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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
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    Thanks to Ther BBI Sartorial Skiwear Supplier: Freeride Systems MiCol

    A big shout out and thanks to FreeRideSystems for some natty threads at the BBI18 auction and raffle.
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    50 miles E of Paradise
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    15,565
    Very cool of micol kickass outerwear at great prices

    Even in the rowdiest storms, my Antero 2 jacket keeps me warm as a post-menopausal woman and as dry as a nuns vagina.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    In a parallel universe
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buster Highmen View Post
    A big shout out and thanks to FreeRideSystems for some natty threads at the BBI18 auction and raffle.
    Indeed B, picked up a pair of their gloves @ BBI 17, love them!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    bucks county pa
    Posts
    2,663
    Thanks in advance for the goodies sent BBI Bozeman. Great stuff and super generous . Thx again
    always forward but never straight

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2002
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    right behind you!
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    +1 for MiCol.

    My Antero jacket is still going strong after many miles and many years of hard use.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    19,201
    Quote Originally Posted by ichibaneye View Post
    I just went to the website. I love the gear! Will ski bibs/pants ever be made to match those sexy jackets and shells? Thanks.
    Search JONG!

    +1 for bringing pinner out of the woodwork. So, like +101 now.
    Is it radix panax notoginseng? - splat
    This is like hanging yourself but the rope breaks. - DTM
    Dude Listen to mtm. He's a marriage counselor at burning man. - subtle plague

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    PNW
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    Quote Originally Posted by ichibaneye View Post
    May death find you soon.
    See what happens when you feed the itchy brown eye troll?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    19,201
    Quote Originally Posted by ichibaneye View Post
    May death find you soon.
    It will, soon enough. Until then, I will tolerate Micol's hearing loss.
    Is it radix panax notoginseng? - splat
    This is like hanging yourself but the rope breaks. - DTM
    Dude Listen to mtm. He's a marriage counselor at burning man. - subtle plague

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    16,337
    i just want to thank micol and co for a great deal on an amazing jacket. it's just been so amazing compared to my experience with close-out, lower end HH, burton, rei, jackets i can't really convey the improvement.

    i wish i could have done it sooner. thank you! best of success to your company!

    p.s. now get on making some pants!!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    16,337
    somebody asked me about my jacket yesterday. he seemed totally taken by it and i told him it was my best ever by far, then who and where and his next question was "do they make pants?"

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    533
    Thanks for the pants micol! I’m a tall guy so I passed it onto my buddy. It looked great and perfect for hiking!

    Thanks for supporting BBI


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by ichibaneye View Post
    I just went to the website. I love the gear! Will ski bibs/pants ever be made to match those sexy jackets and shells? Thanks.
    Thanks, sorry didn't check in on this..... here's my take on making pants, #1 pants can explode, they take more fabric, seam tape, etc and labor, and sell for less...we've made some great samples but I'm too chicken to release commercially, but think of it this way ......kits can look kinda goofy, so just get our jackets and your favorite pants....I've worn OR and cloudveil pants with excellent results from the mixed kit.



    And thanks everyone for the positive vibes, we have some cool stuff coming for Fall...... but no ski pants . But maybe one day soon

    I've been on the road poaching parking lots round ski areas and such so this sometimes slow on my posts

    ps I was really trying to make it to bbi Bozeman but had a hard conflict I couldn't get out of
    www.freeridesystems.com
    ski & ride jackets made in colorado
    maggot discount code TGR20
    ok we'll come up with a solution by then makers....

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    between campus and church
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    9,924
    How many companies email you after an order to make sure you ordered the correct size?

    One - FRS.

