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  1. #1
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    Dalbello Lupo AX 120 for 2017-8

    Just a quick brain dump of some stuff and pics

    This is old hat for many but its the first time I've been able to fit a Dalbello. It's a classic 3 piece tongue shell design and a candidate for one boot system. Best of all - its got REPLACEABLE SOLES

    Per Dalbello one of the defining features of Dalbello 3 piece boots is that the touring boots should ski exactly the same as the alpine versions because they are essentially constructed the same. 27.0 or size 42 being tested. I'm 160lbs - 75kg


    The way the boot is constructed allows for linear smooth flex see above for how the shell and tongue work together

    http://www.dalbello.it/en/blog/lupo-ax-120-freeskier

    Key features of the AX120 according to marketing microsite

    NEW last 100 mm

    Lightweight 1460 (w.o. tongue) / 1650 (w. tongue) - 1640 (w.o. tongue) / 1880 (w. tongue) - (variation across all sizes apparently)

    NEW cuff (carbon inlays; fiber inlays)

    NEW liner

    NEW last treatment

    NEW Hike & Ride mechanism

    NEW rack appeal

    Pre-installed GRIPWALK Soles

    Removable tongue

    67° (40° forwards/ 27° backwards) range of motion





    Liner weight 360g

    Shell only 1305g

    Shell with tongue 1464g

    Complete boot stock liner tongue 1822g

    Complete boot with Intuition Protour liner and tongue 1707g

    Complete boot with Intuition Protour liner (no tongue) 1549g - Vulcan is 1519g

    Bootboard 67g if you really want to weightnerd

  2. #2
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    EDIT Effff - looks like img tags aren't working unless hosted via https:

    OK some pics


    Textured Grilamid plastic paired with Polyamide external tongue (tongue plastic depends on boot). This is a M tongue which is between the B and C in stiffness


    Walk mode engaged - burly and fool proof. Buckle hardware is removeable


    Removeable buckle hardware. Toggle used to remove tongue which is an easy exercise


    Walk Mode on a stiff spine


    Lots of cuff adjustment



    Micro adjustable instep buckle to accommodate low instep and flat arches like myself where I need to crank them down. But yet can be expanded a ton for those with high volume high arches

    More interior shots


    Interior pic of the walk mode


    Removeable and recessed rivets in the bootshell interior. Flat removeable boot board to help with fitting. Note accordingl to Dalbello - the MyFit process allows the liners and shells to be custom heat molded to accelerate the fitting process


    Stock liner. Bottom is Ultralon foam. Top is Palau


    Tour cutout for bottom of liner

    Replaceable soles


    Closeup of front Gripwalk. Tech fitting molded into the boot


    REPLACEABLE front Gripwalk sole. Note just the rubber is replaced. The tech fitting is molded into the boot


    T-nuts for front of sole. Into plastic for rear of front sole


    REPLACEABLE rear Gripwalk sole


    Rear Gripwalk

    Comp pics







    Last edited by LeeLau; 04-07-2017 at 04:31 PM.

  3. #3
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    Looks like a killer boot.

    A few questions:

    - Thoughts on using it as a quiver-of-one, including 30-40 inbounds days a season? Ski like a Krypton?
    - Are Alpine-Norm soles going to be impossible to source?
    - Any more thoughts on the new 100mm last? Is it just slightly larger up front or is it higher volume all around?

  4. #4
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    Dalbello Lupo AX 120 for 2017-8

    Quote Originally Posted by doebedoe View Post
    Looks like a killer boot.

    A few questions:

    - Thoughts on using it as a quiver-of-one, including 30-40 inbounds days a season? Ski like a Krypton?
    - Are Alpine-Norm soles going to be impossible to source?
    - Any more thoughts on the new 100mm last? Is it just slightly larger up front or is it higher volume all around?
    I have last years lupo carbon ti and a pair of lupo sp alpine boots. They ski and fit identical. I had to drill holes in the cuff of the carbon ti's to install the same forward lean shim as the sp's and drill to attach booster straps. I think this years comes with a power strap/booster strap. Not sure if it has forward lean shims but it was ez to drill and fit with a few t nuts. I also use the intuition wrap liner in both boots(it's a better fit than the intuition tongue touring liner that came with the carbon ti's, for me anyway) . I just leave my at blocks in. They're not a thick lugged AT sole and they have a smooth flat rectangular patch to match to the afd on an alpine binding. I was on Solomon sth's and I think it was 1 or 2 full turns of the toe height screw to adjust from the lupo sp to the carbon ti's(not much). I think most self adjusting toes should accomodate(just a guess)
    No idea on the new last as mine were last years

