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  #1  
Old February 26th 04, 03:14 AM
cipher
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Posts: n/a
Default noob questions

I've gone snowboarding 3 times now and I am officially hooked. I'm in the
process of researching gear and would appreciate suggestions. Obviously a
noob so freestyle isn't in my vocabulary yet and may never be so I'm
thinking an all mountain board would suit me best. My first choice would be
a Burton Custom as it seems that my abilities could grow with this board for
a long time to come. I'm 6' 2", 175 lbs, shoe size is 10 - 10.5. Would a
160 board be long enough? The rental gear I've used all had step in
bindings and I love the convenience but I've read they don't offer the same
control as the traditional strap bindings. Flow bindings look like a very
nice alternative - are they as advertised? (control of strap bindings,
convenience of step ins) TIA
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  #2  
Old February 26th 04, 12:25 PM
Edmunde Lee
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Default noob questions

(cipher) wrote in message . com...
I've gone snowboarding 3 times now and I am officially hooked. I'm in the
process of researching gear and would appreciate suggestions. Obviously a
noob so freestyle isn't in my vocabulary yet and may never be so I'm
thinking an all mountain board would suit me best. My first choice would be
a Burton Custom as it seems that my abilities could grow with this board for
a long time to come. I'm 6' 2", 175 lbs, shoe size is 10 - 10.5. Would a
160 board be long enough? The rental gear I've used all had step in
bindings and I love the convenience but I've read they don't offer the same
control as the traditional strap bindings. Flow bindings look like a very
nice alternative - are they as advertised? (control of strap bindings,
convenience of step ins) TIA



Flows are a good thing.

I personally use a Burton step-in system.. but mainly because I
scored a really good deal on boots and bindings. Problem with most
(all) step in systems is that you need to buy the boot specifically
for the binding. Flows, and strap bindings, you can use a multitude
of different boots. Do they have less control? Perhaps... but
probably nothing you're going to notice until your skill level
increases. I ride pretty hard with my setup, focusing more on
carving, and high speed turns, and I do ok. Mind you, I have made a
few subtle improvements, using a few straps on my boots to make them
stiffer.

A Burton Custom is not a bad choice for you, and 160 sounds about
right as well... just don't be so quick to jump on the popular brand
name bandwagon without considering the other fine makers out there...
not to say anything bad against Burton..

Break a leg...
  #3  
Old February 26th 04, 01:04 PM
Simon B.
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Posts: n/a
Default noob questions

"cipher" asked
some questions about gear


Hi Cipher,
let me quote Tom who posted a few concerns about Flow Bindings a while back:

schrieb im Newsbeitrag
om...


let me begin by saying i'm a huge fan of the flow binding, but with a
asterisk. I'm a fan of the old design, not the new one.
I wore my old ones until the base plate literaly fell apart, so this
year i went out and bought a new pair. I really splurged and bought
the carbon fiber hi-back model and was excited about getting on the
mountain with it, until i actually got on the mountain.
On the old design the cable was attached a little higher on the high
back so when you flipped it up the pressure would keep the highback
up. on the new one they lowered where the cable connects and added a
slot on the high back that the plastic piece fits into and then is
held in place with two small strips of metal. When you go to the shop
take a good look at those strips of metal, push them in and imagine
how much force it would take to bend either one or both of them.
On my first day out on a black diamond run on an icy east coast hill,
i suddenly felt my back foot go loose when i looked down my back
highback had flopped down, my foot was out of the binding and i was
getting ready for a spill of epic proportions. At first I didn't
realize what was going on, but i couldn't get the highback to stay up.
luckily i was snowboarding with my friend who is a lot like Mcguyver
and he immedietly saw why the highback wasn't staying up took his car
keys out and bent the metal strips out enough so they caught the
highback. that worked for a run or two, but again the force from
turning (I'm no pro, but I do like to go hard, fast and steep) made
the metal strips bend and my highback dropped down again. Now I was
scared, I didn't want to get hurt, so I bent it out again with my keys
and carefully made my way to the lodge where i rented a pair of
convential bindings.
Looking back at the design it's striking to think that Flow would put
such cheap elements into such an important part of the binding. I
don't know what they were thinking, and yes i'm sure they tested the
hell out of this thing before they put it on the market, but still,
these skinny, cheap, pieces of metal are not what i want standing
between me and a bad fall. The one really intresting thing is that on
Flow's most expensive, hardest to find binding, the pro model, they
are still using the old design and not those metal strips.
And to add injury to insult, the new cable is not long enough, so the
highback doens't flop down when you release the highback, which is the
whole point of the flow design. if it doesn't flop down when you
release you can't step in or step out, so what exactly is the point in
having a step-in binding that you can't step into?

