Last season, I picked up a pair of Ospreys from Jeff, mounted semi-direct with Spruce’s clever dyna-plate binding set up. These work slick, and being able to adjust these bindings to fit different boots “on the tailgate” is super-handy in a lot of situations. I’ve liked the Ospreys from day one and also have a bare pair for use with risers. Riding these two Osprey versions back-to-back a few times, I enjoy them both but somewhat prefer the riser version. A lack of suspension is one of the few negatives with zero camber boards, the ride can be a little rough in hard-snow/ice conditions. This is all we ever have at home. I believe the riser’s cantilevered design lets the board itself absorb more of the shock. Spruce risers have a miniscule footprint, taking up only about 5 1/8” of the board’s length, which is even shorter than nonrelease bindings (Receptors are aprox. 11 ½”), much less a direct-mount.
This led to wondering about ways to get to an absolute minimum footprint, and the result was this “bar riser” contraption---which only touches the board directly above the inserts. It’s true that the same thing could be done by shimming a Spruce riser with four washers, but I was also curious to see if any weight could be shaved off (the answer is: not much!).
I tried this briefly last season but never really got a chance to shake it out to see if there’s any noticeable benefit. Probably not, but it’s been an interesting project!
[URL=http://s376.photobucket.com/user/TractionBooster/media/bar%20riser%20top_zpsrclrnwbb.jpg.html][/URL
This led to wondering about ways to get to an absolute minimum footprint, and the result was this “bar riser” contraption---which only touches the board directly above the inserts. It’s true that the same thing could be done by shimming a Spruce riser with four washers, but I was also curious to see if any weight could be shaved off (the answer is: not much!).
I tried this briefly last season but never really got a chance to shake it out to see if there’s any noticeable benefit. Probably not, but it’s been an interesting project!
[URL=http://s376.photobucket.com/user/TractionBooster/media/bar%20riser%20top_zpsrclrnwbb.jpg.html][/URL
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