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  1. #1
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    Dec 2010
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    Dalbellos or Langes, and 120 or 130 flex?

    I'm about to spring for my first alpine rig in 20+ years (been tele-only in the meantime - my last alpine boots were Lange Tii's) - like in the next day or two (great deals out there right now).

    So I went and tried on some boots. I've got a high-volume foot, and the two that fit the best were: Dalbello Pantera 120 ID, and Lange SX 120. Of those two, the Panterra fit even better (the Lange's were quite good, but the outside of my foot was uncomfortable when I leaned them over and pressured the outside of my foot, as if edging the inside ski).

    QUESTION 1: The Lange's seem to get better reviews (not by a ton) for performance. Any clear reason to choose the Lange over the Panterra (despite the Panterra fitting better - I assume I can fix the Lange fit with footbeds/bootfitting)?

    QUESTION 2: What flex? Both these are available in a 130 flex. I'm 5'10", 195 lbs at the moment, and ski fast/aggressively. As such, I thought I'd be looking at 130 flex boots. But this shop did not stock many 130's (neither of these 2 boots), and the guy I was working with said 130 would be beastly, and I wouldn't like them unless "I wanted to work that hard all day." But the 120's seemed soft (guy reminded me that I was not in the cold), in fact softer than my tele boots (Scott Synergy, same as old Garmont Ener-G). They were a much smoother flex than my tele boots though, and this got me thinking: do I really need the stout flex?

    What are the pros/cons of a slightly softer or stiffer flex boot? I've been alpining with floppy heels all this time, so I'm used to limited support (despite the surprising fact that my tele boots seemingly carpet-flexed stiffer than these 120's), and skiing pretty centered (can't get too aggressively forward, alpining w/ tele gear, or...over the bars).

    Any advice, re: 120 vs 130?

  2. #2
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    Dec 2010
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    P.S. I do realize flex numbers are not standardized. The Lange 120's felt just a bit stiffer than the Dalbello 120's. But I was surprised how soft they both felt - evidently my tele boots are stiffer than I thought, and those old Lange Tii's had to be like 150's, lol.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    i'm 6-5,210 and skied in the lange sx120 for two seasons
    i think it depends on how much you personally value a stiff boot on the 130
    i probably could have done the 130, but it wasn't in the lange lineup when I purchased mine...honestly, i didn't miss it.
    (i've switched to the lupo120 ax and am not looking back [i did upgrade tongue to 130 tho])

    i had a friend in the market in the last couple weeks, and he found the 16/17 sx120 new for $250 online, so there are def deals out there if your size is still on someone's shelf

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by skizix View Post
    Any advice, re: 120 vs 130?
    I can't tell you which flex you'll ski better with, but even a 130 flex boot isn't that stiff these days. Over the past 8-10 years, flex numbers have stayed the same and the boots have gotten softer (and more upright). It's not better or worse, but it is in line with what's required to turn most modern skis. I'm not especially big and default to a 130 in pretty much every boot I own.

  5. #5
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    Nov 2010
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    Does the sx have screw t-nuts in the cuff like the rx?
    If so then easy to turn a lange 130 into a 120 by pulling one - not so easy to go the other way.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    5,707
    I’m old (50s) and light (170) and have a Lange RX 130 twin (Rossi 130) and it’s not even as stiff as my old Lange Banshee Pro 110. 130 flexes great - can always make it less stiff

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    378
    Don’t get hung up on flex numbers, no industry standard. Try in as many boots as you can and do a-b comparisons. The boot that is right for you is the one that fits. All boots have a bit softer forward flex compared to 10ish years ago but are stiffer laterally, as that is where most of the “moves” are now with current ski designs

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcpnz View Post
    Does the sx have screw t-nuts in the cuff like the rx?
    If so then easy to turn a lange 130 into a 120 by pulling one - not so easy to go the other way.
    Yeah, they do. The guy at the shop pointed them out (on the 120), and said he'd removed a screw from his rx 130's to dumb down the flex. Good point.

  9. #9
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    Dec 2010
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    Ok, seems like 130 is the way to go. The Panterra 130 has some kind of way to soften the flex, as well as the Lange. And like I said, my current tele boots seems stiffer than either 120, yet I am able to pressure the cuff (in alpine or tele turns) effectively, to load up the tips and shorten carve radius. So I think I'm good w/ 130's.

    Only question remaining: Lange SX or Panterra? The Panterras fit really comfortably out of the box, Langes had that one issue (uncomfortable on outside of foot, when pressuring it there - surely fixable). Panterras have a last adjustment, which could be good if they were in fact TOO comfy out of the box (though if I need to leave it wide open, could be a water leakage issue), and a walk mode (which is no biggy, but is a nice-to-have, and walkability of alpine vs tele boots is...something in any case). Lange sx 130's appearance is better than Panterra 130's (but hey...go Broncos!), but that is the least of my concerns. Leaning towards the Dalbellos.

    Anybody have an opinion specifically about Panterra 130's vs Lange SX 130's (or the 120 versions - should apply the same)?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    The 130 SX has a better liner than the 120 SX.
    "Lange's RL1, RL2, and RL3 liners are thermomoldable and offer increasing foot retention levels (from RL1 to RL3), providing the right balance of comfort and performance for every skier."
    R3 in SX130, where as the 120 has the R2 liner.

  11. #11
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    Dec 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dee Hubbs View Post
    The 130 SX has a better liner than the 120 SX.
    "Lange's RL1, RL2, and RL3 liners are thermomoldable and offer increasing foot retention levels (from RL1 to RL3), providing the right balance of comfort and performance for every skier."
    R3 in SX130, where as the 120 has the R2 liner.
    Thanks for that info.

    The Panterra (well the ID version - which I'm targeting) has an Intuition wrap liner. Love my current Intu wraps (did not come with the boots). How do you think the Lange R3 compares?

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