# Forward Lean - Your Thoughts



## boarderaholic (Aug 13, 2007)

I freeride alot, and I tend to get lazy, so for me, having a bit of forward lean is an awsome reminder for me to bend my knees. If I took it all off, I could definately ride fine, but eh, lazyness prevails.


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## alaric (Aug 28, 2007)

I like just a touch of foward lean, not too much though. I'm pretty much a park rat, but I will explore other parts of the mountain.


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## Mr. Right (Sep 27, 2007)

I think I'm leaned forward 8 degrees. Keeps my knees bent and helps keep my legs from getting tired. Also helped me learn to initiate turns a little easier to due the naturally more aggressive stance. I also like having a forward lean for when I'm going fast through real choppy cut up powder etc.


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

I ride forward lean on my front binding but not on my rear. I primarily speed/freeride so I really crouch low and forward on my board. Weird setup on the forward lean for a lot of people but to each their own.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2007)

I'm mainly a freerider but, I also ride park and I love riding with forward lean.. it forces you to keep your knees slightly bent and when turning heelside your turns initiate that much sooner


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## Snowjoe (Jul 3, 2007)

I love having a load of forward lean, everything feels more aggressive and powerful. The only time I'll lower it is if Im riding park all day, otherwise crank it up!


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

i never used to have any lean; then the CASI course made me change that, and i do prefer it.

but whilst i full on lean on my old Salomon binders, Burton Cartels already have so much forward elan, i barely have to move it at all from stock.

lean is good tho, to ensure proper leg stance for keeping things 'dynamic'.

(mind you, when i first changed this set up, i had forgotten about it; hit the park rails, slid full on my heel edge and arse planted the ground like no one's bidnis!)


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## Snowjoe (Jul 3, 2007)

PaoloSmythe said:


> i never used to have any lean; then the CASI course made me change that, and i do prefer it.
> 
> but whilst i full on lean on my old Salomon binders, Burton Cartels already have so much forward elan, i barely have to move it at all from stock.
> 
> ...


Haha yeah it was the CASI brainwashing that did me! Although on my Cartels I stick them to F4, I thought the stock lean was pretty mellow.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

well to be honest, i was kinda working off memory (such as it is) in my last post.

i just recalled that i was surprised at the comparison of the _range of lean _from my old SP4 to the new cartels. 

i am sure have pushed em forward a bit, but not all the way as i had done on the salomons. 

and so it is tricky to say, "yar, push em all the way forwards", or "don't bother with any", coz you know, each binder has a different range of angle.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

For park/pipe riding, why wouldn't you use forward lean. For the freeriding, deep pow, trees, and chutes I tend to do, I maybe use a degree of it. Part of it is that forward lean sucks when you are skinning, and you don't really need it when riding powder. So use just enough to help me initiate my heelside turn, but that I also have a comfortable upright stance.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2007)

yeahh, one or 2 clicks is all i use.


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## Slaughterhouse (Aug 17, 2007)

I don't rely on the forward lean adjustment for bending my knee though, I use it more to narrow the movement range required to tighten the turns. When my forward lean adjuster on my front binding is slightly forward, it allows me to use much more subtler "twitching" to rock my turns. My weight is already their for my toeside and when I need to roll into a heelside I only need to slightly push on the binding back without ever really having to move out of my low crouch. The back binding is not adjusted so I have total freedom to slide the tail of the board without digging in accidentally on the rear binding toeside. I just seem to get better glide on the rear foot that way. Once my bindings are set though I don't readjust; I'll even ride the park with that adjustment but I'll leave my toe straps undone.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

I use a bit of forward lean just because I too can get lazy and it also helps my legs fatigue less. I didn't think that would be the case until last season I just decided to flatten them out and my quads were killing me after like 2 runs. I put back a couple of degrees and all was right with the world again!


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## Guest (Dec 24, 2009)

should the front binding be a lower angle than the back binding. If so by how much?


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## Grizz (Nov 10, 2008)

Most of the time I have my high backs match the forward lean angle of my boots.

Hard snow carving a little more, rails and boxes almost none.


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## SinkHole (Apr 26, 2012)

Any newer thoughts on forward lean? We tend to have a lot of flat spots on the hills around here and I can't imagine trying to get through these spots half-squatting the entire time.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

SinkHole said:


> Any newer thoughts on forward lean? We tend to have a lot of flat spots on the hills around here and I can't imagine trying to get through these spots half-squatting the entire time.


Still holds true for me. I setup forward lean to match the boots. You NEVER want to have straight legs while you're riding. At least I don't! :dizzy:


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

I use it to keep my movements as symmetrical as possible. I aim for the same amount of input causing the same action on each edge, which can be difficult. When you pressure on your heels, the weight is near the back of the heel, but when you pressure your toes, the weight is on the ball of your foot, not the tip of your toes.

For that reason, I tend to move my bindings toward my toe edge to get the most out of any toe pressure I apply, without any toe drag of course. In doing this, my heels are moved away from the heel edge, towards the center of the board. This increases the demand for weight/pressure on your heels to complete a given turn, UNLESS you throw a couple clicks of forward lean in the mix, which decreases the pressure needed to make a heel turn.


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## SinkHole (Apr 26, 2012)

I'll have to throw a couple clicks in there of FL this year I guess. See what it does to my riding. I just always thought it would be tough on the quads standing like that all day.


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## ItchEtrigR (Jan 1, 2012)

some like it, some dont, I match the boot then dial back a notch or two, this way its not there when I dont need it, the ride isnt bad with them tweaked a bit forward, I just like a looser feel..., I say go with what feels most natural to you, its definately a preference thing...


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## binarypie (Nov 29, 2009)

I match my highbacks to my boot.

As everyone else has said. To each their own.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

SinkHole said:


> Any newer thoughts on forward lean? We tend to have a lot of flat spots on the hills around here and I can't imagine trying to get through these spots half-squatting the entire time.


Imo, you don't need forward lean to ride the flats...you need to learn how to ride the flats...search for some of the threads about riding flats....not flat basing...a relevant but slightly different discussion.


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## SinkHole (Apr 26, 2012)

I couldn't find anything. Too many mentions of "riding" and "flats" came up. At work now. Will have to dive into it this weekend.


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

Do that many people ride straight legged?


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