Boot Flex Ratings?

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Boot Flex Ratings?

Postby Skizoo » Mon Sep 19, 2016 3:48 pm

Is there any consistency in boot flex ratings from one manufacturer to another? IE; would a Head boot with a flex of 130 be comparable to a Dalbello with a flex of 130?
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Re: Boot Flex Ratings?

Postby theorist » Mon Sep 19, 2016 5:34 pm

Generally not. Indeed, inconsistency is more the rule. E.g., my 2013 Dalbello Scorpion SR 130's are significantly stiffer than the Lange RS 140's and Head 140 RS's. Further, you can't even rely on consistency within a manufacturer. E.g., the new (2017) Dalbello DRS 130 that replaces my SR 130's is significantly softer. Also, even within the same model year, you can't compare flexes from a given manufacturer across different lines. A 130 in a plug boot will typically be stiffer than a 130 in an all-mountain boot (but they still want to call their top all-mountain boot a 130 for marketing reasons). The only place where you can typically use flex numbers to reliably compare boots is within the same year and the same line. Thus a Lange RS 140 will indeed be stiffer than a Lange RS 110 (though even within a line, it's possible a company could offer two identical shells with different qualities of liners and, for marketing reasons, call the less expensive one a 130 and the more expensive one a 140....).
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Re: Boot Flex Ratings?

Postby jbotti » Mon Sep 19, 2016 5:36 pm

In the race boot I think the Dalbello 130 is stiffer than the Head 130. The answer is probably reasonably close between different brand with same flex number but that will include some wider variances from time to time. Flex with the same number will often change a reasonable amount in the same brand and same boot from year to year (the old Head Red raptor 150 was the stiffest 150 they made. The whites are not as stiff).

Just saw the previous post, so yes we are on the same page.
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