board. This is just plain wrong and does our sport a great disservice. HK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 If high end race skis are still wood or box construction, how come metal is so much better in a snowboard. Not trying to inflame here....just asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 are metal all, in fact most high end skis are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_roboteye Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I've got a couple pairs of atomic world cup downhill skis (217cm) that have a lot of metal in them, probably 4 layers. later, Dave R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boardman73 Posted January 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 correct me if im wrong but haven't skiis had metal in them for quite some time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Istvan Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Roman, I think instead of saying an other league I should have said a completely different world. I just did not want to go into a comparisson of 2 completely different boards, trying to prove that metal does this or that. I did not mean that one or the other is better, it's just that they are very different. As for the speed, yes, the X-treme Ti is very calm at high speeds, one would even risk to run completely flat at very high speed, because it feels so safe. Bobdea, I really like what you said here about metal boards feeling like if they were a bit narrower. Exactly matches my experience with the ME109 and the X-treme Ti. The latter is actually 1 cm wider, but feels like if it was at least 2-3 cm narrower than the ME109. Kindest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 B:I have a metal Coiler Freecarve. I have about 3 days on it. It's like other metal boards I have ridden - very smooth, quiet but a little disconcerting in the way it locks into a carve. I can see why racers like it - it holds an edge and smooths out the chatter but for a recreational rider, it takes some getting used to. HK Skategoat, it could be something else in the design. I found exactly the opposite with my Prior metals. They hold the carve when I want and easily release when I want. I find them very playful and easy to ride. I think the marketers call it "perceived value" or something like that. When you spend big bucks on an item, you're going to convince yourself it was worth it. I don't call that proof. This statement is both insulting and wrong. Buell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Skategoat, it could be something else in the design. I found exactly the opposite with my Prior metals. They hold the carve when I want and easily release when I want. I find them very playful and easy to ride.This statement is both insulting and wrong. Buell Sorry, I didn't mean to insult anyone. It's just my inner cynic coming out. You get that way when you become an old man. I'm looking forward to becoming crotchety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I look forward to becoming an old man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JohnBauer Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Long time lurker. Finally registered. Rode a Burton Custom for years. Then swithced to an Oxygen Proton 172 about 4 years ago. I thought I was a good carver on the Custom and softies. But immediately after the switch to HB's and the Oxygen, I went from skidding on steeper blues, to full carves on steeper blues. And now I can carve down blacks. Last weekend, I put a huge gouge in the base. So I think it's finally time to bench the Oxygen and go for something modern. A brand new Donek/standard Prior/Rentigger is $650. Donek with Olympic construction is $850. Metal or WC Coiler is around $800. Swoard and metal Prior are $1000. Kessler around $1300. Virus around $2000. If the Donek/Rentigger/Prior is the base board I'm looking at, what does the additional cost get me? GBT can't seem to tell the difference between Olympic and standard. Skate likes his metal Coiler, but doesn't think it's revolutionary. Buell thinks design flaw in metal Coiler is why Skate doesn't think it's revolutionary. On a previous review, Bordy said the Swoard rides like a top of the line Burton freestyle board. Bordy says his Kessler gains 1.5 sec in 30 sec race. Which is a 5% improvement for a 200% increase in price over a stock Donek. So even if Bordy was the only guy in the FIS races to have a Kessler, he would move from the back of the pack to the middle of the pack. Not even close to the podium. Virus guys are infected by the livelyness of the board. I don't understand that, but I can't afford a $2000 board anyway. So what is the return on investment other than bragging rights or some hard to quantify feeling for upgrading to Olympic/ATCmatrix/superboard/metal? Oh for metal, the racers might jump a few spots in the standings. But unless the racer is already in the ELITE class, the 5% bump in performance doesn't pay off. So what's the biggest bang for the buck? Seems to me, it's another oxygen proton from EBAY or the BOL classifieds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmax Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 The only thing you might gain is, that you might have more fun with a metal/more expensive/whatsoever board! Now it depends on how you quantify the fun you have on a slope and how much you would pay for it :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Can't speak for Donek but buying a Coiler gets you a custom ride for a little bit more money than off-the-shelf templated board. You have to wait a bit though. Even if you decide not to go metal, I would buy a fibreglas Coiler just for the custom design. You can even order a custom topsheet for $60 more. If there's any flaw, it's my riding, not the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I get very caught up in anything I jump headfirst into,but I always try to have the most with fun the least dinero.That means buying a kick ass coiler made custom for another bomber member that feels almost made for me at 425.00.It also means a 168 proton with bindings for about 200.00 bought off ebay that is a different kind of fun but at least as much fun to ride as the coiler.But these and the many other 'vintage' rides I will always enjoy riding like an enthusiast enjoys olds sports cars,have me excited to discover for myself what all the hype is about.Like Gilmour said "Every turn is a mini experiment" and for me at least, that goes for boards boots and bindings too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Houghton Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 If bang for the buck is your sole criterion, then Bomber classifieds is your marketplace. If you like excitement and surprises too, then use eBay instead. If you want a board that will improve your riding, then order a custom from the manufacturer of your choice. Everything else is just entertainment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Actually,I have found that surprises are almost as likely here.The key is to ask for more photos and to remember there are no dumb questions.As for entertainment,I'm getting great value for my entertainment dollar as, hopefully for his sake,the person who bought your virus for a grand instead of going custom will also be getting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 This argument is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string. If you've only ridden two boards in your life, you don't really know whether what you're riding is good, bad or indifferent. I wouldn't drop $800 on a board without feeling it under my feet first, because it could be that a slightly used $350 board is a much better match for my style of riding and the hills I ride at. John, where are you? Post some more infor so we can help you out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I also try to keep the equipment I experiment with as nice as possible so the next owner will enjoy it as much as I did.This tactic results in a fairly high ratio of firsthand knowledge gained to net dollars paid.Someone here will no doubt benefit from Tex's experiment with a wide custom coiler,but for me that's proof there is risk anyway you slice it.To each his or her own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Someone here will no doubt benefit from Tex's experiment with a wide custom coiler. Now you're just being mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 This argument is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string. If you've only ridden two boards in your life, you don't really know whether what you're riding is good, bad or indifferent. I wouldn't drop $800 on a board without feeling it under my feet first, because it could be that a slightly used $350 board is a much better match for my style of riding and the hills I ride at. John, where are you? Post some more infor so we can help you out a bit. No no, it's more like asking "how tall is a ladder." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Quote: <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Originally Posted by Buell Skategoat, it could be something else in the design. I found exactly the opposite with my Prior metals. They hold the carve when I want and easily release when I want. I find them very playful and easy to ride. </td> </tr> </tbody></table> Quote: <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Originally Posted by JohnBauer Skate likes his metal Coiler, but doesn't think it's revolutionary. Buell thinks design flaw in metal Coiler is why Skate doesn't think it's revolutionary. </td> </tr> </tbody></table> John, I just want to be clear that I am not implying any flaw whatsoever. I am just offering that my Prior Metals ride different than how Skategoat describes his Coiler and that it "could be something else in the design" besides the metal. I had a Donek GS 175 Olympic that would hold a mean carve to the very end before it released. No flaws, that was how it was designed. Everyone must come to their own conclusions about which boards are right for them. Some combination of price and board personality will generally be the deciding factors. <!-- / message --><!-- sig --> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Gruumer Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 They used to make planes out of wood and paper too.. I don't fly in them anymore.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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