 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Hi folks I've just bought my first board and trying to get my setup right having spent the last hour in the Chill FactorE I've seen that my feet are a lot closer than most of the boarders there, even though we are of a similar height. I ride a 159 and am 5'10. Now I originally setup my bindings to be roughly hip width apart (I can actually see my outside binding holes on each set) which from a comfort persepctive is good. But am I limiting myself in terms of riding by having such a narrow stance, I'm thinking leverage of the board? thoughts much appreciated cheers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
i'm prepared to go down under a barrage of criticism, but in my book being comfortable is a fine place to start. As long as you're able to flex and move easily then comfort is pkrimary - you'll be concentrating on your riding not your stance. Don't know where you'll be riding but shifting your stance back a little will help in powder. I'm similar to you 5'10 on a 161 (but i'm a bit of a fat bloke and like the extra float  )
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
this is how i was taught how to set up board on the mcnab course.
1stly you look at width - stand hip width and put pressure on your '4 edges' - toe left foot, toe right foot, heel right foot, heel left foot. Now edge your feet a couple of inches wider and do the same pressure - does it feel 'stronger/easier', basically keep doing this at different width positions and you will probably find one width where putting that pressure on feels comfortable, easy and in particular 'strong'. That is your personal width setting.
(In every case for the riders in my classes it was wider than they were currently riding)
2ndly - angle - you're not so bothered about this - but for the benefit of other folks - I think this bit was about sinking down and doing the same 4 pressures as before but at different angles and finding the angle that had least strain on your knee. This gives your personal angle. Depending on what kind of riding you do - can then choose to use that angle on a 'duck' setting if your riding switch alot, or if like me - your cruising around most of the time I like to 'have more' of the angle on my front foot
Hope that makes some sort of sense...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I used Masque's guide:
| Quote: |
Binding Width:
First measurement: Rest your elbow on a flat surface, make sure your forearm is vertical, extend your middle finger and give someone the 'bird' . . . measure from the tip of your index finger to the flat surface and remember it because that, for the vast majority of us, is the natural distance between the centre-foot points when we are best balanced to fight or flee. It's also the same as the measurement between the axes of your knee and ankle joints, but essentially you should use this as your basic distance between the centres of your binding disks. This measurement is where you first set your bindings as a beginner. |
No issues with it. Very comfortable. As get more technical I might feel the need for a change but for now it's great..
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
bladeski, I went througha phase of setting my bindings really wide. It allowed me to really rip the board around, especially when doing little jumps and rails, but at the cost of overall comfort. I found if I set them too far apart, because my legs (calves) were angled, I was putting too much pressure on the outside edge of my foot and creating heel lift. Cramps along the outside of my foot were excrutiating in the end. Now I've basically set it so my bindings are just wider than if I were to stand up straight on the ground and I can ride all day wihout even feeling fatigued.
As for angles, I used to ride -20/+20 duck bu I still don't feel alltogeher comfortable riding switch so I've binned that idea off and have my rear at -7 and the front at +15 so it's more a of a downhill charging stance. I can still ride switch but having a setup like this means I have much more control ovber big carves, especially when leaning back in powder. It feels more like surfing now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
cheers guys quick response as always.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I just setup my bindings on my new board following the tips in the GoSnowboard book (McNab again).
Basically they are set up with my feet about hip width apart.
Ridden 2 days with this setup and have felt great after each day - although I don't know if it's the Skate Banana contributing to that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are plenty of instructional videos on youtube 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Hip width sounds a bit narrow, shoulder width is more normal.
One suggestion I've heard is the width should be the same as the height of the top of your knee from the sole of your heel, although I have no idea why!
Start at somewhere around shoulder width, then try wider/narrower variations to see what feels best. Good riders are likely to find that a wider stance offers better control (as your feet are nearer the control points) but there is obviously a bio-mechanical limit so it's not the-wider-the-better!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
the Kruisler route is the one - though I sometimes choose it a little wider... Basically you want a fairly equilateral triangle if you imagine your knees nearly together making the triangle with your feet. - I find its slightly wider than hips for me
The reasons behind it are simple - if you ignore the board and stand feet together you've got great backwards forwards stability and rubbish sideways stability, if you put your feet as wide as you can apart you've got great sideways stability and rubbish backwards and forwards stability.... so you want to strike a balance between the two
having said all of that if you ain't comfortable its not worth a fig - so get a feel for it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
