Lib Tech T.Rice first impression
Posted: 29 November 2010 07:34 AM
Hey all, I just got back from whistler this weekend and also bought the T.Rice 153 cm. I was set on buying Never Summer SL but I got a pretty good deal 20% off at this shop (but still 12% HST). Just a few info about myself, I’m still a beginner-intermediate, this is my 2nd season (including this weekend, a total of 12 days riding) so take the review for what it’s worth. I’m comfortable going down greens and blue runs, some groomed black. I like just crusing the mountain, making turns and carves, although I want to learn some small jumps this season. I’m 5’5”, 152 lbs, size 10 boot.
Firstly, this board is soooo easyyy to turn and the magnetraction held its edges well in a carve. I didn’t find it too grippy or locked in as some people say. Edgehold is better than my Machete. When flat basing the board also feels a lot more stable than the Machete (I guess this is due to the camber at the tips). Sometimes the Machete wanted to grab the toe/heel edge if you’re flat basing it (squirrly I guess?). The board is also very forgiving, at times where I should have caught an edge it straighten up again. I still caught some edges towards the end of the day but that is probably my foot and calves getting tired (I have this horrible foot pain around the area of the balls of my feet, just feels numb/painful after 1-2 runs, even though I used insoles =( ).
The base is fast. I hit some small rocks under the snow, only very minor scratch that doesn’t affect performance. All in all, it’s a very nice board and definitely recommended for anyone looking for an all mountain board.
Posted: 29 November 2010 09:01 AM
Good work Skip… make sure you post this review on the T-Rice page! I’m glad you’re stoked with your new shred. Does that mean it’s the end of the road for the Machete?
Hey regarding the pain in your foot. Just out of interest, how are you using your binding toes strap? Does it go over the top of your foot or is it like a cap strap where itcups the toe of the boot? What bindings and boots are you using?
Posted: 29 November 2010 09:28 AM
I don’t know what I will do with the Machete. Probably going to use it as a pow board haha even though it’s only 155cm. I’m using it as a cap strap. I’m using Burton Ozone boots (a bit too soft, probably going to buy new boots at the end of the season) with Rome targas bindings. The pain is not at the arch of the foot, but the whole width of the foot starting at the balls of the foot (below big toe) to below pinky. It’s a little better with the insoles, but still a pain. One time it got so bad I need to unstrap my boots and just sit for a couple of minutes.
Also regarding the T.Rice, I didn’t feel it was stiff at all. More or less around the same as my machete when strapped in. Handflexing, it is definitely softer than the machete weird.
Btw, my name is Rico Rich, so you can call me that instead of skip haha :P
Posted: 29 November 2010 09:37 AM
Sorry Rico… Skip is kind of catchy though :)
If you’re hand flexing it though, you’re pushing it at the centre of the board which is where the T-Rice is rockered. If you hand flex it from the binding mounts closes to the ground, you’ll notice the TRice is a lot stiffer, that’s where you generate the pop and exit carves from.
Hmm I thought it might be that you were ratcheting your foot down onto the deck and that was causing problems with blood flow. Do you tighten your boots to the max? Laces or boa?
To be honest, I find on hard days on my Rossi Jdub that my feet are burning like a beast at the end of a run, sometimes it takes a good few days for your feet to adjust to the feeling of having boots on them and bindings ratcheting them in place. It usually takes me a week for my feet to feel normal again in boots and bindings.
Posted: 29 November 2010 09:48 AM
You can call me whatever you want Rich haha.
I tighten my boot max, but today I tighten it just enough. It helps a bit (the onset of pain/numbness and burn comes longer, but still gonna come anyways lol), but in turn, there is a little heel lift if I didn’t tighten in max. Also, calves got more tired if I didn’t tighten it max. The cap strap I tighten just enough so that it sticks to the boot but does not pressure it. If I crank it all the way, the pain comes sooner. The boot is the speedzone lacing system, where they have lower and upper zone. I was thinking maybe the softness of the boots also contributes to my pain since I have to stay on my balls with more pressure since the boot is not stiff (like holding an edge on a toe side carve).
I think the 153 T.Rice might be just a little bit softer than the larger size you tested last year Rich. I would probably give it around 6-6.5 flex.
Posted: 29 November 2010 10:10 AM
Yeah that makes complete sense. It sounds like you need a more supportive boot. For all-mountain riding, you want a boot that you can lean on the cuff and not really have to work you calf to hard. You’ll obviously have a boot brand that fits your foot, but I’m riding Vans Andreas Wiggs and they’re unbelievably supportive… the liners are so cooshy that there is no danger of heel lift or pressure points.
Posted: 29 November 2010 07:10 PM
Yeah, I definitely need a more supportive boots. I’m a fan of Burton boots cuz it fits well and the speedzone lacing system is just fast and easy. At the sale season, I have my eyes set on 3 boots: Burton SLX, Burton Ion, and Burton Imperial. So for this season, I just have to deal with the foot pain =(. I want to try Nike or the Wiggs but they have tradtional laces.
Posted: 30 November 2010 11:17 AM
Let me add one more boot to look at, the Ride Jackson Boa. Honestly the more I look at the boot on the wall at my shop when I work the more I want to buy it. It is the lightest and stiffest boot we carry… the boot is almost as light as my skate shoes, no ****ing joke.
Posted: 30 November 2010 06:11 PM
Or maybe the new Ride Insano BOA? I heard some good reviews. I still prefer speedzone lacing but if the BOA fits me better than I guess I should go with it.
Posted: 12 December 2010 07:51 AM
Took the T.Rice for another day at Blackcomb. I take my words back. This board is stiff around 7/10 maybe and really stiff underfoot.
Posted: 25 December 2010 11:23 AM
Another update. This board floats really great for a 153 in knee-thigh deep pow. I take my words back for the fast base. It was fast the 1st 2 days. But today, man the base is REALLY SLOW. I waxed it the day before too. I don’t whats wrong but it just won’t accelerate.
Posted: 25 December 2010 11:25 AM
Sounds like a wax issue to me.
What kind of temeperature are you riding in? What wax are you using, an all temperature?
Posted: 25 December 2010 11:29 AM
Yeah, I used a oneball jay all temp robo wax. You wouldn’t believe how slow it was Rich. I bought some new bluebird Travis Rice used so gonna try that one next. I think today was around -2 - -6 degree C + extreme winds. Conditions were powder mostly, but towards the end of the day it’s kinda like slush (I don’t know how to explain). But towards the end of the day the conditions were similar to every other days that I went riding, but today was just awful.
Posted: 25 December 2010 11:36 AM
Yeah I’d just try another brand of wax. I’m using Toko all temperature wax at the minute and I haven’t experienced any slow days. Also, you probably do this, but once you’ve scraped the board I always structure it with a wire and nylon brush. It stops the board from sticking when the snow gest warmer. Other than that, I don’t really know waht to suggest, I have had the odd day that my board is sticking and I just can’t explain it, I guess its a natural phenomenum… but it does indeed suck!
Posted: 25 December 2010 11:38 AM
Yesss!! that’s so true, it feels like the board sticks to the snow. Hmm, I’ll try your suggestions of using a brush, gots to buy one first though. Which one do you recommend best? Nylon or wire ? And how many strokes do you do?
Posted: 25 December 2010 11:48 AM
I use a Toko brush that has half Wire and half Nylon bristles. I run the brush down the length of the board with a fair amount of pressure from nose to tail until all of the board is structured. Maybe 10-20 strokes. Always lead with the Wire half of the brush.
Here’s a link to an article I did on waxing… I’m sure you know how to wax your deck but it’s here if anyone else stumbles upon the thread.
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