7TM Power XR vs Telbry + Axl

[mzimpfer]

Older northeast skier here at 61. Still enjoy bumps, trees and small to medium jumps. Even learning to slide boxes. This is an old question I know, but I will pose anyways. I am upgrading to 98 mm skis with 75 mm Synergy's that will probably be upgraded at least to T2 Eco. I have been skiing 7TM's for years and at 145 lbs have never noticed a lack of control, but I have no experience with other set ups to compare to. Knees are good and i want to keep them that way considering that I am still pretty aggressive for my age. So will go with either 7TM Power XR or Telebry + Axl. 7TM set up would have the virtue of simplicity. Not sure how much the XR adds in reality to the power and control and have not seen a single review anywhere that comments on actual usage of the upgraded XR. Telebry/Axl more complicated and heavier, but theoretically better control. This rig is for resort only.
Thoughts?

[dschane]

I know a skier who uses Telebry and Hammerheads and seems happy for resort skiing. But, in light of how much money you're about to invest, why are you not considering Outlaw X?

[Dostie]

Older northeast skier here at 61. Still enjoy bumps, trees and small to medium jumps. Even learning to slide boxes. This is an old question I know, but I will pose anyways. I am upgrading to 98 mm skis with 75 mm Synergy's that will probably be upgraded at least to T2 Eco. I have been skiing 7TM's for years and at 145 lbs have never noticed a lack of control, but I have no experience with other set ups to compare to. Knees are good and i want to keep them that way considering that I am still pretty aggressive for my age.

This rig is for resort only. Thoughts?

Switching from Scott Synergy to Scarpa T2 is not necessarily an *upgrade* - unless the fit is an improvement.

Seems like you want release. Suggest TX-Pro with Meidjo. That'll give you an upgrade in skiing performance and releaseability. Or TX-Pro with Rotte Freeride. Between the two I think Freeride has a more proven release, though not necessarily better - just more reports from the field confirming the release does work. Of the two, I think Meidjo skis better. YMMV.

[mzimpfer]

You know, I thought I was convinced that I would prefer 75 mm because I spend a lot of time in the bumps and l need flex and touch.

And yes, I do want releasable.

[Dostie]

You know, I thought I was convinced that I would prefer 75 mm because I spend a lot of time in the bumps and l need flex and touch.

Even more reason to switch to NTN. If it weren't true, the converts would have all switched back by now.

We haven't.

[tele.skier]

You know, I thought I was convinced that I would prefer 75 mm because I spend a lot of time in the bumps and l need flex and touch.

And yes, I do want releasable.

Any Scarpa NTN boot you prefer, + any NTN binding is 1,000 times better than any 7TM rig + duckbill boots made of solid gold....

Seriously, don't make the connection between your boot and your ski be on a trapezoidal piece of plastic out in front of your foot... There's been some improvement since 1978...

[ts01]

Even more reason to switch to NTN. If it weren't true, the converts would have all switched back by now.

We haven't.

+1.

NTN is a system not a setting. In other words reports of the lack of flex and touch on NTN reflect a particular combination of boots, binding, and spring settings. You can change springs and tension settings on both the Rottafella NTN bindings and the 22Designs OutlawX.

If its flex and touch you want, and you're buying new boots anyway, the suggestion to consider the OutlawX is a good one IMHO. Out of the box it might be set more active than you want but remove the inner spring, dial it down to 1 or 2, and you might have all the flex and touch you want with a better edge connection than any 75mm.

(175 lb former 7tm skier now on Freerides with red springs at 1.5, OutlawX w/o inner spring and set at 2).

[mzimpfer]

Does Meidjo not adjust tension so well as Outlaw X

Also, Ski width for bumps, trees, jump park & some groomers? Some skiers around here suggest 98 mm Sky 7 HD

[Dostie]

Does Meidjo not adjust tension so well as Outlaw X?

Arguably not as wide of a range, although it is pretty wide. The variation between standard springs to stiffy springs plus parallel inner springs is a wide tension range. Outlaw can get stiffer with stiffy springs. Some of us here might argue that excess spring tension is a substitute for lack of technique.

[dschane]

Also, Ski width for bumps, trees, jump park & some groomers? Some skiers around here suggest 98 mm Sky 7 HD

85-99 mm, and admittedly, it's subjective bordering on arbitrary. IMO, adding "trees" into the mix gets you offpiste and increases the range. Otherwise, I'd personally say 85-92.

[jtb]

Does Meidjo not adjust tension so well as Outlaw X

I find the Meidjo has a very wide range of adjustment. Coming from Riva's I thought I would want them soft, but the lowest settings are too soft for me. I worked my way up to the inner spring, but found it too stiff. Level 4 or 5 with just the outer spring works well for me.

I'm not sure I'm a 100% NTN convert yet, but the best thing about it for me is not having to sacrifice spring tension for rocker launch. In my 75mm setup, tighter springs meant feeling like I was getting thrown forward when standing flat. That's probably why I was used to a softer setup. With NTN, you can tune spring tension without rocker launch, and with the Meidjo, you can tune it independently of release tension. That's what sold me on the Meidjo, though it definitely has its own quirks and issues.

[mzimpfer]

I have a friend that just popped an ACL on the Outlaw X. Is it a sign???

[mzimpfer]

Is Meidjo more prone to ripping out of (certain) skis than Outlaw X?