Burton custom 166 with boot size 11

Hi,

I'm thinking about buying a burton Custom 166 ( the new one) but I
have boot size 11. My stance is 15 front and -6 back. Does anybody
know if this is going to be a problem ( toe drag, heel drag) or can
one carve with this?

Thx

I'm thinking about buying a burton Custom 166 ( the new one) but I
have boot size 11. My stance is 15 front and -6 back. Does anybody
know if this is going to be a problem ( toe drag, heel drag) or can
one carve with this?


Burton's web site shows that board has a 25 cm waist. That might or might
not work for you depending on a few things:

* How wide is your stance? The wider your stance, the wider the sections of
board where your bindings are mounted
* Which bindings do you use - do they have bulky heel cups or are they low
profile?
* Which boots do you use? A size 11 boot in one model might have the same
external size as a size 9 in another model and a size 13 in a third model.
I once demoed Deeluxe Freak boots that were almost *two inches* longer than
my Salomon Malamutes. (Same size).
* How much edge angle do you actually get when you carve? Most people
never get more than 60 degrees or so. People who concentrate on carving get
more than that.

There was a rather involved thread on the topic of board widths in January -
here's the google link:
http://www.google.com/groups?hl=en&l...6d4ab74&rnum=8

We discussed in depth the factors that go into choosing the proper width
board, not the last of which is personal preference.

BTW, carving with a duck-footed stance like yours is generally more
difficult than carving with both feet angled forward (e.g. 24/12). (Not to
say that it can't be done very well - I see it all the time at Mount Hood
during the summer - especially the camp coaches) The forward stance allows
one to move their weight back and forth across the board at the hips, which
allows you line up your body over the edge better.


Mike T

I'm thinking about buying a burton Custom 166 ( the new one) but I

That's a 25cm waist right? (considered buying one a year ago).

I'm in size 10.5 salomon boots, and ride on a 26 cm waist board. I
have my front foot at +30 and still have some overhang, so I expect
that even with a wide stance at your angles you will too.

How much of a problem that is, depends on how high on edge you expect
to get the board. I can't recall, but I suspect that the sidecut
radius on that burton board is in the 8m range. So when you tip that
board up on edge in a carved turn, it's going to come around quite
fast. If you've only got a couple cm of overhang, you most likely
won't be able to tip the board high enough for that to matter.

If you do have problems with overhang, you can get bindings that have
some lift (like drake 860) or get lifter plates like the Palmer
PowerLink or Volkl VFlex.

Also, if you've got even just a season of experience under your belt
and hope to carve hard and fast... you may run into the speed limit on
the burton custom disappointingly quick. I haven't ridden it, but
suspect that the Johan would be the best of burton's line if going
fast and hard is a top priority for you.

Whatever happened to the fusion anyhow? Why doesn't burton have a good
BX board?

Also, if you've got even just a season of experience under your belt
and hope to carve hard and fast... you may run into the speed limit on
the burton custom disappointingly quick. I haven't ridden it, but
suspect that the Johan would be the best of burton's line if going
fast and hard is a top priority for you.

I had the 160 a few years back. I thought it was great until I demoed
something (Salomon 450/550/Fastback) with a shallower sidecut. Then I
couldn't sell it fast enough.

IMHO if you want something to carve hard and fast on, look somewhere other
than Burton. I'd suggest Donek from personal experience... the boards are
designed for stability at any speed which is what you want when carving.
I've also heard good things about Prior, and if you can find a 2001 or 2002
Salomon, I like those too. (I demoed a 2003 Fastback and the flex felt
really unnatural - I didn't like it at all. Coincidental with outsourcing
production, I think...)

Look at the sidecuts on the Burtons... their longest sidecuts are shorter
than Donek or Prior in a comparable length.

Whatever happened to the fusion anyhow? Why doesn't burton have a good
BX board?

I'd be willing to bet they poured some serious effort and money into
developing the Fusion and then it didn't sell very well, so they cut their
losses. IMHO not a bad thing - it forces people like us to look beyond
Burton and discover that there are much better BX and carving options from
the small North American builders (Donek, Coiler, Prior) as well as the
European companies that don't sell too many snowboards in the US (e.g.,
Voelkl, F2, Nidecker).

Mike T

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:15:48 GMT, (Cibi) allegedly
wrote:

I'm thinking about buying a burton Custom 166 ( the new one) but I
have boot size 11. My stance is 15 front and -6 back. Does anybody
know if this is going to be a problem ( toe drag, heel drag) or can
one carve with this?

Mike T's response is typically excellent. You should also have a look at
the FAQ (Do I need a wide board) to supplement Mike's info.

Personally I did have a problem with the Custom, but only in certain
circumstances. That's with slightly smaller boots than you. I can't
remember my stance width.

You could have a look at the Burton Canyon, which is supposed to be a
wider version of the Custom, if they haven't fiddled with the flex
patterns lately... or, ahem, a Donek Wide/Sasquatch, which is similar
performance for less money.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

In article ,
says...
Mike T's response is typically excellent. You should also have a look at
the FAQ (Do I need a wide board) to supplement Mike's info.

Personally I did have a problem with the Custom, but only in certain
circumstances. That's with slightly smaller boots than you. I can't
remember my stance width.

You could have a look at the Burton Canyon, which is supposed to be a
wider version of the Custom, if they haven't fiddled with the flex
patterns lately... or, ahem, a Donek Wide/Sasquatch, which is similar
performance for less money.

- Dave.



Looks like the Canyon is history this year, replaced by the Baron. I
don't know if it is just a canyon with a new name or a whole new board.


--
___________________
John Rooker KC2KQT
Rochester, NY

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:38:25 GMT, John Rooker
allegedly wrote:

Looks like the Canyon is history this year, replaced by the Baron. I
don't know if it is just a canyon with a new name or a whole new board.

Darn it.... I'm like so 90s!!!! :-)

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/