Newbie here

[J-bonz]

Hey all,

I have been reading up and looking for some used equipment but, pretty much have decided to just buy new. I dont know whats good and what not. I just dont want to get hosed. So for this year I am looking at buying new set of bindings and Boots. I am not going to be racing, just free riding hard. I dont need the hottest set up, I just want good equipment that I can use for many years and be happy. Unfortunately there is no place around that sells hard boot equipment that I know of in WI so I will have to resort to the internet shops. I will be placing this on a 169 K2 darkstar all mt board with a 4x4 pattern for this year unless I find a used race board. So you could ya all give a list on what you would by if you were in my boots.............. Including the intec heals whatever they do............ Oh, I do know I want a binding set up that for the 3-hole & 4x4.

Thanks

Jr.

[Jack M]

I'm of the school of thought that says money spent on a compromise is money wasted, because you will eventually upgrade to what you really want. Bomber TD2s will give you tons of adjustability, and they will hold resale value if you decide the sport is not for you.

But if you're really not sure you're going to like it and don't want to shell out for the best, a lot of people also like F2 bindings. Hardbooter.com sells them (only $40 less than Bombers) or you might be able to find some used in our classifieds.

I don't like Burton bindings, they're not adjustable for cant/lift, and they're flimsy if you weigh more than like 180.

[trikerdad]

I prefer Bomber's but, a set of Catek's is a good first binding as they're easier to make cant and lift adjustments to and, they fit both 4 hole and 3 hole boards.

[boarderboy]

Always your #1 priority! Central N.C.'s access to hardboot gear is probably worse than Cleveland/Milwaukee. But there's a decent ski boot fitter some 20 miles away from me, even.

If nothing else, do some searches here on the fit characteristics of Heads, Indies, UPZ, etc., make an educated guess based on your foot/ankle type, and watch the classifieds for some used ones in your (probable) size. Then get them tricked out with custom orthotics, thermo-mold liners, and whatever mods make them comfy and supportive. Getting them dialed in will probably take more than a day on the slopes, so if there's any way you can get to a hill close to a knowledgeable fitter, do it!

Good luck!

[queequeg]

I agree with boarderboy, make properly fitting boots your #1 priority, followed by bindings and a board last. My feelings are:

1. Ill fitting boots SUCK. They hurt. They hinder performance and turn otherwise fun days on the snow to 8-hour torture sessions. Get good boots and make sure they fit before the season starts.

2. Bindings. A lot of people like the old burton bindings but the fact is they are not adjustable. Bombers and Cateks are great choices for their adjustability and durability. Each has their own tradeoffs. Being able to dial in your stance is important, you need a stance that works with your physiology and preferences.

3. The board is important, but while you're learning you can skimp if it means the difference between getting good boots and bindings, or just so-so boots and bindings. There are plenty of decent used boards to be had on the classifieds here.

[Jim]

Hey all,

I have been reading up and looking for some used equipment but, pretty much have decided to just buy new. I dont know whats good and what not. I just dont want to get hosed. So for this year I am looking at buying new set of bindings and Boots. I am not going to be racing, just free riding hard. I dont need the hottest set up, I just want good equipment that I can use for many years and be happy. Unfortunately there is no place around that sells hard boot equipment that I know of in WI so I will have to resort to the internet shops. I will be placing this on a 169 K2 darkstar all mt board with a 4x4 pattern for this year unless I find a used race board. So you could ya all give a list on what you would by if you were in my boots.............. Including the intec heals whatever they do............ Oh, I do know I want a binding set up that for the 3-hole & 4x4.

Thanks

Jr.

It always helps to show your physical specs for members advice. All gear is not created equal.

Standard bail bindings are less rigid than stepins to help with your first season.

All Mountain carving boards are forgiving and excellent for charging on most conditions. It's tough to progress if the GS board is kicking you around or the slalom board just won't flex.

Find carvers in your area. Especially for your initial boot/binding setup. It isn't rocket science, but everything has to be right.

Schedule a session (a lesson or two?) at a carver-friendly resort near you to have your thermoflex liners fitted properly. You can cook them yourself after one or two fittings.

Good Luck

[Jack M]

I prefer Bomber's but, a set of Catek's is a good first binding as they're easier to make cant and lift adjustments...

counting quarter turns on 4 set-screws is easier than looking at a number on your binding?

