# Strange Issue with new Capita Mercury



## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

I’ve been riding for 25 years and would consider myself to be an advanced rider. This year I picked up a new Capita Mercury and finally got around to riding it today. On the first run the board felt very strange, when I would carve the board felt like it was pulling against me and wanted to only go straight. Like when I am in a turn the board wants to just correct itself back to riding straight. It is the first board I’ve owned with a structured base and I initially thought it had something to do with that. But after a while I was thinking maybe it is the edges. I’ve never had to de-tune edges on a brand new board, but theses edges are quite sharp.

Anyone else had similar issues? Think I should try de-timing the contact points a bit?


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## MrDavey2Shoes (Mar 5, 2018)

How old is your last board?


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

MrDavey2Shoes said:


> How old is your last board?


I sold my Lib Tech TRS that was a few years old. I know the camber profiles are totally different, but I’m not sure that’s it. I’ve ridden just about every camber profile there is.


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## Grunky (Mar 21, 2019)

What binding do you have? 
I once had the same feeling when demoing a quite stiff board with very soft bindings (they had nothing else on my size).
Also, I don't know the Mercury, but some boards really like to charge...


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Grunky said:


> What binding do you have?
> I once had the same feeling when demoing a quite stiff board with very soft bindings (they had nothing else on my size).
> Also, I don't know the Mercury, but some boards really like to charge...


I picked up a pair of Now Pilots with the new board.

i did choose the Mercury for it’s ability to charge harder as well. My old TRS was too unstable above 40mph.


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## Kijima (Mar 3, 2019)

It might just be a bit stiff, give it a really good flex and see if it is happier to decamber for you in your turns. 
New boards really need a good flex to break them in. 
This is how I do mine lol.


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Good call, I will giver a good ol flex.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Is it symmetrical? Do you get the same feeling toeside and heelside?


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Donutz said:


> Is it symmetrical? Do you get the same feeling toeside and heelside?


I did. Like I said it is a strange feeling. It felt like there was a rubber band on the nose and someone was trying to pull it straight while turning.


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## Kijima (Mar 3, 2019)

RadDad801 said:


> I did. Like I said it is a strange feeling. It felt like there was a rubber band on the nose and someone was trying to pull it straight while turning.


Failure to decamber IMO


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Kijima said:


> Failure to decamber IMO


so maybe just need to break in? This could possibly be the stiffest board I’ve owned. Even though the Mercury isn’t super stiff.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

If it's the same heelside and toeside, it's unlikely to be a defect. More likely a board characteristic that you're just not used to.


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## Kijima (Mar 3, 2019)

Hey what sidecut radius is the new board vs the old board?


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## MrDavey2Shoes (Mar 5, 2018)

What size board and what is your weight? Possible that the board is not decamberring but my first instinct on that would be the board is too big.


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## BoarderHack89 (Mar 1, 2020)

No idea but an observation. Just bought a DOA and man that board has the sharpest edges I’ve ever seen. Carrying that and the other board my fingers were almost bleeding on the DOA hand from how sharp the edges felt and I felt jt on snow. Personally I like the precision feel. Again no idea If that’s what’s going on


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

I remember my 2019 Mercury felt planky in the first year, and come to think of it, it matches OP's description. I thought the board's unwillingness to turn was due to the shallow camber and did not think much of it. The next season, after storing it under normal care (storage wax, reasonable storage conditions, etc.) I saw that the camber had almost disappeared. I was not impressed so swapped with a bud's Jackpot, which to this day I am very happy with. I get the feeling Capita's wood is not as broken in as, say Burton's Infinite Ride.


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## Michael Rivera (Jan 24, 2019)

Maybe its your edge angle or you need a detune?


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## ZeMax (Feb 21, 2014)

RadDad801 said:


> I’ve been riding for 25 years and would consider myself to be an advanced rider. This year I picked up a new Capita Mercury and finally got around to riding it today. On the first run the board felt very strange, when I would carve the board felt like it was pulling against me and wanted to only go straight. Like when I am in a turn the board wants to just correct itself back to riding straight. It is the first board I’ve owned with a structured base and I initially thought it had something to do with that. But after a while I was thinking maybe it is the edges. I’ve never had to de-tune edges on a brand new board, but theses edges are quite sharp.
> 
> Anyone else had similar issues? Think I should try de-timing the contact points a bit?


I've had a similar experrimence when riding a Kessler 185, feels like the board is riding you. Too stiff of a board will do that to you. Where are you in the board's weight range ?
I am certain the base's structure has nothing to do with it.


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## Easyrider17 (Oct 9, 2020)

Another thing you might check is your stance. If you're too far forward it can make the board feel hard to turn. You want to be centered on the reference points, not on the deck because I believe the Mercury has a set-back stance.


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Thanks for the responses. I am 6’2” 230lbs so I got the 161. My old TRS was a 158 and my Burton Barracuda is a 165. I’ve ridden lots of boards in this range and never had issues like this.
I’m going to take the board in and get a decent wax job on it and might file the contact points slightly and then give it another go this weekend. I don’t want to do much to it in case I want to try taking it back to Evo.


