# Which to upgrade first Stiff bindings or Boots



## kooliosupraboi (Oct 27, 2012)

Hi, so there's a lot of sales going on right now to clear out the 2014 gear, and I was thinking of getting a new set of stiffer bindings. My current gear is:

Arbor Formula (med flex) 
Ride LX bindings (med stiff)
Ride Jackson boots (med stiff)

*Edit*: I have a forward stance, somewhere around +25, +12

All of the gear is about ~4years old and I was pretty much a noob when I got it. I've now gotten to the point where I can ride flat on blues, go decently fast down single blacks, and medium speed on double blacks. I only do mountain(carving and bombing), no jumps or tricks, so stiff is the way to go for me. (I want to eventually get to alpine boards in the future)

I've been looking at stiff bindings, but I got to thinking that stiffer boots might be the better upgrade. So my question is: would I see a more noticeable difference in getting stiffer bindings or boots? And what would you recommend for the choice?

Thanks a bunch.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Boots if they're worn or poor fitting. Otherwise, I'd replace the bindings as I personally just don't care for Ride bindings at all.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

boots for sure


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## SkullAndXbones (Feb 24, 2014)

i've only ever used stiff products because i like to ride fast so i don't know which would have the greater impact. but honestly, if i were you, i would upgrade the board to a stiffer, regular cambered board with a sintered base (the formula has an extruded base, or at least last year's does). especially since you've been riding for a while and figured out how you like to ride. people say get boots first, which is understandable, but i always pick the board i want first (knowing that my boot size will fit onto it of course).


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## kooliosupraboi (Oct 27, 2012)

Okay, I've been looking at some boots, and I noticed by boots stiffness was a 6, and my bindings are a 3...

Do you still recommend boots over bindings?

*boards are a little too expensive for me to upgrade right now.. haha but when I do I think it might be because my current one breaks... or I get ballsy enough to go for a full alpine setup

Thanks


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

All Ride bindings ride stiffer IMO due to that awful full aluminum chassis they insist on using on everything. It's just a choice of what straps and high back you want on your stiff as hell chassis.

I had the Ride LXs several years ago and they're fine if you like the feel of Ride bindings. No frills and limited adjustments and not very comfkrtable, but hey, they work.

The one pair of Rides I did like we're the SPis, right up until I bent the shit out of a baseplate. That's the problem with a full aluminum chassis - it doesn't flex and when it does, it's flexed for good.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

I don't know none of your setup parts and never used any real soft gear, can only tell my experience going from mid stiff to stiff. There it was for me boots > binding. I hardly recognize a difference between my mid stiff and stiff women’s and stiff men's bindings. But the difference between "stiff" women's boots (too soft IMO) and really stiff men's boots was like night and day. 

Since you have fwd angles (I had as well for a long time), you're mainly using your shins/knees to put pressure on the hind edge. You'll have way better transmission of your force with a stiff boot. Your old ones will fold instead and you have to compensate that loss of response with using your ancle and forefoot (don't they get pretty tired?) when doing a frontside carve. With a stiff boot, the boot won't give way and will transmit your weight via the boot leg and stiff ancle part to the edge: you can lean into the carve with rather relaxed feet.

No need to go full alpine with those bulky boots and a board which won't handle moguls or pow. You'd be pretty restricted in resort conditions to the perfect morning groomers... with the good freeride setup, one can bomb n aggressively carve very well. Also speed limit of a stiff freeride board is rather air resistance than the board stability. But this means first of all a nice stiff freeride board in a decent length . IMO, boots and bindings only _modulate_ the board i.e. make your life easier to master a stiff board. The primary riding feeling comes from the board. 
You can very well also bomb/carve a stiff board with mid stiff boots n bindings, it's just more strenuous and suboptimal. But having stiff gear on a soft board won't make the board any more aggressive, it's still soft. You only have quicker response over that softness .

Thus for your purpose, and given that you only can replace one part after the other, I'd first go board (change your general riding feel) then boots (get more response out of that new riding feel) and then binding (to optimize response). 

(However, you may replace the binding before boots since you can find them second hand for very low price and can afford them sooner than new boots :dunno


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## kooliosupraboi (Oct 27, 2012)

Yes, I've noticed that after a day of riding hard, my shins and upper ankles would get pretty beat up. I guess boots would be the way to go. 

A new board is very tempting.. but also very expensive.. so i'll refrain from that unless my current board has issues. 

Regarding boots, I've been looking at the K2 Thraxis, Ride Insano Focus, and the Flow Talons. Any recommondation of these 3 or any other good stiff boots? I'm leaning towards the Thraxis currently, even though they are the most expensive of the bunch. 

Thanks


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## ryannorthcott (Dec 17, 2010)

Can vouch for the Ride Insano's, love these boots. They are the stiffest of the bunch (I only tried on the K2 thraxis and flow's in store mind you). At first they feel like ski boots, but get a few days on them and they will break in to a solid 8-8.5 on the flex scale (in my opinion).
Super responsive boot and should fit very similarly to the thraxis. Dual boa is the way to go if you want a stiff, hard charging boot.

Also, get them heat molded. Will help break the liner in sooner and you should be pain-free if they fit your foot.

Once you upgrade one part I imagine you'll want to upgrade the whole setup, that's how it usually is for me. I would go boots then bindings then board if I were you.


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

Just upgrade your whole set up!!!! New gear is fun and induces STOKE!


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## SkullAndXbones (Feb 24, 2014)

boards are the cheapest they'll be until the end of this season. you can get a brand new rome anthem for $320 (normally $540). it's an awesome board for high speeds and carving.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

kooliosupraboi said:


> Regarding boots, I've been looking at the K2 Thraxis, Ride Insano Focus, and the Flow Talons. Any recommondation of these 3 or any other good stiff boots? I'm leaning towards the Thraxis currently, even though they are the most expensive of the bunch.


Get the ones which fit best to your feet 
The K2 I had tried were rather wide at the toebox but don't know the Thraxis, Ride Insanos are rather narrow, especially around the heel.

Others options to check out would be Burton Driver X or Salamon Malamute. 

If you have small feet, check out Deeluxe as they make boots in small sizes.(I've the XV, very nice responsive boot; it's a BC boot, not what you look for, but they may have a similar stiff "resort" model).


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

Boots by far are the choice.

I tell people I could ride a 2x10 piece of lumber, if I had the right pair of wicked boots.
Positive I could.

Any of the stiffest boots in a brand should be fine.
Just pick the most comfortable.

Super soft boots that feel like slippers, aren't gonna feel any stiffer in a stiff binding. IMO.

But a super stiff boot in a soft binding is gonna be worlds different.

I've had those lx's & loved em, bought a second pair of the exact same ones when I found a pair on Craigslist.
Since then I've bought capo's & revolts & they both we're awesome IMO.
Capo's were my go to binding this year, with canting & lots of adjustments.


TT


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## kooliosupraboi (Oct 27, 2012)

Well... I visited all the shops in my area(socal...) and theres none that carried any of the higher end gear to no surprise.. soo do you think it's worth just buying a pair off evo for a cheap price?


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