Nein11

Been riding for 15 years. Freerider, trees, pow, groomers natural drops/jumps. No Park or Pipe. Gotta order a new board this weekend. Picked SnoWolfs brain and got some great input but want to see what others have to say.

Should I get the Lib Tech T. Rice Pro 164.5

or

Gnu Billy Goat 165


ready...set...go

wrathfuldeity

I went with the 159 goat split...haven't rode either board; but since got small feet and the goat is narrower, has deeper side cut, less pronounced mag to which 3 other lib/gnu mags I've rode were a bit grabby. Iirc and it was a while ago, the shop guy noted and showed the cam was slightly different where it started, the goat had slightly less rocker and that the rice had some stiffer carbon? strips on the edge and thus torsionally different...but idk...it was a while ago. So at least to my needs and preference for quick edge to edge response, less rocker and envisioning a more technical billygoat style of riding...it was a fairly clear choice.

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509-pow

i love my trice. its a 2010 so idk how much better the new ones are. but the board is great in pow and im a big guy. i was thinging of selling it. i want a board that is a bit softer. this board is stifffffff.

pdxrealtor

I've got the 2012 goat, and love it.

The thing is so maneuverable it's disgusting. Turns on a dime. Carves to my satisfaction, and it allows me to take it easy when I'm so burned out I can barely board any longer. It will kick your ass though if you just say fuck it and pay no attention to what you're doing.

I rode it half the season, all the way through may spring skiing on Palmer at t-line and the best powder days of the season in march to everything in between.

I have Burton diodes and salomon f22s paired up with it.

I've never ridden the rice but I've read it's very stiff like 509 says.

I briefly had a capita BSOD before the goat. That board was a chore to ride, but it did bomb and carve nicely. But get in tight spots and it was just too much work for me. That's mostly camber though , and stiff.

Another board that's supposed to be similar, but a bit more aggressive is the Jaimie Lynn .... I wanted to try it out but the shop didn't have any at the time.
Good luck w your choice!!

Nein11

Thanks for the input pdx. Still wavering back and fourth with a new adition. Now the list is:
T. Rice Pro 164.5
GNU Billy Goat 165
Neversummer Raptor 169.

BTW...PDX did you like your diodes? Trying to decide if the malavita isnt enough for these boards but have heard about high ack snappage with the diode.

Irahi

Diodes are great performance-wise, but don't hold up to heavy use at all. I have, however, been assured that the 2013's are much more durable. Malavitas are definitely not enough binding for a stiff board, I don't like them at all paired with my T.rice, but Cartels seem to have just enough extra response to work well.

pdxrealtor

I really like the diodes and could tell the first time I rode them that not only are the highbacks very stiff, but the frame itself is vey stiff. I had to dial back the highbacks forward lean for everyday riding. You really feel nailed to your board compared to a cartel or prophecy. They're light as hell also, 755 grams vs 886 grams for the prophecy.

The one complaint I have was the foot soles collect ice and the prophecy and cartel foot soles do not. Burton sent me a set of cartel foot soles but I havent decided if I,m gonnna swap them out yet. I gotta weigh them and see how easy it is to swap them. I hate to lose any weight savings. The billygoat is heavy enough that you feel the difference putting a lighter binding on it and it's a nice feeling.

I'm not sure what rough riding you have to do to break the diode highbacks. I did see some pics on here of some that looked pretty busted up. That's the first I've seen or read about it though. Burton's got awesome customer service. You'll either get a new highback or new bindings. However that doesn't help on the hill.

Yes, thanks for bringing that up! That is the roughest stuff I've taken the goat in for a consistent run, and the only thing that couldn't handle that like a pro was me. The goat did exactly as you say.... It held a great edge and handled the shit very well also.

bseracka

Not sure if it will affect you depending on foot size, but one thing to consider is width. The goat is on the narrower side and the rice is more of a mid-wide.

Nein11

I have size 10.5 boots and weigh 250 and have ridden boards like the T6 without toe drag issues. I am used to a board that I have to be on top of all the time to stay in control. I live in the NW ride lots of trees and pow. Just want a board, that will be stiff like i am use to, float, carve and be fun. Quiver killer without the park concerns. with proform bg and tr pro non HP would be the same price...Raptor would be about 5 hundy.

The diode sounds like my kind of binding , have ridden the 1st gen C60 in the past without difficulty...just havent ridden anything burton in almost 10 years so dont know what direction their hardgoods have been headed quality wise.

Im such an overanalizer...they probably wont have any boards for proform by the time i put in my order.

Thanks for the feedback guys

ShredLife

raptor....

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