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I might have an empty tube if you’re looking to go that route. No matter what approach you use, make sure you heat the cork before trying to remove. I gather you could use an empty tube as a straw.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackattack
You also mention trying to move cork… Have you heat molded/fit the liners yet? That’s your best way to move cork.
great combo once you get them dialed, imho.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackattack
i've found long-handled tea spoons to be the best for removal. like this https://www.amazon.com/Hiware-9-Inch.../dp/B01E3SS8AIQuote:
Originally Posted by jackattack
the bowl needs to be narrow enough to fit through the injection port
it'll be messy, but there's no way around that whatever method you try.
I did try to mold them using the hot water bottle method but I don’t think I got the cork to move up much. I’ll probably try warming them in the microwave next.Quote:
Originally Posted by spanky
Do you have access to an electric oven? I’ve had good success with that. Never tried the water bottle or microwave methods. Both seem suboptimal. Also, metal buckles and parts in a microwave can’t be good.
Shells should be this warm/soft/pliable: https://youtu.be/ed2o7whNgv0
I don’t think you have to heat them all that much to get the cork to move. Hair dryer? Heat gun?
The cork does not have to be insanely hot to move. However the hot water bottles should do the trick or the hairdryer can work too. I’d just heat them up a few more times and see if the cork is still bothering you.
The boil the shells method is outdated and probably not optimal for the newer shells. This is not an intuition, they dont need to roast.
Zipfit recommends microwaving their lines. It works well, except that one time I forgot my red superfeet with the reflective metal strip.
I’m not really interested in heating my shells. The only metal pieces are small metal eyelets. I’m gonna nuke em.
FYI, I have an old pair of WC's that the previous owner nuked in the microwave and melting up burning some of the stitching in the toes. No metal eyelets on those. It doesn't take much metal in the microwave to make bad things happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackattack
I've been trying to get those WC's to work in my 130 LV's for a couple of years and can't quite make it work. The zips just have too much volume. For reference I'm a tight fit in just about every dimension in those shells. Curious to hear how that fit works for you. I'm thinking of trying out some MV shells to work with a set my WC's with the sidewinder that I picked up a couple of years ago
Any suggestions for which model to take up a bit of volume. 26.5 would have to be punched in the toes, so I go 27.5 but probably went with a bigger last than necessary. Need something high volume, first time trying Zipfit… any suggestions?
probably a freerideQuote:
Originally Posted by lowsparkco
I'm figuring out the same thing but one size lower. Which size would I want to go with for a Freeride liner? A 26.5 or 25.5?Quote:
Originally Posted by lowsparkco
You guys should call ZF / Chris with your questions.
I'm a 27#mm measured foot in 26 / 301mm shells and a 26.5 ZF (as recommended by Chris). If your foot is correctly fit for your shell, the ZF size should match your shell size. Of course Scarpas and whatever other few shells break on the half this won't apply to.
A 27.5 liner is obviously slightly more volumous than same of a 26.5. FWIW I was using my Zipfits in a 27.5 shell with results better than any previous type of liner in same shell. So @lowsparkco, I'd still recommend calling them to ensure you get it right the first time but if not my guess is the 27.5 should be what you want.
The Gara HV and the Freeride have same amount of OMFit.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve been in contact with Chris and will follow up with him about this particular shell and fit.
The microwave worked perfectly. I wrapped the liner in a t-shirt and warmed the first one in 15sec increments at 50% power. 1m 30s at 50% was perfect.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cocximus
I plan to add 1/4 tube of cork to the tongues to even out pressure on the front of the shin. I can feel a void in the shell when it's flexed on the top/front of the ankle. I can tell the stock cork moved a little but the Achilles and lower ankle/heel are still very tight. I will warm them up and ski for a few more half-days before trying to remove any cork from that area.
Attachment 445647
PSA the cork heel pocket has some stitching to keep the cork in place. Be aware of it when trying to move cork around.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9430b1b3f0.jpg
I'm getting closed to getting things dialed. I pulled about 1/3 of a tube of cork out of the achilles area and moved it to the tongue and forward/instep pockets. Boots are very snug but as comfortable as any foam liner I've ever broken in. I skied half a run last night before I remembered that my boots were unbuckled because it felt like I was skiing with the stock liner.
Good view of the pocket:
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenBC
Zipfit dorks - How do you store your boots? Liners out or liners in?
