 Poster: A snowHead
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Is there much difference between the stiffness of flex? For example would you actually notice the difference between a flex of 100, 110 and 120?
I purchased some Salomon s/pro alpha 120 last year and going to try them out next week. Just wondering if they may be too stiff for me, I’m a ‘good’ skier, would say not advanced but better than your normal intermediate. I’ve noticed they have flex adjustment on the back. How much difference will this make? Will it make my 120 flex boots feel like 115 flex when it’s set to the soft setting ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's a personal thing.
Some prefer more flex, others less.
A good fit is 99 100th's of importance, flex the other 1 (for us punters)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| JRB747373 wrote: |
Is there much difference between the stiffness of flex? For example would you actually notice the difference between a flex of 100, 110 and 120?
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Yes, I would, all else being the same (i.e. the exact same fitting boot).
Whether you would or not is impossible to say. Never tried any with adjustable flex, sounds like a bit of a gimmick to me. And if it's only in the +/-5 range I'm not sure the difference would be significant. TBH. Probably the most important factor is your weight and height, as well as your skiing, not so much how good you are but how aggressively you ski.
If you read the rest of the threads already mentioned you'll see so much opinionated... well, opinions that I think it's unlikely to be very helpful.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ski in your boots as they are. If you can positively engage the tips of your skis at the start of your turn you have all the stiffness you need. It is entirely possible to overthink this all, and frankly the flex ratings on most boots are not a great guide to how stiff the boots actually are.
How well the boots are fitted will make a bigger difference to most (all) recreational skiers than whether the manufacturer rates them as 110, 120 or 130. In fact I have more often seen skiers who would benefit from a less stiff boot than the other way round.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Chaletbeauroc, I am 12 stone and 5’10”. Have skied 11 weeks roughly and I’m 21.I’m averagely aggressive. Would you say the alpha 120’s are about right or too stiff? I appreciate it’s your opinion and can not give a definitive answer.
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| JRB747373 wrote: |
| @Chaletbeauroc, I am 12 stone and 5’10”. Have skied 11 weeks roughly and I’m 21.I’m averagely aggressive. Would you say the alpha 120’s are about right or too stiff? I appreciate it’s your opinion and can not give a definitive answer. |
Yes. Stop worrying about it!
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@zikomo, I bought them last year but have not used them yet. Will be next week. They are Salomon alpha 120. Do you know how stiff these are compared to other 120 flexes? I am worried they may be too stiff, not too soft.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Stop worrying about it, you'll psyche yourself into a corner otherwise. Just get out and use them, you probably won't be aware of the flex level at all, but if they're well fitted you should be much happier than in rentals, if that's what you're used to.
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| JRB747373 wrote: |
Is there much difference between the stiffness of flex? For example would you actually notice the difference between a flex of 100, 110 and 120?
I purchased some Salomon s/pro alpha 120 last year and going to try them out next week. Just wondering if they may be too stiff for me, I’m a ‘good’ skier, would say not advanced but better than your normal intermediate. I’ve noticed they have flex adjustment on the back. How much difference will this make? Will it make my 120 flex boots feel like 115 flex when it’s set to the soft setting ? |
Salomon have this lovely habit whereby they change round how their flex adjusters work from one year or boot range to the next. Yes, the difference is about 5 flex points but in some Salomon boots the adjusted flex will be 125 and in others 115. What was the factory flex adjuster position - direct or progressive? If it was progressive, the boot will be stiffer than 120 on direct. If it was direct, then it will become softer. You should be able to tell easily enough anyway if you take the liner and the adjuster out because you'll see that in one position the adjuster blocks the forward lean of the cuff and in the other it doesn't. The unblocked lean is the softer setting.
If you're 12 stone I'd say you should have them on the softer setting. Are they too stiff? Maybe a bit but not enough to really get excited about. It'll make less difference to your skiing than the stiffness of the skis you're on. I haven't skied the Alphas but my perception from other Salomon boots is that their current flex ratings are a bit softer than other marques on a like-for-like basis. It's not a standardised system.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Je suis un Skieur wrote: |
| It's not a standardised system. |
Come on boys and girls, all together now!
"Oh yes it is"
"Oh no it isn't"
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@JRB747373, welcome to SH's.
I am guessing/inferring that you bought these boots "off the shelf" and were not fitted by a competent boot fitter?
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I'am 5ft 6 and 10stone - I skied this year in Salomon 120's - could I tell the difference between 110 (my old boots) and 120 ? - No
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@CH20 must be on holiday 
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You know it makes sense.
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| zikomo wrote: |
| I have more often seen skiers who would benefit from a less stiff boot than the other way round. |
Changed my boots last year and went for ones supposedly with more flex.
Enjoying wearing them more. I suspect this is down to better fit rather than flex though?
I'm not a particularly aggressive skier but don't have a great issue starting turns etc
I may be able to notice the difference if I tried both pairs on the same day with the same skis but that's not going to happen. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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You can increase the flex greatly if you don't do up the buckles. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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A much stiffer boot made a massive difference for me. My old salomon xwave 8's had a flex of 90 and were very comfortable, but when i went for a ski boot fit session with a good bootfitter he put me in a 130 flex boot. The difference in skiing was huge. I used to suffer massively with thigh burn in my old boots. I'd do half a run and my thighs would be screaming which i put down to poor fitness (although i was reasonably fit). With the new boots, i could ski for hours with no thigh burn at all. I was basically hovering in my old flexible boots with my quads taking all the load.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@JRB747373, This should be re-assuring.
Grom2 and I have:
Atomic Hawk 90s
Atomic Hawk 110s
Atomic Hawk 130s
Full Tilt flex 10 (around 100, they say 130 … they aren’t)
Full Tilt flex 6 (floppy)
Lange 110s
We are both around 130lbs and 170cms - me aggressive piste and floundery off piste; him jibbing and carving.
January minus10 - they all stiffen up.
April plus15 - they all start collapsing when we jump and push hard.
We use all of them. Yes they vary. But we can have excellent days in all of them.
As Z says - at your height, weight and skiing the 120s should be fine, I would add ‘probably right’.
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