    Thanks to Kevin for saving me from having to return my order.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Inside the Circle
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    I sent this pic of Magic on 3-8 to Kevin asking if they wanted to add it to the gallery. This is my 4th full season (well over 200 days) with that jacket and I can't even imagine wearing anything else. I also asked about pants...seems like a trend MiCol.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  15. #15
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    Nov 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest View Post
    I sent this pic of Magic on 3-8 to Kevin asking if they wanted to add it to the gallery. This is my 4th full season (well over 200 days) with that jacket and I can't even imagine wearing anything else. I also asked about pants...seems like a trend MiCol.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Thanks for that pic ! ....it has been put in the hat to go on the website in main slideshow for next fall.....

    pants pants pants, why no pants!! ....i know, and we've made some great samples...but dwr does eventually quit working and no aftermarket stuff has proven to replace it at the same level as oem dwr......i am a broken record on these next points: pants: more fabric, more labor, less msrp selling price....i say this everyday when someone in the office asks me about pants due to customer inquiry.....why can your flylows, trews, marmots, north face ,mountain hardware, etc etc do it? because pants with non premium branded fabrics and zippers only cost $25 in china to make - total price - materials and labor included..... only god and the owners of brands know how low from vietnam....sure they have to buy 1000 pairs of same style but if they have the distribution\sales they can justify. that number is real and gathered from sourcing events by me personally along with documenting my competitors styles with pictures used by their manufacturers as samples at these events to prove and remember why not to make pants.

    at our cost to produce and warranty policy, we just don't know how to be in the game....it is unbelievable to me that some companies will not warranty their stuff when the overseas make cost is so low....sure premium fabrics (e.g. gore, eVents, polartec, etc) drive their costs up, or seam taped seams that fail or that back zippers that have failed make a repair tough job to justify for them, especially domestically due to cost and unfamiliar sewing people that did not make the garments initially. but, these companies when using their own in-house proprietary fabrics are using something that costs them a fraction of a premium branded fabric. this means: cheaper. way cheaper. any company not warrantying their stuff (imho) is either 1) publicly traded or private equity backed and have severe financial metrics they cannot exceed, or 2) they are small and private and in financial duress or greedy (imho).

    on that note, we can do our own repair in-house because we make everything domestically - we lose money doing it and the shipping costs to return. ( exception - please don't send us garments that are so dirty, smokey, pet hair and dandered, etc. that it will cause my people to refuse to touch them. or, so allergen filled that they make our eyes water coming out of the box, yes! it has happened). we do not have laundry facilities onsite nor have the time to wash your stuff and anyway machine washing/drying destroys fabrics, membranes, dwr, and seam tape.

    so,, how does one make a commercially available off the rack pair of pants to sell with solid warranty, that costs more to make, sells for less, and are the most frequently damaged in day to day use?? i've been thinking about it for years. you either have no warranty no matter what creating massive customer ill will, or have a product that is economically unviable to the company. if any dentists or analysts have some other data i am missing, i am always open to your thoughts as we can make pants and damn good ones imho.

    oh crap, i think this turned into a blog post....i will stop
    www.freeridesystems.com
    ski & ride jackets made in colorado
    maggot discount code TGR20
    ok we'll come up with a solution by then makers....

  16. #16
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    Now I get it. I'll stop asking. Thanks for the detailed response.

  17. #17
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    Dec 2015
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    i get it, too. i'm just glad you make great jackets.

  18. #18
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    Nov 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest View Post
    Now I get it. I'll stop asking. Thanks for the detailed response.
    Quote Originally Posted by wyeaster View Post
    i get it, too. i'm just glad you make great jackets.
    I don't mean to stifle the conversation..... i typed all that in good humor and natured and glad people ask, i want to make pants, but we also want to try to keep everyone has happy as possible while remaining financially solvent. i truly am always open to others ideas and it damn well means a lot that people want pants from us because of their experiences with our jackets and customer service. thank you , it really does mean a lot and i think about it all the time !
    www.freeridesystems.com
    ski & ride jackets made in colorado
    maggot discount code TGR20
    ok we'll come up with a solution by then makers....

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    no stifling done! we were talking about you and your product yesterday. everybody loves the jackets and i got a similar explanation as to why you might not do pants. makes total sense and my wanting you to make pants has more to do with wishing you further success and being ignorant of the technical aspects of doing what you do.

