# Rome vs GNU



## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

I'm looking for a snowboard and am currently considering either the GNU B-Nice or the Rome Lo-Fi. I am a beginner/intermediate looking for a board that I can progress with and do groomers/park. Is one brand better than the other? Which board would be a better choice? Would the banana rocker and magne-traction be a better bet for me as a beginner? I'm open to other board suggestions as well. Thanks!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> I'm looking for a snowboard and am currently considering either the GNU B-Nice or the Rome Lo-Fi. I am a beginner/intermediate looking for a board that I can progress with and do groomers/park. Is one brand better than the other? Which board would be a better choice? Would the banana rocker and magne-traction be a better bet for me as a beginner? I'm open to other board suggestions as well. Thanks!


I can not say enough good things about Flow's middle range freestyle board for someone learning. They are fully capable to keep up with someone who's been riding for 12 years, and that same technology makes them super easy to ride. Making them awesome choices for someone learning park, or just learning to ride.

Rocker between the feet for ease of turning, camber under foot for control, and between the feet the board is rolled edge to edge. With your contact pts picked up from the rocker, and then the rolled base between the feet, you really have to try to catch an edge. For grip they use a 5 radial sidecut. Tight, mellow, tight, mellow, tight. The mellow sections land right under foot and provide grip pts that when you press through those camber zone hold onto the snow very well. In my experience this sidecut is only outperformed by Arbors Griptech, and is on par with NeverSummers Variogrip. Personally I don't even like Magne, it bites too much for my liking.

The Velvet retails for $350. $50 less than the Gnu with more tech, and $100 less than the Lo-Fi. For the money its one of your best options.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Thank you! I'll look into that one. I noticed that the Rome has a sintered base while the GNU has an extruded base. Is one better than the other? What are people's opinions on the GNU magne-traction and banana tech rocker?


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

I'm also looking at the Forum Star Chillydog


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Since I'm still a beginner, would the banana traction of the GNU be a good way to go? Would it help me progress?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Yes. Or no. Magne is something I don't typically recommend for beginners that have not ridden it. Its typically a love or hate technology.

I hate it. The reason is it grips a bit too much in my opinion. It locks you into your turn when you put it on edge, and your not done till its done.

So it will grip ice well which will help, but if you learn on it you may hate anything without it limiting your purchases later on.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> Yes. Or no. Magne is something I don't typically recommend for beginners that have not ridden it. Its typically a love or hate technology.
> 
> I hate it. The reason is it grips a bit too much in my opinion. It locks you into your turn when you put it on edge, and your not done till its done.
> 
> So it will grip ice well which will help, but if you learn on it you may hate anything without it limiting your purchases later on.


Thanks for the reply! So I should stay away from the GNU? Do you have any other board recommendations?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> Thanks for the reply! So I should stay away from the GNU? Do you have any other board recommendations?


If you were in my shop I would be steering you towards the Flow Velvet or Jewel, Salomon Oh Yeah, Ride Compact, Burton Blender, or K2 Limelite.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> If you were in my shop I would be steering you towards the Flow Velvet or Jewel, Salomon Oh Yeah, Ride Compact, Burton Blender, or K2 Limelite.


Thank you for the suggestions! I looked at the boards you recommended but most of them were out of my price range, or didn't come in the size I want (150 or 151). I found the Burton Deja Vu Flying V (Burton Déja Vu Flying V Snowboard - Women's from Dogfunk.com), would this be a good choice for me?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

I know the Flows typically come in 149's, if you're looking at 50-51 a 149 is fine. You won't notice that difference.

And looking at 151's you should be around the 135lbs ish range... but yes the Deja is a good board.

Do you have a local shop that isn't a box store?


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> I know the Flows typically come in 149's, if you're looking at 50-51 a 149 is fine. You won't notice that difference.
> 
> And looking at 151's you should be around the 135lbs ish range... but yes the Deja is a good board.
> 
> Do you have a local shop that isn't a box store?


Thanks for the quick reply! I'm about 135lbs and 5'8". And I checked with my local shop and the only board they would have that would work for me is a 149 Burton Lipstick.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> Thanks for the quick reply! I'm about 135lbs and 5'8". And I checked with my local shop and the only board they would have that would work for me is a 149 Burton Lipstick.


Well that is my shops best selling womens board and I don't know a girl that's ridden it and didn't love it. So it would be a great option. And shopping local is always better if you can.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> Well that is my shops best selling womens board and I don't know a girl that's ridden it and didn't love it. So it would be a great option. And shopping local is always better if you can.


Is it mainly a park board though? I'm looking to do mainly groomers, with a little park. Also, the mountain I ride on gets pretty icy and in looking at some of the Burton Lipstick reviews, it said it wasn't great on ice?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> Is it mainly a park board though? I'm looking to do mainly groomers, with a little park. Also, the mountain I ride on gets pretty icy and in looking at some of the Burton Lipstick reviews, it said it wasn't great on ice?


Are you looking at 2012 or 2013? 2013 is the old/new flat top and with frostbite wont have the grip problems the old one had. And its not too parky. In fact one of the girls I work with is considering getting another deck this year cause she wants something more parky than her Lipstick.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> Are you looking at 2012 or 2013? 2013 is the old/new flat top and with frostbite wont have the grip problems the old one had. And its not too parky. In fact one of the girls I work with is considering getting another deck this year cause she wants something more parky than her Lipstick.


