Lib’s T.Rice Ups and downs of my dream’s board.

Posted: 27 February 2012 01:45 PM

Hey guyz !
It’s a pain in the ass buying the first snowboard gear in a country where there’s almost no snowboard shop to test a snow boot or to flex a board.

I’ll tell you more about me at first so you can understand me better.

1.I mainly do design and graphics for a living so i can’t really ride one of those random ugly ass boards on the market.
2.I am 5’11” 145 pounds shoes size EU 42.5 - 43/ 9 - 10 US (depends on the brand) but i am quite athletic and in a good shape, not exactly skinny as f**k.Maybe a little.
3.I like riding fast and feeling stable at high speeds.I mainly ride our so called groomers, crud and pow if available.

I’m a begginer - intermediate but i push myself hard and even tho i cannot consider myself yet an aggresive rider, i try ridding more aggresive and faster everytime i find myself on snow.

I got my eyes on the lib tech T. Rice 2012 pro model.I can’t find any other board to have such an appealing overall design and to be capable of amazing things at the same time.
I want it for the hybrid camber wich i think will handle great everything i’ll try on it, for the magnetraction wich is a gift from above on the slopes i can ride in my country, and the amazing job Mike Perillo did on the top sheet.

The things i need to know are:

Should i go for the Horsepower version?
I really like more the graphics on the Pro Model,and as i stated, i need to love the graphics first. The sparkling top sheet is a bit too much for me.But if the Pro model is too heavy even with some Union Force SL, i’ll go for the HP. Poplar wood core on the pro model should be light enough, as many snowboard manufacturers state.But then it’s the base wich i heared is faster on the HP, and it also provides a “damper” feel. I read too many reviews and shit gets complicated for me right now.

Should i go for the 157?
I think i want the 157 because i’ve been on 153 boards and felt unstable for my riding style.For mainly riding fast, jumps and almost no real park activity should i go with 157 ? I am not really into small size boards but i don’t want this 157 to be a monster. I know it’s 90 % about the weight but i’m quite tall for my weight and my riding style kinda tells me go up size not to downsize.

157 Mid wide (25.8) response for a boot size 9- 9.5 ?
How fast is the edge to edge on the 157’s 25.8 width on a goofy stance +15 - 9?
How agile will i be on this board with the proper effort ?

How fast does a mid wide turns ?Is it more about the sidecut radius ?The C2MTX technologies with rocker between the bindings and camber under the foot makes me think this board is easily to turn and less probably to catch and edge when getting dynamic and quick turning.
I want to develop a fast and agressive riding style, but i want it quite stable and proper for landings.(after i learn to jump decent)

I want it so bad, but if it doesn’t suits me,i’ll think twice. I like to think i finaly found one of the best boards for me and stop reading everyday about snowboards and just get out and shred.

Please take some time to answer everything i asked, you are my only chances to get a good deal on the 2012 boards :D
Thank you !

Posted: 28 February 2012 01:27 PM

If you are as agressive as you say, you could always look into Bataleon’s “The Jam”
Bataleons Disclaimer
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This is our most aggressive all mountain board, perfect for those riders that can’t be bothered waiting up for family, friends and girlfriends but just want to point it down and go. The more aggressive you ride this board the more you will get out of it. Based on FREESTYLE TBT it’s like adding power steering to your ride making the edge to edge faster than Darth Vader’s light saber. Your weapon of choice when you want to take the whole mountain apart with precision and speed.
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And as for the look of the board. its a nice basic board design, some cool colors to go with it.
This is my #1 Recommendation

If you really need a good looking board Bataleon makes an Artist edition of there Evil Twin. This board is an all mountain monster, but I think it maybe a little advanced for your riding before it does focus on Park Terrain and Jumps.

Bataleon Disclaimer for Evil Twin
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The Evil Twin is such a legend but we still managed to make it even better. The new and enhanced TBT tip function now makes you fly through any kind of snow with ease. Slush, crud or powder this nose takes it all and smooths out your ride in ways you haven’t experienced before. Here is a very special version of the new and improved ET. A love & war collabo with the amazing female photographer tag team Petrovsky & Ramone.
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Posted: 29 February 2012 11:22 AM

Yeah the HP version is a little lighter (Basalt is stiffer than Fibre glass so they can use less of it) and Basalt is also a touch damper, but I’m not sure it’s worth the additional spend, unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket.

For your height and weight… yeah the 157 will be fine, providing you are more of an aggresive freerider than a smooth and lazy park rider. I’d say the 157 was good for my weight of 165lbs so you might find it quite stiff… your call. I agree that the 153 might be a bit short. If you’re prpared to work the board you shouldn’t have any problems, but bear-in-mind that because the flex is stiffer it’ll be harder work to power through short radius carves.

Posted: 01 March 2012 04:48 PM

Hey there,
I am 5’8” 170 lbs and I found the 153 to be plenty stable. Probably the most stable I have ever felt on a snowboard. I am an upper intermediate level rider on the cusp of advancement. I pushed it. Hard as I could on icy eastern slopes and it handled it all very well. The horsepower is definitely nice and aesthetically pleasing as well, but it is all preference. I would recommend it for sure. Also the effective edge is longer and the tips are blunted so it rides closer to a 155.
Hope that helps!
Good luck!
Porter