Hjortleifson has been heard, the DynaFit Vulcan

[Scotsman50]

After a full weekend of touring, I'm in love with these boots. Light, precise, powerful, awesome tour mode and fit me perfectly (alpine wraps). I can't see a scenario where I'd use the tongues (ho ho ho), but we'll see. On the groomer exit today, they felt too upright in the more upright lean lock, but in pow I wouldn't change a thing. Maybe I'll try the forward position on corn. The Vulcan is the perfect touring boot for me.

Why did you buy the Vulcans and then ski them without the tongues??? If you wanted a softer boot why not buy the Mercury's...Just interested as a lot of people are harshing on the stiffness of the Vulcan's but for me...that's why I bought them. I've tried skiing mine without tongues and it's OK for a quick descent but not the level of control that I'd want or need. Mine are getting nicely worn in now and I'm learning how to flex them.... the little bastards do have a progressive flex...you just have to push against them really hard.

[Andyski]

Why did you buy the Vulcans and then ski them without the tongues??? If you wanted a softer boot why not buy the Mercury's...Just interested as a lot of people are harshing on the stiffness of the Vulcan's but for me...that's why I bought them. I've tried skiing mine without tongues and it's OK for a quick descent but not the level of control that I'd want or need. Mine are getting nicely worn in now and I'm learning how to flex them.... the little bastards do have a progressive flex...you just have to push against them really hard.

Good question. Because:
-I don't like flex stoppers. The Vulcan doesn't have them. Yeah, I could have removed them from the Mercury, but...
-The carbon cuff seems to stop the lower shell from deforming when carrying speed, an effect I've always dreaded in tongue boots and detected in the Mercury when shop flexing while clicked in to a binding.
- i like not having to fuck around with the tongue during transitions on pow lap days. It's not THAT big a deal and I know how to do it from using a TLT5 for a couple years, but not even needing it is very nice.

I'm also using alpine wraps at the moment and skiing nothing but easy pow. Stock tongue liners and corn/mank could very well lead to regular tongue usage. I like having the options.

[XXX-er]

-I don't like flex stoppers. The Vulcan doesn't have them. Yeah, I could have removed them from the Mercury, but...

In case somebody decides to go grinding their mercury's it should be mentioned somebody online ground out the stoppers and it made the boot too soft so the mercury had to be stffened up with a reground to fit flexon tongue with good results

you got those screws out eh?

I leave the mercury tongues in for short laps & take em out for long tours

[Scotsman50]

Good question. Because:
-I don't like flex stoppers. The Vulcan doesn't have them. Yeah, I could have removed them from the Mercury, but...
-The carbon cuff seems to stop the lower shell from deforming when carrying speed, an effect I've always dreaded in tongue boots and detected in the Mercury when shop flexing while clicked in to a binding.
- i like not having to fuck around with the tongue during transitions on pow lap days. It's not THAT big a deal and I know how to do it from using a TLT5 for a couple years, but not even needing it is very nice.

I'm also using alpine wraps at the moment and skiing nothing but easy pow. Stock tongue liners and corn/mank could very well lead to regular tongue usage. I like having the options.

Thanks for the answer..makes sense.... I'm doing all my touring( apart from say a one push 4,000 foot climb) with the tongues in....Doesn't give you the full ROM but sufficient for the 12 % grade skin tracks I like.....tongue transfer just too fiddly for me to warrant doing it other than major ascents...plus I get dizzy having my head down for so long changing the tongues.

[JRainey]

In case somebody decides to go grinding their mercury's it should be mentioned somebody online ground out the stoppers and it made the boot too soft so the mercury had to be stffened up with a reground to fit flexon tongue with good results

I think the person in question was 200lbs and trying to get the boot to ski like the stiffest full tilt/ krypton. I've been thinking about grinding the stops to get a little more ankle flexion when I really jam a turn.

I haven't ridden with the tongue since I've had the boot and most of the time it still feels a little too stiff/dead. I've already got a pair of alpine boots that don't really flex, I think I kind of want some bounce on these babies. Powder is fine, it's the chunderous hard pack where I want a little give. To me the boots have less give than the kryptons I had with the stiff tongues and the cuff flex inhibitor in the lower (softer) of the two positions.

I just keep thinking how smooth the flex of the tlt5 mountain is. Way too soft, but smooth. I think the mercury could be a way stiffer version of that, but with similar range.

Maybe JefferyJim can give us an update or clarification on his mod.

