slopestar Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 (edited) So I have been riding mainly BX style boards over the last 5 seasons and using nothing but Flow NX2’s. My directional riding preference lead to some serious fatigue last season. My front leg took the brunt with my butt cheek and low back on the left side (front leg) taking most of the impact but also my trailing foot (upper inside of my ankle) I’m considering crossing over to my UPZ’s just to get some relief this season. Last season, I spent a lot of days with a well known hardboot/BX combination rider that flat out rips. Just curious what others experience has been. My go to alpine is a 174 coiler nirvana energy 22.5 waist. Didn’t ride hardboots once last season. I’m planning to spend more days on more freestyle, twin boards to balance the directional riding I did all last Season. Thoughts, opinions, questions and recommendations are appreciated. I’m thinking I’ll need to soften up my RC-10’s a lot to have that softboot feel? Edited August 19, 2019 by slopestar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnE Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 My opinion: I tried & tried to get comfortable riding in hardboots (not pain - just always felt on the edge of disaster). Two seasons ago I reverted to a softboot setup (Flow NX-GT2s) and I feel much more confident and stable. I'm sure that I will never get as low as many of the best hardbooters I see at Loveland but I'm having fun and feel more comfortable. Also, on my current softboot setup (Donek Flux), I don't have to decide in the morning what board to take for the conditions. The Flux works great in powder, crud and corduroy. Maybe because I feel more at ease, I don't feel as beat up at the end of the day. To each his own. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pokkis Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 3 hours ago, slopestar said: I’m thinking I’ll need to soften up my RC-10’s a lot to have that softboot feel? I assume you have black tongues on your boots, if so, try red ones, and you could try Drupi's spring system with softer springs if that is not enogh. Naturally that keeps them reasonable stiff side ways but quite soft for front-back direction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Seeing how you rip I’d love to see what you make of it. I think Ryan Knapton tried a wider board with hardboots at some point and had some interesting takeaways. Worth looking for his video. I think that if you can make your hardboots /plate combination as soft as a stiff softboot setup you might get what you are looking for. I don’t know if that’s possible though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Just looked at your profile to see the likely bindings and angles you'd use for hard boots on a BX board. Your step in TD3 Sidewinders should give you some useful side to side flexibility at the 30/21 to 27/18 angles you list using on a BX style board. Playing around with some inward canting on both bindings may well help with the comfort issues on the inner aspects of your legs/feet. Using any residual tilt as toe lift on both feet would be my recommendation given you're in UPZs with an 11 degree zeppa and as your feet are going to be more beside each other rather than left in front of right. Given that you are trying to solve a comfort/fatigue problem then experimentation aiming for a comfortable & relaxed stance seems the way forward. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted August 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, SunSurfer said: Your step in TD3 Sidewinders should give you some useful side to side flexibility at the 30/21 to 27/18 angles you list using on a BX style board. Playing around with some inward canting on both bindings may well help with the comfort issues on the inner aspects of your legs/feet. Interesting. Going from a narrower BX (24.8 waist) to a 25.8 allowed me to not use my bomber power plates. So I no longer had any lift or canting besides the 2-3 degrees of inward canting I already have built into the footbed of my Flow Bindings. With power plates, I set my 3* cant rings with pure inward canting on both feet and the rotated the binding to my desired angles. Thanks for that Good thing I held on to that Bomber second board kit. Might need some hardware... better call Gumbo Edited August 19, 2019 by slopestar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishsurfer Posted August 20, 2019 Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 i ride my sg soul 159xt with hards its a tad to soft for hards and easy to over power but the waist being 27.5cm isnt much of and an issue going edge to edge but i am used to driving a 29.5 edge to edge quickly in softs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted August 21, 2019 Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 I've been thinking of your conundrum. If what's you're after is relief from pain then the support and adjustability of plates with hardboots might do it. I doubt, however, that you can replicate the feel of softboots just by softening the tongue or springs of your boots. You could get softer fore-aft flex but the boot still isn't really designed to flex sideways. Especially with the cold weather in CO you'll be left with really stiff boots side to side but with no support fore-aft. I tried this last winter and got to the point that it was too soft even for me. In short, I don't think softening the UPZs will get you what you are looking for. Will SideWinder bindings solve this? Dunno. Maybe the solution is to get a third strap? Put plastic in your boots? Stop growing older?!? If your looking for others experience here's Ryan on hardboots with a wider board and Martin Reviewing the DO with softboots and hardboots. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carvin' Marvin Posted August 21, 2019 Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 Go duck and shred park bro! