Dalbello Lupo T.I / AT ?

[Wetdog]

It's interesting, reading in Skialper magazine, that the Lupo Carbon TI, which they have in their free touring section alongside boots like their top pick "Boot of the Year," the Salomon Mountain Lab, was not overly well received, yet the Lupo Plus TI was top pick in the Freeride Category winning "Boot of the Year" alongside the runners up Lange XT 130 Freetour and Scarpa Freemdon SR. The Lupo Carbon TI did receive the innovation award though. They felt the Carbon was a bit soft in the beginning of the flex and perhaps needed a booster strap. The Lupo Plus Ti appears to be a Hybrid of the Regular Lupo SP/Ti and the Carbon Lupo Ti with the Carbon's removable tongue, tongue style touring liner and Grilamid Shell (minus carbon cuff) but with the Regular Lupo buckle placement and booster strap. They felt it climbed very well and was a good balance of tourability and skiablity in a freeeirde boot.

[rob stokes]

Just got the Plus, unfortunately it only came with one tongue-the softer C

Hopefully I can find a stiffer one, shame that an expensive boot only comes with one tongue and no DIN soles.

I'm a little annoyed by it to be honest.

[rob stokes]

So I have been told that 'B' tongues aren't available yet for the plus (even though it's the same as the carbon and they have a B) but dalbello is advertising this boot as a 130 flex, when in fact according to this image below its more like a 115-120ish.

I understand flex numbers are very rough at best, but still.





Edit to add the above picture is from a Lupo TI, so if you stump up the extra for a Plus you get one less tongue.

[Timberridge]

^^^ Perhaps the tongue liner in the Plus makes them softer than the wrap version in general, but the orange B tongue in the regular TI makes that boot feel way to stiff for ski+hike boot. My personal stiff-o-meter tells me that's 130+.

[babybear]

wait I just got a pair of the Lupo carbons and they didn't come with a second tongue but maybe they are not the "plus" versions? or did some ski shop snake my stiff tongues
hmmm need to look into this. altho 120 flex is probably more adequate for babybears than 130

[Timberridge]

wait I just got a pair of the Lupo carbons and they didn't come with a second tongue but maybe they are not the "plus" versions? or did some ski shop snake my stiff tongues
hmmm need to look into this. altho 120 flex is probably more adequate for babybears than 130

The Plus version and Carbon are different animals. Plus is the TI version w/ tongue liner, easy off tongue of the Carbon, etc. Unless you're tipping the scales at 200+ pre-hibernation, you'll be fine w/ it.

I think the stiffness indexes on these boots is a different # due to whether you have a tongue or wrap liner...or my stiff-o-meter is way off. I also tried on the Lupo 110 (with wrap liner) and it's noticeably stiffer than the non-wrap version.

[Timberridge]

Your wife let you borrow her stiff o meter?

I'm a 120.

[jdadour]

Has anyone used the Lupo TI with the DIN soles in the Kingpins? Do they work? or would you have to put stock touring soles back on?

[markcjr]

I got the carbons as well and mine didn't come with 2 tongues either

[ACH]

wait I just got a pair of the Lupo carbons and they didn't come with a second tongue but maybe they are not the "plus" versions? or did some ski shop snake my stiff tongues
hmmm need to look into this. altho 120 flex is probably more adequate for babybears than 130

The Carbon only ships with one set of tongues.
They are 130 flex.

From the tech manual:

Stiff tongue (code "B") STIFF FLEX = D 65 Polyamide (Standard on Lupo S.P./Lupo Carbon)
Medium tongue (code "C") MEDIUM FLEX = D 59 P.A. (Standard on Lupo Plus, Lupo T.I., Lupo 120)

There is no mention if the "medium flex tongue" (Standard on Lupo Plus, Lupo T.I., Lupo 120) is interchangeable with the Carbon.

Last year the TI shipped with two sets of tongues, from what I have seen so far this Fall, all 16/17 models are shipping with one.
The Carbons I have came with one set as well.

[japanada]

Ill try swapping tongues tomorrow at work between versions and report back

[neck beard]

This range of boots are likely to be better than Dynafit both in performance AND confusing model names. SD TI ID Plus 120 Carbon. Lupo.

