People will never be happy with their running boards.
Hows everyones boot soles holding up?
- Thread starter barry1me
- Start date
I agree here. I think the newer boots with the tougher rubber on the Vibram soles will hold up a little better than the previous years boots. Mine lasted 3 season's (well 2-1/2 since I just replaced them), but they are really trashed on the bottoms. Does anyone know if HMK will do some sort of a re-sole for a lot less than buying new?? The rest of my old boots are pretty new looking.
wrong frenchie...I flat out love my running boards on both my PRO and my IQ RAW. They are the best in the biz bar none. I ride alot more then 99% of the sledding world because it's my job. Not to mention that I designed them and could change them to any spec or design that I want any time any day...but as of yet I'm still waiting to ride one that is BETTER!
By Better I mean has to be a combination of all these variables...won't catch my foot in the well and snap my leg like a twig ruining my life...won't tear up my boots or my knees if I accidently fall on the boards...doesn't look like garbage on the sled and instantly devaluate it...helps keeps snow from building up and working into the clutch compartment...won't bend or break prematurely from inferior untested designs, metals, finishes, or manufacturing processes....only takes an hour and a half to install.....doesn't put rivets into the tunnel to snag and damage my track, hold snow and ice in the little designs, weaken my tunnel, or do anything that is at all adverse to the cool sled that the PRO is. Oh yea and has to cost under $250 bones. Just makes it Better. Hmmmm!
You can smash down or file off your razor edges but you have to learn to ride inside the footboard and I'll tell you from experience very few iq raw and pro riders dont use that outer bar extrusion in some form or fashion. Wooop woop woop bam is what you'll get as you crash to your death. I've said it now in at least 6 posts but some of you can't seem to get it. MY BOOTS ARE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AFTER 90 PLUS FULL DAY RIDES. Do you think I'm making this up for marketing? COME ON MAN! TRYING TO HELP YOU GUYS! What on earth are you waiting for? Get Better Boards on your sled and go enjoy it instead of griping on the internet about it!
Here is another helpful tip from someone who knows....
You guys should look into getting some vinyl on the sides of your tunnels. You don't have to do a complete wrap. You can get clear or plain Jane if you don't want graphics. Call or pm Jordan and arcticfx and just get the tunnel sides. It helps a ton. We should all be vinyling the inside as well if you dont want to pack around an extra 30lbs in ice. Better Boards and a tunnel wrap has made my PRO a flat out pleasure to deal with daily. When you are done and want to sell your sled it looks cleaner..or you can simply refresh your look with a different vinyl for cheap. It's a good program!
By Better I mean has to be a combination of all these variables...won't catch my foot in the well and snap my leg like a twig ruining my life...won't tear up my boots or my knees if I accidently fall on the boards...doesn't look like garbage on the sled and instantly devaluate it...helps keeps snow from building up and working into the clutch compartment...won't bend or break prematurely from inferior untested designs, metals, finishes, or manufacturing processes....only takes an hour and a half to install.....doesn't put rivets into the tunnel to snag and damage my track, hold snow and ice in the little designs, weaken my tunnel, or do anything that is at all adverse to the cool sled that the PRO is. Oh yea and has to cost under $250 bones. Just makes it Better. Hmmmm!
You can smash down or file off your razor edges but you have to learn to ride inside the footboard and I'll tell you from experience very few iq raw and pro riders dont use that outer bar extrusion in some form or fashion. Wooop woop woop bam is what you'll get as you crash to your death. I've said it now in at least 6 posts but some of you can't seem to get it. MY BOOTS ARE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AFTER 90 PLUS FULL DAY RIDES. Do you think I'm making this up for marketing? COME ON MAN! TRYING TO HELP YOU GUYS! What on earth are you waiting for? Get Better Boards on your sled and go enjoy it instead of griping on the internet about it!
Here is another helpful tip from someone who knows....
You guys should look into getting some vinyl on the sides of your tunnels. You don't have to do a complete wrap. You can get clear or plain Jane if you don't want graphics. Call or pm Jordan and arcticfx and just get the tunnel sides. It helps a ton. We should all be vinyling the inside as well if you dont want to pack around an extra 30lbs in ice. Better Boards and a tunnel wrap has made my PRO a flat out pleasure to deal with daily. When you are done and want to sell your sled it looks cleaner..or you can simply refresh your look with a different vinyl for cheap. It's a good program!
