Galen Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 I picked up a Coiler 160 SL last spring in the classifieds here and the seller said it had a 7.5 stiffness rating. I'm guessing this means moderately stiff? I rode it this past couple days and loved it, quite an adjustment from my Burton Speed 158 though! I was able to flex it pretty well with my 150 lbs on one very icey day at hood ski bowl, and one really nice ( 40+ degrees) at hood meadows. I really like the stiffness in the soft chop, as my Speed would have been jumping all over the place. Just wanted some feedback on the stiffness rating so I have some reference if I ever order a board from Coiler. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 I picked up a Coiler 160 SL last spring in the classifieds here and the seller said it had a 7.5 stiffness rating. I'm guessing this means moderately stiff? I rode it this past couple days and loved it, quite an adjustment from my Burton Speed 158 though! I was able to flex it pretty well with my 150 lbs on one very icey day at hood ski bowl, and one really nice ( 40+ degrees) at hood meadows. I really like the stiffness in the soft chop, as my Speed would have been jumping all over the place. Just wanted some feedback on the stiffness rating so I have some reference if I ever order a board from Coiler. Thanks! I'm not sure exactly what the Coiler stiffness index measures, but the values seem to vary from model to model. My PR 188 is a 6.6 and if feels stiffer under my feet than my AM 182 which is a 7.1 (which is exactly the way I like them:) ) If you do order a Coiler, and you tell Bruce which model and stiffness you have, and what you think of it, I suspect he'll consider that info as well as everything else when dialing your board. Bruce has a true gift for customizing stiffness and flex based on a phone call or a few emails... My two Coilers are very different boards yet both awesome at what they are designed for. Just give him as much info about yourself as you can and be honest, and you'll be a very happy boarder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARCrider Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 Bruce measures stiffness in mm. Sets blocks under tip and tail, then calibrates his device to zero at board center. After placing static load on board top his measuring device will capture the amount of camber deflection. A higher number for a softer board because it flexes further with the same load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 I thought the deflection was subtracted from some number so that a bigger number meant stiffer? He sent me a good description of it but I can't find it. At any rate, you can only compare them between boards of the same length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe T Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 I believe Neil is right about the stiffness, the higher the number, the stiffer it is. And yes, I believe the stiffness ratings can only be compared relative to the same board model and perhaps even the length. The only exception to this would probably be on his early model boards. Although there would also be a stiffness rating on them, I believe Bruce switched his method for measuring at some point. The distance between the blocks or the static load weight that ARCrider describes were probably not the same as what Bruce uses now. Gabe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARCrider Posted December 11, 2005 Report Share Posted December 11, 2005 Perhaps Bruce calibrates his measuring device to 10 and subtracts from that. Don't know exactly but it is camber deflection in mm is it not. My boards' stiffness after build were PR188(6.7), PR184(6.8) and AM172(7.6). The GS boards feel stiff the AM does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted December 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 OK, lots of info, thanks! I was just curious how stiff the board is relative to others, but sounds like there's too many factors to nail it down, other then just riding other boards, "yeah, this ones stiffer then that one" :rolleyes: Not an issue really. Like Mike T said, Coiler can get me what I need once I give them personal info, if I decide at some point in the future to order one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 just order one, they are totally amazing boards. email bruce and see when he is taking more orders, from past experience all the slots get filled up quickly, so its a good idea to talk with him asap. these things are worth the wait and ride like nothing else, also the price is right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Bob (since Im following you around) read the OP :) he already has one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 it was built for someone else though, perhaps I should have said they are worth the wait due to having it tailored to the rider and the suggestions that Bruce may make might lead you to a different board than what you have in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freecarver Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 suggestions that Bruce may make might lead you to a different board than what you have in mind. Well,when I first join the waiting list I was going to order a FC when Bruce started to make my board and through all the emails I ended up to RC II 180 with stiffness 6.8. I've never regreted the board is super.Thanks Bruce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 board. should work out well, I will have board that will have the extra length that I like but a slightly tight turn radius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Perhaps Bruce calibrates his measuring device to 10 and subtracts from that.Don't know exactly but it is camber deflection in mm is it not. My boards' stiffness after build were PR188(6.7), PR184(6.8) and AM172(7.6). The GS boards feel stiff the AM does not. Awesome info - your PR's are .1 higher than mine, so I know now that if I see an AM172 at ~7.5 I should snap it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 talk to me at the end of this season if you are in the market for a AM 173, mine is 8.1 though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 I'm posting this with permission from Bruce: "Support the board right at the end of the contact surface exactly 120mm above a totally flat surface. Apply 75 lbs to the middle of the board but weight must be touching only at the inserts so you need to make some little bridging structure that only touches at the inserts. The weight then sits in the middle of the board but not touching except at the inserts. Then it is just a matter of taking the measurement at the lowest part of the board which is usually the middle and that is the number ( in cms) that you will see on my boards. It is not indexed to length so say a 7.0 stiffnesss on a 170 is quite a bit softer than a 7.0 on a 180 as the longer board needs to be stiffer to deflect the same amount. I did not index it to a generic numbering system as I was afraid of any calculation errors that may creep up. I have a chart that tells me which stiffness works best on average for any weight, board length combo. Its pretty accurate as I rarely get any complaints. Most manufacturers would never dare use a system like this as board stiffness is almost impossible to control given the great variance in wood density and tight tolerances required. So even if you cut the cores identical and laminate identical, mother nature will still come up and slap you in the face!" I'm assuming he is measuring the gap between the lowest point on the board and the flat surface, which would mean a higher number is a stiffer board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARCrider Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Awesome info - your PR's are .1 higher than mine, so I know now that if I see an AM172 at ~7.5 I should snap it up The 188 was not made for me but the other two were. usually around 200lbs. I'd say yes, snap up an AM. But if you get one you might use that 188 even less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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