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Should I return my board?

6K views 41 replies 15 participants last post by  blunted_nose 
#1 ·
hey folks

just snagged the T.Rice Pro 157 on sale, (great prices now), but now that I'm looking at it in the living room it feels a bit small:.

My stats: 6"3 and 175lbs.

This is attempt at buying gear (rented for years). Gonna run it with Union Atlas Binding (M/L) and Saloman Focus (10.5 US) boots. I don't do a lot of park..

soooooooo. just wondering if I should keep it or return it for the 161? bit stressed.

appreciate any help :)
 
#2 ·
what kind of riding do you do? what conditions?

this past season i was up to 175-180lbs and i was riding my 151 all mountain cause my park board was just that much fun... i have a 158 that i also love, but i really only use it for hauling ass and carving harder snow... the t rice board is pretty stiff from what i hear, so i really don't think you'll have a problem with it... but if you're on big mountain style stuff and lots of pow you might size up?
 
#7 ·
Im 6'3 and 220 pounds and im on the T Rice Pro HP 157, i've bombed some steep runs on it and it's never had a problem with my size, in fact I usually chicken out before my board does.

I know the HP version uses basalt instead of fiberglass so not sure what difference this would practically make.
 
#11 ·
I have the 161.5 T. Rice HP at 6'3" and 200 lbs. I really only use it for powder days. If I wanted that board for an all mountain, every day stick, I would go 157. You are also lighter than me, so stick with the 157 bub. It rides longer than it looks and the magnatraction will make sure that you have that grip you would be missing out on with a longer board.
 
#16 · (Edited)
...I'm 190lbs 6ft ....been cranking it since 1999 ...owned Doz's of boards mostly burton and I've found 159-161 to be my perfect size on a (camber board)
yet at the burton "boardfinder" they recommend 163 ?... have brought 57-58 boards before but ended up selling not long after few days as they just don't have the stability I like ...but thats me I'm more of a charging surf/freerider that likes natural freestyle (no rails)......I could see the more novice rider's or pure skate/freestylers boarding enjoying the 56-58 size ....I do think height would effect things i.e 6,3 foot 150lbs on a 151 etc,,,, stability aren't going be flash free-riding IMHO

Currently got a 159 JJ burton .....sold my 58 supermodel last year thinking a 161 custom be a great second board
 
#17 ·
A 157 is plenty for a 175 pound rider. I was at 185 and down to my post season weight of 177 and ride 156-158 decks for all of my riding including big mountain lines and high speed carving. In decent groomed conditions I have busted 60 MPH without any serious control issues. A 161 is actually a bit overkill for your weight.
So whats the go with Burton board-finder recommendation 163.... I did own a 163 supermodel many years ago which I did love in the pow...

Guess it all comes down to personal preference ..
 
#18 ·
You should really just demo some different sizes and see what you're comfortable with. I'm 6'2 180lbs (prob 190 with all gear on) and rode a 162 process Flying V. It felt pretty good and I bought a 162 gnu billy goat for next year but I want to get something in the 156-159 range also to see if I like giving up a little stability for more maneuverability. I'm sure there are people with your stats who swear by riding a 151 and those that swear by a 167, just depends on your riding style and comfort.
 
#19 ·
Thats exactly what it came down to for me personally when I started downsizing to these shorter decks. I found that agility was a more important aspect than high speed.
I think the 162 definitely helped being more confident at speed when I was starting out, but I'm sure I'll go your route once I give shorter boards a shot. I'm actually looking at picking up a Lib TRS, GNU Rider's Choice or Capita DOA in 156-159 for next year to go with the 162 goat.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Same question as him. I owned a Billy goat in 162 and found it perfect for the thing i want the board to do, now id like a trice pro and im not sure if i want to go with the 161.5, but i found my lobster 157 a bit small at times.... Hmmm

EDIT: Fuck it, ill buy another goat in 162.
EDIT 2: what would be similar to goat 162 but a twin tip with magne traction and a sintered base?
 
#22 · (Edited)
I just replaced my BG w a T Rice. I bought a 161.5 and a157 (mail order) and the second I looked at the 161.5 I knew it was too big. The Rice is a wide board and the effective edge is longer on the 161.5 than the BG 162.

I slapped bindings on the 157, which has almost the same effective edge as the BG, and it rides so good I'm not even gonna waste time trying the 161.5.

As others have said it rides big. I'm just as stable, if not more, as I am on my BG, but more agile due to the shorter length.

