Anyone know anything about the UPZ RC-10's?

[Michael Pukas]

We discussed this over pages and pages, this tread included. Read before weaking up the sleeping deamons.

I knew it was a matter of time before I get

I read and re-read evey post in this thread - not one mention of t-nutting. If I missed it my bad. I've never read a thead about t-nutting before either, but then again I don't read every post of every thread. Didn't want to get into a discussion about it, I just feel it's always worth mentioning in case some one has missed before - like I did. Sorry to rustle your weaking deamon feathers.

[BlueB]

Didn't want to flame you, sorry if it sounded that way. But trust me, we discussed this in and out.

Usefull discussion is here:

http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=26462&highlight=upz

[Ernie00]

My RC-10 are on the way. Hopefully the'll be here next week and most important that the fit is right and I like them.

[tex1230]

Aaaaargh! Not this again... We discussed this over pages and pages, this tread included. Read before weaking up the sleeping deamons. Verdict was:

RC10 and RTR boots, NO t-nutting required except for Intec heel, AT heel or DIN heel;

Old boots, t-nuts required.

Not to start anything up again, but WE did not agree on anything. One guy defended the design of the new toe block, but there is no way in hell I would trust my knees to that skinny plastic shelf. T-nutting is easy and cheap, and I would not ride UPZs without doing the toes (and heels if you use intec)

[queequeg]

I *just* recieved my 2010 UPZ RC-10's, and I have to say ... I am going to LOVE THIS BOOT!

First impressions: The buckles didn't seem all that chintzy to me, contrary to other reports. I think the little wire thingies on the top two buckles will be handy for loosening the buckles on the lift without worrying about having to readjust every time you re-tighten the buckles at the top. Oveall, the build quality seems excellent. They are indeed harder to get your feet into, but its not that bad. There is a lot of toeroom and a snug heel - I'm very happy with the fit. As expected, the stock liner is not what I would call comfortable out of the box (though certainly no horror), though I may give it a few days before swapping in my Dalbello Golds.

The stuff I was worried/unsure about: flex and lean mechanism. I had read that this is a very stiff boot, and was concerned that it would be too supportive for me. I see this as going into two categories: the lean mechanism and the plasic itself.

The stock lean mechanism seems very good to me. I was concerned that at its loosest it might still be too stiff for me, but as it comes stock, I could see myself stiffening it up a bit. It provides a very positive, clean, smooth feeling flex. It feels very natural actually.

The boot plastic is very stiff and extremely supportive - the boot does not fold at all and when you crouch down, and there are no pressure points that develop on the instep when you crouch down either ... the cuff stays firm around your calf and it just bends mechanically and naturally. Laterally, the boot is extremely stiff, which I love.

This feels like a HUGE upgrade from my head stratos pros. I'd say the HSP boot has a narrower toe box and a wider heel area. Although the plastic in the UPZ is way stiffer and more supportive, it permits a WAY wider range of fore/aft flex than the HSP does thanks to the lean mechanism. Notably: the overlap between the cuff and the boot in the rear of the UPZ is similar to the old Burton boots, and nothing like the HSP "wing" system. My primary complaint with the HSP was that you could not crouch low enough in them without modifying the shell--that is not a problem with the UPZ despite the way stiffer plastic.

I'll report on the sole/t-nut situation when I have more time, but generally: I am so, so, so, glad I bought these.

Update: Still have to T-Nut the toe/heel blocks. After playing around with them some more I think I could survive breaking in the stock liner - which does seem to be quality. I'm gonna try them on with the dalbellos tonight and see what the difference is like.

[WinterGold]

I agree with everything you say , queequeg.

Glad that you like the boots as much as I do :D.

About the Flo liner - I will definitely give it a try. It feels really good. But then I also used the standard Burton liners and they were not the best, but somehow they worked for me ...