Web designs is annoying as hell as well. Mouse over a boot and the info covers the boot next to it. You move your mouse to the info, and the boot you were looking at gets covered by another boots info set. And you can't scroll the page without putting your mouse over at least one boot. Hectic!

[rob stokes]

Got mine moulded today, holy fuck they feel amazing! I added some foam around the heel as the pocket wasn't defined enough for me. (Roomier than my Vulcans)

Flex wise with the C tongue the plus still feels burley. DNA of an alpine boot for sure, can't wait to ski them, but still think I will need to find the stiffer tongue.

[Gepeto]

Glad to know you're stoked from the initial disappointment you were registering RS.

.................................

Gonna drop 10 cents worth. I’ve been holding out for a while just because of all the good filtered intel that did come about.

That and the obvious; that the carbon is going to be the shiz this year?!

I come by hybrid/3 piece/cabriolet/wtr by a completely different route than using them to earn a turn. As some here have seen or know, I have a handicap and getting into a plug boot had become problematic over the last 7/8 years. To add insult, I have just 2.125 inches of cross section at the cuff and being able to tailor a cuff down to this dimension and deliver a consistent response is no easy feat. I was pretty much stuck in a Hawx for years because of the smaller cuff volume. A rather weak boot in its first few iterations, but I digress.

I looked into hybrid construction and then the Lupo ti because of the ease of holding the throat of the boot open when you mount it, unlike a plug boot.

My first foray was with the atomic waymaker carbon 130 - nice boot. Not a traditional 130, more like 110/115 until you hit the light switch in the last 2 degrees of forward lean, then bam. Not very usable. Stable and surprisingly responsive laterally before it folds. Good neutral position for softer set-ups and 3D snow. Good sensitivity helped overshadow the lack of drivability the boot had. In general, a rather weak boot towards the back, as was discussed somewhat up thread. (I won’t side track now but, what you are all referring to by my understanding is a heel weighted counter to the outside back of the boot)

Why am I spewing about the waymaker you might say. I was hoping my impressions we’re not hybrid/cabrolet/ wide and just peculiar too the waymaker. Last year I did the Lupo TI and managed 18 – 6+ hourish days in a massively shitty season when it came to time on snow.

The ease of getting in and out of this style boot is humanizing to say the least and I really don’t want to jump ship just yet.

I was thrown by the characteristics of the boot. Never having stepped in a Riachle style boot and never had a true working Intuition, I went through a few odd days before settling on the B tongue with a gold booster. I trimmed the tongue at the inside of the middle joint to make it easier to establish an angle forward of center without much power. The boot is extremely sensitive, bordering on intuitive. It is the quickest my feet have ever been from edge to edge and covers a perceived weak point in my technique. A good reason to want to stay in this boot.

Lastly but, the most significant is the different nature of the flex of the boot vs a plug boot. The rebound matches compression from end to end. I see the word linear used most frequently to describe the flex. Unlike a plug boot that is progressive and the rebound is of a slower and more deliberate return to center than is the weighting sequence. This linear flex of the boot is what I am having trouble adapting to.


I have an atomix hawx ultra 130 for 16/17 on the way. A re-design from the ground up and it’s getting the typical paid for high end reviews – who can decipher fact from fiction bullshit.

I make it a habit of sticking with one thing until I like it or hate it and there is a lot to like about this (lupo) boot configuration. The intuition wrap is warm and a very high percentage of contact along with a great toe pocket. The density lacks some of the suspension of a traditional last (ime) but, it’s something I can live with unless I’m in pain before the day starts.

So, can I get used to the “linear” feel of the Riachle way? Is there a way to alter just the rebound of the boot? My first move if I stay in the boot will be a silver booster instead of the gold, maybe slow the boot down some.

OR, do I cut and run with my hawx ultra 130 rave machchine and a boot spreader for this year?

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

[Gepeto]

While I'm at it...

I have thoroughly drilled the webs until I bumped into dalbello server security to find a drawing of the boot. Does anyone have access to the geometry? I have been in a +1 splay plug boot for 17 years before the waymaker. The TI feels like less if not straight on?

