Cants and steep angles

[Jagger]

I've been doing some thinking about the efficacy of using cants at steeper binding angles and was looking for some input. My thoughts are that at steeper angles say (55*+) cants would have much less of the desired effect of making the board more comfortable to ride being that instead of causing the knees less stress by positioning at more natural angles would produce a sideways twisting towards the longitudinal center of the board causing a slightly knock kneed position. Has any body found this to be the case or am I over thinking this? I was going to try removing my cants and just use my heel and toe lifts to position my leg angles or is this a bad Idea?

Mike

[Baka Dasai]

That's why the original Bombers are such an elegant (if limited) design - as the stance angle gets higher, the amount of cant is automatically reduced, and the amount of lift is automatically increased.

[Coldrider]

I gots big feet and ride narrow boards at high stance angles (60-70 degrees).

It's worked best for me to cant slightly <I>outwards</I> (typically 1-3 degrees depending on stance angle) to allow the shaft of the boot to cradle my leg without being over/underedged toeside or heelside.

I've been using some delrin shims that burton once made as an aftermarket item, which have allowed me to experiment adjusting lift and cant in small (approx 1 degree) increments. Just picked up the TD-2 with 3 degree, and don't yet feel that I've yet got the alignment as dialed as I do on the Burton setup. I'm going to keep experimenting with it, but right now it feels like I want to go flatter in front.

[Jim Callen]

I ride 62.5 degree angles on both my feet and I found out at ECES that negative/outward canting seems to help my riding a lot. It makes my edge to edge transitions much quicker, and I just feel more in control of the board. I'm not talking anything huge here, just a few degrees per foot.

Jim

[Mike T]

Originally posted by Jim Callen
I ride 62.5 degree angles on both my feet and I found out at ECES that negative/outward canting seems to help my riding a lot. It makes my edge to edge transitions much quicker, and I just feel more in control of the board. I'm not talking anything huge here, just a few degrees per foot.

I might try a little of that when my ankle is better. I'll try anuything to get my hips to move more freely on heelsides!

[Jon Dahl]

is that using pure lift is eliminating the need to physically shift your knees as much when you transition from edge to edge? If that is so, I may need to try it, especially for my heelside turns. Anyone else wish to chime in here with some thoughts/ideas?

[Jagger]

Jim do you think that the edge change speed is being caused by beter leverage or being in a more comfortable position.

Mike

[Coldrider]

As the purpose of canting and lifting is to align the boots so they perfectly match the profile of the lower legs and feet, outward cant works best for me because my hips are wider than many of the boards I ride (The narrowest are 18cm waist which require stance angles of 60-70 degrees). My legs approach the board from the outside, and the outward cant fits the boot to that angle.

Of course, that angle changes as stance angle/width changes, as does lift.

IMO, addressing alignment is critically important. I've seen many riders experience instant, and dramatic, improvement simply by adjusting lift/cant (and also by bootfitting).

I wonder sometimes that more people might be riding hardboots if alignment issues were the first thing that was addressed. It's hard to ride when your're fighting your equipment.

[Jim Callen]

With my knees being slightly father outwards, it allows me to pressure the boots more effectively edge to edge. When my boots are angled outwards a bit, I don't have to apply as much pressure to the boot to get the board to go where I want it.

Example 1: I have a hard time applying pressure to my back foot on heelside turns. Say I were to have inward cant, and my knee and leg were angled inward. That effectively makes it more difficult for me to pressure my back foot because I have to move farther than I would without inward cant to get the same amount of pressure to the edge. When I move my canting outwards there is already a little pressure on the inside of my back boot. I am therefore able to feel the pressure and focus on that point and am better able to apply pressure in general. It's really helped me after the apex of my turns, the place where I have had the most problems/chatter.

Example 2: When changing edge to edge, I don't have to pressure as far as I would were I to have no cant or inward cant. Since there is already pressure on the inside of my front boot, I can accurately feel how much more pressure is needed to get me onto my toe edge.

I feel the negative/outward cant gives me better leverage in regards to my leg position. I'm honestly not sure whether or not it is more comfortable, but I also hapen to be pretty flexible and have a wide range of motion in my joints.

I played around with some TD2's and found a nice bit of canting with the 3 degree discs was to put it 20 degrees off center. Haven't yet played around with my cateks.

Jim