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Spruce Mountain Skiboards - 115 CM Crossbow Longboards

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  • #76
    Originally posted by wjeong View Post
    Jack,
    You ride them with the Envy boot or full tilts? I may have to add a pair of these to my pile of boards everything is so positive about them.
    Full tilts for my first day out, will try Envy next time out
    Boards :
    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
    Boots
    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
    Bindings:
    Zero Pro Non release Binding
    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

    Comment


    • #77
      All right! Ordered a pair.
      Now: 08 Sherpa's (2), Atomic 120's, 2013 125 Protos, 125 LEs, 2014 Sherpas, Osprey protos, 2015 Blunt XL's, 2016 Ospreys, Ethan Too twintip skis,2017 Shredfest One of kind Spliffs, 2018 Crossbows
      Bindings: Spruce Risers and Tyrolia LD12's
      Boots: Full Tilt Booters, Tecnica Agent 110
      History: Atomic shorty's, Sporten, Groove Taxis, Head 94's, ALPs, Spruce 120 Blue boards, Custom Lacroixs, Rocker Condors, 08 Summit 110's, Hagan offlimits 133's, Rossi 130's, 2011 Summit Marauders

      Comment


      • #78
        Do these Crossbows take the 110mm Attack 13 brakes?

        Comment


        • #79
          Originally posted by Fun Machine View Post
          Do these Crossbows take the 110mm Attack 13 brakes?
          Good question. Hopefully Jeff can answer this one. I’m using Attack 13s with 130mm brakes. I would think 110mm brakes should clear since the waist is only 2mm wider and with the riser the brakes are actually wider than rated at the plane where they cross the board.


          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

          Comment


          • #80
            Originally posted by Fun Machine View Post
            Do these Crossbows take the 110mm Attack 13 brakes?
            I am using standard 110mm brakes and they work fine though my brakes have been ‘bent’ out a bit by hand over the years to accommodate other boards. You should not need the extra wide 130mm breaks.
            Boards:
            2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
            2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
            2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
            2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
            2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
            2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
            2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
            2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

            Comment


            • #81
              Center mount nice !

              Rode the Crossbows again today with the Envy soft boot system on the Spruce riser at Diamond Peak , nice long groomed run to test that had mixture of icy areas , mounds of softening snow and steeps . Initially rode rear set and then center mount . A word first about the Envy system , I really like it and it is comfortable , and performs similiar to a soft recreational ski boot . As I spend more time on it , I do think that my Full Tilts do give a bit more precise control but the Envy frame and my snowboard boot is more comfortable . I don't notice the extra weight much . Switching from rear set to center mount was a revelation for me . While I liked the Crossbows rear set , center mount seemed much better for me . Easier turning , even more edge control , less need to lean into the tips of the board , ok to have a more upright stance, and easier slarving , seems like I can flatten the camber better .
              Has much more of the feel of a smaller skiboard then rear mounted . I think I will prefer this board center mounted except in deep snow . Still nicely handled the mounds of soft snow center mounted , So in the end I agree with Wookie , although I like my Sticky rear mounted better then center , I do prefer my Crossbow center mounted more then rear mounted.
              DSC_0070
              Boards :
              Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
              Boots
              K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
              Bindings:
              Zero Pro Non release Binding
              Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
              Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
              Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
              Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