  5. #5
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    Did you ascend with the tongue in or out? I've had about 300 ski touring days breaking trail in Mercurys with tongue in and Intuition wraps. So not much articulation. I wonder if tongue-in-Lupos would have better or worse articulation? Transitioning the tongues a few times a day is an unacceptable extra task IMO. Esp when busy with other important tasks, and in regularly stormy weather.
    Life is not lift served.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by neck beard View Post
    Did you ascend with the tongue in or out? I've had about 300 ski touring days breaking trail in Mercurys with tongue in and Intuition wraps. So not much articulation. I wonder if tongue-in-Lupos would have better or worse articulation? Transitioning the tongues a few times a day is an unacceptable extra task IMO. Esp when busy with other important tasks, and in regularly stormy weather.
    No. Tried ascending with tongues and it's bad. A lot of the skiing stiffness comes from the tongue. Also it doesn't ski well without the tongues. Excellent ski boot with the tongue. Walks quite well without the tongue(plenty of rom). The rear ski/walk mode switch/block should have a lip to catch the shell to prevent it from flexing forward so it can be skied without the tongue(like scarpa freedom ski/walk mode switch). The dalbello switch just blocks the cuff from rear rom and the tongue from forward rom , for skiing. The tongue is stiff and the boot is designed to have more forward range of motion than rear rom. The tongue restricts it more than say a dynafit Vulcan that has a lot of rear rom and works ok with the tongue in for walking

  7. #7
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    I guessed this would be the case. bummer
    Life is not lift served.

  8. #8
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    Dalbello Lupo AX 120 for 2017-8

    Quote Originally Posted by neck beard View Post
    I guessed this would be the case. bummer
    Ya unfortunate. They ski and walk so nice in their respective modes. Bit of a pita to snap the tongue in until you have your routine dialed. Not as quick and ez as dynafits removeable tongue. Buckles can get in the way and snow can complicate it. I have a routine now and it's ok but still not quite as quick as dfit
    I really like skiing in them and time isn't as much of a concern for me other than ridge top cold days and cold finger containment. I can see working with clients/choppa possibly problematic. Mine are last yrs, as mentioned, so maybe there's slight differences

  9. #9
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    I have a pair of 2 year old Lupos. Not sure of the model. Clear fluro green shells. No tech inserts. Walk mode. Fixed tongues, black. They fit and flex for me really well, maybe a bit soft. Ski toured in them once on frame bindings and yeah, I got some uphill shin bang from that now I remember it.
    Life is not lift served.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by neck beard View Post
    I have a pair of 2 year old Lupos. Not sure of the model. Clear fluro green shells. No tech inserts. Walk mode. Fixed tongues, black. They fit and flex for me really well, maybe a bit soft. Ski toured in them once on frame bindings and yeah, I got some uphill shin bang from that now I remember it.
    Ya the shape and fit is the same and the ski/walk mode latch looks very similar, although machined a bit smaller. ROM is quite a bit different. Lupo carbon ti has more rearward rom than those but nowhere near a dynafit tlt6/Vulcan. I think there is slightly more than a pound weight difference between my lupo sp(alpine) and the carbon ti's and the new ones are another 1/2 pound lighter again I think. For comparison, my lupo c ti is a bit lighter ,has more rom and is stiffer than the freedom sl they replaced, and I liked the freedom(aside from the roomy cuff and too much width after they packed out). I did quite a few back to back days between both lupo sp alpine and the carbon ti's after I put the same forward leans in both and same booster straps. Zero adjusting , just through them on and rip around the hill. Buckles in pretty much the same ladder, maybe one wrung tighter on the top buckle of the carbon ti's but that's probably ladder mount placement not shell fit. I'll keep them both because they fit me so well(I don't have to crank the buckles in the slightest). I figure it's like having summer and winter tires , they'll both last longer if I alternate, and they just work.

  11. #11
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    Nice volume to work with, nice cuff, nice fLean, fflex & rom(plenty for me).....came yesterday, along with ordering some versatile-as-can-be mud tires for my new 4Runner.... Quite a day!......

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by doebedoe View Post
    Looks like a killer boot.