tom


and now on to Todd:

"toddjb" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
om...
If you buy flow bindings, strongly consider flow boots as well.

I rode a pair of Pro-S flows for 10 days with my "32" boots.
First off, the bindings fit awful with those boots and I could never
get them snug without foot pain...however, since I sold the flows I
also noticed a lot of damage to my rear boot at the heel. The friction
of the flow highback coming up and scraping the side of the boot each time
broke through some seams on the boot and scraped the heel up pretty
good.

If you can wait a year I heard a rumor that Ride is coming out with
a very cool flow like system next year. I haven't seen it but it is
supposed to have straps, but a highback that drops down. So, you get
the quick easy-in/easy-out, but the on-slope adjustments of straps...
and the top strap would rise up when you drop the highback so it is
easy to get your foot in and out. That's what i heard, who knows if
its true. Since I didn't like the flows, i think its worth waiting
to see what's out next season. If you don't like anything, you can
always buy a 03/04 model cheap on ebay.

-t


HtH and HF,
Simon


  #4  
Old February 26th 04, 03:43 PM
cipher
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Posts: n/a
Default noob questions

Thanks for the info. As you know, there are so many brands of boards
available, so I gravitated to something I recognized. What other names
would you recommend?


"Edmunde Lee" wrote in message
om...
(cipher) wrote in message

. com...
I've gone snowboarding 3 times now and I am officially hooked. I'm in

the
process of researching gear and would appreciate suggestions. Obviously

a
noob so freestyle isn't in my vocabulary yet and may never be so I'm
thinking an all mountain board would suit me best. My first choice

would be
a Burton Custom as it seems that my abilities could grow with this board

for
a long time to come. I'm 6' 2", 175 lbs, shoe size is 10 - 10.5. Would

a
160 board be long enough? The rental gear I've used all had step in
bindings and I love the convenience but I've read they don't offer the

same
control as the traditional strap bindings. Flow bindings look like a

very
nice alternative - are they as advertised? (control of strap bindings,
convenience of step ins) TIA



Flows are a good thing.

I personally use a Burton step-in system.. but mainly because I
scored a really good deal on boots and bindings. Problem with most
(all) step in systems is that you need to buy the boot specifically
for the binding. Flows, and strap bindings, you can use a multitude
of different boots. Do they have less control? Perhaps... but
probably nothing you're going to notice until your skill level
increases. I ride pretty hard with my setup, focusing more on
carving, and high speed turns, and I do ok. Mind you, I have made a
few subtle improvements, using a few straps on my boots to make them
stiffer.

A Burton Custom is not a bad choice for you, and 160 sounds about
right as well... just don't be so quick to jump on the popular brand
name bandwagon without considering the other fine makers out there...
not to say anything bad against Burton..

Break a leg...



  #5  
Old February 26th 04, 06:09 PM
Jason Watkins
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Posts: n/a
Default noob questions

thinking an all mountain board would suit me best. My first choice would be
a Burton Custom as it seems that my abilities could grow with this board for
a long time to come. I'm 6' 2", 175 lbs, shoe size is 10 - 10.5. Would a
160 board be long enough? The rental gear I've used all had step in


I think the burton custom is a great beginner board. If you're still
trying to get totally comfortable linking turns, it'll be great. It
makes tight slow turns pretty easy.