Get the 157. It will be as stable as your goat. :thumbsup:

thanks. feeling good about my choice to stick with the 157 now :thumbsup:. also I can always grab another 161+ if I don't like it. but I will give this one a bash for a season at least.
Let us know how you end up liking it. It's a bad ass board. :thumbsup:

FYI- I'm currently 210 lbs and my height is 5'8"

Here is a link to discussion that eventually discusses some 157 vs. 161.5 --- http://www.snowboardingforum.com/boards/79282-bored-my-board-opinions-wanted.html
 
#21 ·
A 157 is plenty for a 175 pound rider. I was at 185 and down to my post season weight of 177 and ride 156-158 decks for all of my riding including big mountain lines and high speed carving. In decent groomed conditions I have busted 60 MPH without any serious control issues. A 161 is actually a bit overkill for your weight.
thanks. feeling good about my choice to stick with the 157 now :thumbsup:. also I can always grab another 161+ if I don't like it. but I will give this one a bash for a season at least.
 
#24 ·
I don't have the experience to answer all your questions.

I know the Hot Knife is a C3 camber profile, which is basically camber.

I can tell you coming from the 162 BG to the 157 T. Rice I have lost no stability. It's actually given me the ability to go faster feeling more confident through all different surface conditions.

On top of that I haven't had sore legs or been out of breath once since on the 157 T. Rice.

Managing the extra length of the BG was exhausting. It seems it took more effort to work it.
 
#25 ·
Hmm, basing of this, your saying i could replace my 157 lobster and my 162 billy goat with a 157 Trice? Interesting. Im feeling 157 lobster is too short. but its quite a workout handling that stiff as hell lobster. Tbt makes boards stiff as fuck... I wish they came out with a 160 or a 159 Trice... im going riding tomorrow, and ill try out my cheetah, then ride my lobster and record every aspect its lacking. I really need to focus on one thing while riding. but from what i remember is that Billy goat was nicer edge hold, its was skinny so super fast edge to edge, the length gave it stability and it was stiff but because of the rocker in the middle it sort of felt funky, in a way. Nose and tail was always there but the middle was fun to flex. UGH.
 
#26 ·
Blunted,

Based on what you siad, you might also want to check out the Gnu Rider`s Choice. Its a super fun board and has the quick edge to edge of the Billy, but is way more freestyle oriented. The assymetrical sidecut is also pretty kick ass and when using it for pure free ride, it makes heelside carving ridiculously easy. Way more forgiving of heelside slopiness and edge blowout that we all experience in hard heelside carving when we get lazy.
I was thinking about it. Basically if they made a Billy goat in twin tip, id buy it. What im looking for really. I though Trice was kind of like that. The riders choice does come in my size. But id rather have something higher and stiffer end.
 
#27 ·
Well, just so you know, the Billy Goat is a directional twin. The only difference is there is about a 3/4 inch set back on the binding mounts. Other than that, the flex pattern is twin. If switch riding is what you are looking for, I can tell you from experience that the Billy Goat rides just fine switch and even with the bindings mounted in the referrence holes, there is only a very subtle difference in turn initiaion when switch.

Honestly, from my experience on a T Rice, I found very little performance difference between the two and if I were looking to compliment my quiver, I would definitely go for something that is more drastically different than the BG.

I think a great compliment to a BG is a much softer, freestyle oriented board like a Park Pickle or the Riders Choice. Just saying.
Okay, i was kind of thinking i should just get another BG, because i already have a park board...

Should i go with 162 again? or 159? I really actually liked BG 162 and im kicking myself in ass for selling it... But since i already owned that id like to try something else. Obvious i have a park board, that i dont really enjoy cruising with. Id be down for 161 Trice but im afraid its going to be kind of fat (big waist). The BG was like perfect width. Now that i think of it id perfer a directional twin for more stability in pow and soft snow as well as for going fast.... SO anything that is the same as Bg 162 but different model? Anything to keep myself from buying Bg again but same? haha, i need to tone down marijuana use.... -______________-
 
#28 ·
Oh I got you now. You're replacing the BG. Well then the T Rice makes sense. But now you are saying you want directional so maybe not. I found the NS Raptor to be superior to the BG in every way. It's way more damp so is incredibly stable at speed, still turns on a dime, is lighter and has more pop, better flex for buttering and has better edge hold. Something to look at in any event. Both my BG and Raptor are 156 and the difference in performance is staggering.
Well raptor is pretty aggressive. hMmmmm, your going to make me buy some chargers then as well? You little..... HAHA, just kidding, oh wow.... -______-

whats sizes does raptor come in? Which size would compare to 162 goat? Does it have the same feeling in the middle? How much stiffer is it?
 
#29 · (Edited)
No, I didn't like the chargers at all. To me, they make the board feel like a plank; just too stiff. I always like a mid stiff binding like Rome Targa or Arsenal. I have Arsenals on my Raptor and its the perfect flex for my taste.

Raptor for 2014 comes in 156, 159, 161 and up I believe ( don't have my dealer catalogue with me now). I find the Raptor slightly less stiff and plank like yet more stable. It's all in the dampening. Camber profile is the same as C2.
Sounds like the deal i want. How much do they go for?