    A few questions:

    - Thoughts on using it as a quiver-of-one, including 30-40 inbounds days a season? Ski like a Krypton?
    - Are Alpine-Norm soles going to be impossible to source?
    - Any more thoughts on the new 100mm last? Is it just slightly larger up front or is it higher volume all around?
    - Works for quiver for one for finesse skier or lighter skier. At 76kg -160lbs it'd be fine for me. Sure skies smooth
    - No idea. I would guess it varies from region-to-region ie how dialled is the rep in getting spare parts to shops?
    - It's higher volume all around

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by neck beard View Post
    Did you ascend with the tongue in or out? I've had about 300 ski touring days breaking trail in Mercurys with tongue in and Intuition wraps. So not much articulation. I wonder if tongue-in-Lupos would have better or worse articulation? Transitioning the tongues a few times a day is an unacceptable extra task IMO. Esp when busy with other important tasks, and in regularly stormy weather.
    I tried both. Without tongues it's a slipper and as stated basically folds forward when skiing. With tongue ankle articulation is in about same as Mercury with tongues so seems improved from grinch's experience.

    I agree about faffing around getting the tongues in and out but having said that the Dalbello tongues are quite a bit easier to get on/off then Dynafit's method (not a hard bar to beat). There's a knob that can be rotated with gloves that allows you to snap the tongue in and out plus the gasket keeps out snow when going uphill. The buckles are a PITA though but then so are Dynafits. It may well be that there was a re-design between last years and this years

  14. #14
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    All the pics I linked were not displayed due to a change in the TGR forum setup. Here's the offline album. It might clarify re buckles

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=28d9f071f0

  15. #15
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    Thanks Lee. Pretty sure I asked all these q's in another Lupo thread.

    I can't keep up with all their model names and iterations.

    The buckles on my early model Lupos are "crowded and tangled" when undone. Would be a hassle to do up frequently during the day. The ladder rungs get iced when I am not touring, hate to see them when I am.

    Tongues are a hassle. I break a lot of trail in deep powder and forward rom helps with that, as you know. I can live without much rearward rom if I have to. I don't do much flat travel.

    In terms of fit and flex, these boots are appealing. I've skied about 70 days on my fluro green Lupos - 80% of that was (many) long alpine runs at work - and they ski well for me (...but Salomon xmax are better). It is 2017 and FFS I want to take that skier-boot-feel into ski touring, way beyond what Mercs can deliver.

    I'm just sick of AT boots skiing - aka flexing - like shit, or not fitting my skinny feet and ankles.
    Life is not lift served.

  16. #16
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    Problem is that the boots that I like (as do you) have messy buckles and you have to faff around in transitions. This extends to Atomic Hawx, Dalbello Lupo and Dynafit Vulcan/Mercury.

    The best I've found so far for me is the Vulcan/Mercury but in large part that's because I'm light enough to ski them touring without the tongue. So the transition is easy as its just two buckles per foot (I leave the forefoot buckle pretty loose). Definitely can't help with the skinny feet/ankles as I've got medium to higher volume around instep.

    Massive downside to the Vulcan/Mercury is the fragility - I can get 100 days on those and they're pretty much done. Which is about a season and a half or you and me. I keep them going another 50 or so days with a new Intuition and another 50 by having rivets re-pressed but that's not ideal

  17. #17
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    Fragile, yes. I've gone through 2 and a half pairs of Mercs.

    If they just flexed smoothly and powerfully I'd stick with them. Plenty stiff, good weight. Just too springy and reboundy against shin power v.s snow that pushes back. I never take the tongues out on the up track. And on the down they really improve the fit [for me].
    Life is not lift served.

  18. #18
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    Anyone have any idea how much you can stretch a carbon Lupo Ti
    ? I'm a 29.5 boot but have a real low volume foot so the 28.5 fits better everywhere but length. Curious if it's worth trying to have them stretch them or if I should just buy a different boot. For what it's worth I'm a size 13 shoe and have always skied 28.5 boots but I'm getting sick of cold toes.
    Also, why is the Lupo ax120 lighter than the factory model?
    Sent from my VS987 using TGR Forums mobile app
    Last edited by markcjr; 10-06-2017 at 09:02 AM.

  19. #19
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    Hi Lee and NB,
    Try removing the lowest buckel plastic attachment wing and replace the lowest buckle directly onto the tounges. I did this my 1st year TI and last years carbons. Makes adding/removing tounge way easier. Plug the holes on the lower with some washers and T-nuts, then you have spare hardware incase of emeregency (I once repaired a snapped throttle cable on a access sled this way)

    Mark, just conjecture but weight is all on the thickness and type of materials used to get the stiffness up to 130 vs 120. Maybe a thicker lower at 98mm vs 100mm coming off the same mold and who knows maybe that carbon cuff isn't much weight savings but a big boost to stiffness. I'd be real careful streching for length, if its more than 1-2mm I wouldn't try. Really great looking boot though at a pretty light weight. I might have to get a pair as my lighter option.