[trikerdad]

Personally, I think Cateks have too many parts and pieces but, when someone new is trying to work out cant, lift and stance angles, they can make quick changes on the hill. The "tons of adjustabiliy" you refer to with Bombers is only if you have two 0, two 3 and two 6 degree bases with you and take the bindings completely off the board to make any adjustment. I didn't say anything about your post but, only offered another opinion. Or, is that not what this forum is about?

[queequeg]

counting quarter turns on 4 set-screws is easier than looking at a number on your binding?

I find the Cateks extremely easy to adjust on-hill.

[Corey]

You don't have to measure or count turns. I had some old Cateks as a first binding. I adjusted them until they felt good. Then I measured and did a little trigonometry to find out what the angles were.

That said, I'd buy a set of TD2's again in a second: they're much more repeatable, feel very robust, and are dead-simple.

To the original poster, you need to choose if you prefer simplicity or infinite adjustabilty.

TD2: simple, but only discrete steps in adjustment

Catek: very adjustable, but like assembling a Lego model every time you want to remove the bindings

[J-bonz]

Jack Michaud-"I'm of the school of thought that says money spent on a compromise is money wasted, because you will eventually upgrade to what you really want."

I Agree 100%. I use to ride the board below with an alpine stance with soft boots. I know I will love hard boots. I always wanted a stiffer set up. Heck, When I bought soft boots last year for my Solomon 164, I told the guy at the shop give me the stiffest soft boot! I dont care what they look like!

trikerdad-"I prefer Bomber's but, a set of Catek's is a good first binding as they're easier to make cant and lift adjustments to and, they fit both 4 hole and 3 hole boards."

Thanks for the Input. It seems either would be a good choice.

boarderboy-"Always your #1 priority! Central N.C.'s access to hardboot gear is probably worse than Cleveland/Milwaukee. But there's a decent ski boot fitter some 20 miles away from me, even."

Can a regular ski shop measure me up for boots in the "mondo" scale?

Jim-"It always helps to show your physical specs for members advice. All gear is not created equal."

My bad, you are right. I am about 180lb & 6' tall.

trikerdad-"I didn't say anything about your post but, only offered another opinion. Or, is that not what this forum is about?"

No problem. Thank you for your input.

Any thoughts on boots? Manufacturers? What thei difference is in there line of product?

Thanks again,

Jr.

[b0ardski]

It maybe a little soft for hardshells but could do to get your boot/binding setup going.

The cateks are good to get your stance/cant/lift dialed in, the trench diggers are less "fiddely" once you know your preferences.

[midwestspeedster]

J-Bonz,

Where in the Milwaukee area do plan on riding? I am in Waukesha and ride Alpine Valley on Monday Nights. There is a race league there, more fun than competitive. But, it helps the winter go buy and provides a good excuse to have a beer during the week.

Good luck in your hardware search. I agree with most of the other posts.

-Tim

[JJFluff]

Good to see so many wisconsin posts, stop out by sunburst in the west bend area, I ride and train there. It would be nice to run into some more hardbooters. We have two at our hill.

[J-bonz]

J-Bonz,

Where in the Milwaukee area do plan on riding? I am in Waukesha and ride Alpine Valley on Monday Nights. There is a race league there, more fun than competitive. But, it helps the winter go buy and provides a good excuse to have a beer during the week.

Good luck in your hardware search. I agree with most of the other posts.

-Tim

My fiance and I were living right downtown but we just moved to Johnson Creek since I work in Stoughton(Outside Madison) and she works in Menomonee falls. The only place we hit last year was Sunburst. I would like to check out Cascade and the in Wasuwa. We will have to meet up...... Even if I am rollin my softies

Jr.

[J-bonz]

Good to see so many wisconsin posts, stop out by sunburst in the west bend area, I ride and train there. It would be nice to run into some more hardbooters. We have two at our hill.

Whens a good time to ride there? We stopped out there and it was skiied pretty hard.

Jr.

[Jack M]

Personally, I think Cateks have too many parts and pieces but, when someone new is trying to work out cant, lift and stance angles, they can make quick changes on the hill. The "tons of adjustabiliy" you refer to with Bombers is only if you have two 0, two 3 and two 6 degree bases with you and take the bindings completely off the board to make any adjustment. I didn't say anything about your post but, only offered another opinion. Or, is that not what this forum is about?

