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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Tahoe
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    949

    Wanted: Feedback on Duke vs Jester on Lhasa Pow

    I have been skiing a pair last years 186 glass Lhasa Pows with Duke's mounted on the line. Overall very happy, and I just picked up a pair of 191's. My dilema: I'm trying to figure out if I should mount them with Duke's again or strictly alpine binding like a Jester. I know the obvious question is if I plan to tour or not, and the answer is possibly, and while it may sound stupid, my primary concern is around the performance of the ski going downhill. I like the way my 186's ski with the Duke's on 'em, and think the stack height of the Duke may actually improve the quickness edge-to-edge. I haven't skie the Duke on any other ski, nor have I skied the Lhasa's with alpine binders (nor have I skied the carbons). So.....I am looking for some feedback from those who have skied the Lhasa's with both Duke's and alpine binders. Did it significantly impact the performance one way or the other? Likes? Dislikes? Preferences?

    Much appreciated, flame away....

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    1,421
    do you land things switch?

    that's the dealbreaker

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    SE AK
    Posts
    327
    I ski on 196s, glass last year, carbon this year. I had them mounted with PX14s last year, dukes this year. Skiing them months apart probably effects my perception, but I think I liked the way the px14s skiied better. Could be placebo, but I feel like I notice the plate aspect of the duke in the way the skis flex.

    Unless you're selling the 186s, put an alpine binder on the 191s. The controversy surrounding dukes should give you some idea of how reliable they are, versus the large number of alpine bindings available that give as good if not better performance and are less likely to break.
    "Nothing like a very, very amorous woman in a leg imobilizer who dozes off every 3 1/2 minutes."
    -Notchtop

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    sfbay
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    2,179
    I say - absolutely do not use dukes unless you plan to tour. If you feel you need rise, cut up and drill a plastic cutting board to get rise.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Verdi NV
    Posts
    10,457

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Melburn
    Posts
    821
    Alpine binders on the 191's. Your 186's are lighter and more maneuverable in trees, IMO that sounds like a better touring setup.
    I ski therefore I am.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    33,440
    Quote Originally Posted by Horu View Post
    I ski on 196s, glass last year, carbon this year. I had them mounted with PX14s last year, dukes this year. Skiing them months apart probably effects my perception, but I think I liked the way the px14s skiied better. Could be placebo, but I feel like I notice the plate aspect of the duke in the way the skis flex.

    Unless you're selling the 186s, put an alpine binder on the 191s. The controversy surrounding dukes should give you some idea of how reliable they are, versus the large number of alpine bindings available that give as good if not better performance and are less likely to break.
    I think Horu touched on something there, sierraskier. This could boil down to your weight and style when making your final decision. I only have about 7-8 real short days over the last 20 months and a still fucked knee to work with. Skiing the 191s today, I took note of the flex of the ski. It flexes really nice when I want it to, ie, shortening up a radius on the groom when I push it to. I got fat while down, so I'm up around 220 at 6-2. I don't think it would flex too much if I was skiing stronger. So, I'd say it's stiff, but not too stiff when powering it through a turn. This is grooms and crud, I'm talking. It will carve your desired arc with pressure adjustments. Laying into it more shortens the arc through the flex. I found it wildly obvious that it did exactly what a ski should do with a great feel about it all.

    The carbon/glass combo has a damn smoove give when it flexes. I haven't pushed it all the way out the bottom of the turn to feel a full rebound (which I have on the carbon 186 and it'll pop you out of a turn), but it hockey stops beautifully . So, with my size and lameness in mind, I might want a plate binding if I was skiing stronger and thought the ski had too much flex (which I probably wouldn't), but I'd hate to see you lose any of that flex I was feeling today with some sollie demo 12s on them. .02

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Tahoe
    Posts
    949
    Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback.

    I'm 6' ~170, and I'm probably not as hard of a charger compared to most people on this forum. I don't break shit, never broken a binding, bent a ski, etc... The thing I like about the 186 glass Lhasa's I have now is they are plenty floaty but I still feel like I can get edge-to-edge pretty quickly when needed (which could be due in part to the stack height of the Dukes). However I do feel like have to really stand em to get them to flex under foot (which could also be due to in part to the Duke plate). It sounds like I'm going to get some extra pop just out of the 191 carbon construction alone and possibly some extra flex out it from a traditional, non-plated alpine binder, which sounds awesome. So wondering if Jondrums' suggestion for a riser might give me the best of both worlds: edge-to-edge agility that I'm used to with intended flex pattern (and float). I don't know dick about risers though. Anyone know how much extra rise there is on a Duke plate and has anyone else actually done this? Or are we just splitting hairs and should I just put bindings on em and ski? Only asking because I don't have a good reference, haven't skied on anything as wide as the Lhasa with/without anything as tall as a Duke.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    1,036
    Since you've got dukes on the 186s I'd mount alpine on the 191s. If you want some more stack height risers would be the ticket. Personally, I'd mount them flat though.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    my own little world
    Posts
    5,838
    Flat. The fatter the ski the more rise you need to have an appreciable effect on leverage arm, and with any rise/plate you're going to lose some snow/ski feel.

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