What BTS springs to use?

[powdahbonz]

I am looking for input on what set-up I should use with Track 700's and based on my riding, weight, etc, I was thinking blue top and yellow bottom. How soft are the yellows? Anyone feel like they opted for yellows and should have gone blue?

[tahoetrencher]

I resemble that remark!

(and I'm a 195# Albert )

[Buell]

Ive never seen anyone with the red ones. You prob. have to be one heavy Fcuker to have to use them.

I use them with the Track 700s and am 145.

[Buell]

I am looking for input on what set-up I should use with Track 700's and based on my riding, weight, etc, I was thinking blue top and yellow bottom. How soft are the yellows? Anyone feel like they opted for yellows and should have gone blue?

What boots have you been riding?

[Surf Quebec]

I'm 162 and I've been riding with the blue ones 1 season with track 700 and 1 season with Head Stratos Pro.

At ECES, I've seen people really getting low on their boards and I couldn't do that with my setup. So I've modified my boots a lot to get more flex and switch to yellow springs. I did not had the chance to try that on the snow, only carpet carving, because of that warm whether and rain

[Sultan Guy]

185 pounds here of lean mean 40+ year old machine.

I use the blue BTS for both heel and toe side with the Track 700.

Since it is my first season I have nothing to compare it with but I have noticed that my back foot springs definitely show signs of being flexed...a lot where my front springs show no such wear.

Has anyone tried running harder springs on your back foot and softer springs on front foot?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[astrokel]

I have a question about the 225 325 and 700 series... kind of on topic?

Are the stiffness of the boots different just laterally or are they stiffer fore and aft as well? If I put a yellow sprung BTS on a 700 would they be as flexible fore and aft as the 225 or 325? or at some point does the tongue stiffness of the various boots overpower the BTS spring?

I'm pretty sure if I put a red spring on a 225 it would not be as stiff as a red sprung 700 but I was wondering about the soft end of the scale. I like the idea (and use) of a laterally stiff hardboot with a flexible fore aft movement. So it seems like if a yellow sprung 700 or even 325 were just as soft fore/aft as a 225 then that should be the ticket...

[astrokel]

I use them with the Track 700s and am 145.

Buell,

How do you maintain any dynamic on the board with that setup? I'm honestly and truly curious and wonder if I'm doing something wrong that I need soft fore aft boots to work the vertical axis on the board. Is it a technique thing or a strength thing? or both...

[trailertrash]

Buell,

How do you maintain any dynamic on the board with that setup? I'm honestly and truly curious and wonder if I'm doing something wrong that I need soft fore aft boots to work the vertical axis on the board. Is it a technique thing or a strength thing? or both...

He doesn't. He skids all his turns, that's why he rocks the reds. Guy can't carve for $hite!

[Helmut Karvlow]

Ive never seen anyone with the red ones. You prob. have to be one heavy Fcuker to have to use them.

Heavy has nothing to do with it, it has to do with how you ride. I'm 178 LBS and have green springs. 5 times stiffer then red.

[Buell]

He doesn't. He skids all his turns, that's why he rocks the reds. Guy can't carve for $hite!

Nope, can't carve, no good, never get out of the office.

[queequeg]

Ive never seen anyone with the red ones. You prob. have to be one heavy Fcuker to have to use them.

I eventually switched to the red ones back when I was riding my stratos pros.

[Buell]

Buell,

How do you maintain any dynamic on the board with that setup? I'm honestly and truly curious and wonder if I'm doing something wrong that I need soft fore aft boots to work the vertical axis on the board. Is it a technique thing or a strength thing? or both...

There are quite a few variables about what springs to use. Binding and boot choices make a difference. Riding style and aggression are other ones.

With my set up and my riding, I have found I need the red springs to make fine edge adjustments through the turn. I drive turns pretty hard for a little guy and the blue springs are just mushy. I was on yellow the year before because I thought at my weight those were the ones I needed. Went to blue later last season and that was an improvement. This year I realized I was overpowering the blue and am now on backed off red.

One interesting think about the BTS is that if you tighten both springs, their added tension is in opposition. The heel spring helps you bend the toe spring and vice versa. The adjustability of the tension is not very large.

I ride F2s and I think the binding flex has something to do with it. If I were on rigid TDs, or even Sidewinders, I might be on blue springs (but my riding is better with the F2s).

Different boots have different flexes. Once you add the BTS most, if not all, the resistance comes from the tongues and the liners as the boots just pivot on the cant adjuster. You remove the boot deformation part of the boot stiffness.

From what I can tell, the Track 700 tongues and liners are really soft compared to older Deeluxe boots. You need a stiffer spring if you are on the newer boots to maintain the same flex. I think the Track 225s (and 325s) are stiffer that the Track 700s when using BTS due to the tongue design. So you would use a softer spring.

[powdahbonz]

Burton Fires-the blue shell, not the thin smoked grey/translucent yellow-Winter ride weight is 200lbs-goto board is Coiler Schtub 173 x 20cm x 13.2scr. I like some flex but I'm used to stiff shells as I have skied Lange plug boots for years so I'm used to pain and torment.

What boots have you been riding?

[Seraph]

Has anyone tried running harder springs on your back foot and softer springs on front foot?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Yellow for toeside, blue for heelside.

[astrokel]

One interesting think about the BTS is that if you tighten both springs, their added tension is in opposition. The heel spring helps you bend the toe spring and vice versa. The adjustability of the tension is not very large.

