# Disadvantages of downsizing



## djsaad1 (Nov 7, 2008)

I am 5'10 165 pounds, I usually always ride a 157 or 159 but am now thinking about getting a t.rice in a 153. My main reason for doing this is because I wear a 9.5 boot, but I am also curious to see the difference in size.

What would the disadvantages of downsizing be? The only two I could think of is less stability at speed and less float in powder. But would it be a huge difference or just minimal?

This board will mostly be for going down groomers and hitting natural jumps, no real park and no real back country either.


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## Ech0pl3x (Nov 11, 2011)

For what you just mentioned, there will be no disadvantage for you. Just have to be careful with the board width as you go smaller and just have to be careful bombing steep runs, doable but you'll find how far you can push the board. I'm the same height and 15lbs shy of you and I ride a 151 horrorscope to play around with no problems and really fun.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

djsaad1 said:


> I am 5'10 165 pounds, I usually always ride a 157 or 159 but am now thinking about getting a t.rice in a 153. My main reason for doing this is because I wear a 9.5 boot, but I am also curious to see the difference in size.
> 
> What would the disadvantages of downsizing be? The only two I could think of is less stability at speed and less float in powder. But would it be a huge difference or just minimal?
> 
> This board will mostly be for going down groomers and hitting natural jumps, no real park and no real back country either.


It depends what type of board, camber to hybrid or rocker. 

Obviously a 156 reverse camber will float better than a 160 traditional camber. 

T.Rice floats well with the C2, 153 obviously will suit freestyle more, but be a lot less stable. With that deck being a bigger mountain freestyle board, I wouldn't go smaller than a 156. But yes, you can easily ride a 153. 

It all depends on what you're looking to ride


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## lonerider (Apr 10, 2009)

djsaad1 said:


> I am 5'10 165 pounds, I usually always ride a 157 or 159 but am now thinking about getting a t.rice in a 153. My main reason for doing this is because I wear a 9.5 boot, but I am also curious to see the difference in size.
> 
> What would the disadvantages of downsizing be? The only two I could think of is less stability at speed and less float in powder. But would it be a huge difference or just minimal?
> 
> This board will mostly be for going down groomers and hitting natural jumps, no real park and no real back country either.


if you are tiding small hills like echoplex from michigan, there are a few drawbacks to downsizing. However, if you are doing big mountains and fast, steep runs you will notice a difference in stability amd float like you expected. 

However, I don't see why you need to downsize with your boot size. The edge to edge quickness differences will be minimal. I have ridden boards as narrow as 18 cm. I am 5'9" 155lbs have size 8 boots and regularly ride boards as long as 160 cm and have ridden up to 178cm.


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## Irahi (May 19, 2011)

The T.Rice is really designed for big air and never, ever going slow, which is at odds with riding smaller than average for you. Seems like if you want something smaller it would make more sense to pick a board better designed for your goals, maybe a blacklist?


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## Bock_E (Dec 14, 2011)

Ech0pl3x said:


> For what you just mentioned, there will be no disadvantage for you. Just have to be careful with the board width as you go smaller and just have to be careful bombing steep runs, doable but you'll find how far you can push the board. I'm the same height and 15lbs shy of you and I ride a 151 horrorscope to play around with no problems and really fun.


Yeah I'm about 6ft and 160lbs and I ride a 147 horrorscope and love riding it. When I switch and ride a friends it feels diferent with a higher swing weight but it's also preference cuz my friend loves ridding a slightly bigger board.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

I don't think you'll see too much of a downside of going a few cm shorter. A few things to consider are the camber style like Wasatch already mentioned, as well as if the tips are blunted / effective running length. 

For example, I have a 157 Banana Magic that I love riding. Came across a good deal on a '12 NS Evo 152 and I thought... what the hell I'll try it out and see if I like it. I've ridden it 2 days so far and even with being a shorter, more flexible board... I can still charge down the mountain. 

No, it isn't as stable as the stiffer, longer 157 Magic. But that actually helps in its own way as it is easier to maneuver, especially in tighter spaces. I can still go full speed, balls to the wall with the Evo. It chatters a little more than the Magic, but its nothing I can't handle. 

SnoWolf recently got a 156 Gnu Rider's Choice (I think), which is smaller than his average board size of around 160 (can't remember specifics) and he also believes that you don't really lose too much, if anything, when going shorter with the new technology of these boards. 

Last comment, if you're riding mostly in MI... I'd go with a smaller board. I moved from MI to CO just a year ago, and there was never even a time in MI (Southeast MI = Holly, Brighton, Alpine, etc) where I could even come close to fully utilizing the Magic for what it was intended for. 153 Trice or even a 153-ish, more flexible board, would be great for just about all MI hills.


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## djsaad1 (Nov 7, 2008)

When you guys say stability is that mostly just chatter, or is there more to it? I used to ride a 155 SL before reverse camber and had decent chatter at high speeds but nothing I couldn't handle.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

djsaad1 said:


> When you guys say stability is that mostly just chatter, or is there more to it? I used to ride a 155 SL before reverse camber and had decent chatter at high speeds but nothing I couldn't handle.



For me, yes. When going pretty fast on the Evo, it tends to bounce around a little bit and just doesn't feel as "solid" as the Magic. I also prefer the magnetraction to the vario-grip, as I just feel more confident carving with it.


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