I've been riding a Lib-Tech Skate Banana for 2 years now and it has changed my riding immensely. The grip from the MTX edges is great.
I am ready to move up to something a little bit more advanced which is still forgiving enough to be used all day on the mountain without tiring me out too much.
Because of my love of Magnetraction, I'm limited to only a few manufacturers, mainly Mervin (Gnu & Lib Tech).
I've been considering the following boards and I would appreciate accounts of your personal experiences with them on the mountain:
I'm looking for carving machine that's still catchfree and easy to maneuver on moguls and uneven terrain. Not too stiff and not buttery either. Powder performance is not that important to me but it would be a bonus.
I'm seriously considering the Banana Magic, however I want to definitively rule out the other 2 boards mentioned above before making a purchase.
I feel that buying a C2 or Xc2 board is too much of a risk as they may not agree with my riding style or they may be just too hardcore for all day use.
So, the questions I would like answered are:
a) Are the Catch free with a detuned front edge ?
b) Are they easy to initiate carves ?
c) The Travis Rice Pro 150 is rated with Flex rating of 5. Which is the same rating as a Skate Banana 152. Is that accurate or do they feel different in reality ?
d) Is the TRS harder to ride or the Travis Rice Pro model ?
All your input is appreciated ladies and gentlemen.
Many Thanks, Rez
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:
I'm looking for carving machine that's still catchfree and easy to maneuver on moguls and uneven terrain. Not too stiff and not buttery either. Powder performance is not that important to me but it would be a bonus.
That is pretty much the description of the Jones MT - easy to ride all day, lovely edge hold, carves great and good in pow as well. Although I don't find it playful or 'fun' exactly underfoot I enjoy riding around on it, fast, in varied conditions with confidence.
Not much of a view on Mervin boards, sorry. Although Jones, Burton and Rossignol all have various forms of wavy edges I think - just to widen your choice further.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
The only board with wobbly edges that I've used was a Rossignol Krypto which was fun for tearing around the whole mountain, but that doesn't really help you because they don't come shorter than 156.
As @kat.ryb says, don't limit yourself. Get out there and test some boards.
Carving machine? Well that'd be stiff and camber. Playful? Mid flexing and with maybe some rocker. Powder? Big rockered nose plus taper. No single board can excel in all three areas. These middle of the road boards are often just meh in all three. It's rider skill that makes the difference. But Travis Rice.....? Exactly. You're much better off aiming for great in one, good in another and ok in the third, whatever your priorities are.
I've tried the SB and the TRS. I thought the SB was a kids toy and the TRS was one of those meh boards - still fun but snowboarding is fun regardless of whatever I'm strapped to. The TRS definately 'feels' a little stiffer than the SB. Why the Lib obsession? I'd rather have a Gnu and I'd rather have pretty much any of the other decent brands than Mervin. Yes, Capita, Jones, Rossi, Flow, Nitro, Rome, Ride, Salomon and many more all make great boards. Check out the Flow Whiteout, Rome Mod Rocker, Yes Standard, Salomon Assassin.
All that said I'd probably say the T Rice of the three if you held a gun to my head.
Getting better at riding trumps any 'cheat' technology hands down though.
Why such a small board - how much do you weigh?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
BoardLover wrote:
Because of my love of Magnetraction, I'm limited to only a few manufacturers, mainly Mervin (Gnu & Lib Tech).
and smokin, who imo have the best warranty and replacement policy in the business...
After all it is free
After all it is free
Snow Hound wrote:
Carving machine? Well that'd be stiff and camber. Playful? Mid flexing and with maybe some rocker. Powder? Big rockered nose plus taper. No single board can excel in all three areas. These middle of the road boards are often just meh in all three. It's rider skill that makes the difference. But Travis Rice.....? Exactly. You're much better off aiming for great in one, good in another and ok in the third, whatever your priorities are.
I've tried the SB and the TRS. I thought the SB was a kids toy and the TRS was one of those meh boards - still fun but snowboarding is fun regardless of whatever I'm strapped to. The TRS definately 'feels' a little stiffer than the SB. Why the Lib obsession? I'd rather have a Gnu and I'd rather have pretty much any of the other decent brands than Mervin. Yes, Capita, Jones, Rossi, Flow, Nitro, Rome, Ride, Salomon and many more all make great boards. Check out the Flow Whiteout, Rome Mod Rocker, Yes Standard, Salomon Assassin.
All that said I'd probably say the T Rice of the three if you held a gun to my head.
Getting better at riding trumps any 'cheat' technology hands down though.
Why such a small board - how much do you weigh?
Thanks for your comments.
I know that one board cannot do all things well, but some boards allow you to have fun in most environments.
I love Mervin boards because of Magnetraction. The edge hold is phenomenal and I just cant do without them anymore.
I weigh 75 kg, but the reason I use smaller boards is because of my foot size which is 6.