Does it have more offset as BG? How would you compare them? Bg being softer? I found BG to be just the right stiffness, almost fun soft. and the set back on the Bg didn't bother me.
 
#30 ·
Not sure yet what the 2014 MSRP will be yet but I'm gonna say in the $500 range US.
Looking at raptor, its their highest end board, or stiffest. I would like to stick to mervin, and if i was going NS route wouldnt heritage be more appropriate? General direction of boards i was looking at were Burton custom x, BG, Trice, hot knife/ i dont know why i just said that.....

But for real, raptor intimidates me. Its top of the chart for NS boards, not something i would really want. Unless its same aggressive as BG.
 
#31 ·
Heritage is a terrific board and a great option but it is more of an ideal total all mountain board that is good at everything but master at nothing. The Raptor and its more civilized little brother the Premier are true free ride decks that excell at carving, big mountain lines, technical steeps, drops, etc.

The Raptor to me felt very similar to the BG but with much better dampening, edge hold and yet had a snappier, poppier flex that made it more playful. If you could handle a BG then the Raptor is not something to be intimidated by.

But, NS are fuggin pricey! For $350 US you can get a really good Lib or Gnu. For me the BG is an ideal Mervin board for the way I ride. It's got good pop, is agile, I can butter it reasonably well and its stiffness is just right for what I use it for. My playful decks are the Proto and my Atomic Hatchet. Even though the Hatchet is full camber, I can butter that thing all day long.

Why exactly did you sell your BG? Your answer may point you in the right direction.
I was under impression that the board was hard to ride and i wanted a park deck, didn't have any money. I now know that BG was a terrific board and my feet are dead after a day on a bataleon ET. Stupid me...

Now that i have the park board which i dont like, i would like something like a goat. I will probably go to a summer sale and pick a 2013 BG, but i want to see everything thats out there.
 
#34 ·
Haha, i just said ET because it easier and more people know about it. Its a 157 lobster freestyle; Basically a et with different graphics. Its sintered, same as et tbt profile, triaxial glass and its hella stiff. not sure if i want to part it, but at a right price, ill do just about anything :p

Id be down for a trade.... but this isnt a buy/sale thread. Pm me and ill send pics and shit if your down.

I actually love this board for park, tbt is made for freestyle.
 
#36 ·
For the record, i do not have a BG anymore, i sold it. I posses a Burton Cheetah for pow and that board is in 159, i also have a lobster 157 and its fun for park but terrible for terrain found outside of groomed jumps. I would like to compliment my pow and park board with something like a Billy goat. I found it to be excellent for speed, pow, funky flex, magne was killer, base was fast, length was nice. Should i go with just another goat 162 OR a trice 157 replacing my lobster and adding a board at the same time. Keep the lobster and add a Goat, or sell it and get a trice? Im really never in park. My riding consists of exploring the mtn, speeding down groomers, jumping of shit, pretending i know how to butter then eating shit, tapping random things, looking for pow, getting in trouble in glades and spraying skiers that deserve it.

Id like to keep the lobster to have some differen shit if i ever get bored but if i find a board that does everything lobster and BG does combined i dont see the need for 3 boards.

i heard the Trice is stable? As much as 162 BG? i cant really believe that because my lobster is like summer tires on ice when it comes to going fast. and if i ever do anything park related its jump only, i never jib anymore. I do like to launch of things into pow tho. FYI my stats are 6'2 200lbs.


BG is longer and thinner, trice is shorter and wider. I guess i like the idea of a twin board, but its not like i couldnt ride switch on my BG.... now im thinking outloud. i never actually liked the tbt that much to begin with. It was fun to go from edge to edge but the tbt makes your nose so stiff it wears me out. Id like something aggressive that doesn't make it their slave. At this point if your still ready you deserve a cookie. Park is basically out of the window and pow is covered by my new pow gun (ze cheetah). What i need is something versatile, fast, stable, edgy, grippy, fun, loose, rc for those not too deep days that i need my cheetah but enough float to survive, edge to edge fast, and has the same cool feeling my BG had; solid nose and tail and flexy in the middle. OMg i want my BG back........ ugh. i cant believe i just typed this. Just waxed my boards for tomorrow, fucking sucks scraping of cold temp wax. Its like it turns into solid plastic.
 
#39 ·
I think you bought the Cheetah with wrong expectations - it is not really pure pow board. It is more like a big mountain gun with a swallowtail, but not much taper or a real pow nose. It actually rides a bit like a Raptor with a swallowtail (and full camber).
Do not get me wrong, the thing will float great - if you are on the steeps and/or really mach-ing it. But do not expect a surfy/backfoot ride like a Fish or Hovercraft, which still float and slash when just messing around at slower speeds. Not that kind of board.
 
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