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Out, it’s annoying but keeps the fit consistentQuote:
Originally Posted by nickwm21
Out.
Why would you go to the trouble of putting them back in the boot just to take them out again to put them on your foot to put them back in the boot to take your foot out of the boot with the liner on then put them back in the boot again?
Out. Footbeds out while drying, then back in.
Good point - I have a large boot bag I keep all my ski essentials in…. (Dakine Ski Locker). Just grab and go. I’ll have to change up my system.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackattack
Took the plunge and ordered a pair of Garva LV for my Kryps. Should be here in a few days so I can get them molded before we head for Snowmass this weekend.
Has anyone tried a hotel hairdryer to heat them? Figure I will try to heat them in the morning before heading out and ski the cork in.
Have not tried a blowdryer, but while traveling I have brought two socks full of rice, microwaved em, and used those to heat them up before heading out. Similar to the intuition at-home process, but I don't get em as hot.Quote:
Originally Posted by naedward81
Just logging in to say:
1) the zipfit gurus appear to be here: https://www.skitalk.com/threads/whic...t.9876/page-37
2) I got my first pair of all leather zips in 2009 and skied them with complete bliss until spring of 2021 when I ripped the heal area out taking them off my foot in the parking lot. Really wish I had the “zips on your feet for the in and out of your shells” beta as they would likely still be going and the leather was really nice.
3) I finally got into a new pair of gara LV after a 2 year hiatus thinking I should ski out the stock liners in my Mach 1 LVs. It is oh so good to be back!
4) lots of great changes in zips now. The options are great. To help some folks navigate since I’ve been nerding out on them a lot (caveat I’ve only fondled gara LV, gara HV and freeride): 1) Corsa has all leather and least omfit and seems to work for people with super tight all around shell fits and best for very low volume boots, like lower than “lv” models. More like plugs. you can always add more cork 2) gara lv and hv are basically the same but according to Chris at zipfit “The Gara HV has 20% more volume than the LV” and maybe a slightly wider last (according to Buck at Olympic bootworks) but this is hard to see even comparing the same size together. This is their standard offering. 3) sidewinder is the same as the gara but is all leather and has a full length plastic strip up the inside of the boot to maximize your carve…supposedly great on groomers but a little rough on anything else. 4) freeride is a wider last, has another bump up of a little more omfit and probably equally or more significantly has the flared top of cuff for low sitting calves.
5) probably obvious but worth mentioning that in thinking about which zip is right for you it’s important to consider more how your foot fits in your shell than the volume of your shell. Higher volume models better for a more loose shell fit, lower better for a tighter one. That said, the last on the freeride is wider than the gara is wider than the corsa. Email zipfit, they’re SUPER helpful.
6) for those of you worried about the in/out thing: I can’t believe how easy it is to get your zip’d foot into and out of the shell using the technique in the videos linked. The key to getting in is using a little pressure from your thumbs to open the lower overlap section of the shell. Getting out is super easy: Unbuckle everything, place your hand between the back of the liner and the shell facing backwards and push back. SO MUCH EASIER than getting in/out with the stock liner in the shell or with my old leather zips which I sadly left in the shell for 12 years (back then they had different recommendations).
7) upgrades from older models: my new gara zips are warmer than my old leather models that even zipfit couldnt give me a model name for. A lot more sherling wool in the toe box and now they also have thinsulate. Plus neoprene is probably warmer than leather. For folks saying they are colder than stock liners, I don’t think mine are - certainly not for Mach 1 LV. My old ones were much less warm than the new model. The leather does have better heel hold over the neoprene and if they still made an all leather version of the gara (non-sidewinder), I would have bought that. That said, I’m very happy with the Gara…even though I might need to add some omfit to achieve that locked in feeling with un(or barely)buckled boots.
8) storage - I’ve been storing my new ones outside of the shell since they come out with my foot. However, for travel I will shove them back into the shell just to conserve the packing space. This is done by gripping them firmly at the throat (think palm across the tongue, thumb and fingers squeezing the cuff together) and then just push the liner into the shell from the heel.
9) molding: current advice on the forums is liner only, not shell. Multiple times to get a good fit. UNLIKE intuitions you need to flex them constantly while molding to get the omfit to move into all the nooks and crannies around your ankle. Best advice is go to a bootfitter who knows zips. Oly bootworks did two moldings with me in the shop (heated liners, NOT shells then repeatedly flex into the shins for 10min. Repeat.) and then I went and skied them. They started out great and have gotten better each day.
