 Poster: A snowHead
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I've gone to a skishop and gotten a pair of Salomon Mission RS 12 fitted for me.
I think the reason he choose those were because of my feet which he described as wide.
A co-worker went this weekend to a regular sportsshop (not only skiing) and bought from their recommendation a pair of Head ST Next Edge 80 (flex 80) which he did not get fitted.
Now I'm worried if my boots with a Flex of 120 will be too stiff seeing as my co-worker is in considerable better shape than me.
As for skiing time I've only had 2 weeks in total, but I'm way past the plowing stage, if ever I had one.
Should I be worried or reconsult with the skishop before I go next week, or is this boot fine for a beginner hoping to improve ?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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120 flex sounds very stiff for a skier with a couple of weeks experience. Can you flex the boots when you are just standing in them?
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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?
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kallekalle, put them in erm... A "fridge" or outside for a couple of hours on a cold night then see if you can still flex them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sallys sometimes have a screw you can take out of the back to increase the flex - Mine do anyway, they were 110 which felt like being cast in concrete, but are much improved removed
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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This may sound daft, but when you guys ask if I can flex them, you mean I have to see if I can push my legs forward while standing in them ?
In that case, yes they do flex a bit when I'm in a warm living room.
Will try to do the same when they are cold and see if I can flex them then.
As for the back, there's 2 screws that says "Lock" on them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| kallekalle wrote: |
| This may sound daft, but when you guys ask if I can flex them, you mean I have to see if I can push my legs forward while standing in them ? |
Yes, that's what I meant. I have occasionally taught people in boots that I thought were too stiff, and it made it more difficult for them to flex the ankles than would have been the case in more appropriate boots.
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oviously nothing to do with ski level, but i found salomon 120s this season are a lot softer..progressive?? then last year.
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kallekalle, How tall are you and how much do you weigh?
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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.
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kallekalle, On the grounds that anything less than 90 is at best too soft, you 're probably fine. Then againI have no qualificatiins...
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papasmurf, Agree, kallekalle, also make sure you're flexing both legs at the same time as its all too easy to flex them individually.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spyderman, I'm 175 cm and 95 kg (about 15 stone)
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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.
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kallekalle, I'm 183 and the same weight, mine are 130 flex. No problem in flexing them, no matter how cold. You should be fine.
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different brands flex differently even though the numbers may be the same,
what's 175 in old money ? 5' 9" or 5' 10" and 15 of your old English stones, that gives you a fair bit of leverage
Hmmm, still sound a little stiff, i got a pair of Atomics after two weeks skiing but they were only 90's i think
If you find them a bit too stiff, you can remove the Dismantable flex rivets, 2 at the back of each boot either side of your achillies, this will soften the boot by about 10
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You know it makes sense.
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kallekalle,
I think your weight can justify the 120 flex. I don't think you could ever justify a flex below 80, so the difference isn't that big. I'm 92kg currently and happy with 120.
What's the harm, really? I mean, what's the real benefit of a softer boot, apart from greater comfort? Seems to me you lose some control and I don't really see how that benefits the beginner. Anyone care to explain?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Neville +1
The most important thing is that the boot fits and is comfortable. After that, and as Neville says, there are two flex bolts at the back that you can remove to soften the boot. The ski shop will be able to do more to soften the boot if it's a problem.
As a general point, you can (nearly always) soften a ski boot. But there's nothing you can do to make it stiffer. (Probably not strictly true, but go with the idea...)
[Personallly, I think that the apparent stiffness of the boot has as much to do with where the ankle pivot sits relative to your ankle bone as it does to the actual "flex rating". If the centre of your ankle bone is (more or less) centred on the pivot point then you'll find it relatively (much) easier to flex the boot than if it isn't. Simple physics, etc, but just my view.]
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Poster: A snowHead
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SkiingDad, I reckonkallekalle, will probably be ok especially as he has the option of removing the rear bolts but losing a bit of control with softer flexing boots only becomes a problem with increased speed something a beginners not likely to be doing.
Its not a natural thing for a beginner to be evenly balanced with the angle of the slope its something that needs to be learnt with time and confidence, boots that are harder to flex will slow down this leaning process
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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other things that will affect the flex are the way the boot fits, it is is a good tight fit then it will bend easier, if you have to ratchet the clips up it will be harder to bend, also ankle joint range of motion, if we see someone with a very tight calf muscle (seems to be about 90% of the population at present) then a stiffer boot is a better thing as it allows them to apply pressure to the ski before they run out of range of motion
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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?
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| CEM wrote: |
| ... if we see someone with a very tight calf muscle (seems to be about 90% of the population at present) |
Is that right? Maybe I should check how much ankle flex my clients have outside of their boots if they are having trouble flexing when they are skiing. BTW, that calf-stretching device I bought from you last week works a treat. Much more effective stretch than leaning my leg forward.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| gatecrasher wrote: |
| SkiingDad, I reckonkallekalle, will probably be ok especially as he has the option of removing the rear bolts but losing a bit of control with softer flexing boots only becomes a problem with increased speed something a beginners not likely to be doing. |
Agreed gatecrasher. It's worth noting that some Salomon boots, like the Quest Pro, don't have a bolt. Instead there is a spoiler with Velcro attached to the back of the liner. You can either remove the spoiler or adjust the height. For the sake of clarity, the part I'm talking about is shown below.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Slightly off-topic but do you need much forward stiffness to ski modern skis? My sense is it's all about lateral stiffness and being centred. I seldon feel the need to really pressure the front of my skis.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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JayAre, but doesn't that spoiler just change the fwd lean as opposed to flex?
Edit - stiffness
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| gatecrasher wrote: |
JayAre, but doesn't that spoiler just change the fwd lean as opposed to flex?
Edit - stiffness |
When I take it out, the boot feels a bit softer flex-wise... However the flex of the Quest is also linked to how tight you fasten the 3rd buckle. Buckle up tight and you'll get a 110 flex. Buckle up lighter and you'll get a softer flexing shoe. Sometimes it can be quite tricky to find the proper adjustments... Not sure if the RS12 has the velcro spoiler, but it might be worth taking a look. 
Edit: Forgot to say that I rented the RS12 last winter. It's about similar to those red 2008/2009 Nordica Speedmachines in terms of flex (I owned those). Think the speed machine was officially a 120 flex as well.
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JayAre, that's interesting regarding the 3rd buckle, is this included in the literature of the quest as most boots can be played with in the same manner?
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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.
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| gatecrasher wrote: |
| JayAre, that's interesting regarding the 3rd buckle, is this included in the literature of the quest as most boots can be played with in the same manner? |
I did not receive any instructions specific to the Quest with the boot...
I need to fasten the 3rd buckle very tightly to get any performance out of the boot. This in turn pulls that (oversized) buckle smack into the center of the boot. The problem with this is that the buckle itself is providing a large part of the stiffness (not the shell...). If they had put a Salomon Integral type strap on the Quest Pro (i.e. with no buckle in the flex zone), then I suspect the boot would feel considerably softer. Perhaps I'm just getting old... 
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Thanks for all the replies guys.
Sounds like I should be ok, or at least in a situation were I can adjust if the flex proves to be too high.
Will see how it feels after I've taken them for a spin.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This thread has sparked another question perhaps CEM; Smallzookeeper and the like could answer.
Is it just me or have manafactures started to up the flex in their boots The salomon impact ten was once a 110 flex boot but now 120 and others?
Answers on a postcard please?
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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.
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Fattes13, It's cos all the pies are getting eaten.
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