B
barry1me
Well-known member
wrong frenchie...I flat out love my running boards on both my PRO and my IQ RAW. They are the best in the biz bar none. I ride alot more then 99% of the sledding world because it's my job. Not to mention that I designed them and could change them to any spec or design that I want any time any day...but as of yet I'm still waiting to ride one that is BETTER!
By Better I mean has to be a combination of all these variables...won't catch my foot in the well and snap my leg like a twig ruining my life...won't tear up my boots or my knees if I accidently fall on the boards...doesn't look like garbage on the sled and instantly devaluate it...helps keeps snow from building up and working into the clutch compartment...won't bend or break prematurely from inferior untested designs, metals, finishes, or manufacturing processes....only takes an hour and a half to install.....doesn't put rivets into the tunnel to snag and damage my track, hold snow and ice in the little designs, weaken my tunnel, or do anything that is at all adverse to the cool sled that the PRO is. Oh yea and has to cost under $250 bones. Just makes it Better. Hmmmm!
You can smash down or file off your razor edges but you have to learn to ride inside the footboard and I'll tell you from experience very few iq raw and pro riders dont use that outer bar extrusion in some form or fashion. Wooop woop woop bam is what you'll get as you crash to your death. I've said it now in at least 6 posts but some of you can't seem to get it. MY BOOTS ARE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE AFTER 90 PLUS FULL DAY RIDES. Do you think I'm making this up for marketing? COME ON MAN! TRYING TO HELP YOU GUYS! What on earth are you waiting for? Get Better Boards on your sled and go enjoy it instead of griping on the internet about it!
Here is another helpful tip from someone who knows....
You guys should look into getting some vinyl on the sides of your tunnels. You don't have to do a complete wrap. You can get clear or plain Jane if you don't want graphics. Call or pm Jordan and arcticfx and just get the tunnel sides. It helps a ton. We should all be vinyling the inside as well if you dont want to pack around an extra 30lbs in ice. Better Boards and a tunnel wrap has made my PRO a flat out pleasure to deal with daily. When you are done and want to sell your sled it looks cleaner..or you can simply refresh your look with a different vinyl for cheap. It's a good program!
i dont think anyone questions your time spent on this pro. What Im saying is this.....the issue isnt the middle part of the board that is tearing my boots up, its the outer edge of the rolled edge with vertical cleat that runs parallel with the sled. If your boards replace those with something else then it will fix my issue....from the looks of your pictures above you have the same outer cleats on the rolled edge as the stock boards. My boots can not physically fit inside the stock boards. They are to narrow, thus your outer edge of your boots sit on the rolled edge. I wear a size 14 and neither my Klim, or my Burton motos can fit inside of the running boards.
barry1 the diff is I don't have to kick at my boards as much as stock even the outer edge....pretty simple
I use the outer edge all of the time on the PRO. I find myself turning a heal over the outer edge alot when cutting and sidehilling on this sled. Using my feet more aggressively to push or place the chassis into the position I want. Far more so then the iq raw that I also ride. Don't know if that is the different handle bar setup or how the chassis ride differently. They feel pretty similar and go along pretty similar but my foot position changes pretty dramatically between the two even though the running boards are identical. Our newest version of boards drops slightly from the outer extrusion to give you a defined edge to work off of. I had to redesign the holes and cleat patterns to get good clean out and strength when we did the lower cleats but the net result is absolutely excellent. You feel like you get to ride (but with great traction) the entire running board instead of just the edge or just the footbed. All good without the performance sacrefice of dragging along wider boards.
Now a pretty simple fix to all this griping is for one of you guys to step up to the plate and supply us with a plastic molded edge cover with a single row of elevated nubs. you get traction and snow doesn't stick to it....plus should be easier on your SOUL! Yamaha used to offer a footbed part in a similar plastic that would work. You'll need to sell about 2500 annum at our costings to make it fly. Don't forget product liability insurance, distribution, inventory, packaging, marketing, and the hope that Polaris doesn't try to drown you along the way (because your idea is an improvement on their inferior designs). About $50,000 startup to make it fly.