              Comment


              • #82
                Crossbows in pow

                DSC_0071

                Finally got some pow at Kirkwood , not hero pow , but wonderful off piste nasty snow , in the back bowl crust over heavy wet snow , off the steep Wall run , heavy wet pow over firm , in the trees more heavy crusty snow and some refrozen crud iall of it in very poor visibility and steep unforgiving ,challenging terrain.
                And on top of that after snowing in the morning it started raining making the conditions even more interesting , ha , ha , all the skiers and the snowboarders were saying how bad the conditions were.
                I wanted to test my new Crossbows in this junk and set them back on the rear inserts . Didn't know what to expect , brought along my Sherpa and Spliffs as back up . Never needed them . The Crossbows were a true delight and one of the most fun and competent skiboards I have ever ridden. In the nasty crusty pow , it was easy to just put the two boards together and ride the firm supportative tails , the rocker and the set back just brought the tips right out of the snow . I bounced up and down on the tails and easily unweighted and turned the boards in the resistant snow . Kind of reminded me of how I used to ski the short ski Hagans but seemed floatier and easier then I remember the Hagans . In difficult snow the Crossbows work exactly like a nice all mountain long ski but much easier to control and much easier to turn . In the firm stuff and moguls the Crossbows even when set back have excellent edge control and do not wash out just need to lean forward more then center mount . All in all the Crossbows are a chamelon . Center mount they feel like a 110 skiboard , rear mounted like a big 125 wide bodied longboard . Valmorel and I have talked about how the mark of a great skiboard is one that allows the rider to flow down the mountain without interfering with the ride . I would one up that by saying a truly great skiboard is one that allows the rider to flow down the mountain in conditions that make other riders cry with a big smile on one's face . That is what happened to me this morning . The Crossbow is a magnificent all mountain skiboard. I would say ridden in the set back inserts it really shines in off piste terrain when you ride it skier style , with unweighting , and the help of poles . Ridden center mount it shines like a traditional skiboard and just turns easily without unweighting and although I carry poles you don't really need them .
                Just a fantastic cross board that can be ridden skiboard style or skier style , no worries and uber competent. Maybe I have a new favorite all condition board !!!
                Boards :
                Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                Boots
                K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                Bindings:
                Zero Pro Non release Binding
                Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                Comment


                • #83
                  Originally posted by jjue View Post
                  DSC_0071

                  Finally got some pow at Kirkwood , not hero pow , but wonderful off piste nasty snow , in the back bowl crust over heavy wet snow , off the steep Wall run , heavy wet pow over firm , in the trees more heavy crusty snow and some refrozen crud iall of it in very poor visibility and steep unforgiving ,challenging terrain.
                  And on top of that started raining , ha , ha , all the skiers and the snowboarders were saying how bad the conditions .
                  I wanted to test my new Crossbows in this junk and set them back on the rear inserts . Didn't know what to expect , brought along my Sherpa and Spliffs as back up . Never needed them . The Crossbows were a true delight and one of the most fun and competent skiboards I have ever ridden. In the nasty crusty pow , it was easy to just put the two boards together and ride the firm supportative tails , the rocker and the set back just brought the tips right out of the snow . I bounced up and down on the tails and easily unweighted and turned the boards in the resistant snow . Kind of reminded me of how I used to ski the short ski Hagans but seemed floatier and easier then I remember the Hagans . In difficult snow the Crossbows work exactly like a nice all mountain long ski but much easier to control and much easier to turn . In the firm stuff and moguls the Crossbows even when set back have excellent edge control and do not wash out just need to lean forward more then center mount . All in all the Crossbows are a chamelon . Center mount they feel like a 110 skiboard , rear mounted like a big 125 wide bodied longboard . Valmorel and I have talked about how the mark of a great skiboard is one that allows the rider to flow down the mountain without interfering with the ride . I would one up that by saying a truly great skiboard is one that allows the rider to flow down the mountain in conditions that make other riders cry with a big smile on one's face . That is what happened to me this morning . The Crossbow is a magnificent all mountain skiboard. I would say ridden in the set back inserts it really shines in off piste terrain when you ride it skier style , with unweighting , and the help of poles . Ridden center mount it shines like a traditional skiboard and just turns easily without unweighting and although I carry poles you don't really need them .
                  Just a fantastic cross board that can be ridden skiboard style or skier style , no worries and uber competent. Maybe I have a new favorite all condition board !!!
                  Thanks for your report Jack - glad you were able to get these out in some fresh snow and nasty stuff. Great to hear they handled so well. I’m still waiting to get mine off the groomers Hopefully at Westfest.


                  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                  Comment


                  • #84
                    why add to SII?

