Terryw Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I am another one of those who have never really been happy about the fit of my boots. I have always been in Delux boots in my hard booting career. But after reading some of the experiences of other riders switching to UPZ, and actually trying on a pair of them at a friends house, I am very curious about them. I do have to admit though, one of the things I like best about my Track 700's is with the addition of the BTS, I can be very dynamic in these boots. Really never liked being locked into one of the predetermined positions. How many of you UPZ riders ride in the walk mode? How do the spring mechanisms on the back of the RC-10's compare to BTS? Inquiring minds want to know......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliechocolate Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I almost always ride in walk mode. The few times I've ever locked it into position, I was very pleased. I can tweak the flex according to how lazy I am that day. Sorry, I can't compare it to the BTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I can lock the RC10s into ride mode and then flex the snot out of them (I'm 215 lbs). The spring provides the same idea as a BTS. I've heard that the range of movement on the UPZs might not be as long. On the other hand it's more than enough for me. Deeluxes really didn't work with my foot shape at all. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Buggs Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 I only have 1 day on my UPZ but rode them locked. I used Blue BTS on my back foot and yellow top and blue bottom on my front foot in my Delux boots. I had no issue at all with the flex riding the UPZ locked. I over flexed my rear ankle riding unlocked in Delux before BTS so Im a bit more cautious with riding unlocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xolufus Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Extremely pleased with all aspects of the UPZ...and I've ridden in pretty much everything - really the only boots that once you get them dialed in - they stay buckled - for the entire day w/much comfort. Use the stock liner (Flo) on my RC-8s and a DeeLuxe Thermo Flex 141 on the RC-10s...Ride in the walk mode on choppy or powder days and locked on groomer days - w/no flex issues - weight is right at 210...I really had no major issues w/Raichle/Deeluxe, Burton Wind/Fire/Reactors, Head or various AT Boots, BUT the UPZs, at least for me...are a step up for certain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kieran Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) rc10's are a pretty bendy boot for me at 105kg, but the spring thing does its job and softens the bumps in our 'groomed' slopes nicely. i always ride with it locked for lean position, and unlock it when walking so i don't end up walking in circles. i'd like stiffer tongues but don't want to pay retail for them. as far as range of movement goes, yeah it probably has less than the aftermarket ones for deeluxe boots. but then if your heel is not moving around you're able to use it more effectively / confidently. Edited January 4, 2014 by kieran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Ong Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 A bts system is available from a guy on the ec forums ( arnaud ) . i have them on my boots and it works well although you'll get more range of motion with the addition of the softer tongues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surf Quebec Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 I've switched from HSP to RC10 this winter. I'm riding them in lock mode and I find them quite flexible , I'm at 165 pounds. I've ridden one day unlock in 2 feet of powder. Tomorrow, I'll try them with Palau Overlap Hard liner. I find the Flo liner cold. I loved the narrow heel cup and the handle on the Flo liner... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buster Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 surf quebec, between those two boots, which has a wider toe box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladia Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 They did not work for me. I got RC8 last winter in Europe. I tried to ride them locked, UN locked, with soft, hard tongues, with Flow and thermo liner, just simply did not work for me. So after about 4 days, they are on the shell and ready to be sold if somebody will be interested size 26.5. I went this season back to basic. I removed BTS from Heads, put original box back with softer spring and so far I am ridding them un locked. Never had any luck with Raichles either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surf Quebec Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 I'm using a 26.5 boot size in both model, HSP has a wider toe box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeho730 Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 I like UPZ because heel area on the shell is so narrow one doesn't need some kind of foam injection liner on them... UPZ has more performance oritented shell compared to Deeluxe which has more consumer/comfort oriented shell with wide heel area... But I like Deeluxe enough to keep them... With proper liner they can rock IMHO, but such liner needs to a) consist of materials that resist compression esp at the front of the ankle with repeated use b) enough material to feel the gap between the tongue and the ankle... BTS has wider range of motion and feels sturdier/over-engineered compared to UPZ spring mechanisms and with a bit of tinkering one can also adjust forward lean as well as dial the flex to what he or she wants... But there is no walk mode... Give and take so to speak... For carving I use UPZ with locked lever and for powder riding I use deeluxe with BTS and foam injected liner... But I really can't comment on whether UPZ would suit you because I wouldn't have clue in regards to your foot shape... So I'd like to say try before you buy... Carpet carving time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbat Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 The stock spring on the UPZ will allow the boot to flex until the buckles bang together, even with the lean near it's most vertical setting. Seems to be plenty of flex. I ride the RC-10 locked and nearly vertical on the front foot, un-locked on the rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 The stock UPZ spring mechanism feels very similar to Deeluxe with BTS. I ride with mine locked and have never felt the boot hit any stops. As Dingbat mentioned, the 3rd and 4th buckles crash together before the spring runs out of travel, and that's a fair amount of movement! I really don't like the boots unlocked, they feel a bit too floppy with an Intuition foam liner. Having the ability to flip them into walk mode is awesome. Note that UPZ's odd heel placement means you end up moving the heel block on bindings pretty far forward. It completely covers the angle adjustment screws on a TD3 with size 27 boots, and is close to blocking access to the 4x4 mounting bolts. Access to the 4x4 screws is similarly restricted on F2 bindings too. My screwdriver is at a very slight angle if I have the binding slid all the way forward in the slots. I'm a step-in user but I've heard reports that it