[Ear dragger]

I think these boots are fantastic! I have the rsv boots i believe. They are very stiff which i love. they respond just how i want them. In fact i can't even fathom having boots that are soft in the for/aft lean. I would be very happy with brand new rc10's but my boots are still great, next season:).

[Ernie00]

I also received my new RC-10 this week.

My first impression are similar to queequeg. Very nice quality for both the platic and the buckles .

I was and still pretty worry about the flex of the boots. I'm coming from an old AF600 with soft yellow springs so it will definitaly be a huge change.

Same here the fit is amazing, no pressure point, my hell isn't moving and the fit is very nice. One thing I noticed, they are not as easy to get in and out as my raichle with thermo. I could pretty much both feet into them at the same time. Also getting the liner in and out of the boots is much harder. Again I'm getting I'll find the way.

Is there any way to adjust the spring rate on the boots ?

[queequeg]

I also received my new RC-10 this week.

My first impression are similar to queequeg. Very nice quality for both the platic and the buckles .

I was and still pretty worry about the flex of the boots. I'm coming from an old AF600 with soft yellow springs so it will definitaly be a huge change.

Same here the fit is amazing, no pressure point, my hell isn't moving and the fit is very nice. One thing I noticed, they are not as easy to get in and out as my raichle with thermo. I could pretty much both feet into them at the same time. Also getting the liner in and out of the boots is much harder. Again I'm getting I'll find the way.

Is there any way to adjust the spring rate on the boots ?

I assume you are talking about making the boots softer? And that you want to make sure you can flex your rear foot enough to get into a powerful crouched position? Have you messed around with the forward lean mechanism at all? Pardon me if this is redundant information that you are already aware of but - try the following:

1. Put on your boots and strap into your board.

2. Put your rear boot in walk mode by flipping down the lever on the forward lean mechanism.

3. Now flex your rear knee forward to a position that you would like your knee to be in a neutral position while riding.

4. While maintaining this position with your rear leg, flip the forward lean mechanism up back into "ride mode" and adjust your leg position until you hear the mechanism lock. (obviously this is very important ... I'm not advocating that people ride in walk mode ... not to bring up an age-old argument on bomber :-P ).

This will put the boot cuff into a more flexed position, *without* placing any preload on the springs. You should be able to flex your rear knee more easily now without having to do anything wacky to the forward lean mechanism.

If you want to make the boot even softer, you could swap the stock liner out for a thermo liner. I'm experimenting with different liners right now, and my first impression is that my thermos feel somewhat softer, but I have yet to re-mold them so that assessment may be premature.

Otherwise, you can tighten the springs but not loosen them. If you want to swap them out for looser springs you could probably find some softer springs online (I think links for this have been posted if you search the forum) but that seems like it would be a pain in the ass, involving disassembling the boot in its entirety.

[Ernie00]

defiitaly I should try them on with my Old raichle liner to give me a chance to compare.

I tought also about searching for softer spring, I'll try to do a search on bomber see if I can find information.

thanks

[Ernie00]

just got home and tried the RC-10 with the thermo liner.. it does feel softer but the confort isn't the same as I have huge pressure points.

[bobdea]

I'd not bother changing the springs, they don't provide enough travel to make a big difference and the majority of the forward flex resistance is from the plastic not the spring.

[Allee]

I was and still pretty worry about the flex of the boots. I'm coming from an old AF600 with soft yellow springs so it will definitaly be a huge change.

You aren't kidding. I got mine yesterday, wrestled them on and holy moley, these things are SERIOUSLY industrial. I was trying to flex them on the floor and no way, no how. My foot felt like it was in a vice after three minutes, but that will get better as they wear in, I suppose. Apart from that they feel great - and especially supportive in the heel, which is awesome as I have the skinniest heels on the planet.

Upside - they do up tight across my shins (yay!) Downside - I can't see myself ripping around off piste on these like I do on the Tracks!

I'm going to walk around the house in them today, and strap them in to a board and carpet surf to see how they feel. I'm thinking I might end up going softer in the bindings to compensate for these - UPZ boots + TD3's + 150lb might be a little more than I can handle, and I'm developing a liking for stiffer boot/softer binding anyway.

