snowboardfast Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I am going to try and ride my prior 174 awd in soft boots with the Catek free ride binding with carbon high backs and Burton driver x boots. any one doing this? I only have size 8 boots and am able to keep the angles down as the boots are not going to boot out. The reason why I am going to try this is it is just too rough of a ride with hardboots and plates to ride all mountain in bumps and variable snow conditions. I have tried both step ins bomber td1 td2 and 3 and some Nidecker bail bindings and still too rough and pounding no matter what.Of course I tried hardboots for a while with my Dupraz D1 and again too rough and pounding even with a flexy bail binding. I just don't like hardboots for all mountain anymore after doing it for many years. Too heavy and too rough of a ride . Even with bts springs on my Deluxe susaka boots. Ihope I am going to like this as I will have to sell this board and take a loss on it and would rather enjoy riding it. I was hoping to go back to hard boots most of the time except on a big powder day but i am getting pounded too much. What seemed good years ago is not good now. of course I am able to ride soft boots well now and am carving well in them.Will be riding hard boots on groomed snow only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwings Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I ride an ATV 161 in softboots and have also ridden it in hardboots. It's nice for both, but a bit too soft in the nose for hardboots. The ATV is actually designed to be a directional free-ride carving softboot board, so it shouldn't be a problem unless you weight like 130 lbs... then you'll have problems with that 174. btw, why does everyone screw it up?? there is no such thing as a Prior AWD!!! AWD = all wheel drive. last 4 years i checked, it's either the 4wd = 4 wheel drive or the ATV = all terrain vehicle... AWD = 4wd + ATV = 168cm, 10m SCR, 22.5cm waist, and flex in between the two?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted February 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm sorry I meant 4wd. It is not an atv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trav_t Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 softbootsailer, I see how you locked the highback. What is that topstrap though? Did you configure that thing yourself or is it something I can buy and just install?I'd like to have one that I could take on or off depending on my mood and conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trav_t Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 I just got a pair of last years Cartels for $100 and am running them on a Burton Triumph 169 from last year as well. I'm not sure I'm ready to drill the bindings yet but nice to know that otion is out there. Your setup looks really clean. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trav_t Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 The other problem that I may have down here is that the lifts run about 6" from the ground at the base. Right now I have to lower my back highback before getting on the lift to keep from having it crushed. Ever run into that issue with your setup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budge Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I had the 4WD that I used with Burton System (3-strap) bindings. My feet are size 9 but I still had boot-out, or more accurately, binding-out problems. The corners of the binding stuck out too far. The Catek Freerides might be better as they lift you up a little higher but I think that the 4WD is really too narrow for softboots although there may be bindings that work better. The ATV is probably a much better choice. Budge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Rode the Prior today with the Catek free ride bindings and Driver X boots. Conclusion-too narrow and doesn't work well for all mountain riding compared to a good quality soft boot deck. This goes for hard boots on it as well. This is for conditions we have here in Colorado. The hard boot conclusion is after doing this for many seasons. I will be riding hardboots on groomed snow only. I really like the Catek binding Burton boot combo for all mountain riding. Can I carve as well on groomed snow no but that doesn't bother me at all. I can carve good enough and am willing to take the trade off for better performance everywhere else-bumps steeps choppy snow. Had a blast today riding everwhere that wasn't groomed with a few runs down a groomed run once in a while. I am riding the bindings with standard set up-no 3rd strap as I feel that the 3rd strap in not needed at all. I don't feel that any all mountain alpine deck works that well for all around free riding everywhere. Too narrow and stiff and i have tried the Donek axess, Prior atv and 4wd. All mountain riding is more fun for me in soft boots now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 snowboardfast, way to actually test an idea instead of leaving it at the "what if"! For my riding I would expect all the same conclusions that you came to, but there is a guy here in Utah that just tears it up all mountain on the 4WD / hardboots set up. I watched another guy on a Coiler AM doing the same thing a couple of years ago. All kinds of preferences! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 This whole thing started back in 2002 when I rode at vail and was getting beat up bad on a powder day with a burton 171 Alp and td1 step ins with Lemans boots. went back to riding soft boots until the snow was hard again a couple of days later. Now I have a soft boot set up that is comfortable and works well and I enjoy soft boot riding more now than hardboots unless the snow is stupid hard and then I would ride groomed runs only. I am still debating as to whether or not to keep the alpine gear but for now I will keep it and use it once in a while. I did demo a metal board this year-SG 185 actually I tried it last year with a hangl plate and this year without and yes somewhat better but I am not excited enough about alpine to want to buy one yet. Nor can I afford it at this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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