can be tricky to get the slightly taller heel into the standard TD3 heel bail. I struggled with that while trying Sidewinders, but I assumed that this was due to the taller Fintec heel. UPZs aren't perfect, but they fit my feet so well that I'll happily deal with the minor things I didn't even have to think about with Deeluxe boots. I was constantly thinking about my heels lifting in Deeluxes, which concerned me more than anything I've dealt with in UPZs! If Deeluxes fit your feet, I'd suggest to stick with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Buggs Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 Rode mine today for the 2nd time and I'm very happy. Went in for lunch and unlocked them, forgot to lock them and rode both unlocked and loved it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted January 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 UPZs aren't perfect, but they fit my feet so well that I'll happily deal with the minor things I didn't even have to think about with Deeluxe boots. I was constantly thinking about my heels lifting in Deeluxes, which concerned me more than anything I've dealt with in UPZs! If Deeluxes fit your feet, I'd suggest to stick with them. That is exactly why I am even looking. I have heel lift and toe bang when I ride. Have the thermofit (red) liners, and have tried extensive boot fitting. My experiences sound very much like what I am hearing described by most of you who are happier in the UPZ boots. I do ski patrol in my boots, so I spend a lot of time in them on any given day. Sometimes from 7am to 6pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Ladia, as a result of your experiment, do you happen to have a set of red tongues lying around? I'm looking for a set for my RC10's, and if you have some I'd take them off your hands ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 I had a really good chat to Japanese Bomber member Masahiko who rides in the UPZ boots and, to put it mildly, absolutely rips. He has ridden both, and I am also considering switching from the 700s. He has previously ridden the 700 using the BTS, and feels the deluxe/raichle has a softer flex side to side, and is slightly stiffer (with the BTS) forward although that would depend on the springs chosen. The Japanese market they seem to have a lot of riders using the UPZ because many of them race and the UPZ suits that non rotational style of riding due to the way it flexes. The fit seems to be narrower in the heel, and slightly wider in the toe area. The things he had changed was to replace the liners with overlap, as he described them, 'non ski boot liners' (by Palau) and he was running a power strap across the top which was one of the beefiest I have ever seen, looked almost like a 6th buckle by a Japanese company called G-Style. He did also say that the newer UPZs have an improved more reliable buckle (the older ones were quite brittle) and the plastic is better so they are less temperature dependent than the older ones. He is in a 25.5 (from memory) and had the issue of needing to switch the heel bails back to front to fit inside a bomber sidewinder binding, I would guess anything from 27 upwards would not need this although might be an issue of having the toe and heel bails sitting very close to the mounting screws. Definitely for me has made me consider more carefully to make the switch, mostly because my foot shape is not really matching the deluxe shape (narrow ankle, wide forefoot). I am sure some of this is already known in the carvers almanac etc but anyhow, was really good to hear it from a person that had ridden both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladia Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Ladia, as a result of your experiment, do you happen to have a set of red tongues lying around? I'm looking for a set for my RC10's, and if you have some I'd take them off your hands ... Allee, I do have a set, what is your boots size. The tongues are sized to some degree. I have boot size 26.5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xolufus Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Ladia, I may be interested in your 26.5 RC-8s for my wife - If Allee wants the tongues that's cool..can you email a pic to ??? : xolufus (at) earthlink (dot) net Thanks, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terryw Posted January 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hey everybody, thanks for sharing your insights with the UPZ boots. I appreciate you taking the time to educate me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Allee, I do have a set, what is your boots size. The tongues are sized to some degree. I have boot size 26.5. My boots are 26.5 as well, so they should fit perfectly. PM me through the forum with a price if you're looking to offload them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Buggs Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) Granted its only been 2 days in the UPZs but I cant believe I spent 13 plus YEARS and thousands of $$ struggling in Deeluxe boots. My stupid loyalty really cost me on this one. Edited January 6, 2014 by Bobby Buggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 I do have to admit though, one of the things I like best about my Track 700's is with the addition of the BTS, I can be very dynamic in these boots. Really never liked being locked into one of the predetermined positions. How many of you UPZ riders ride in the walk mode? How do the spring mechanisms on the back of the RC-10's compare to BTS? Inquiring minds want to know......... The BTS compensates for a problem in Deeluxe boots that does not exist in the RC-10. When properly adjusted, there is plenty of fore-aft flexibility in the RC-10. You might actually find them a bit soft, there are stiffer tongues available if you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yooperluke Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 Heel lift and my 2 cents...... Riding UPZ greens with Intuition Plugs (wrap around) and Superfeet corks. Heel lift has always been an issue with my rear foot. Tried many fixes and shimming the liners etc. What most often occurred was that the fit became less comfortable and the issue remained. Cranking the snot out of the boot didn't help at all, it was just bloody painful! So then I thought about what I was doing to create the heel lift. I paid attention to my toe side turns and worried more about the mechanics of my carving, and less about laying out a nice carve. My solution was to change the binding angle/lift/cant to " self-engineer" out the heel lift. I figure if your up on your toe so much that your heel lifts, then jack up the heel so that its "almost" there any way.... another thing I considered was, where is my center of gravity? If my heel is lifting, then perhaps my center is not where it should be on initiation. Anyway, the boots, to me are not a vise. If I'm steering with my feet my mechanics are wrong, with the exception of pedaling the board. In the end, I jacked up to a 6 deg. cant heel side with about 2.6 deg of inward cant. Worked miracles! My hookup is crazy solid and heel lift is minimal... not gone, but enough so that I can live with it for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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