[PNWbrit]

Wow. Some people really overplay this whole AT ski boot thing.

Mercury skis and skins great. Stock liner holding up well no fit issues after having shell blown out around little (6th?) and big toe areas. somewhere around 40, maybe 50 days, on them I'd guess? Including lots of touring (pretty much daily to some xtent) on wide skis and on varied snow from pow to hard pack.

No issues with bump stops or un-smooth flex. Ski and pretty much always tour with tongues in (that might change with longer spring tours). Haven't bothered replacing stock power strap with booster strap sitting unused on my bench as I'd contemplated doing.

[JRainey]

I forgot to mention that I've added some boosters that'll i'll test out tomorrow. I was running the stock power strap above the cuff on the liner only because I like the snug fit with it just on the liner. The straps didn't like that angle and got all twisted. Boosters fix that and should smooth the flex out a little.

I'm not trying to overplay anything, but I generally try and isolate problem areas and see if anything can be done about it, especially with boots. I've got a whole slew of liners that I try in every boot I get to see which one is just right. I did that with the mercury, but now i'm back to the stock. The zzero liners fit the best, but the back of the liner is too low.

Trust me, I like the boots, but everybody has a different idea of good enough.

[PNWbrit]

Trust me, I like the boots, but everybody has a different idea of good enough.

Didn't mean to harsh on your obvious radness that requires much more boot tinkering than I need....

[XXX-er]

I think the person in question was 200lbs and trying to get the boot to ski like the stiffest full tilt/ krypton. I've been thinking about grinding the stops to get a little more ankle flexion when I really jam a turn.
.

http://www.earlyups.com/featured/gea...ercury-review/

I think he was trying to change the way they flex with the Dalbello tongue ... apparently they are ribbed for pleasure

[powder11]

Wow. Some people really overplay this whole AT ski boot thing.

welcome to tech talk, Jong! Here is my review... "dude, these boots ski fuckin awesome"

[JRainey]

Didn't mean to harsh on your obvious radness that requires much more boot tinkering than I need....

I'm obviously so rad that I want softer boots

[rocketfuel]

So, Mercury or Vulcan for a Clyde?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TGR Forums

[PNWbrit]

Here is my review... "dude, these boots ski fuckin awesome"

We must both be doing something wrong? Scotsman too.

[gramboh]

welcome to tech talk, Jong! Here is my review... "dude, these boots ski fuckin awesome"

Good enough for me. You're about 200lbs right? The price tag is tough to swallow though.

[sb]

Vulcans been starting to show up over at Geartrade.com

[XXX-er]

Wow. Some people really overplay this whole AT ski boot thing.

Mercury skis and skins great. Stock liner holding up well no fit issues after having shell blown out around little (6th?) and big toe areas. somewhere around 40, maybe 50 days, on them I'd guess? Including lots of touring (pretty much daily to some xtent) on wide skis and on varied snow from pow to hard pack.

No issues with bump stops or un-smooth flex. Ski and pretty much always tour with tongues in (that might change with longer spring tours). Haven't bothered replacing stock power strap with booster strap sitting unused on my bench as I'd contemplated doing.

Did you try another liner, how would you know if there are better than the stock liners out there if you haven't tried something else?

IME the stock liner hurt my feet > a beat up 6 yr old liner and when you read about all the instep pressure complaints I bet the stock liner probably kills some sales for Dynafit???

The stock booster strap fell off after 2 days requiring a trip to the store for oversized SS washers but now the strap has pulled thru that washer as well

If the boot works off the shelf for you great but don't tell us what our reality is

[PNWbrit]

IME the stock liner hurt my feet

It didn't hurt mine. So I didn't try

something else?

Seemed pointless IME.

[powder11]

Good enough for me. You're about 200lbs right? The price tag is tough to swallow though.

yeah, $1k is a steep price point, but I think the target market for these boots is pretty small in the grand scheme of things, so you gotta pay to play. Walk mode is also really good for driving. Surefoot did such a great job fitting my Vulcans, that I put them on at home, drive to the hill, ski all day and drive home with out taking them off.

[XXX-er]

It didn't hurt mine. So I didn't try



Seemed pointless IME.

well then isn't me telling you what you should be doing about as stupid as you telling me what I should be doing ?

[kevino]

Anyone else pick up the vulcans for $570 from campsaver yesterday?

My name is Kevin and I have a problem....

I had wanted to get the mercurys but finding these for cheaper and in my size it was hard to pass up.