                    OK so maybe this is a dumb question, but there is a lot of comparing to SII in this thread and one thing I am still not getting clearly. The discussion has been good for understanding what the Crossbows are like (definitely for making me want to try them), but what I can't get a handle on is what, exactly, it would offer or add for you if you already have the SIIs. Enough extra capability to make it worth expanding the quiver, or is the SII better supplemented with something else (e.g. for those rare powder trips out west)? Can anyone with both help clarify?

                    Comment


                    • #85
                      A lot of us enjoy the fun of riding a short board, but do miss out on some of the characteristics that the longer boards have, like more stability at speed and more float in powder. This is especially true if you are a larger/taller rider. So, most of end up needing an extra board to supplement the Ickys. I like short boards, so I have the XLs for deeper powder days, but others may prefer longer options. I think this is where the Crossbows may come in.
                      Just these, nothing else !

                      Comment


                      • #86
                        Well the SIIs and Crossbows have a very similar design on paper. I think the rider's size and style will dictate which is favored over the other, and I wonder how many will declare the Crossbow to be their single quiver boards over the SIIs. I find the SIIs so leisurely to the point where it's not as exciting to ride as my other boards, so I picked up Crossbows and am taking both out to the slopes for the weekend. Who knows, maybe I'll end up putting my extra pair of SIIs up for sale if these rave Crossbow reviews are hitting the same marks for me.

                        Comment


                        • #87
                          Originally posted by beckyricha View Post
                          OK so maybe this is a dumb question, but there is a lot of comparing to SII in this thread and one thing I am still not getting clearly. The discussion has been good for understanding what the Crossbows are like (definitely for making me want to try them), but what I can't get a handle on is what, exactly, it would offer or add for you if you already have the SIIs. Enough extra capability to make it worth expanding the quiver, or is the SII better supplemented with something else (e.g. for those rare powder trips out west)? Can anyone with both help clarify?
                          Why add the Crossbows to my quiver? BECAUSE I CAN! Now stop asking silly questions.

                          All kidding aside I'll agree with a lot of what Bad Wolf say below and add a few comments ...

                          Originally posted by Bad Wolf View Post
                          A lot of us enjoy the fun of riding a short board, but do miss out on some of the characteristics that the longer boards have, like more stability at speed and more float in powder. This is especially true if you are a larger/taller rider. So, most of end up needing an extra board to supplement the Ickys. I like short boards, so I have the XLs for deeper powder days, but others may prefer longer options. I think this is where the Crossbows may come in.
                          ... For larger riders the bigger footprint, longer edge, and softer tips and tails really does provide more float and support. But don't look at the Crossbows as SIIs for bigger riders. While they share a lot of the same construction DNA which makes for boards with little, if any, bad habits they both ride differently. The SIIs feel small and nimble. They feel much smaller when you wear them than they are. Crossbows are great cruisers, with a longer turn radius, that can still be pushed hard. Like the SIIs they have a big performance envelop and feel small but the ride experience is very different and good with both.

                          For me, even as a tall rider, I do not think of the Crossbows as a supplement to the SIIs that fills some void in their performance envelop. I think of them as different ride that I can reach for if my mood and the conditions call for it. Frankly looking at the condition, crowds, and my mood for this weekend my SIIs and Crossbows may stay on the shelf in favor of riding my pair of old school Revolts.

                          Originally posted by Fun Machine View Post
                          Well the SIIs and Crossbows have a very similar design on paper. I think the rider's size and style will dictate which is favored over the other, and I wonder how many will declare the Crossbow to be their single quiver boards over the SIIs. I find the SIIs so leisurely to the point where it's not as exciting to ride as my other boards, so I picked up Crossbows and am taking both out to the slopes for the weekend. Who knows, maybe I'll end up putting my extra pair of SIIs up for sale if these rave Crossbow reviews are hitting the same marks for me.
                          Let us know what you think. And let me know if you are riding in my neck of the woods (Poconos) this weekend I expect we'll be riding everyday.
                          Boards:
                          2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
                          2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
                          2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
                          2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
                          2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
                          2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
                          2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
                          2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

                          Comment


                          • #88
                            For me it really depends on the conditions . I love the Stickies as an all mountain ride as long as the conditions are firm or maybe bit a little bit of powder over firm , but in deep pow , or off piste junk snow , crud etc . I need something else , then it becomes a quiver . Like Bad wolf says , a good solution is Sticky and Blunt Xl or for me Sticky and Spliffs .
                            but I have a recurrent dream that I will find a board that has a wide enough performance envelope that I wont need a quiver but just one board .... I keep dreaming about the Crossbow , could it be that board ??? we will see ...

