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Fat tube vs flat bar

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CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
hey just wondering how skills such as swaps and stuff on fat tubes transfer to a flat bar rail.
Apr 23 2012 10:58PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10627 - Karma: 7,423
how fat? i mean it shouldnt change much at all, if anything it should be ezier.
Apr 23 2012 11:01PM
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Flying~Squirrel
Posts: 6494 - Karma: 192
tubes are easier to grip, flat bars are easier to balance on. figure it out from there
Apr 23 2012 11:05PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Its pretty much impossible to catch an edge on a fat tube, and if you get sloppy on tricks you can still ride away, (ie do 3/4 of a switch up on a flat tube you will still do the trick) whereas its easier to catch edges on flat bars and there is not as much room for screw-ups.
Apr 23 2012 11:11PM
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Otherside
Posts: 305 - Karma: 93
And that right there is the reason i almost got a concussion.
Apr 23 2012 11:36PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
I too have had my fair share of 270 on to instant edge catch haha, not fun on higher rails.

I heart tube rails.
Apr 23 2012 11:37PM
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k-fred
Posts: 5363 - Karma: 1,598

I'd say that it's a lot easier to lock on tube and everything is easier like surface,2in and all that stuff because of how easy it is to lock.

also it depends on how large the flat bar is

Apr 23 2012 11:42PM
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TheBredward
Posts: 186 - Karma: 36
Big tube rails are the bees knees
Apr 24 2012 1:32AM
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Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
Nothing better than a fat ass tube.
Apr 24 2012 1:54AM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
Practice 'til you can do it on both.
Apr 24 2012 2:19AM
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NSwidow
Posts: 888 - Karma: 3,222
This actually helped me truckloads. Building a summer set up and, even though i'm kind of scared of fat tubes and comfortable as hell on flat bars, i chose to make a tube rail. And from reading all that ^ i think i made a good choice.
Apr 24 2012 6:44AM
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Blindsurfer
Posts: 2252 - Karma: 2,791
any kind of tube rail is superior to flat bar rails
Apr 24 2012 9:47AM
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Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
You will learn a lot on a tube, they're so much fun. I think it's much easier to set your edges and spin on tubez.
Apr 24 2012 12:48PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
definitely easier to lock on

but locking on to a long flat rail feels incredible

no homo

or maybe
Apr 24 2012 3:21PM
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cstearns
Posts: 229 - Karma: 141
on flat tubes you can still switch up fine but its lots easier on a round tube. the only thing is the round tube is harder to stay on to. also on round tubes surface swaps are lots easier.
Apr 24 2012 3:29PM
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.squirrely.
Posts: 7563 - Karma: 7,546
dub barrels> fat tubes> boxes> flat bars
Apr 24 2012 3:34PM
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Scotty.
Posts: 39 - Karma: 10
Why my kneecap is in 8 pieces right there.
Apr 24 2012 4:57PM
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chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,123
fat tubes in theory should be no different than skinny tubes. however you have to account for the fact that your ski is not truly in tangental contact with it so a larger radius is going to have more surface area blah blah blah.

however a flat bar is still going to have MUCH more surface area touching your skis than a flat tube. This means one good thing and one bad thing. The good thing is it is much harder to slip off when you do tricks. The bad thing is it is much easier to catch an edge and also harder to scissor making it harder to fine tune your rail position.

I hate fat flat bars. Boxes are different because the coping usually is slightly raised, almost eliminating the edge catching problem, while still giving you the balance advantage. I think once a rail is any wider than your standard double barrel you might as well make it a box. I also never get why a box has to be wider than your foot is long. it provides not advantage other than "aim" and makes it much much harder to scissor.

god damn this is why adderall and NS don't mix.
Apr 24 2012 5:11PM
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Tent
Posts: 1082 - Karma: 682
tubes are much easier to drag on
Apr 24 2012 5:18PM
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Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
Agreed, for the most part. I'm definitely a big fan of fat tubes just because I tend to have much more confidence going into them.

As far as the box thing goes it's not that hard to scissor on a big box. Sugarbush's boxes are all so fucking fat.

Click for larger image


haha
Apr 24 2012 5:18PM
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270on420out
Posts: 7508 - Karma: 51,054
Send it!!!!!!!!!!
Apr 24 2012 5:25PM
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CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
well, the reason i'm asking this is because for my summer set-up i'm going to have a fat-ish plastic/pvc tube. i'm just wondering if my skills will transfer to a flat bar or the regular rails at my park.
Apr 24 2012 6:12PM
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Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
It will certainly help.
Apr 24 2012 6:13PM
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CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
okay thanks!
Apr 24 2012 6:15PM
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Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
Yeah man, honestly I think tricks on big tubes are a lot cooler than a flat rail. Not to mention any practice you do at all will translate over anyway.
Apr 24 2012 6:31PM
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CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
yeah, i'm excited because all summer i'm going to work real hard to get a bunch of rail tricks down, then in the winter i'll be all sick and stuff haha.
Apr 24 2012 7:21PM
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Stope.Neeze
Posts: 594 - Karma: 148
i did that last year got a bunch of dope tricks but dont get too excited because hitting a setup is similar to hiking. so when lapping a park you wont be able to do nearly as many tricks. even though you get those tricks down on your setup doesnt necisarily meen you will be able to do them as often in the park. if anything i would get a metal rail trust me it will be worth it in the long run. dont get me wrong it will definitly be more fun and easier on a pvc tube but going from that to park rails is very hard to get all your tricks transitioned over too, and it will improve your skiing but not as much as a metal rail.

spark notes: get a metal rail! take this advice to avoid all the frustration i encountered
Apr 24 2012 8:11PM
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Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
What....If you learn a trick hiking you will still be able to learn it lapping. That has nothing to do with anything.
Apr 24 2012 8:25PM
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k-fred
Posts: 5363 - Karma: 1,598
I approve 100%, at the begining of the season I was sooo stoked of all the trick I got on my summer setup and sadly I wasn't able to land them on metal bar... It's a lot easier on tube when you're hiking it nonstop but it's still better than nothing.
Apr 24 2012 8:27PM
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SKIU4EA
Posts: 2387 - Karma: 2,072
I think what he means is, every rail in the park is different and even slides a little differently. It gets comfortable Seshing your pvc rail countless times learning all kinds of 2 on swap combo variations and shit, but then taking those skills to park rails sometimes feels like you're relearning everything.... at least that's how it was with me.


Don't get me wrong summer setups help a shit ton especially with 2's on, getting the timing of the pop and spin just right. I will certainly be using mine again this summer.

Apr 24 2012 8:46PM
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dompuch
Posts: 1449 - Karma: 1,186
Practice.
Apr 24 2012 8:48PM
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CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
that's all i really care about. i might borrow a metal small tube rail from my friend, (like 1.5in diamater) , but either way, as long as my skills will transfer to the park, then i'm good.
Apr 24 2012 9:12PM
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NotGhood
Posts: 2809 - Karma: 1,255
i'm not sure what you're all classifying as "fat" i mean, my hill has a tube rail thats around 4inch in diameter and its the hardest thing ever to lock onto, sliding the whole thing requires sketchy tail or nosepressing around the last 5 feet...
Apr 24 2012 9:33PM
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CalebT
Posts: 1186 - Karma: 765
about 1 foot of diamater.
Apr 24 2012 9:49PM
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k-fred
Posts: 5363 - Karma: 1,598
you just need to practise... My friend has a 1" 20ft long rail and once you get how to lock it's the funniest feature. and 4" is reptty big... if you cant do it without any press then theres a lil problem.
Apr 24 2012 11:58PM
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