I ride F2s and I think the binding flex has something to do with it. If I were on rigid TDs, or even Sidewinders, I might be on blue springs (but my riding is better with the F2s).

Different boots have different flexes. Once you add the BTS most, if not all, the resistance comes from the tongues and the liners as the boots just pivot on the cant adjuster. You remove the boot deformation part of the boot stiffness.

From what I can tell, the Track 700 tongues and liners are really soft compared to older Deeluxe boots. You need a stiffer spring if you are on the newer boots to maintain the same flex. I think the Track 225s (and 325s) are stiffer that the Track 700s when using BTS due to the tongue design. So you would use a softer spring.

Great info as usual... Thanks!

[Buell]

Burton Fires-the blue shell, not the thin smoked grey/translucent yellow-Winter ride weight is 200lbs-goto board is Coiler Schtub 173 x 20cm x 13.2scr. I like some flex but I'm used to stiff shells as I have skied Lange plug boots for years so I'm used to pain and torment.

I do not know the Burton boots, but at your weight, I would not start with yellows on Track 700s anyway. Maybe all blue to start and go from there?

[trailertrash]

I do not know the Burton boots, but at your weight, I would not start with yellows on Track 700s anyway. Maybe all blue to start and go from there?

Hey Bonz,

Seriously, have you seen this guy ride? 145 and reds? WTF? This guy is on crack. You have seen me ride, I rock the yellows.

john

[AlexJ]

The springs used in the BTS are just die springs (Springs used in metal stamping dies). They come in two types flat (like in the bts) or round (Wire is not flattened). You can get them at www.mcmaster.com under compression die springs. in the selection area you can get all sorts of free lenghts and rates

I ran Red/Red in both boots while I had the BTS on. never felt stiff enough for me. I weigh in at 210lbs.

[pokkis]

I'm 80kg and ride with green spings

[powdahbonz]

This seems great for tinkerers and ability to play with spring rates--which spring type is it that Fin uses for BTS? It looks like a closed and ground flat end-I'm trying to find the specific loads and comparables for yellow/blue/red/green-I may be staring right at it on McMasters site but...any directions...maybe it's the "quoted over 480,000 different products....I've gone cross-eyed.....The shorts are 1.5" and the longs are 3"--what is the thickness of the spring and end type?

The springs used in the BTS are just die springs (Springs used in metal stamping dies). They come in two types flat (like in the bts) or round (Wire is not flattened). You can get them at www.mcmaster.com under compression die springs. in the selection area you can get all sorts of free lenghts and rates

I ran Red/Red in both boots while I had the BTS on. never felt stiff enough for me. I weigh in at 210lbs.

[michael.a]

head stratos pros with yellow springs, weight 180pds (80kgs) with TD2 stepins on yellow or purple erings. i ride on a lot of ice and need to be down low on the board quite often and need to ride very neutral, the stock HSPs were just way too stiff to allow that, i even cut off some of the plastic inside em, but now im really happy, i can just buckle them up or down to make them perform how i want them

but even with me saying the above id only take peoples recommendations with a grain of salt, the most limiting factor (like with almost all equipment 'reviews' online) is the lack of experience with different setups and conditions and riding, ive never tried blue or red springs and am a kind of lazy rider

[Buell]

Hey Bonz,

Seriously, have you seen this guy ride? 145 and reds? WTF? This guy is on crack. You have seen me ride, I rock the yellows.

john

So the blue springs were too stiff for you then TT?

Seriously, if you want to be picky about carving maybe we need a carving forum. I thought this was a hardbooting website. I didn't know you had to carve to post on here. I mean "hardboot" and "alpine snowboard" is written all over the place, but "carve" is hardly written anywhere. ;)

[Buell]

W

I used to have the Blue springs on my Track 700 and 325's but put back the locks that came with them both. Didn't like racing gates with them.

That reminds me that I tested my T700s with the locking lean this year. Stiffer than the red springs and a totally different flex pattern. I did not really like them.

I have a set of RAB that I got from a buddy this year that I still need to try. Rebecca tried them on her T225s and said they were way too stiff for her (she is currently on blue springs with a softened, modified tongue).

[stevo]

This seems great for tinkerers and ability to play with spring rates--which spring type is it that Fin uses for BTS? It looks like a closed and ground flat end-I'm trying to find the specific loads and comparables for yellow/blue/red/green-I may be staring right at it on McMasters site but...any directions...maybe it's the "quoted over 480,000 different products....I've gone cross-eyed.....The shorts are 1.5" and the longs are 3"--what is the thickness of the spring and end type?

powda- here are the specs on the BTS springs:

Technical Data

Long (toe side) springs = 3" (7.62cm) long

Short (heel side) springs = 1.5" (3.9cm) long

Spring Rates: units = lbs/in (N/mm)

Yellow "Long" Spring = 96 (25)

Yellow "Short" Spring = 200 (56)

Blue "Long" Spring = 144 (60)

Blue "Short" Spring = 320 (129)

Red "Long" Spring = 340 (82)

Red "Short" Spring = 656 (177)

Here is the page in McMaster Carr: http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/116/1210/=6herz0

you want:

fits hole size: 3/4"

fits rod size: 3/8"

OAL: 3" and 1-1/2" tho you could change lengths slightly (shorter) to change stiffness instead of jumping to another color.

i have BTS red, BTS blue, bronze, and other springs coming out of my ass- email me and i will send out NC guy (work paid for them!)