Vector BC eludes my thinking

[Woodserson]

I just bought a pair of Vectors. 180cm.

After much deep thought, I went with the non-BC version for various reasons.

HOLY COW!

[lowangle al]

Congradulations Woody, I think you will love them. If you don't plan on doing much skinning I would consider the 3-pin hw over the sb. I have sb on my vectors and 3-pin hw on my BC vectors and don't notice a difference on the down. I like the vesatility of not having to use the heel throws on the hw and they work well with leather boots. IMO free pivot is a waste if you are not using skins.

Have fun

[Woodserson]

I am pretty much planning on only using the Vectors with skinning. They will be my skin up and ski down skis.

I picked up a pair of Rossi Big Bangs (for more frontside lift-accessed skiing and some skinning), I was thinking HW's on those and SB's on the Vectors. I am planning on picking up some Excursions/T4's to go with the Vectors... I think the Antarctics may just not be enough for the Vectors, unless you disagree. Or would you recommend HW for both skis? Lots of time to think about this.

[lowangle al]

Probably a good choice for the bindings Woods. I put the SBs on my vectors for that reason but ended up waxing them for K&G more than skinning and would have been happier with the 3-pin HWs.

I have used leather Merrils and Asolos with good results in powder on the vectors. If the snow is right I think any boot will work on these skis as they turn themselves.

[Cannatonic]

Not sure the Antarctic are beefy enough to handle a real cable binding. They are more touring boots IMO. Older Merrells & Asolos are more solid.

I've handled the Vectors in stores enough to want a pair- they seem really light. I wouldn't take scales either, they'd be good for spring snow but a liability in cold powder.

[connyro]

Not sure the Antarctic are beefy enough to handle a real cable binding. They are more touring boots IMO. Older Merrells & Asolos are more solid.

I've handled the Vectors in stores enough to want a pair- they seem really light. I wouldn't take scales either, they'd be good for spring snow but a liability in cold powder.

In my experience with the Vector BCs, they are NOT a liability in cold powder. I ski cold powder, for the most part, with the Vector BCs. The scales are not really noticeably slower than non-scaled skis when descending, except maybe on very low-angle slopes. The only place that I did not like the scales was on firm or groomed snow. They are loud and slow on that type of snow but on anything fresh, the scales are not noticeable, especially if you take care to glide-wax the scales.

I think the 3-pin HW are a great match for the Vectors. I would not use the HW heel throws most of the time except on steep, super-challenging slopes. Excursions work well with the 3-pin HWs, both with and without the heel throws. I also think the Antarctic boots would not work so well with the heel throws. They are just not stout enough.

[lowangle al]

In my experience with the Vector BCs, they are NOT a liability in cold powder. I ski cold powder, for the most part, with the Vector BCs. The scales are not really noticeably slower than non-scaled skis when descending

This is what I noticed too.

I never skied the SBs with leather boots but they did fail a carpet test. If you want the option to use the Antartics with them I would get the HW if you don't mind skinning w/o free pivot.

[fisheater]

Congradulations Woody, I think you will love them. If you don't plan on doing much skinning I would consider the 3-pin hw over the sb. I have sb on my vectors and 3-pin hw on my BC vectors and don't notice a difference on the down. I like the vesatility of not having to use the heel throws on the hw and they work well with leather boots. IMO free pivot is a waste if you are not using skins.

Have fun

Al,
I find it interesting that you do not find a difference in the downhill performance between the HW's and the SB's. I would have thought the SB's would be a bit more active. I am really more curious about what to mount my old alpine mid-fats from 2000. I really can't see doing much skinning, but I thought I might like something
more active than HW's. I am not really looking at these modern clamps, I will not go stiffer than a T-4, and I like my knees. I remember I liked Super Loops years ago.

[Nick BC]

I can thoroughly recommend the VBC's in SW BC slushy May snow at Whistler Blackcomb. My main quiver consists of Rossi Soul 7/Freedoms (104 underfoot), Atomic Backland Aspects/Meidjo (85 underfoot) and the Vector BC's with Freedoms, which up to now I've mainly used for touring. I started out on the NTN adventure with the TX Pros, which I never really took to. When I heard TX boots were being discontinued, I bought a pair a year ago and tried them with the Vector BC's at the end of the season at Whistler and was blown away with how well they skied compared to the TX Pros. The TX s aren't enough boot for 104 underfoot so I use the TX Pros. The last three days were spent up at Blackcomb with blue skies and 15 degrees Celsius. The first day I tried the Aspect but it was a bit too narrow for the sloppy snow and was getting thrown around. So the last two days I skied the Vector BC and had a ball.

I also made another discovery - I skied a run with effortless turns and when I got down to the bottom I realized I was in walk mode. When I went back to ski mode I realized I didn't actually like it so from then on it was tour mode for the TX's.

I started teleing in 1980 in leather boots, so maybe I've discovered the sweet spot. NTN control/lateral rigidity and a TX boot in tour mode to give you more boot/heel angle freedom. As long as you keep your ski waist below 100 mm. YMMV

[lowangle al]

Fisheater I never noticed a difference between them, but the SB x2, I think it's called, is a much more active binding.