So an expected market return of only $50,000 on a 2500 unit move with an initial investment of $50,000! All best case market scenerios for ROI! Like they say in the casinos..GOOD LUCK SIR! he he he ( I guess what he is saying is don't quit your day job!)
Hey we turned this into sled biz 101. Anybody listening? This will be on the QUIZ
I use the outer edge all of the time on the PRO. I find myself turning a heal over the outer edge alot when cutting and sidehilling on this sled. Using my feet more aggressively to push or place the chassis into the position I want. Far more so then the iq raw that I also ride. Don't know if that is the different handle bar setup or how the chassis ride differently. They feel pretty similar and go along pretty similar but my foot position changes pretty dramatically between the two even though the running boards are identical. Our newest version of boards drops slightly from the outer extrusion to give you a defined edge to work off of. I had to redesign the holes and cleat patterns to get good clean out and strength when we did the lower cleats but the net result is absolutely excellent. You feel like you get to ride (but with great traction) the entire running board instead of just the edge or just the footbed. All good without the performance sacrefice of dragging along wider boards.
Now a pretty simple fix to all this griping is for one of you guys to step up to the plate and supply us with a plastic molded edge cover with a single row of elevated nubs. you get traction and snow doesn't stick to it....plus should be easier on your SOUL! Yamaha used to offer a footbed part in a similar plastic that would work. You'll need to sell about 2500 annum at our costings to make it fly. Don't forget product liability insurance, distribution, inventory, packaging, marketing, and the hope that Polaris doesn't try to drown you along the way (because your idea is an improvement on their inferior designs). About $50,000 startup to make it fly.
So an expected market return of only $50,000 on a 2500 unit move with an initial investment of $50,000! All best case market scenerios for ROI! Like they say in the casinos..GOOD LUCK SIR! he he he ( I guess what he is saying is don't quit your day job!)
Hey we turned this into sled biz 101. Anybody listening? This will be on the QUIZ
B
barry1me
Well-known member
barry1 the diff is I don't have to kick at my boards as much as stock even the outer edge....pretty simple
I use the outer edge all of the time on the PRO. I find myself turning a heal over the outer edge alot when cutting and sidehilling on this sled. Using my feet more aggressively to push or place the chassis into the position I want. Far more so then the iq raw that I also ride. Don't know if that is the different handle bar setup or how the chassis ride differently. They feel pretty similar and go along pretty similar but my foot position changes pretty dramatically between the two even though the running boards are identical. Our newest version of boards drops slightly from the outer extrusion to give you a defined edge to work off of. I had to redesign the holes and cleat patterns to get good clean out and strength when we did the lower cleats but the net result is absolutely excellent. You feel like you get to ride (but with great traction) the entire running board instead of just the edge or just the footbed. All good without the performance sacrefice of dragging along wider boards.
Now a pretty simple fix to all this griping is for one of you guys to step up to the plate and supply us with a plastic molded edge cover with a single row of elevated nubs. you get traction and snow doesn't stick to it....plus should be easier on your SOUL! Yamaha used to offer a footbed part in a similar plastic that would work. You'll need to sell about 2500 annum at our costings to make it fly. Don't forget product liability insurance, distribution, inventory, packaging, marketing, and the hope that Polaris doesn't try to drown you along the way (because your idea is an improvement on their inferior designs). About $50,000 startup to make it fly.
So an expected market return of only $50,000 on a 2500 unit move with an initial investment of $50,000! All best case market scenerios for ROI! Like they say in the casinos..GOOD LUCK SIR! he he he ( I guess what he is saying is don't quit your day job!)
I havent kicked my boards yet to clean them, they do ok for me. I notice when Im carving the pressure of the snow against the outer edge of my boot sometimes pushs it back , especially when foot is not all the way against tunnel. Do you have some close up pics of your boards? I have nothing against your boards, and would buy them if I knew 100% it would elminate my boot bottoms being tore up.
Put a layer of shoe goo on your soles.. It will prolong the life of your boots!
I just put a layer on my Klims after reading this.
I will take a few pics and post back.
Thanks for the tip!
