Shred Gruumer Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 26 minutes ago, dhamann said: boots are ride insano w/ I picked up Ride Insano's on sale for $265,, which I think is a good deal,, off line I been discussing them with the new Burton Driver X boots...Any feedback on that comparison... I stayed away due to all the negative views on workmanship...so far Im very pleased with the New Insano's. I stayed away from NOW bindings as I had the IPO's when they first came out...not sure I liked that loose skate feel... are the O Drives firm? any experience with the RECON model... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 What about Nidecker Carbon? Anyone using these? Anyone using Malamutes these days? It used to be either these for Driver X, the last time i rode softboots 10 or so years ago. I remember the Malamutes were a bit wider fitting. Sucks to hear about Driver X quality issues, though. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 What about the new F2 Eliminator boots? Anyone tried? http://anyflip.com/vhkh/uyhc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhamann Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Shred Gruumer said: not sure I liked that loose skate feel... are the O Drives firm? any experience with the RECON model... nothing loose about the o-drives. the sk8 tech thing probably does something for flex/give but all i feel is a firm hold/feel/response when riding. i have not ridden the recon. almost got that instead, but i was advised that the o-drive is what i needed to have. wise recommendation from someone who has ridden both. for fast hard aggressive freeride/freecarve, the o-drives are the tool. they don't like taking it easy. i suppose you could get away with the recon just as well if you prefer a little more flex/give. the recon doesn't have that "flip-it" strap though that really locks in the heel/ankle when in freeride mode. (i use bomber power plates as well; blue e-ring bumpers. soon to have some gecko cross, medium bumpers) i haven't ridden the driver x. it was going to be my next softboot until i just swapped out the liner for powerwraps in the insano's. i think it's three season's on the insano shells now. they're done and hopefully make it through the season with some shoe-goo. i have a backup pair of rome folsom's. i'll put the powerwrap in those next. if that fails, i'll have to go driver x i suppose. softboot liners just don't do it for me after being exposed to a higher cuff deeluxe 131 liner in hardboots. powerwrap isn't that much taller, but the support makes it feel that way for me. holds up throughout the season better than any other stock liner i've had in the past too. they're a readily available liner so not hard to find. basically a new pair of boots every year for the cost of a liner. had malamutes back when i toured a lot in the backcountry in MT. loved em. can't lose with those either. my riding style/focus has changed since then so don't know how i'd like them now. curious if there's somewhere on this forum comparing powerwraps to palau 141? and where to find the palau 141... (yyz) Edited March 16, 2018 by dhamann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishsurfer Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 I rode Now recons when i demo'd the bataleon carver, I found them very responsive and secure they are defintely bindings that you are in strapped into rather than being strapped on top. I find with alot of bindings especially with stiffer boards i can sometimes torque my rear foot off of the footbed so it will be sitting at an angle rather than flat but i found this impossible to do even when trying my hardest to make it happen. Can't say i noticed the skate tech rock edge to edge but i did get them to put the hard bumpers in since i was wanting the maximum power transfer possible as i was fully planning to wring the cravers neck and ride it like i stole it. All in all they seem like good bindings but a few things put me off getting them, i know a dude with IPO's whos went through 9 ratchets in a year with the springs failing from metal fatigue, I prefer plastic/rubber toe straps as i find leather ones look really tatty really fast and you cant rotate the high backs any Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 6 hours ago, dhamann said: curious if there's somewhere on this forum comparing powerwraps to palau 141? and where to find the palau 141... (yyz I ride Palau. Love them. Alone Dual Fit for my Driver X, Alpine Power Fit Soft for my partner's Supreme and Overlap Hard for my UPZ. The Palau '141' I think is a naming scheme bomber came up with. Nothing ever called a 141 made by Palau. Ivan at carver.si stocks them. He's a great guy. Don't hesitate to order from him. I've ordered through him for years, even when bomber was up and running. Better prices, faster communication, bigger range, more knowledgeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 9 hours ago, daveo said: Sucks to hear about Driver X quality issues, though. Ugh. I am only one sample, but I have been riding Driver X for years and never had an issue. I don't put a huge number of days on my softboots, but my 4 year old pair has softened some, but they look perfect. I bought a new pair this season and they have been perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 51 minutes ago, Buell said: I am only one sample Not the only one.... (insert John Lennon joke here) I've had nothing but good results with Burtons. I do think that the Driver Xs are still "the" stiff boot. However, I like the Insanos a lot! My feeling is that the DXs derive the stiffness from the outside of the boot while the Insanos seem to rely more on the tongue. Both are good but different. The only other thing is the price. DXs are ~$350 while the Insanos can be had for ~$270. I've also tried Malamutes and K2 Thraxis. The Malamutes were really plush and comfortable and the Thraxis seemed really tech-y with 3 boas. Compared with the DX and Insano these seemed to have a larger footprint. It's crazy how stiff and supportive the Insanos feel. I think it could give a hardboot setup a run for its money if we could find a way to connect it to the board as well as we can HBs, and yes, I've seen Knapton's setup but I want no part of it! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 16 hours ago, Mig said: Absolutely love the cants! Ended up with 4* front and 5* rear on one pair, and 4* on both feet on two other pairs. Reference stance on my boards is 54cm. That’s what I run with bindings without cants like the Now Drives. But with the El Hefes, I go 55cm or 55.5cm. Thanks @Mig, that’s really useful feedback! I get the bindings tomorrow morning, and only have an hour to set them up properly before I ride with one of my best students. This reassured me that I can throw the bigger cants straight on there, and not have to worry! ill be mounting them onto Gecko Stealth plates, then onto a Sims Terry Kidwell RT2...should be amazing! Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 4 minutes ago, erazz said: Not the only one.... (insert John Lennon joke here) I've had nothing but good results with Burtons. I do think that the Driver Xs are still "the" stiff boot. However, I like the Insanos a lot! My feeling is that the DXs derive the stiffness from the outside of the boot while the Insanos seem to rely more on the tongue. Both are good but different. The only other thing is the price. DXs are ~$350 while the Insanos can be had for ~$270. I've also tried Malamutes and K2 Thraxis. The Malamutes were really plush and comfortable and the Thraxis seemed really tech-y with 3 boas. Compared with the DX and Insano these seemed to have a larger footprint. It's crazy how stiff and supportive the Insanos feel. I think it could give a hardboot setup a run for its money if we could find a way to connect it to the board as well as we can HBs, and yes, I've seen Knapton's setup but I want no part of it! :) This is great info...my beloved Nike Lunarendors currently have both the medium AND the stiff J-bars in them, but the end is in sight. I used to ride Burton’s years ago, but they always hurt my feet. The Rome Folsoms (the original ones) and the Nike’s have been a dream for me, the perfect foot last for me, so I’m looking for an equivalent replacement. I’ve narrowed it down to the Insanos or the Malamutes, both of which seem to be a comfortable fit... I’ll probably go for whichever has the smaller footprint. I’m currently using a Salomon Quantum and am about to buy Ride El Hefe’s, so at least one of them will fit perfectly! However, I keep hearing contradictory things about their respective and comparative lengths. So far, I haven’t found a size 9 Salomon to measure. I don’t suppose anyone out there has one...and a tape measure? ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 18 minutes ago, Emdee406 said: I don’t suppose anyone out there has one...and a tape measure? That's a GREAT idea! We should start measuring instead of throwing around vague impressions. I just took out a tape measure and measured my boots. I have a pair of worn 2013 DriverXs, 2015 Burton Imperials, and 2018 Insanos. All size 10. Put the heel against the wall, sole flat on the floor and used a straight edge and a right angle to measure length. The Insanos are 31cm on the dot, the Imperials are very slightly shorter (between 30.5 and 31) and the DriverXs are also 31cm. In short, they are all near as makes no difference the same length. Would be awesome if we could get others to join in the tape measure quest! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 5 hours ago, Buell said: I am only one sample, but I have been riding Driver X for years and never had an issue. I don't put a huge number of days on my softboots, but my 4 year old pair has softened some, but they look perfect. I bought a new pair this season and they have been perfect. Right. I had a pair 10 years ago and they were great. I just bought this season's pair because I got a decent deal. Hope they hold up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishsurfer Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 11 hours ago, erazz said: That's a GREAT idea! We should start measuring instead of throwing around vague impressions. I just took out a tape measure and measured my boots. I have a pair of worn 2013 DriverXs, 2015 Burton Imperials, and 2018 Insanos. All size 10. Put the heel against the wall, sole flat on the floor and used a straight edge and a right angle to measure length. The Insanos are 31cm on the dot, the Imperials are very slightly shorter (between 30.5 and 31) and the DriverXs are also 31cm. In short, they are all near as makes no difference the same length. Would be awesome if we could get others to join in the tape measure quest! For comparison my vans infuse and implants are US11/UK10 and come up to 31cm. They arent as stiff the driver x and insano's but they are the smallest form factor boots i can find hence why i use them and just modify them to make them stiff enough for my liking 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 This is really interesting! It seems that like hardboots, the outside "shell" has bigger jumps than the inside liner. It seems that size 8-9 US has the same BSL while 10-11 also share the same size. Please please peple, get out your tape measure and let's get the data! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 Yeah, I'll post an attachment of UPZ sole/shell sizes and the different compatible liners. UPZ SHELL sizes.doc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piusthedrcarve Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 2017-18 Burton Driver X 10.5 boots: 12 & 1/8" = 308 mm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 I suggest this is a great topic for a new post (let's not hijack this topic). I've started a new thread here: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishsurfer Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 Put the Rome targa ankle strap on to my Union ultra atlas combo bindings should hopefully give a little more power transfer and locked in sensation due to there being zero padding on the strap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig Posted March 19, 2018 Report Share Posted March 19, 2018 On 2018-03-16 at 11:51 AM, dhamann said: ridden burton diodes. found them to have very minimal support for carving/bx/banked courses. rossignol xv. liked em a lot before i broke the metal heel cup and got some odrives. NOW O-Drives. ya. pretty much a lifer. nothing compares. locked in great stiff ankle support. "flip-it" ankle strap = one side for freestyle vs one side for freeride/freecarve. toe straps must got over the top of foot unless you like breaking plastic ladder straps and buckles from drag if you lean over or dig deep carves. i've contacted NOW and JF is aware of this and was told that changes will be made. only had this issue with the back foot. the highback does not rotate if you run steeper angles. i'm at 40/20 and it works, but would prefer a rotate option. the odrives just happen to be on sale at REI right now too. boots are ride insano w/ intuition powerwraps Using the Now Drives on my bigger boards. Having the same problems with the toestraps. Switched them to old Burton P1 straps I had laying around and works much better. No more drag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Gruumer Posted March 19, 2018 Report Share Posted March 19, 2018 1 hour ago, Mig said: breaking plastic ladder straps and buckles from drag I never noticed that until this weekend... I guess I got lucky when picking carving bindings to be used.. The SWB Sessions a pretty clean and simple.. Whew.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 Day one on the El Hefes...as the slogan goes, “I’m lovin’ it!” Power, light weight, and with the sandwich construction highback, a friendlier ride than my Diodes or Quantums! ❤️ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 4 minutes ago, Emdee406 said: Day one on the El Hefes...as the slogan goes, “I’m lovin’ it!” Power, light weight, and with the sandwich construction highback, a friendlier ride than my Diodes or Quantums! ❤️ How are the straps compared to your Diodes Emdee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 20, 2018 Report Share Posted March 20, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Lurch said: How are the straps compared to your Diodes Emdee? I was surprised...there is zero padding on them, and I had no discomfort whatsoever! I had an upper level student, so we rode everything...trees, powder, firm hardpack, steeps, blue, black and double black moguls, felt amazing! Apparently they are ‘3D-shaped’, so designed to contour, without the need for padding. I really liked to toe cap too, they never moved once. Edited March 20, 2018 by Emdee406 Omission 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 On 10/24/2017 at 3:43 PM, Mig said: I love the suitcase! I use it for plenty of other non-snowboarding stuff. Ha! Ha! Ha! But I agree, Ride should definitely ditch it and lower the price instead. Straps are the shitty part of those bindings. Love the toestraps but I have switched the anklestraps on all three sets I have for something else. And the ladders sucked. They never lasted me more then a couple of days. Loving the El Hefes, today was the second day on them, and the first day freeriding on them, rather than teaching. They were awesome. The ankle straps surprised me...they were totally comfortable, despite the lack of padding! Less bulky than my Salomon Quantums, they’re allowing me to tip it over a little bit more. And yes, I put the 4 degree pads on, and widened the stance slightly. ???? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig Posted March 21, 2018 Report Share Posted March 21, 2018 7 hours ago, Emdee406 said: Loving the El Hefes, today was the second day on them, and the first day freeriding on them, rather than teaching. They were awesome. The ankle straps surprised me...they were totally comfortable, despite the lack of padding! Less bulky than my Salomon Quantums, they’re allowing me to tip it over a little bit more. And yes, I put the 4 degree pads on, and widened the stance slightly. ???? Yeah, the new ankles traps look a lot like the Burton Hammockstraps I put on mine. The older ones were not as good. And I had problems with the ladders. Needed to replace them regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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