Come on, I was just asking a question, and you have made a good point. Cateks are easier to adjust on hill. However once you find the sweet spot, it's harder to reproduce it should you want to set up other boards the same way, or if you keep fiddling but then decide to come back to a previous setup.

[trikerdad]

Maybe that's why I have 3 pair of TD2's and 1 pair of Olympic's. I'm just saying that if I was going to play around with my set-up I'd mount the Olympic's and then reproduce what I decided on with the TD2's. Or if I was going to loan a pair of bindings to someone new trying to set-up for the first time, I'd loan the Olympic's. Bomber's just aren't as conducive to fiddling as Catek's but, are easier to set-up the same time after time. I'm sorry if you meant it as "just a question" but, it didn't come across that way..

[queequeg]

Come on, I was just asking a question, and you have made a good point. Cateks are easier to adjust on hill. However once you find the sweet spot, it's harder to reproduce it should you want to set up other boards the same way, or if you keep fiddling but then decide to come back to a previous setup.

I think that's where it's at. It would be SO cool if somebody would come up with a 3-part binding design similar to the TD2, but with a central cant disk that is independently adjustable, rather than being milled out of a solid piece of aluminum (somewhat like the burton unicant I suppose). That would be the best of both worlds; infinite, simple and repeatable adjustability. That central cant would be more expensive to manufacture/design (to say the least), but I'd pay more for a binding like that ... particularly if there was some kind of visual indicator on the binding for actual cant/lift values. It seems like you could (and would have to) do this with two screws set perpendicular to the length of the disk rather than four vertically.

I'd be all over it if someone produced a binding like that.

[Strider]

My fiance and I were living right downtown but we just moved to Johnson Creek since I work in Stoughton(Outside Madison) and she works in Menomonee falls. The only place we hit last year was Sunburst. I would like to check out Cascade and the in Wasuwa. We will have to meet up...... Even if I am rollin my softies

Jr.

If you work in Stoughton you might want to check out Tyrol Basin as well. Its about 20 minutes from Stoughton over in Mt. Horeb. We have a big contingent of hardbooters there. You could see a lot of different types of boots and bindings, and maybe even try some out if anyone has the same shoe size. We also have a beer league on Monday nights like the one Midwestspeedster mentioned at Alpine, only ours in Mondays. Alpine would be much closer to home for you, but riding in a race league will make you better, and give you a chance to c heck out gear. You'll probably also run into some gear hounds who can hook you up with used boards.

[JJFluff]

Whens a good time to ride there? We stopped out there and it was skiied pretty hard.

Jr.

I know, unfortunately the size of the hill tends to make that happen. Weeknights are best to keep the onhill traffic low. Once January rolls around the racing clinics hit the hill hard and a lot of terrain gets used up by gate setting.

I try to get there early and ride for awhile then head out before the crowds arrive. On Saturday and Sunday I ride from 9am to 11:30 that roll out.

Jon

[J-bonz]

Sounds like there is allot of fun riding in WI. I cant wait to get out there... Oh, and the beer league sounds good also.............. :)

So for boots, is there anyplace close I could go to get fitted or should I do the paper trick to find out what Mondo size I am?

Thanks,

Jr.

[Strider]

If you're in Milwaukee the best bootfitter is at Les Moise. They have a shop on Bluemound Rd. and one a little north of the city (whitefish bay maybe?). I can't remember the name of the bootfitting guy, but they're probably the best bootfitters we have around here. Not sure if they carry the Head snowboard boots, but I know they have the ski boots and I've heard the fit is almost the same. You could at least get an idea if the Head's work for you. As far as finding the other brands you're probably stuck with online sales.

[Jim]

J-bonz,

Looks like you are getting great info. Have a savvy carver check your gear before your first run...especially if you have Cateks. All you need is one thorough inspection and an explanation of how they work. And remember that adjustments can get sloppy if set at room temp.

Carve On~~~~

[yyzcanuck]

Any thoughts on boots? Manufacturers? What thei difference is in there line of product?

Here's a link to a DeeLuxe comparison chart. Bear in mind the 2007/2008 Track 700 was actually VERY close to the Track 325 in overall stiffness. Hopefully that will be corrected for the 2008/2009 season.