Jump to content
Note to New Members ×

Head or Raichle


Bobby Buggs

What boot do you choose  

85 members have voted

  1. 1. What boot do you choose



Recommended Posts

Been on Heads for 3 seasons - going to UPZ for next season simply for the possibility of using them to ski and not having to lug 2 pairs of boots around.

We'll see how that goes...

Boots should be here this week and gonna head to VT for some fitting over the summer...Real question is should I go foam or thermoflex?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Timely topic....

I had started out on an old pair of Raichle 324s and switched to Head Strato Pros about three years ago. The Head buckles are definitely far superior but I wasn't happy with my riding. I recently switched back to the Raichles and discovered that I gained a LOT more forward flex. The Heads were so stiff that I couldn't get low in the turns. That cost me time on the race course.

I've been told that I can get a replacement tongue for the Head's that's not as stiff. Is that true?

If not, I may have a pair of 28.5 Strato Pros for sale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Timely topic....

I had started out on an old pair of Raichle 324s and switched to Head Strato Pros about three years ago. The Head buckles are definitely far superior but I wasn't happy with my riding. I recently switched back to the Raichles and discovered that I gained a LOT more forward flex. The Heads were so stiff that I couldn't get low in the turns. That cost me time on the race course.

I've been told that I can get a replacement tongue for the Head's that's not as stiff. Is that true?

If not, I may have a pair of 28.5 Strato Pros for sale.

Hey Pat, I had the same problem with the Heads. IMHO, the heads are just WAY too stiff in the forward lean department to get your body positioning correct, unless you are an *exceptionally* burly person. I am happy with my heads now, but I went through a lot of pain and suffering before I figured out how to soften them up. Arnaud posted a thread awhile ago detailing how you can modify the HSP to provide a MUCH softer forward flex, and I got some really great results by following his instructions. Personally, I don't think you should have to do this to a boot to make it work for you, but I wanted to stick with the HSP because of the fit (which is good for my foot) and the build quality/buckles. After modifying the boots significantly, I now have plenty of forward flex mobility, without sacrificing the lateral stiffness of this boot (which is a plus for me, as I like higher angles).

My experiences with that are detailed here, in addition to linkage to arnauds original post:

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showpost.php?p=190270&postcount=9

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a thought, if you find the head Stratos Pro to be too stiff, maybe you are riding the wrong model. That is their top of the line race boot. If you like the fit, a boot made from the same mold, with softer plastic will be better for you, like the regular stratos...

most recreational skiers do not need a boot with the same construction that Bode wears...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a thought, if you find the head Stratos Pro to be too stiff, maybe you are riding the wrong model. That is their top of the line race boot. If you like the fit, a boot made from the same mold, with softer plastic will be better for you, like the regular stratos...

most recreational skiers do not need a boot with the same construction that Bode wears...

I'm with ya, but the regular stratos is pretty hard to get a hold of, if it is even made anymore (I don't think it is), and the HSP provides a better fit for people with wider feet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Pat, I had the same problem with the Heads. IMHO, the heads are just WAY too stiff in the forward lean department to get your body positioning correct, unless you are an *exceptionally* burly person. I am happy with my heads now, but I went through a lot of pain and suffering before I figured out how to soften them up. Arnaud posted a thread awhile ago detailing how you can modify the HSP to provide a MUCH softer forward flex, and I got some really great results by following his instructions. Personally, I don't think you should have to do this to a boot to make it work for you, but I wanted to stick with the HSP because of the fit (which is good for my foot) and the build quality/buckles. After modifying the boots significantly, I now have plenty of forward flex mobility, without sacrificing the lateral stiffness of this boot (which is a plus for me, as I like higher angles).

My experiences with that are detailed here, in addition to linkage to arnauds original post:

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showpost.php?p=190270&postcount=9

Thanks Tinman. I may haul out the hot knife and do a little surgery. Since the post is in French I have some trepidation. Are there any caveats I should know about before performing the operation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the post is in French I have some trepidation. Are there any caveats I should know about before performing the operation?

Pat, just confirming that you did see these two posts from Arnaud which are in English:

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showpost.php?p=62294&postcount=23

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showpost.php?p=62296&postcount=24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Tinman. I may haul out the hot knife and do a little surgery. Since the post is in French I have some trepidation. Are there any caveats I should know about before performing the operation?

I ended up cutting quite a bit of material, and so far so good as far as I can tell on my side. The thing that I noticed after I performed the surgery is that there was a bit of a hot-spot towards the top of my heel because I had hadn't been careful to make sure that everything was smooth after I cut the material. I used a dremel tool to thin the material of the heel in the lower boot towards the top, where the lower meets the cuff, and that solved the problem.

Otherwise, the only other advice I would give is that those adjustable gray pieces on the side of the cuff uppers ought to be sanded around the edges where they overlap the part of the lower boot as you flex/extend your ankles, otherwise they can get hung up on the plastic of the lower boot as they meet. The first few days out on mine after I cut them up, I noticed that sometimes the boot would seem to stiffen up at a certain point, and that was the problem. Sanding down the edges of those gray pieces so that they smoothly transition to the cuff material allows the lower boot to slide past them smoothly and unimpeded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have used both the Stratos Pro, Indys, also the former Raichle AF 700 of which are all great boots. However the new hot boot for me isn't actually a snowboard boot at all. It is a freestyle ski boot. Daibello Krypton Pro in Lime Green. AWESOME BOOT.

correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the boot made from the same lasts as the old Raichle Flexon boots? If so, it is basically a new model of the boot that Anton Pogue wears?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the post is in French I have some trepidation

The latest modifications are translated (page 20)

There is also a link to an english pdf file on page 18. http://carvingspot.free.fr/download/montage_ACSS_en.pdf

Poll : Head are better for me.

- Better liner, warm, comfortable, with better feet holding.

- Shorter shell for the same mondo size = less overhanging.

- More accurate boots, giving better transmission of forces to the board / edge.

- Better tuning capabilties ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the boot made from the same lasts as the old Raichle Flexon boots? If so, it is basically a new model of the boot that Anton Pogue wears?

^why I'm glad to see more freestyle skiiers... skiiers demanding softer boots with more flex = ski boots more like alpine hardboots:biggthump

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...