  20. #20
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    Nov 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by wyeaster View Post
    no stifling done! we were talking about you and your product yesterday. everybody loves the jackets and i got a similar explanation as to why you might not do pants. makes total sense and my wanting you to make pants has more to do with wishing you further success and being ignorant of the technical aspects of doing what you do.
    thank you and that sentiment is and has been a great motivator to push me to raise the bar on quality, fabric and production methods, etc. i am afraid that i am up against the wall on pants unless someone can bring forth some new enlightening ideas or our production/sales grow bigger creating some additional economies of scale lowering production costs. ftr: i don't think anyone is ignorant , we all have different scenarios playing out in our fav endeavors, but we rely on the makers to have thought out our needs and incorporated that into their designs so we can just use and try not to think about it too much and just have fun or adventure

    not seam taping pants would help a lot, and i've owned some great ones from cloudveil that weren't, maybe that along with some other things, but i think most want seam taping , but not sure

    backcountry day trips i try not to sit in snow and could see less need, except in the emergency situation, overnight i think you need it, sled accessed days, split or snow boarders probably need it, inbounds on chairs probably need , depends on the weather and use....and so on
    www.freeridesystems.com
    ski & ride jackets made in colorado
    maggot discount code TGR20
    ok we'll come up with a solution by then makers....

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Park City
    Posts
    5,013
    I don’t think living in the Rockies requires seam taping. PNW, definitely!


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    I rip the groomed on tele gear

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by detrusor View Post
    I don’t think living in the Rockies requires seam taping. PNW, definitely!
    i would generally agree with you on that especially PNW...in the rockies it is those overnight trips, or sled accessed days sometimes on seat, wet snows at different times of year, etc that might cause need
    www.freeridesystems.com
    ski & ride jackets made in colorado
    maggot discount code TGR20
    ok we'll come up with a solution by then makers....

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    2,745

    Custom leggings by Freeride Systems

    Quote Originally Posted by MiCol View Post
    thank you and that sentiment is and has been a great motivator to push me to raise the bar on quality, fabric and production methods, etc. i am afraid that i am up against the wall on pants unless someone can bring forth some new enlightening ideas or our production/sales grow bigger creating some additional economies of scale lowering production costs. ftr: i don't think anyone is ignorant , we all have different scenarios playing out in our fav endeavors, but we rely on the makers to have thought out our needs and incorporated that into their designs so we can just use and try not to think about it too much and just have fun or adventure

    not seam taping pants would help a lot, and i've owned some great ones from cloudveil that weren't, maybe that along with some other things, but i think most want seam taping , but not sure

    backcountry day trips i try not to sit in snow and could see less need, except in the emergency situation, overnight i think you need it, sled accessed days, split or snow boarders probably need it, inbounds on chairs probably need , depends on the weather and use....and so on

    Dear MiCol...


    I get it.

    I still w a n t a half-bib / bib by FreerideSystems ; I Can't pay a MikeCollins price , But I will gladly pay more...

    (( I believe 'dentists' will too (!) . . . so

    when you have sewers who want more work , (lemme) know my (horrific) measurements you need And shoot me a Price !


    'til then, I will be runnin' Keys And carharrts (doubled - U.p. ) With my flap. ))


    You are The Best, Mike ! (Please) keep UP your Grrreat work ! !!!


    ( Thanks for Help-ing LBL )


    tj
    " ... I will do anything to go Skiing ... There Is no pride ... " (Miriam , 2005-2006 epic)

    Dec21, 2016. LittleBigLost :
    " I think about it everyday. It is my reminder to live life to the fullest. I get up early, go to bed late, 'cuz I got shit to do. Like I said, I'm 61. Not going to wait till I'm 81 to do stuff, ...

    Get out there and do stuff!

    Enjoy life to the fullest!!

    See you on the slopes! "

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Issaquah, WA
    Posts
    145
    Hear you on the pants, but IMO, I think you'd have to do two simple things to make pants work;

    1.) Stick with materials you know will work (3L GTX or GTXP for lift-served PNW'ers for example).

    2.) Flip the model and raise your price for pants. If you look at some of the higher-priced and higher-quality brands, the delta between flagship jacket and pants is not that much.

    Just my thoughts. Oh, and kicking myself for not buying that GTX Camo jacket last fall. That thing looks great on the snow! Pics didn't do it justice. Looking forward to seeing what's new for 2018/2019.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    16,337
    why do they hate snowboarders there? falling leafers?

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