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## Grunky (Mar 21, 2019)

If you can, try stiffer bindings. I had the same kind of issue when trying a stiff board with soft bindings. It felt like the board wanted to go flat only. When I changed the bindings, it went normal.


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Grunky said:


> If you can, try stiffer bindings. I had the same kind of issue when trying a stiff board with soft bindings. It felt like the board wanted to go flat only. When I changed the bindings, it went normal.


I have some Burton Genesis bindings I could throw on it.


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## Grunky (Mar 21, 2019)

I'd give it a try with the genesis before detuning.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

RadDad801 said:


> I’ve been riding for 25 years and would consider myself to be an advanced rider. This year I picked up a new Capita Mercury and finally got around to riding it today. On the first run the board felt very strange, when I would carve the board felt like it was pulling against me and wanted to only go straight. Like when I am in a turn the board wants to just correct itself back to riding straight. It is the first board I’ve owned with a structured base and I initially thought it had something to do with that. But after a while I was thinking maybe it is the edges. I’ve never had to de-tune edges on a brand new board, but theses edges are quite sharp.
> 
> Anyone else had similar issues? Think I should try de-timing the contact points a bit?


Nothing to do with the structured base or (any problem with) the edges

It's you not being used to the camber profile compared to your older board.


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Grunky said:


> I'd give it a try with the genesis before detuning.


I’m going to take them up with me next time and compare them both. 



F1EA said:


> Nothing to do with the structured base or (any problem with) the edges
> 
> It's you not being used to the camber profile compared to your older board.


maybe, but I’ve ridden back to back days on a reverse camber and an S rocker board and never had any adaptation period.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

RadDad801 said:


> I’m going to take them up with me next time and compare them both.
> 
> 
> 
> maybe, but I’ve ridden back to back days on a reverse camber and an S rocker board and never had any adaptation period.


Yes because reverse camber and S-rocker (like on the barracuda, which is actually rocker to flat) do not pressure the contacts the same way a mostly camber profile like the Mercury does.


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

F1EA said:


> Yes because reverse camber and S-rocker (like on the barracuda, which is actually rocker to flat) do not pressure the contacts the same way a mostly camber profile like the Mercury does.


I’m not ruling it out as a possibility. My buddy I was riding with had a new BSOD, I was going to ask him if I could take it for a run for comparison sake.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

RadDad801 said:


> I’m not ruling it out as a possibility. My buddy I was riding with had a new BSOD, I was going to ask him if I could take it for a run for comparison sake.


Yeah it's a "getting used to" thing. That coupled with brand new sharp edges and maybe a stiffer board that you're not used to...

A 2-yr old board that's never been tuned will be quite likely all dulled out (detuned).

For me, the "getting used to" is typically shown getting off the lifts... wider boards, less taper, stiffer, etc normally show off the differences when I'm just getting off the lift with one foot and half-arsing it.


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Yeah this one was super stable and not twitchy getting on and off the lift.


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

I rode the board again yesterday and it rode fine. So it was either fixed by a fresh wax job, slightly de-tuning the contact points, or giving it a real good flex to break it in.

We did also get fresh snow so that could have had something to do with it. The previous day was on shit man made snow and ice.


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## jacoberickson (Apr 27, 2020)

RadDad801 said:


> I’ve been riding for 25 years and would consider myself to be an advanced rider. This year I picked up a new Capita Mercury and finally got around to riding it today. On the first run the board felt very strange, when I would carve the board felt like it was pulling against me and wanted to only go straight. Like when I am in a turn the board wants to just correct itself back to riding straight. It is the first board I’ve owned with a structured base and I initially thought it had something to do with that. But after a while I was thinking maybe it is the edges. I’ve never had to de-tune edges on a brand new board, but theses edges are quite sharp.
> 
> Anyone else had similar issues? Think I should try de-timing the contact points a bit?


The Mercury has an edge deviation right between the bindings called the "death grip". If you're riding a groomer at low speeds you may be feeling this magnatraction-esque edge bump pushing or pulling you. I've ridden the mercury, and it's best at high speeds in light pow. So try going faster!


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

Seemed to do just fine at 50mph. But some cat tracks are flat! 🤪


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## RadDad801 (Dec 7, 2020)

jacoberickson said:


> The Mercury has an edge deviation right between the bindings called the "death grip". If you're riding a groomer at low speeds you may be feeling this magnatraction-esque edge bump pushing or pulling you. I've ridden the mercury, and it's best at high speeds in light pow. So try going faster!


I did feel the death grip on a flat cat track the other day. It makes the board want to rotate while riding flat, keeps you on your game for sure.


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## BoarderHack89 (Mar 1, 2020)

RadDad801 said:


> I rode the board again yesterday and it rode fine. So it was either fixed by a fresh wax job, slightly de-tuning the contact points, or giving it a real good flex to break it in.
> 
> We did also get fresh snow so that could have had something to do with it. The previous day was on shit man made snow and ice.


 Ill give an analogy. I play guitar and that’s made of wood. Some days I pick it up and man it feels amazing to play. Perfect string tension, action feels good, and I’m on. Somedays I pick it up and jt feels like someone purposely messed with it. Is it me? The guitar? The wood?
Of course a snowboard should be more stable then a guitar, but even boards I know I love some days I ride and and think wtf was that!


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