Most standard width boards are even wide for me. Also I'm 5'6" and a low centre of gravity doesn't lend itself to longer boards. I've tried them and they are a handful for me.
I think I'm gonna get a Banana Magic 152. I've heard despite its enhanced Rocker, it feels more like a C2 (Hybrid rocker camber).
It is supposed to have a good pop too and with shorter turning radius, it just might be exactly what I'm looking for.
If other manufacturers did Magnetraction edges, then I would give them a try. Gnu obviously do and Rossignol (on a limited number of their boards).
I rode Salomon, K2 and Burton boards for years but the confidence that Magnetraction gives me beats all those boards.
I would love to try out a Gnu board. But there I'm faced with the same dilemma of wanting a more aggressive board and not knowing which to trust. Thei range of C2 BTX boards like the Rider's Choice are very similar to the TRS.
Be Well.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I'm gonna chuck in the Capita Black Snowboard Of Death as a suggestion, if you're not dead set on lib tech. It even has a wavy edge (death grip)!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Have you considered the Yes models with Camrock and underbite? Probably easier to check out their website than for me to attempt to explain.
Loving the 2016/17 Optimistic but think it will be too wide for you, the lengths are shortish though.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I rode a TRS thing (the one from the videos) a couple of seasons ago, probably a 157 for my 62Kgs. There are so many different models (a good thing) so you need to ride several to get the right one. The one I had was not bad. They're user-friendly boards to ride, although the twin business compromises them in powder.
Being in the UK's no excuse, you can't buy stuff you've not ridden, or you'll end up at 70Kgs on a 152 board, which is a really bad idea. At that weight, you need longer boards: Lib publish "minimum" weights which are less useful than most, but you're still way the wrong side of that line. You're looking at boards too small for you. Even where you have a board like the Nug or the Con Artist, which are designed to be ridden short, most people don't like those outside of the park.
If you ride boards you're too big for, then it doesn't really matter what they are, as you're going to overpower them.
You don't actually get more grip from crinkly edges: google around for the evidence on that.
If you're catching edges, then it's a technique issue. Take some lessons, rent some boards, ask your instructor for advice on what you should be looking at in a purchase.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Quote:
You don't actually get more grip from crinkly edges: google around for the evidence on that.
Magnetraction does work. I know because I've owned boards with and without them. They offer the best edge grip technology available.
Your comments on weight are also wrong. In choosing boards, weight only becomes an issue at extreme ends of the spectrum, for instance when the rider weighs 40kg or 110 kg.
Please don't dispense uneducated advice.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
BoardLover wrote:
Quote:
You don't actually get more grip from crinkly edges: google around for the evidence on that.
Magnetraction does work. I know because I've owned boards with and without them. They offer the best edge grip technology available.
Your comments on weight are also wrong. In choosing boards, weight only becomes an issue at extreme ends of the spectrum, for instance when the rider weighs 40kg or 110 kg.
Please don't dispense uneducated advice.
i'd take a guess that Phil does more riding in a month than you've done in your entire life, so yes, feel free to ignore the advice and information your given, but to call someone uneducated when you don't know them from adam is a bit rich.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I'd take a guess that you're Phil's Bitch.
If you can't be constructive, spend your time elsewhere.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I would second the motion that magnetraction doesnt give more edge hold than a normal edge, I've owned many snowboards over the years and you will never beat a cambered board with sharp edges for grip. Where most people go wrong is they buy boards that are too short or there technique is poor. I dislike full rocker as it doesn't inspire confidence or teach proper edge control. As for being in the UK and struggling to demo all the domes have demo days later in the year or go to something like spring break in Austria where they'll have all next year's kit to demo.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Oh and I believe Phil lives in whistler so he probably gets to ride more than most.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
BoardLover wrote:
I'd take a guess that you're Phil's Bitch.
If you can't be constructive, spend your time elsewhere.
I do spend my time elsewhere, mainly snowboarding... I average about 90 days a season and would also second what Phil says.
either take the advice or don't, but calling people bitch and uneducated just because they don't agree with you makes you look far from constructive.
enjoy your gayperstick......
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Quote:
I would second the motion that magnetraction doesnt give more edge hold than a normal edge
Oooh I was totally taken in by the marketing then on the Jones MT! I really do feel like it has better edge hold than my old board. Maybe its just its new with sharp edges! #placeboeffect
All your input is appreciated ladies and gentlemen.
... Please don't dispense uneducated advice.
I guess in fact all input is not appreciated. Much seems to be returned with abuse - how do you think that makes you appear?
You're riding a board designed for someone much lighter, and you seem to think that crinkly edges will help you with edge control. You've received good advice, but your ego doesn't like it. That's probably why you're struggling: you have to be prepared to learn in order to learn.
For others here, this is a test of crinkly edges demonstrating how well they work:
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