  20. #20
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    Thanks skisurfsmith -I'll try that. It makes sense. It seems pretty easy to get on and off actually

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by skisurfmirth View Post
    Hi Lee and NB,
    Try removing the lowest buckel plastic attachment wing and replace the lowest buckle directly onto the tounges. I did this my 1st year TI and last years carbons. Makes adding/removing tounge way easier. Plug the holes on the lower with some washers and T-nuts, then you have spare hardware incase of emeregency (I once repaired a snapped throttle cable on a access sled this way)
    .
    Sounds very intresting, could you put up some pics thanks

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by skisurfmirth View Post
    Hi Lee and NB,
    Try removing the lowest buckel plastic attachment wing and replace the lowest buckle directly onto the tounges. I did this my 1st year TI and last years carbons. Makes adding/removing tounge way easier. Plug the holes on the lower with some washers and T-nuts, then you have spare hardware incase of emeregency (I once repaired a snapped throttle cable on a access sled this way)
    Seconded, can you please post pics of this? Thanks

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    EDIT Effff - looks like img tags aren't working unless hosted via https:

    OK some pics


    Textured Grilamid plastic paired with Polyamide external tongue (tongue plastic depends on boot). This is a M tongue which is between the B and C in stiffness


    Walk mode engaged - burly and fool proof. Buckle hardware is removeable


    Removeable buckle hardware. Toggle used to remove tongue which is an easy exercise


    Walk Mode on a stiff spine


    Lots of cuff adjustment



    Micro adjustable instep buckle to accommodate low instep and flat arches like myself where I need to crank them down. But yet can be expanded a ton for those with high volume high arches

    More interior shots


    Interior pic of the walk mode


    Removeable and recessed rivets in the bootshell interior. Flat removeable boot board to help with fitting. Note accordingl to Dalbello - the MyFit process allows the liners and shells to be custom heat molded to accelerate the fitting process


    Stock liner. Bottom is Ultralon foam. Top is Palau


    Tour cutout for bottom of liner

    Replaceable soles


    Closeup of front Gripwalk. Tech fitting molded into the boot


    REPLACEABLE front Gripwalk sole. Note just the rubber is replaced. The tech fitting is molded into the boot


    T-nuts for front of sole. Into plastic for rear of front sole


    REPLACEABLE rear Gripwalk sole


    Rear Gripwalk

    Comp pics







    Lee, The 120 looks like a great option being lighter than 130 (without tongue 1500 grams vs 1640 grams). Aside from the slightly wider 100mm last and the "M" tongue, the 120 is stated to have an IRFRAN/FIBER build vs the 130 having a GRILAMID/FIBER build. Any thoughts on the big differences there? Is that going to effect the flex? Or is the IRFRAN just lighter?

    Thinking about getting the 120s for the reduced weight, then upgrading to the "B" tongues from the 130s to achieve a slightly stiffer flex. 120 might be fine, but I'm 6ft 185lbs and prefer a 130 flex.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdadour View Post
    Lee, The 120 looks like a great option being lighter than 130 (without tongue 1500 grams vs 1640 grams). Aside from the slightly wider 100mm last and the "M" tongue, the 120 is stated to have an IRFRAN/FIBER build vs the 130 having a GRILAMID/FIBER build. Any thoughts on the big differences there? Is that going to effect the flex? Or is the IRFRAN just lighter?

    Thinking about getting the 120s for the reduced weight, then upgrading to the "B" tongues from the 130s to achieve a slightly stiffer flex. 120 might be fine, but I'm 6ft 185lbs and prefer a 130 flex.
    I can't see what that won't work. In fact I think that seems to be a really good idea.

    As for this "Is that going to effect the flex? Or is the IRFRAN just lighter?" IRFRAN, as well as having a goofy name, is softer, and more able to hold a punch. At least that's what a spec sheet I looked at said

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    I can't see what that won't work. In fact I think that seems to be a really good idea.

    As for this "Is that going to effect the flex? Or is the IRFRAN just lighter?" IRFRAN, as well as having a goofy name, is softer, and more able to hold a punch. At least that's what a spec sheet I looked at said
    Great. If you find anymore info on the IRFRAN, please share. Very interested in how it compares with the build of the 130.

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