[auvgeek]

Fuck me, that's a great deal.

[Driver]

yeah, $1k is a steep price point, but I think the target market for these boots is pretty small in the grand scheme of things, so you gotta pay to play. Walk mode is also really good for driving. Surefoot did such a great job fitting my Vulcans, that I put them on at home, drive to the hill, ski all day and drive home with out taking them off.

I assume you just brought your Vulcans in to Surefoot(ie they don't sell them?) Did you go there to get foamed?

[auvgeek]

I wanted to cross-post this from the other thread. It's not a good review since I've still just had them on feet on the carpet, and we all know how useless that is. But I started out this season wanting to love the Vulcans, then deciding the Maestrale RS was for me. Tried the Mercury on and didn't like the fit much at all with the stock liner. Ended up deciding the RS was too soft and now my initial take on the Vulcan (with Intuition liner) is quite positive. Of course, this leaves me wanting to sell the Maestrale RS, but keep the liner.

Literally just put the Vulcan on my foot with the Intuition liner from the RS (Pro Tour?) -- the fit and flex seems fucking perfect. Everything I wanted the RS to be. For me personally, the RS was a little soft even with a powerwrap and 3-ply booster strap. Again for my foot, the Cochise 120 (first version) was too stiff (also with a powerwrap) and it really felt like I was hitting a brick wall. While I wouldn't call the Vulcan progressive, it's certainly better than I expected. Instep volume is a little low and will likely need some punching (same issue with RS), but everything else seems money.

Will report back after I've had them on snow, but I couldn't contain my enthusiasm (and surprise) at how well these fit and flex. I had tried the Mercury on in-store without an intuition liner and was kind of disappointed about the fit and what I felt like was a fairly-harsh forward flex.

[YoEddy]

The Vulcan rocks, but I'm damn sure the name comes from the incredible Vulcan-like death grip on the sides of my heels. Mostly on the inside side of my heels - Holy mother of all things painful has this boot got heel hold.

I punched the toes like I do on almost every boot I've ever owned (otherwise its too big, and BTW the Vulcan punches super easy as compared to many other I've punched ... Melting point seems to be a lot lower than "typical" - caution!).

I also ditched the stock liner and went with a power wrap plug liner (rice molding method, easy). Perfect fit, other than the aforementioned mind numbing heel grip. I'll admit I have Fred Flintstone heels, but dayuhm! I need to figure out how to fix that before my next 5 day outing so any ideas are welcomed. Not really sure if you can punch it sideways there with the hinge so close ... Grinding perhaps? But it doesn't look all that thick there. I'm sure my maniac aggro boot fitter will have ideas.

I also put a WC booster on it. Don't leave home without it.

The boot skis great. Great response and Lots of energy out of it, stiff "enough" to drive whatever you want and through the worst mank (skis may not, however). It'll definitely bottom out, but if you're doing that then you're either on some burly-ass skis and weigh a lot, or you're doing it wrong.

The duly noted fiddle factor of the buckles is spot on. They aren't the best, but not bad enough to sway from buying. The buckles do however provide an incredible amount of clamping power. Some boots just hurt as you clamp down harder, but this thing just feels more and more like a plug race boot that wants to charge ... Then your ears start ringing and you have to loosen again.

I climbed with the tongue in, but on longer slogs will definitely try it without. Climbs like a dream - even with the power wrap, and tongues in, ROM is great, and the sole is too (I like the small amount of flex from being so thin - close to the snow feel).

I find the walk mode both good and bad. I like the efficiency, but sometimes want to be loosely buckled in walk mode, which you can't do with this boot. However, the booster/ strap bridges this gap nicely.

The best so far, but this market segment is exploding. It's going to get real interesting ...

FWIW- my particulars are: long and storied racing background, XL (6'2" 225lbs), one speed, but gray hair

Now, how the hell does one stay in those ft12 bindings?

[micky_mikey]

has the plastic on anyone elses mercurys started to become quite discoloured? have been using mine for about 3 months now and after about a week the main plastic around the triangle part that holds the tongue in started to become discoloured, becoming a browny yellowy colour. it has slowly spread up the boot to the instep only on the top of the boot under the tongues. Tried to upload a photo but it wouldn't let me for some reason, or i just don't know how to do it.

This happening to anyone else? is this normal? they have never been near a heater or anything that might affect the plastic.

super happy with the boots though, they are an improvement in every way over my old radiums.