[Hans]

Did you guys bought those new UPZ's with different kind of boottongue's?

So if, what are the results?

[0815-fahrer]

............ My foot felt like it was in a vice after three minutes, but that will get better as they wear in, I suppose. Apart from that they feel great - and especially supportive in the heel, which is awesome as I have the skinniest heels on the planet.

Upside - they do up tight across my shins (yay!) Downside - I can't see myself ripping around off piste on these like I do on the Tracks!

I'm going to walk around the house in them today, and strap them in to a board and carpet surf to see how they feel. I'm thinking I might end up going softer in the bindings to compensate for these - UPZ boots + TD3's + 150lb might be a little more than I can handle, and I'm developing a liking for stiffer boot/softer binding anyway.

Allee... I am sure you´ve got the right approach..

they need to be "worn in"

got mine this Weekend, first just for test.

Boarded about an hour, but sticked in them the rest of the day.

Next day boarded 2 hours, sticked in them too for the rest of the day....

I feel they get better with time....

still very early but I hope I can say more next week if I have put some time on those babys.

(and I will do some carpet carving here too!)

PS: didn´t even take my Track700 in the car for day 3... and I normallyalways bring double gear up

[queequeg]

I'd not bother changing the springs, they don't provide enough travel to make a big difference and the majority of the forward flex resistance is from the plastic not the spring.

I'm not sure that I agree with this entirely. Certainly the spring mechanism influences the stiffness of the boot considerably, otherwise walk mode would not feel much softer than ride mode. I can definitely feel a significant difference between the two modes. That said, the PDF brochure linked in this thread suggests that the largest overall changes to boot flexibility can be affected by changing out the outer tongue for either the soft or hard version, depending upon your preferences.

From where I'm standing the spring mechanism provides more than adequate travel, provided that you have selected the correct forward lean position for your rear/front boots. If you don't set the forward lean to the correct neutral position (eg: your rear boot cuff is pointing straight up by default rather than somewhat forward) then yeah, you could potentially bottom out the springs when you try to crouch into a compressed position, but setting your forward lean correctly prevents the spring from bottoming out. But yeah ... I don't think I'd bother messing around with the springs. I think a softer tongue is available, as well - that should make (some) difference to people wanting to significantly soften the boot. I would think swapping the tongue and the liner would make a significant difference.

just got home and tried the RC-10 with the thermo liner.. it does feel softer but the confort isn't the same as I have huge pressure points.

I went back and forth testing with the flows and my dalbellos this weekend. I tried both feet with each and also tried dalbello on one foot and the flow in the other. I think I'm going to stick with the Flow Liner ... I'm sure breaking it in will be no fun, but it felt way more supportive overall than the thermo.

[0815-fahrer]

I went back and forth testing with the flows and my dalbellos this weekend. I tried both feet with each and also tried dalbello on one foot and the flow in the other. I think I'm going to stick with the Flow Liner ... I'm sure breaking it in will be no fun, but it felt way more supportive overall than the thermo.

I was just thinking of a way to break them in the easy way...

Since the Flow liners set themselves better at room temperature, do it at home ! Either wear them, or, if you have an old wooden floor (like Boris:eplus2:) or big wide old board, bolt some bindings down at your favourite stance and angles and carpet surf in a warm environment, and jam those buckles a bit more every x minutes when they feel looser.

you can massage away pressure points (push away the gel foam) if you locate them, to accellerate the breaking in a bit.

Again, in a warm environment..

This is how I will do it tomorrow, (yes, bolt down bindings to the floor:biggthump)

Will be a scream :lol:, I´ll try to make a picture of the "setup"

On the other hand, some one else went boarding in a "out of the box pair" which were unworn and new, and taken out of an icy cold car (at -5°C)

He was happy too...

[Allee]

Has anyone installed a set of Intec heels in their RC10's?

