Jump to content
Note to New Members ×

149cm board to small for a rider 5'2" 140lbs?


ar(angel

Recommended Posts

I've got a guy interested in one of my 149cm Oxygen KR's, but he's 5'2" and 140lbs. Derf's website has the catalog from this particular model year and they recommend a rider weight of 88lbs +. Anybody ride an Oxy this size? Thanks in advance for your help, I appreciate it,

Paul

post-857-141842203559_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul,

My wife loves the 149 I got from you. She's 5'7 /135 lbs. So much, she didn't bother taking her 160 out West this year. I took it out for kicks for a couple runs, had a blast. Forgot how much fun a turny little board could be @ home! :D

Mario

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And girls :D Great to hear your wife enjoyed the board Mario, I always like to hear that the boards work out for people. Henry I'm looking to get $69.99 plus shipping. They're on ebay in my ebay store (ar(angel alpine gear) if you want more details, or e-mail me and we can talk. Mirror & Kamran thanks once again for your input, you guys have come to my rescue more than once this year.

Have fun,

Paul

p.s. Mirror if you're ever in the market for a Renntiger in 153-158 let me know! Thanks, P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll be contacting him again tonight. Thanks for the post, it's always goods to get both kinds of feedback so I can tell him not all were positive. Last thing I want to do is sell someone something they can't use. I'm trying to get him to consider one of my Renntigers in 153, but they're a bit more pricey, so that may deter him,

Thanks again,

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... more than a matter of expertise. After 12 years of snowboarding (the last 7 exclusively hardbooting, lately on an Prior 4WD), my hubby (5'9", 190 lbs) just bought himself an 159 Oxygen to play with. Not because he's still a novice, but simply because, as he puts it, he enjoys turning more than going fast. He's having a blast and the board seems to have no problem at all supporting him.

(Yes, I know this thread is over a week old by now, but I'm just now catching up to things :D )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I review my threads every now and then as a form of research so it's always good to get fresh info. I have a friend who's been riding for about 20 years and he still claims to this day that his Rossi 159 is his favorite carving board!

Thanks,

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I'm 5'2" and about 135 lbs. I got the Oxygen Proton 149 at the end of this season. Although I didn't really get to test it out very well (carving is hard in 2 feet of fresh snow!), I really liked it! I feel safer with a small board because I can make shorter turns easier for when the slopes are crowded and still have fun. I've never been on a board longer than a 156 and that was many years ago. (A Nitro Asym). Well, I take that back, I tried my friend's Fat Bob 160 once..... that was pretty funny..... But anyway, for some people price is a big factor. If their not sure they are going to like carving, why spend the money? But on the other hand, if they get something cheap that isn't suitable, maybe they won't like it too much! Hmmmmmmm........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Jim Callen

I feel that new carvers should start out on semi-long boards.

-snip-

I frankly think it's harder and takes more skill to ride a shorter board.

I'm with you, Jim. In addition to the factors you cited, you generally get a larger sweet spot with the longer board so there is a little more error-tolerance in terms of fore-aft positioning.

My wife would agree too. She's 5'2" / 130, a very good softie rider, and has two alpine boards, a Coiler FC 165 and a Nitro GTX 154. The Nitro, in addition to being shorter, is softer although with more camber. She finds the Coiler night-and-day easier to ride. She likes the fact that she gets to breathe in between edge changes, she finds the Nitro frustrating because she doesn't get a chance to "let each turn sink in".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm 5'7", 130 lb and have ridden my Oxygen Proton 149 in almost all conditions except powder.

I use to think it was an excellent board. Good edge hold, easy to turn, not too soft.

Then I got to demo a Donek FC2 163. One weekend, I rode the Donek on boilerplate which turned to slush. The following weekend, I rode the Proton 149 in pretty much the same conditions.

I expected the Proton 149 to handle the boiler plate conditions better because the edges were razor sharp and I’d be able to control my speed better with the smaller sidecut. The problem was, with the uneven grooming, I was feeling every little imperfection in the snow. The board felt very unstable. I think I got spoiled riding the Donek.

Riding the Donek 163 in very similar conditions, the longer length allowed the board to absorb a lot of the imperfections in the snow, giving a more stable ride.

For all around free-carving, I would also recommend getting a longer board, but maybe not with a GS sidecut.

Once I buy a Donek FC2, my little Proton 149 will get relegated to riding tiny MI resorts when I visit my parents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Jim Callen

I started out on a 178 and it still serves as my rock board, but they don't have much in the way of dampening. Plus, they lock into carves too much for me.

I would have to disagree. My Proton 164 GS is very stable at higher speeds and it dampens out a lot of the imperfections in the snow. I think the 149 doesn't feel very damp because of the short length.

I would agree that the Proton GS boards have a tendency to lock into carves. I've gone off the groomed run once and had a couple of other close calls when I got locked into a carve, couldn't get out of the carve and quickly running out of space:eek: I had to jump the board out of the carve to avert disaster. Never happened on the Proton SL boards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know about the longer Oxygen boards, but I do have this to say.....

CHEAP IS GOOD

I've got two Oxygen boards now... an FR 147 and a Proton 149. The other board I have is an F2 which I was able to get on pro form several years ago. I wouldn't mind having a nicer board, but it isn't going to happen anytime soon!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Jim Callen

I like to take my GS boards all over the hill, and while my 178 performs adequetly on-piste, I've tried taking it elsewhere and it performs like crap.

For off-piste, I'd have to say my Proton 164 GS is above crappy, but just barely adequate. Not enough float when powder is deeper than 1 ft. and too stiff for tight moguls. But still fun in tracked out powder and widely space moguls. And easy to do skid turns when needed.

I would not recommend a Proton GS for beginner carvers, because you need to be going pretty fast to get the board to carve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...