RC10 Straps Slipping

[jim_s]

The top straps on my RC10's have started slipping - at the end of the last few days, they've both been really loose. (I keep the top 2 buckles a bit on the loose side, so that my little 137lb body can flex the boots, and this flex seems to be working the straps loose over the course of a few hours.) This is new behavior - I've not had a problem with them slipping appreciably in the past. Not sure if it's the strap just getting smoothed out from use, or the springs in the buckles getting worn out or what. I considered maybe sewing some velcro onto the straps, so they'd hopefully resist slipping. Anyone else have this develop, and if so, any suggestions? (I guess buying new straps/buckles might be a sensible option, too.)

[lafcadio]

Curious... if you keep your top buckles loose (I do also, especially on my rear boot), what does keeping the top strap tight do for you? 

I'm 155 lbs and I'm trying RC10s this season, coming from Deeluxe Track 225. I like my boots to flex a lot, especially my rear boot. I'm finding the RC10s with the stock (medium?) black tongues too stiff for me. On my rear boot, I ride in walk mode, with the top two buckles very loose, and don't bother using the strap at all. 

At 137 lbs, what tongues do you use on the RC10s? Are you happy with the stiffness of the boots? 

 

[SunSurfer]

Changed mine for Booster straps when I bought them. Never used the UPZ straps, at least not on the boots.

[jim_s]

5 hours ago, lafcadio said:

Curious... if you keep your top buckles loose (I do also, especially on my rear boot), what does keeping the top strap tight do for you? ...

LoL, that's a valid question!   I find that just keeping the buckles loose'ish allows too much flex, but snugging the strap down a bit allows me to still put some pressure on the cuff w/o making them too stiff. (Probably doesn't make sense to hear me describe it, but this is the arrangement I've come to after using the RC10's for a few years.) For whatever reason, making the top 2 buckles each even one more notch tighter just stiffens things up too much, and I tend to then be a lot 'stiffer' feeling on the board, and end up with my weight a bit too far back often times. (I've tried twisting those top 2 bails in and out to fine-tune the tightness on the next notch, but ultimately, still settled on loose'ish on the buckles, and snug'ish on the strap.)

I use the stock black tongues - with the aforementioned buckle/strap arrangement, I find the black tongues to be just about right.  I ride with both boots in 'ride' mode, and with a fair bit of forward lean in them. (I don't ever take them out of 'ride' mode, so I couldn't even tell you any more which position they're in, LoL, as I haven't changed the lean position in years.

I like the RC10's a lot - they're far from the most comfortable boots I've ever used (Intuition liners help on that front a fair bit, but I still tend to flip up the lower 3 buckles for the lift ride most of the time, just to keep the blood flowing), but they're definitely the most performance-oriented boots I've ever used. It's a tradeoff between comfort and responsiveness - I find the responsiveness to be worth the discomfort. (In truth, they're most uncomfortable for the first few runs of the day. I think the blood volume in my foot reduces after a few runs of being squeezed tight, and they tend not to be as overly-tight feeling after that, though I still tend to flip those lower buckles up between runs, so that I can wear the boots all day w/o problems.)Good luck with your testing of them - give them some time, and definitely play around with the innumerable adjustment options on them - they're worth the trouble, IMHO. (And if you haven't already, I can highly recommend Intuition liners. The stock UPZ liners are an embarrassment to the UPZ brand, IMHO - they feel like they're made of fabric-wrapped corrugated cardboard, and have the corresponding comfort, foot support, and insulation properties of some fabric glued over a single layer of cardboard.  The boots were initially just about unusable for me with the stock liners. The Intuition liners made them usable-bordering-on-comfortable.

@SunSurfer - do you have a link to the straps you referred to?

Edited March 14, 2022 by jim_s

[st_lupo]

These ones: https://boosterstrap.com/

I love them too, and they shouldn't be too hard to find (and as a last resort you can get them off of Amazon).  

[SunSurfer]

That's them. Buckles grip well, and they don't loosen over the day. I pop riveted mine to the back of my boot cuffs once I'd worked out the "ideal" position for me.

https://imgur.com/a/wJC0YBo

The boots have a number of modifications, more on the rear.

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by SunSurfer

[Corey]

3rd recommendation for Booster straps here. They have a bit of flex so they move with the boot, but never slip. 

[jim_s]

Ok, next question - which firmness of the Booster strap?  I'm used to the non-flexing 'Shoxxter' straps (non-flexing until they started slipping this season, LoL), so I guess the firmer the better? (Bearing in mind that I use the upper strap to add stiffness to a relatively loose upper cuff, so I'm not sure I need much stretch/give in the strap. But, I'd welcome input from others who use the Boosters.)

Edited March 14, 2022 by jim_s

[bigwavedave]

I'm 185lbs and use medium straps for recreational carving.

I used to route them outside the plastic tongue of the boot on UPZ's. I now have MountainSlopes and run the booster strap under the shell's tongue (in direct contact with the liner) and much prefer how that feels. Not sure if you can do it that way with UPZs.

[slabber]

 

I'm using the Shoxxter Plus from UPZ.  No slippage as it's a ratchet/buckle strap.

[daveo]

When I had UPZ RC10, I used the UPZ Power Strap SHOXXTER Plus straps (which have a ratchet instead of buckle) for a short period of time. But I found them too locked for a top strap so I gave them to my friend in Japan who wanted a set.

Then I switched to a WC Booster, which was great, but I ended up giving that away too because I switched to a G-Style top strap, which I prefer because it offers the same little bit of give the Booster does, but I can unbuckle it on the lift.

Now on my carve boots I run a G-Style top strap and on my softer all mountain boots I run an Intermediate Booster.

[st_lupo]

I'm 185lb and use the WC Booster straps (under the RC-10's black tongue).  I am very satisfied with the performance.  The way I think about the strap is not so much as adjusting the boot's flex but as changing the feeling of the "dead-band" between the bulk movement of the shin and the boot shell.  For my style of riding I like a faster response, so I don't like a mushy dead-band, and I use the world-cup straps, which have a higher spring-rate.  The trade-off is that the setup may feel twitchier and more sensitive to terrain variation.  Softer straps are going to give you a softer dead-band for an equivalent initial tension.  Ignoring the effect of increased shear force between the boot-liner and the back of the shell, boot flex is still determined by the springs/tongues.