                            ps the Blunt Xl and the Spliffs and Condors and Rockered condors were super good all condition skiboards for me but once I got on the Sticky I really like the carving better in firm snow , I can carve well on my Sherpas but they feel really big , the Crossbows are certainly not as nimble or as playful carvers as the Stickies but they are close enough that if they also work better in pow ... I my be satisfied just bringing along one board !
                            Boards :
                            Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                            Boots
                            K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                            Bindings:
                            Zero Pro Non release Binding
                            Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                            Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                            Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                            Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                            Comment


                            • #89
                              Originally posted by Wookie View Post
                              I am using standard 110mm brakes and they work fine though my brakes have been ‘bent’ out a bit by hand over the years to accommodate other boards. You should not need the extra wide 130mm breaks.
                              I just mounted my Crossbows with A13s and new 110mm version 2 power brakes. No bending required on center mount. They touch when mounted set back, but a hand pull is enough to bend them a degree or two to get the arms cleared.

                              Comment


                              • #90
                                So, I spent two solid days on my new Crossbows.

                                The conditions were pretty bad the first day - 12+ hours of torrential rain from the prior day that froze overnight as temps dropped to the teens and singles, then dry snow coming down throughout the entire day that just didn't do much more than dust over all that ice. This was probably one of the worst east coast ice conditions I've been on in years - some parts looked like a carpet of legos. Well, I never got around to pulling my backup skis out. I pushed these Crossbows pretty hard - riding, carving, slarving, flat spins, jumping onto mounds of frozen ice blocks in lieu of boxes and rails that were missing. They did not give out. The edges held amazingly well, better than any of my other skiboards would have in those same conditions. They locked, slipped and released exactly as I needed them to. And the transition between them was predictably gradual - I like this a lot. I think the softer flex was helping to keep more of the edge engaged through crud and ice whereas stiffer boards like DLPs might have popped to slide out, or zero camber boards like XLs and Raptors might have chattered out as the tips disengage. When flat, they felt like something in between the SIIs and Raptors - SII's with bigger rockers, or Raptors with a small camber. Surprisingly it was easier to initiate flat spins at higher speeds on Crossbows than on SIIs - I think this may be due to the additional length and great edge lock and release. Fun. What surprised me was that the tips didn't catch during rotation as I would have expected. And the ride was very smooth and dampening, more so than the SIIs.

                                The second day brought better conditions. The snowmakers added good cover over the ice, and the sun came out to soften the terrain. I pushed the Crossbows with some speed and hard carves down black runs, and they did chatter a bit on the extremes but did not give out. The edges did slip out unexpectedly on a couple of sharp carving transitions from pack to ice - I had gotten too confident at that point - but the edges re-engaged as I needed to recover. I also did some more aggressive jumps and a few spin tricks off snow banks, and that's where I hit the Crossbows' limits - they are too soft for any serious park riding.

                                Overall, I am very impressed with these Crossbows so far. I feel like they can be pushed harder than SIIs. And the way the Crossbows handled such bad ice conditions, I would expect them to excel in better conditions. It's too soon to tell, but I can see the Crossbows becoming my preferred boards for all-mountain leisure riding over the SIIs. But it is a little bittersweet - the bases especially under the tips took a beating, and the boards look like they've been ridden a half or full season after just 2 days. I even have a chip that's going to require a ptex repair. My own fault but still... Also I do see fairly strong impressions where the boards are hitting the riser both front and back. I'll have to see about cutting off the excess ends of the riser and curving the supports up a bit.

                                Edit: Let me add that some earlier posts about the "Chronic" / Crossbows might have suggested that these might be SIIs for the bigger/heavier rider - I am on the shorter and lighter end of the spectrum.

                                Comment

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