But, I do think it might be a little soft for aggressive all mountain
riding once you get past the beginner days. Something a little stiffer
may require a bit more effort to ride, but it'll reward you with a
higher speed limit and better stability through crap snow.

On the other hand, if you do think you're gonna end up in the park on
rails, a slightly soft board should be what you want (or so I'm told,
I don't ride rails, and do little else in the park).

So, in my opinion, when you're starting out boarding, you really don't
know what kind of riding you want. So there's no way to chose the
"right" board. I'd suggest going a little on the cheap, or just be
prepared to buy a new board for your 2nd season. Don't buy something
so crap you can't learn... but just think "this is my board to learn
on and for my first year" rather than "this is my board for the next 4
years". That's all.

For your weight, 160 should be fine.


bindings and I love the convenience but I've read they don't offer the same
control as the traditional strap bindings. Flow bindings look like a very
nice alternative - are they as advertised? (control of strap bindings,
convenience of step ins) TIA


I tried flows for the first time this last weekend. I'm sold. I
personally do not think they're easier than straps to step into... but
I only had a couple runs of messing with them. One problem I'd see
with flows for a total beginner is that you can't sit on your but and
strap into them... you have to be on toeside. Some folks might not
like that.

The flow's are also harder to adjust... so again, as a beginner you'll
probibly be changing your stance settings pretty often as you try
stuff... that'll be a little more annoying with the flows.

I thought they were *fantastic* for riding though. Very comfortable,
very firm hold on your foot, no pressure points like with some strap
bindings. I tried the Pro C Extreme, and it's definately the best
binding I've used so far. I'd reccomend it to anyone that wants a
stiff solid binding. I like my current bindings a lot, so I'm
surprised how much better the flow are.

Unforetunately, finding flow in stock can be hard, and when you do,
they won't be a bargin :/.

I use salomon bindings where the two halfs of the toe strap don't
totally seperate when you loosen it up all the way. It makes strapping
in pretty dang quick. I'm definately faster strapping than my friends
because of them.
  #6  
Old February 27th 04, 11:55 AM
Werner Jacobi
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Posts: n/a
Default noob questions

Jason Watkins wrote:

bindings and I love the convenience but I've read they don't offer the same
control as the traditional strap bindings. Flow bindings look like a very
nice alternative - are they as advertised? (control of strap bindings,
convenience of step ins) TIA



I tried flows for the first time this last weekend. I'm sold. I
personally do not think they're easier than straps to step into... but
I only had a couple runs of messing with them. One problem I'd see
with flows for a total beginner is that you can't sit on your but and
strap into them... you have to be on toeside. Some folks might not
like that.


Best time to learn to strap into the binding while standing. No big
deal, really. Looks damn stupid if you fall while trying to flip the
highback up though..
And it's always faster than sitting down.

The flow's are also harder to adjust... so again, as a beginner you'll
probibly be changing your stance settings pretty often as you try
stuff... that'll be a little more annoying with the flows.


I have marked the positions of the 4 ratchets on each binding with a
silver marker pen.

I thought they were *fantastic* for riding though. Very comfortable,
very firm hold on your foot, no pressure points like with some strap
bindings. I tried the Pro C Extreme, and it's definately the best
binding I've used so far. I'd reccomend it to anyone that wants a
stiff solid binding. I like my current bindings a lot, so I'm
surprised how much better the flow are.


I had to change boots to get full benefit from the flow binding. Now I
have a pair of Burton Moto's. Best boot/binding combo for me. YMMV, though.

Unforetunately, finding flow in stock can be hard, and when you do,
they won't be a bargin :/.


Same in Germany. I dread the day my flows break. Won't be cheap to
replace..


--
Werner Jacobi
nichtrauscherzone studio
http://www.nichtrauscherzone.de

 




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