Would these work? Just saying if the outter edge is the biggest culprit, why wouldn't these work without tearing up the boot. Can't be any worse for traction than the Airframes.
i think those are going Backwards!! one post up
I Put Screws in the Outer Edge of the rail for more Traction.. My foot would come off in a tight 360 spin.. or deep sidehilling..
I used Gold ice Screws! Four in the front by the first rivet.. and four toward the back by the rivet.. On each side!
Works Great!
Ill take a pic tonite..
Oo ya i got the Gold Medal for that one right??
I Put Screws in the Outer Edge of the rail for more Traction.. My foot would come off in a tight 360 spin.. or deep sidehilling..
I used Gold ice Screws! Four in the front by the first rivet.. and four toward the back by the rivet.. On each side!
Works Great!
Ill take a pic tonite..
Oo ya i got the Gold Medal for that one right??
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Take your boots and have them Rhino lined or get some under coating for you local parts store, was just talking with a forestry fire fighter and he said it worked great on his boots he uses in the summer and seals them up real nice.
Have you been around rhino-lining when it's frozen? It is exactly like wearing ball bearings on your soles. Kind of like my fancy go-to-town $hit kickers. You can come over and go ice skating in our race trailer for reference!@ DANGER!
If those colored deals are plastic they will work great. Pound down the razors and throw em on....add Better Boards and the world is right.
Scud doo were did you see those? I have some metal ones that are less aggressive but since I don't have probs with mine (as I already stated) it was never an issue and they sit in the shop. Way back when the first iq raw came out I thought that was scary stuff. I know a guy that got ginzu knifed on that edge in a very very horrible inner leg upper thigh (I know I'm about to puke too) spot. Gruesome.
If those colored deals are plastic they will work great. Pound down the razors and throw em on....add Better Boards and the world is right.
Scud doo were did you see those? I have some metal ones that are less aggressive but since I don't have probs with mine (as I already stated) it was never an issue and they sit in the shop. Way back when the first iq raw came out I thought that was scary stuff. I know a guy that got ginzu knifed on that edge in a very very horrible inner leg upper thigh (I know I'm about to puke too) spot. Gruesome.
P
PalousePoo
Well-known member
If your riding style puts your feet on those edges, pound them down with a ball peen hammer. If you want some traction there, put in a few sheet metal screws with a hex head. I have no problem with them, and am on my third season with the same pair of Klim boots. They do occasionally put a tear in my pants when I fall on them though. Everyone has a different riding style.
F-Bomb: Dennis Kirk has them. I got the last set of black ordered yesterday. At $40.00 I figured I couldn't go wrong. I used to run a pair on my first sled, an old 580 Mtn. Cat. I figured they still made them so I did a search. The company that makes them is SnoBug.
Yes I have been around it when its cold, of course your trailer floor will be slippery when its frozen as there is ice on it, thats why its slippery, a non ice covered Rhino lining is not slippery no matter how cold it is. I also think it would be a different story with it on your boots opposed to on a floor of something, and looking at the pictures of how aggressive the running boards are on the PRO those metal teeth would grab right onto the boot.
Another option would be to get some undercoating that comes in a spray can, it is a much softer compound that a Rhino lining coating, and its cheap, try it only on the front half of the bottom of the boot if that is the only part that is being destroyed and your are concerned about traction when off your sled.
I seen on SNOWEST last year some guy did this to the Rubber Toe on his Klim boots and said it stuck great to the rubber, it didnt fall off. This is just an idea someone correct me if you have tried this already as I wouldnt want anyone to turn there nice boots into Ball Bearing $hit Kickers
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I think what Rob is trying to tell you is that the better boards are raised up almost flush with the outer rail so it propotions the weight throughout the entire running board and not just the outer edge. So you are standing on the entire running board. Kinda like a vehicle that has gone out of alignment you get wear on one side of the tire, thats because the entire tire isnt taking the abuse only the part that has the most friction. Make sense. I have 4 years on my Klim boots on a IQ with better boards and not a Sole problem. My buddie has an M8 with stock running boards and his are cut all up from the running boards. So better boards give you the same grip but basically put an alignment on your boots. BTW I do not work for Rob nor do I sell things for him just stating my experience.