My data: foot is very low volume. Length is 296mm with annoying heel spurs. Bootfitters all want me in a 29.5 and indeed every time I have tried a 28.5 it has not worked even with shell work. Boot is a technica Mach 1 LV 29.5. Zip is a Gara LV 29.5. I’ll probably add some omfit to the tongue but still evaluating stock amount. I’m very tempted to now try a 28.5 shell with a toe and heel punch and my 29.5 zip …maybe next year…
Hope this helps!!
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I prefer to consider myself a zipfit nerd.Quote:
Originally Posted by nickwm21
Out.
On a boot dryer, no heat. Then neck in the boot bag with heat prior to skiing. My bootbag has room for boots and liners.
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Wish they made all leather Gara LV still. Might give the SW a try, don’t think Corsa is enough volume for my non-plug Raptors.
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Corsas can be made pretty high volume. That said, I couldn't fit my feet in Corsas in wcr140s. Stock liners well enough. Two tubes of cork in the tongue, though. Might have something to do with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by bennettc14
I'd suggest trying corsas before writing them off.
support the raddest project going: http://heritagelabskis.com
I have 26.5 Mach 1 MV boots and use LV Gara 27.5 in them. Perfect fit.Quote:
Originally Posted by enginerd
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Here's a random one - is anyone else having trouble pushing cork through the tube with their plunger? I bought my plunger about ~5 years ago, and the tubes of cork I recently purchased seem.. much tighter. I tested on an old empty tube I had (also from 5 years ago) and I can move the plunger through no problem. But with the new ones, I get stuck about halfway (on my 4th tube of cork, all the same). I'm at the point where I'm having to use vice grips and still can't get it all out. Just me?
I had a tube that was constricted at the very end, maybe the last inch. I just ordered a couple of new ones, but haven't tried them yet.
I wonder if you warmed up the tube with a heat gun would it expand at all to fit the plunger?
Yeah I forgot to mention, I tested both cold & warmed up (via microwave) - and to be honest the microwave feels like it made it even harder to push it all out. Like it constricted the tube even more.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackattack
I had the exact same issue. Plunger that worked in old tubes wouldn’t fit through new tubes. I still had an old (empty) tube laying around, so ended up splitting the new tubes with a knife to get all the cork out and transferring it into an old tube so I could shoot it in my liners. Was kind of a pain in the ass, but it worked.Quote:
Originally Posted by bthomson22
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If I remember correctly, I had the same issue. Resolved by sanding the plunger to reduce the diameter. Worked great.Quote:
Originally Posted by bthomson22
You could also use silicon spray on the plunger of you want better action after perfecting the fit. I think there is silicon in the cork anyway?
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Confirmed via Zipfit that the diameter of the tubes have evolved, and thus the new plungers are smaller in diameter than the old. Will definitely sand it down to get it working smoothly again - but at least I'm not going crazy!
Anyone experience difficulties using Gara LVs with Atomic Hawx Ultra shell? New owner of Gara LVs. With foot in liner first, I feel like I am really deforming the lower shell overlap and cuff when putting on my boots. I’ve done an initial home fitting and plan on doing a complete mold with a local bootfitter in the next week.
yeah, i actually ended up with a crack in my last pair of boots near the toe but after drilling a hole to stop the crack they were fine and it was only one boot. FWIW, it was time for me to get new boots anyway and i think i’m better at the racer style entry now so i’m not too worried about it. That said, I’m keeping a closer eye on it for the new pair of boots.
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I keep my liners in my boot so they heat up overnight with the shell in my heated boot bags. Keeps my feet warm all day (when the boots start out warm). And basically a mini remold every day I ski.
I molded my shells (Salomon X Pro 130s) for my free ride liners. No way they would have fit otherwise. I had a very close shell fit (less than a cm) prior to molding.
Best boot/liner combo I’ve ever had. Superb fit and performance, feet stay warm, no pressure points. I have probably 100 days on them so far? Thin socks are a must
Maybe take a look at the Workhorse. I'd have grabbed those over my Garas (as I prefer the leather lining), but they are new this season. Look like a leather lined Gara HV. Too high volume I assume?Quote:
Originally Posted by bennettc14