I'm looking at the 2012, which is the one that seems to have problems with ice. I can't afford to buy a 2013, and the local shop has a sweet deal on the Lipstick. But if it's not the right board, than I'd rather go for something else. Between the Deja Vu Flying V and the Lipstick, which one would you recommend? Thanks again for your help! :thumbsup:


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> I'm looking at the 2012, which is the one that seems to have problems with ice. I can't afford to buy a 2013, and the local shop has a sweet deal on the Lipstick. But if it's not the right board, than I'd rather go for something else. Between the Deja Vu Flying V and the Lipstick, which one would you recommend? Thanks again for your help! :thumbsup:


The Deja is going to be softer meaning you'll be able to flatten out the camber zones under foot actually engaging the frostbite. So that will be better on ice.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> The Deja is going to be softer meaning you'll be able to flatten out the camber zones under foot actually engaging the frostbite. So that will be better on ice.


Is one better suited to groomers/ a little park? Since I'm tall, would the 149 be too short? Any other board suggestions beside those two? Thanks!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> Is one better suited to groomers/ a little park? Since I'm tall, would the 149 be too short? Any other board suggestions beside those two? Thanks!


They will both do groomers and a little park just fine. The Lipstick is a bit stiffer thats really the main difference in the 2012's. 

A board has no way to figure out how tall you are, it can only figure out how much you weigh.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Thanks for the reply! I'm going to go look at the Lipstick tomorrow and talk to one of the reps there. The other boards I'm considering are:
Nitro Fate

Burton Déjà vu Flying V

GNU B Nice BTX

Capita Saturnia

Nitro Mystique

Any opinions? Thanks!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> Thanks for the reply! I'm going to go look at the Lipstick tomorrow and talk to one of the reps there. The other boards I'm considering are:
> Nitro Fate
> 
> Burton Déjà vu Flying V
> ...


Deja, Mystique, Saturnia, Fate, B Nice.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> Deja, Mystique, Saturnia, Fate, B Nice.


Those are the ones I should go for?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> Those are the ones I should go for?


That's the order I put them in at least.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Okay thanks! I'm also looking at the Forum Sauce, Rossignol Justice and Burton Lux V rocker which are all at my local store as well. What do you think of those?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

The Rossi is a bit more aggressive all mountain board with carbon and kevlar built into it.

The Forum will be a pretty loose ride. They just use basic sidecuts on there full reverse camber boards, if you like a loose skatey feel they are fun boards (I had a good amount of fun on the Scallywag), but not great for speed on groomers.

The Lux is a pretty basic board from Burton. V rocker is going to be pretty loose like the Forum. Between the two I've preferred chilidog over Vrocker in most things.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> The Rossi is a bit more aggressive all mountain board with carbon and kevlar built into it.
> 
> The Forum will be a pretty loose ride. They just use basic sidecuts on there full reverse camber boards, if you like a loose skatey feel they are fun boards (I had a good amount of fun on the Scallywag), but not great for speed on groomers.
> 
> The Lux is a pretty basic board from Burton. V rocker is going to be pretty loose like the Forum. Between the two I've preferred chilidog over Vrocker in most things.


Thanks for the suggestion! My local store was giving me a sweet deal on the Lux, so I went to try my bindings on it today and buy it but....my bindings didn't fit. I have Head bindings. Is it possible to contact Burton and get them to ship me discs for the bindings? I have the board on hold since it is a final sale so I won't be able to return it if it turns out my bindings won't fit on it.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> Thanks for the suggestion! My local store was giving me a sweet deal on the Lux, so I went to try my bindings on it today and buy it but....my bindings didn't fit. I have Head bindings. Is it possible to contact Burton and get them to ship me discs for the bindings? I have the board on hold since it is a final sale so I won't be able to return it if it turns out my bindings won't fit on it.


You would have to contact Head to see if they make anything that fits the 3D system. Burton discs will most likely not be compatible with Head bindings.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> You would have to contact Head to see if they make anything that fits the 3D system. Burton discs will most likely not be compatible with Head bindings.


I emailed Head so now I'm just waiting for a reply... I'm really hoping that they will be compatible with the board.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

The board has the Burton 3D binding system. Would this work to fit my Head bindings on to the board? New Burton Unidisk 4 Hole & ICS Binding Mounting Disk Disc Plates | eBay


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

roma said:


> The board has the Burton 3D binding system. Would this work to fit my Head bindings on to the board? New Burton Unidisk 4 Hole & ICS Binding Mounting Disk Disc Plates | eBay


The only way to know is if the discs thickness and teeth pattern and shape fit into the bindings you have. And the only way to find that out is by having both the binding and the disc in hand. If the heads are a metal baseplate then this will not work.


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## roma (Jul 28, 2012)

Nivek said:


> The only way to know is if the discs thickness and teeth pattern and shape fit into the bindings you have. And the only way to find that out is by having both the binding and the disc in hand. If the heads are a metal baseplate then this will not work.


Thank you for all your help! I ended up pulling the trigger and buying the Burton Lux because it was on a sale I couldn't pass up (I bought it at cost because it has a slight damage about half an inch long on the topsheet). I still have to make it match up with my bindings though. Is it possible to drill into my binding discs or would that compromise the structure of them? Also, how well does the v rocker do on snow compared to the flying v, or just in general? I'm just interested to know. Thanks again!


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