Anybody rocking these boots for AT?
Dav is using them to ski all the 14ers and raves over them. I've got a line on some new ones for £150. Should I pull that trigger?
Anybody rocking these boots for AT?
Dav is using them to ski all the 14ers and raves over them. I've got a line on some new ones for £150. Should I pull that trigger?
Sounds like a good price.
That said, I don't think I'd ever buy a boot w/o trying it on to see if it matches the shape of my foot.
What do you use for your AT boot now?
Consider, too:
1) Denalis
2) Spirit 3s
3) MegaRides
4) Dynafit Aero Freerides
5) Adrenalins
I personally like #1 & #3 (#4 was plenty stiff and relatively lightweight but didn't fit my foot well) for mix of ascending and descending anything.
I'm sure there are others to add to the list, but I think that's a good start for "do-anything" boots.
You could go lighter/softer if the ascent is more of the focus... or heavier for short tours/downhill focus.
I just put a deposit down on a pair of E2s. My friendly Salomon rep is delivering a pair to Snow and Rock for me to try.
Originally Posted by bad_roo
Cool. Keep this updated once you get them.
Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp
i saw those reviewed a while back in a mag as a heavy-duty AT option, but I couldn't find them on salomon's US website. Are they a Euro-only thing?
Nope, they are a rental boot, not for the consumer market.Originally Posted by Squatch
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Originally Posted by RootSkier
Roo, did you scout out the Scarpa Tornado?
For your size (muscle,that is..) it might be the only viable option for a rando like boot.
It actually had quite a good stiff/purty feeling in it.
At least compared to adrenalin or other lightweighters.
The floggings will continue until morale improves.
Rather oddly I like skiing alpine in pretty soft boots (I ski in Solly 1080s at the moment) so the Ellipse E2s could well take over as my go-to boot. I was informed that they're a bit stiffer than any of the 'dedicated' AT boots around at the moment, even the Tornado. At the moment I'm prioritising the coming down rather than the going up but trying to find a workable compromise.
others will have their own views on this, but if you're only looking at skinning for an hour or so I'd just go with whatever downhill boots you like.
for me, touring boots are now reserved for tours where it's something like 4 or 5 hours up and an hour down
fur bearing, drunk, prancing eurosnob
salomon elispse with a gummy/verse sole I think.
soft, no really soft.
I tried skiing an elispe in my heli slut days and was not really doable, and they are hard to stiffen.
OK boot if they fit your foot, or if you have a salomon hookup.
Was thinking of trying this boot based upon Dav's raves on the 14'ers project and sent an e-mail to Solly to request the flex rating. FWIW, I believe they indicated it was a 60 or 70, though I deleted the response. I had hoped it would be stiffer, but still want to check it out. Skirick may have some first-hand knowledge by now...Originally Posted by mntlion
Hey, Roo--Originally Posted by bad_roo
There is nothing odd about this. Being able to flex your ankles is pretty key (esp when skiing fatties with a more balanced stance), and you'll find *many* (not all) folks use the stiffness of their boots as a crutch for driving big skis...rather than using their legs/body/technique.
The problem is that the above is a contrarian opinion around these parts...so you'll feel on the outside for skiing a boot that is probably more suitable for most folks.
I obviously can't comment on the stiffness of the E2 (that guy above who got a response from Solly saying they are a flex index of 60-70 makes them seem really soft!)...but I can say that I have to believe the stiffest Scarpa and the Dynafit Aero FR *have* to be stiffer than that, if true.
I do think that with the right pilot ability, one of the more solid AT boots is plenty to drive all but the stiffest skis -- at least for folks who are around average weight. The bigger you are, the more likely one's weight simply requires a far stiffer boot.
I wouldn't recommend, for instance, the (modified) Garmont MegaRide I ski daily to someone who is over 200# (w/o gear)...but some AT boots that are a bit stiffer should work out. If the E2 is that boot, great.
Let us know how it works out!!
I own the Aero Freerides and Scrapa Tornados and I recently found a great deal on a pair of Ellipse 9s so I picked them up although I haven't skied on them yet. My understanding is that the E2 is an Ellipse 9 with a special walking sole that was meant to be a rental set up. There is a special binging for the E2, I assume because with the walking sole it won't release correctly in a normal alpine binder. My Ellipse 9s have an Alpine sole with a small amount of lug too it, actually very similar to the Tornado sole, no rocker. Dav referred to his boots as the Ellipse 9 (E2) here:
http://www.skithe14ers.com/p-mt-harvard.php
I'm finding it hard to ski any set up besides my Bros/Comforts/Aero Freerides because I love them so much, so I can't give you a great comparison yet. In the living room, all three boots feel plenty stiff to me, but I'm also not one who feels I need I super stiff boot and I've skied tons of stuff in Scarpa Lasers, so all these boot feel really stiff to me. Again, in the living room, the Tornados and the Ellipse 9s feel pretty equivalent in terms of stiffness. Neither have a rockered sole, so having the cuff release for walking is nice, but it's no where near as nice as the Aero Freeride with its rockered sole and bigger lugs. The plastic in the Aero Freeride "looks" flimsier then the Tornado or Ellipse 9, but honestly, to me they feel just as stiff, if not even a bit stiffer. I think some of that is the little tabs built in the shell that prevent it from flexing too far forward combined with the wrap around design.