[Blurred]

Anyone know the weight difference between the regular and carbon fiber model?

[japanada]

So i just swapped the tongues from a lupo sp and a lupo ti onto the carbons, just have to scwith over the quick release mechanism. So yes, you can run the 120 flex soft tongue on the carbons.

[ACH]

Anyone know the weight difference between the regular and carbon fiber model?

I don't know the difference between, but just weighed a new Carbon with the stock sole blocks.
2.095 kg for a single boot - size 28.5 - 327bsl

If someone else has a T.I. in that size, maybe they can weigh and post for comparison.

[rob stokes]

So i just swapped the tongues from a lupo sp and a lupo ti onto the carbons, just have to scwith over the quick release mechanism. So yes, you can run the 120 flex soft tongue on the carbons.

If anyone's wants some medium flex 'C' tongues in exchange for stiffer 'B' tongues let me know.

[rob stokes]

If anyone is interested according to the dalbello rep in my area my boots (lupo TI plus) came with the softer tongue due to being a smaller size (25) and bigger sizes will have stiffer tongue.

He is swapping them out for me.

[linkan110]

Anyone know the weight difference between the regular and carbon fiber model?

Ive got replie from local rep, there is approx. 200g weight diff between the two models.

apparantly there is a difference in carbon and plus in walking mode aswell, where carbon has 67degres and Plus have 45degres

[rob stokes]

Skied the plus for the first time today at work. They need a little work to get them right around my ankle/heel but feel pretty good. Had them on for ~8hrs, not bad for first day in new boots!

Walk mode is no way 67* so the above makes sense to me. Good resort/patrol/side country boot but wouldn't be a contender for proper touring boot but that's exactly what I want. Hope I can get the fit dialled in right.

Stiffness wise I jammed a krypton B tongue in that falls out when I unbuckle the boot as I'm still waiting on the B flex lupo tongue with the fancy release system and they feel good. If my old tecnica bodacious (basically a Mach 1 with changeable soles) is a true 130 is give these a 125. Tecnica's have an expert booster and the lupo's don't yet fwiw.

[skisurfmirth]

I put about 70-80 days of resort, slack, sled access, heli access, big tours, etc.. on the T.I last year. Great boot til the scaffo cracked. Got the carbons this year and they have been excellent so far, addressing all the little problems of the T.I. (quick release tongue, tongue liner, increased ROM.) Only thing not to like is the price, and only one tongue in the box. Was nice to be able to try the two different flexes last year, but the b-flex is what I prefer anyways. Dropped the cuff on the carbons to the lower setting and added a booster strap. So far so good.

[babybear]

so when I got my Lupo TI carbons I noticed that there were 2 different bsl's listed- 297 on the box (which I was expecting bc I had kryptons in the past w 297 bsl)
But it had 293 stamped on the boot. the shell fit was right so brushed it off

Went to have my boots fitted at the shop yesterday and my friend that works there pointed out that you could see a "297" stamp eeever so lightly under the larger stamped 293
apparently the grilamid used shrunk quite a bit in the mold so they had to restamp the boots (but I guess didn't bother to change on the box)

I think someone had mentioned earlier that the width was a touch narrower too and this could explain that as well

My boots had to spend the night at the shop bc they're doing a little punch on them but I'll get a close up photo of the 2 stamps when I get them back
or anyone else see it on theirs too? or maybe can see if you zoom in on the pic but probably not
anyhoo- just thought it was interesting in case anyone else had noticed a difference in the listed bsl

they are going to drill out the rivets for my booster straps too and me being a little shorter than most of you fellers (I'm 5' 7") I think the slightly lower top buckle will suit me well

[Gepeto]

SSM - cipher please

Great boot til the scaffo cracked.

...addressing all the little problems of the T.I. (tongue liner)

.....

so, got a few pm, but no solid answer to my query up stream. Does this mean that the Lupo just doesn't make P turns well and that's the end of it? Does the pregnant silence indicate - take your hawx and do a lap?

How about a between the ears approach I could be missing. How is linear compression/rebound cycle an asset?