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted August 21, 2019 Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 UPZ ATB boots? They're surprisingly soft. The split board community extensively modifies AT boots to feel more like softies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkaholic Posted August 21, 2019 Report Share Posted August 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Corey said: UPZ ATB boots? They're surprisingly soft. The split board community extensively modifies AT boots to feel more like softies. This plus Phantom Bindings which are designed to have flex/feel more like soft boot binders. Would be an expensive test, and I would be curious of results, but may get you what your after. Ink 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted August 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2019 On 8/21/2019 at 12:10 AM, Carvin' Marvin said: Go duck and shred park bro! That’s the plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west carven Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 howdy just what you need... Deeluxe Ground Control Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boardguru Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 Looking to buy these this season for riding powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLN Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 On 8/21/2019 at 5:37 AM, Corey said: UPZ ATB boots? They're surprisingly soft. The split board community extensively modifies AT boots to feel more like softies. That's what I'd do. I'd play with dynafit TLT or something like that instead of buying ATB. Might be useful for splitboarding (in case of powder) and easier to sell (just in case). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technick Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 This is my setup: Coiler BXFR 168 x 26cm, 11m vsr Deeluxe Track 325 boots with BTS F2 Titanium bindings 22 inch stance. Rear: 25 deg. with inward cant. Front: 50 deg. with toe lift. Rides great and I can quickly switch any board I have! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonofBoarderboy Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 I hope those Deeluxe Ground Controls prove to be as great as they look. If so, I'm on em. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted September 12, 2019 Report Share Posted September 12, 2019 Once you've tuned the forward flex of your h/boots for low angle riding, which might be as simple as riding them in the walk mode or fiddling with the springs and tongues, the sideways flex needs to come from the bindings. I like the low stack, soft bindings, like Carve RS, Burton Carrier, even Race plates. The Carriers have about 3* built in inward canting which you seem to like. But you are a big guy, aren't you? Depends how much trust you have in plastic bindings... Maybe F2 Race? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted September 13, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2019 On 8/26/2019 at 7:26 AM, Technick said: This is my setup: Coiler BXFR 168 x 26cm, 11m vsr Deeluxe Track 325 boots with BTS F2 Titanium bindings 22 inch stance. Rear: 25 deg. with inward cant. Front: 50 deg. with toe lift. Rides great and I can quickly switch any board I have! Similar to what I will set up with Plates. 168 custom saber 25.5 waist extra stiff On 9/12/2019 at 10:33 AM, BlueB said: Once you've tuned the forward flex of your h/boots for low angle riding, which might be as simple as riding them in the walk mode or fiddling with the springs and tongues, the sideways flex needs to come from the bindings. I like the low stack, soft bindings, like Carve RS, Burton Carrier, even Race plates. The Carriers have about 3* built in inward canting which you seem to like. But you are a big guy, aren't you? Depends how much trust you have in plastic bindings... Maybe F2 Race? I have exploded burtons and had some step in f2’s. Found a mint aggression stealth with mint snowpro’s. Might grab it for nostalgia wall hangar and the bindings. Limited budget will have me on gear I own which is upz rc10 and bomber sidewinder step in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted September 14, 2019 Report Share Posted September 14, 2019 Btw, You got me thinking of trying the DO with plates next season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted September 14, 2019 Report Share Posted September 14, 2019 11 hours ago, slopestar said: Similar to what I will set up with Plates. 168 custom saber 25.5 waist extra stiff I have exploded burtons and had some step in f2’s. Found a mint aggression stealth with mint snowpro’s. Might grab it for nostalgia wall hangar and the bindings. Limited budget will have me on gear I own which is upz rc10 and bomber sidewinder step in Is the Stealth the wide, freeride/alpine board? I had one, it rode great untill I hit a big chunk of ice, where it delamed... Snowpros are great bindings, try them! Although I'm not too sure how low the angles can be set, because of the kidney bean holes in the plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted October 24, 2019 Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 On 8/19/2019 at 7:22 AM, slopestar said: ...I’m thinking I’ll need to soften up my RC-10’s a lot to have that softboot feel? Sorry to resurrect this thread but as I was de-storing my boots today and realized I forgot something. Mr. Ice Suggested this to me last season and it really made a difference. He suggested switching out my liners for softboot liners. These are much softer and made the boot way more compliable in all directions. I think that's way easier to do than messing with the tongue and might be better for that exact purpose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted October 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2019 Thanks Jordan. Worth a try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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