Obviously, boots are all about what fits right first and foremost. But IMVHO, I really think the Aero Freeride is the best of the bunch. It's plenty stiff, is the best for hiking and touring with a good sole and rocker, and being Dynafit compatible you get the best AT binding interface and the weight savings with the bindings helps make up for some of that extra weight in the boots. Throw them on a pair of Bros with their light weight and you've got what I'm quickly coming to believe is the ultimate high performance AT setup which still makes a great inbounds set-up too.
You guys are incredible. Where else could you get this depth of info from non-nerds?
BTW - I am 6'4" and weigh 225lbs. Everything I ski just tends to bend into contorted shapes so soft or stiff doesn't actually make too much difference to me.![]()
Non-nerds? Are you taking the piss?
Maybe nerds was the wrong term. I meant cunts.
Rick
Gimme those damn things and let me try them out.![]()
Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp
ULTIMATE?? Does that mean no more gear for you? BwahahaOriginally Posted by ski_rick
Yeah...the only issue with the Aero FRs is that they weigh more than some other AT boots -- but they are far stiffer, in my experience. The tabs contribute to this stiffness, I think, moreso than stiff plastic, as the tabs lock out flex beyond a certain point before shell distortion kicks in. That feature bothered me a bit as I like a slightly more progressive flex through the full range...but I can safely say that the Aero FRs are the go-to boot for those wanting a bomber boot w/ Dynafit compatibility.Originally Posted by ski_rick
I do miss the alignment tabs on the toes -- thought that was a great improvement to the Dynafit interfact, but I get on just fine w/o it on my MegaRides.
I personally make a slight weight trade on the boots and give up a little bit of the stiffness (I don't want for it). Ski Rick is absolutely right -- the extra bit of weight in the boot is more than canceled out if you can then use Dynafits. The one caveat I would add is that if you are doing more hiking/rock scrambling with skis on your back (vs. skinning) you will appreciate slightly lighter boots as the weight of the bindings doesn't make as much of a difference when it's on your back. If you skin everywhere, then a weight savings in either piece of the boot/binding system is effectively the same.
Good setup!
Finally got my Ellipse E2s from Snow and Rock in the UK (for the bargain price of £125 brand new in the box) and they seem pretty sweet. Fits well, look the part but I had to sign a disclaimer form because I wasn't using them with the E2 binding system.
The flex doesn't seem a whole lot softer than my 1080s and they have a better booster strap system and a meatier heel cup.
Looks promising.
hey roo, let us know about the boots after you get to try them.. im considering these too.. is the fit similar to 1080s/x-waves?
oh yea and just to hijack the thread because all the AT specialists are reading this anyway.. i'll invest to my first AT boots next season (got FRs already), im only 145lbs but use icon xt carbons as my regular boots. switched from 1080s and so far i like the xt's a lot more, but would it still make sense for a light-weight person like me to get lighter and softer AT boots instead? ;\ ye i know its basically a matter of personal preference but i seem not to be able to decide myself. dynafits are out of question, will only have €€€ to afford one new pair of allaround skis (baby bros maybe) next season and the FRs will go on them.
Well.... I can't comment on your current alpine boot, but many folks are skiing boots way too stiff for them.Originally Posted by keksie
The only thought I can offer is that at your weight, you are a good candidate for an AT boot -- you should be able to find one that fits your foot and, with some modification, can give you appropriate lateral stiffness while allowing your ankle to properly flex.
My suggestion: Although you are not using Dynafit bindings, at least consider getting Dynafit-compatible boots. You might spend a couple more $$, but in a few years (or sooner), when money is available or a great deal on bindings presents itself, you'll be able to make the switch rather than being limited by non-Dynafit-compatible boots.
Just my $0.02.
Further hijacking on the dynafit-compatible topic...
I'm REALLY interested in the Spirit 3 after having seen them in shops in Chamonix.
My do-anythings are older Denalis stiffened with Flexon tongues; love them, but wish "do-anything" included stepping in to a Dynafit binding on occasion.
Anyone out there able to compare the Spirit 3s to the Denalis for firsthand info? Also heard a rumor that there will be a Spirit 4 (4 buckle)...true/false?
Thrutchworthy Production Services
true...
http://pistehors.com/comments/585_0_1_0_C4/
... although I have never felt that the buckle over your toes does very much on Scarpa boots
fur bearing, drunk, prancing eurosnob
Originally Posted by bad_roo
Will the color match your capri pants?
Quando paramucho mi amore de felice carathon.
Mundo paparazzi mi amore cicce verdi parasol.
Questo abrigado tantamucho que canite carousel.
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