The new boots have a six-star shaped screw with a huge thread on it holding on the stock heel. The standard screws that come with the Intec heel just fall through the holes when you put the heel on. Inside the boot, the base is finned, and the holes are sunken in to the fins.

I have the T-nuts that came with my Raichles, what are my chances of getting them to bite into the hard plastic of the boot (without beating the bejesus out of everything?) so I can use those?

The photo of the inside of the boot makes it look like those holes are raised, but they're actually countersunk.

Thoughts?

[bobdea]

Has anyone installed a set of Intec heels in their RC10's?

The new boots have a six-star shaped screw with a huge thread on it holding on the stock heel. The standard screws that come with the Intec heel just fall through the holes when you put the heel on. Inside the boot, the base is finned, and the holes are sunken in to the fins.

I have the T-nuts that came with my Raichles, what are my chances of getting them to bite into the hard plastic of the boot (without beating the bejesus out of everything?) so I can use those?

The photo of the inside of the boot makes it look like those holes are raised, but they're actually countersunk.

Thoughts?

tex did a thread about it

for the tnuts I find that starting the screws without the heels on works best to set the tnuts

I can do a AIM video chat demo if you want sometime. I have to put on some fintecs anyway

[ursle]

The new boots have a six-star shaped screw with a huge thread on it holding on the stock heel. The standard screws that come with the Intec heel just fall through the holes when you put the heel on. Inside the boot, the base is finned, and the holes are sunken in to the fins.

I have the T-nuts that came with my Raichles, what are my chances of getting them to bite into the hard plastic of the boot (without beating the bejesus out of everything?) so I can use those?

I'm thinking you should with the heels off try to insert one of the stock screws into the insert a few threads and then, well I would pound it with a hammer to try to back the insert out to look at it, if it's cast into the boot and won't come out, well that's a good sign, if it backs out easily and looks flimsy replace it with the newer ones that are smaller, if it backs out and looks substantial, like the one you're replacing it with, go ahead and use it.

I use UPZ's and replaced mine (intec on rear foot only), and it's well known that they have to be replaced, but it's possible that UPZ has beefed up the system.jmho

[mike g.]

ya, I used a hammer, and a screw driver. To get the t-nut to bite in to the plastic. once they bite they go in like a hot knife in butter. And people put t-nuts up in the toes, I thought the heels where bad, so I skipped on the toes.

________

volcano classic review

[bjvircks]

excellent photo of the interior heel area of the boot, Allee! What I did when I Tee-nutted my UPZs was:

1) remove the heel

2) place tee nut into position inside

3) place washer on outside of screwhole

4) feed screw thru from outside

5) tighten screw to draw tee nut down into place

discard washer when done

The washer spreads the load over a larger area of plastic and reduced the friction-heating that would develop between the screw head and the plastic during the draw down.

Of course, you should assure you have at least 2 or 3 full threads engaged before you start the draw-down.

[bjvircks]

The photo of the inside of the boot makes it look like those holes are raised, but they're actually countersunk.

holes are holes.... the cylinder of plastic around the hole is known as a "boss". And yes... the top of the boss is below the top of the fins.

[Allee]

Thanks Mike. I was worried about the how solid that plastic was, but it sounds like once you get them started they're fine - good to know ...

bjvircks - that sounds like what I had in mind, but adding the washer will make it easier for sure. Thanks for the tip.

So the getting in bit sounds OK - now I just have to get the %^&$#@* heels OUT of my Deeluxes - grrr.

[queequeg]

ya, I used a hammer, and a screw driver. To get the t-nut to bite in to the plastic. once they bite they go in like a hot knife in butter. And people put t-nuts up in the toes, I thought the heels where bad, so I skipped on the toes.

This worked for me. I ended up screwing up one of the t-nuts (flattening out the teeth) so buying a few extra is a good idea. And yeah, After looking at the toe I wasn't all that concerned about it ... and the heel was bad enough to not make me want to try and deal with the toe.