Hi! (cliff notes at the bottom since this is long)
I'm currently contemplating a new board- a little background though...I've been riding for about 10 years or so now, and when I started wide boards were few and far between (started with a K2 Fatbob, and then a K2 Trucker)...along those same lines I also rode 'Clickers' for a long time, and loved the convenience, but just this season finally caved and got rid of them because frankly the boots sucked ass lol.
Additionally, in the past couple years I had gotten lazy and fat, and this summer I finally started doing something about it- I've lost a good net of 50lbs, and still shedding more every week. Right now I'm at about 290 (at 6'3" with size 13 boots- I'm a big boy ) I probably won't ever be below 220ish when I'm done, which puts me in a heavier bracket for weight-to-length ratio etc (let alone right now).
That being the case, I've been overhauling all my gear- I started by buying some Salomon Malamute boots which have been awesome! On top of that I got a set of the K2 Cinch CTX from last year (I found out last year used carbon fiber reinforcements, and this years did not).
So, I'm currently riding a Glissade Big Gun 175- when I went to buy my boots and bindings, the sales guy commented that the board was actually pretty light on the flex side, and that for my weight I either needed something longer and/or stiffer.
I tend to ride primarily blues/blacks and I love speed., I'm starting to do moguls (never had a taste for them in the past), I don't do any park stuff, but I'm starting to do small jumps and kickers etc. I do enjoy powder/backcountry, but it is not what I end up on 80%+ of the time (generally normal blues-blacks).
What I have noticed on my current board though, is that trying to hold a turn/edge when the terrain is choppy, is becoming difficult- and I don't know if that's just a function of the terrain, or if that is indicative of the board itself?
So given this information, the sales guy had originally recommended the Ride Yukon as a good board for me, I've since also looked at Venture Snowboards and their Zephyr. I've heard some people recommend Burton, and others with Lib Tech and GNU...I've honestly been out of looking at boards for a long time and not sure what if anything else to look at. From what I've seen though, the Zephyr is the most appealing, since it can get pretty wide, and hell, nothing wrong with buying local =)
The other thing I don't completely understand is the dynamics of stiffness as it pertains to weight- I read through the primer on finding boards etc, but it only appeared to address stiffness in regards to riding style, and weight as it pertains to length...
Last question, the straps on the bindings seem to be causing some pressure points...are straps pretty universal? Where would I get replacement ones? Recommendations on type/brand?
So I know this was incredibly long, so here's some cliff notes:
1. I'm a big guy, lost 50lbs, still 6'3", 290lbs, size 13
2. Just switched from clickers to conventional
3. Concerned current Glissade Big Gun 175 may not be stiff enough for body weight/size
4. I tend to ride blues/blacks rather fast, no park, occasional powder/backcountry, occasional small bumps/kickers, starting to try more moguls.
5. Looking at Venture Zephyr, Ride Yukon, not sure about others?
6. How does stiffness effect rider weight and vice versa?
7. Are binding straps universal? Where can I get replacement/better ones?
Thanks! And please provide any general comments too I tried to include what was necessary based on the sticky...let me know if you need more information from me!
I'm currently contemplating a new board- a little background though...I've been riding for about 10 years or so now, and when I started wide boards were few and far between (started with a K2 Fatbob, and then a K2 Trucker)...along those same lines I also rode 'Clickers' for a long time, and loved the convenience, but just this season finally caved and got rid of them because frankly the boots sucked ass lol.
Additionally, in the past couple years I had gotten lazy and fat, and this summer I finally started doing something about it- I've lost a good net of 50lbs, and still shedding more every week. Right now I'm at about 290 (at 6'3" with size 13 boots- I'm a big boy ) I probably won't ever be below 220ish when I'm done, which puts me in a heavier bracket for weight-to-length ratio etc (let alone right now).
That being the case, I've been overhauling all my gear- I started by buying some Salomon Malamute boots which have been awesome! On top of that I got a set of the K2 Cinch CTX from last year (I found out last year used carbon fiber reinforcements, and this years did not).
So, I'm currently riding a Glissade Big Gun 175- when I went to buy my boots and bindings, the sales guy commented that the board was actually pretty light on the flex side, and that for my weight I either needed something longer and/or stiffer.
I tend to ride primarily blues/blacks and I love speed., I'm starting to do moguls (never had a taste for them in the past), I don't do any park stuff, but I'm starting to do small jumps and kickers etc. I do enjoy powder/backcountry, but it is not what I end up on 80%+ of the time (generally normal blues-blacks).
What I have noticed on my current board though, is that trying to hold a turn/edge when the terrain is choppy, is becoming difficult- and I don't know if that's just a function of the terrain, or if that is indicative of the board itself?
So given this information, the sales guy had originally recommended the Ride Yukon as a good board for me, I've since also looked at Venture Snowboards and their Zephyr. I've heard some people recommend Burton, and others with Lib Tech and GNU...I've honestly been out of looking at boards for a long time and not sure what if anything else to look at. From what I've seen though, the Zephyr is the most appealing, since it can get pretty wide, and hell, nothing wrong with buying local =)
The other thing I don't completely understand is the dynamics of stiffness as it pertains to weight- I read through the primer on finding boards etc, but it only appeared to address stiffness in regards to riding style, and weight as it pertains to length...
Last question, the straps on the bindings seem to be causing some pressure points...are straps pretty universal? Where would I get replacement ones? Recommendations on type/brand?
So I know this was incredibly long, so here's some cliff notes:
1. I'm a big guy, lost 50lbs, still 6'3", 290lbs, size 13
2. Just switched from clickers to conventional
3. Concerned current Glissade Big Gun 175 may not be stiff enough for body weight/size
4. I tend to ride blues/blacks rather fast, no park, occasional powder/backcountry, occasional small bumps/kickers, starting to try more moguls.
5. Looking at Venture Zephyr, Ride Yukon, not sure about others?
6. How does stiffness effect rider weight and vice versa?
7. Are binding straps universal? Where can I get replacement/better ones?
Thanks! And please provide any general comments too I tried to include what was necessary based on the sticky...let me know if you need more information from me!