Lib Tech Travis Rice Snowboard Review
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The Good Ride TakeThe Lib Tech Travis Rice Snowboard Review By The Good RideBoard Tried 161.5 Pointy C2 BTX and 157.5 Blunt Pro HP. We have tried the MTX, C2 BTX, C2 Power and C2 Horsepower. To start off with there are many lines of the T. Rice Snowboard. Here is a quick break down of the important models. The T. Rice Banana Hammock is not included because it's more of a gimmick than a functional powder board. It does do well when its really really deep but we still could not recommend this to anyone.
The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 Power Blunt- was around in 2011 and was the high end board. It is for All Mountain Freestyle riding and as it says the nose/tail is blunt. This is more aggressive than the C2 BTX for 2011. The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 Power Pointy- was around in 2011 and is the pointy version of the Blunt. Its bigger and more powder friendly The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro Horsepower Blunt- This is new for 2012, slightly stiffer than the Pro C2 Power and has less rocker and less camber. It is lower to the ground and made to be much more stable between the feet. This is a very aggressive all mountain freestyle snowboard.The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro Horsepower Pointy- This is pretty much the pointy version of the blunt above. The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro Horsepower Pointy Split- This is made for people who want to take their pointy board to distant places in the backcountry. There is another board in the line called the T.Rice Banana Hammock but this lives more in the experimental world than the functional. It's made for deep powder days and doesn't look like any other snowboard out there. The waist is larger than the tip/tail. Weird scary board to ride if you aren't in really deep powder.
A Quick look at the 2012 Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 BTX Horsepower
A Quick look at the 2012 Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 BTX Power Banana
Ok Now to the Review So this is a review for the average rider to find out if the Travis Rice models work for you. We have ridden many rocker camber combo boards and many Mervin (lib-tech and Gnu) MTX, BTX and C2 BTX boards. There are many great all condition and all mountain qualities that C2 BTX has over BTX. In 2011 Lib Tech introduced C2 Power Banana to the line and in 2012 added Horse power. Groomers and Speed- Our first few runs we were very impressed by the stability and speed. It rides bigger and has a very fast base. The T. Rice had that runaway momentum feeling of speed like you get with some of the fastest boards in the industry. Each year after the addition of hybrid rocker the T. Rice gets better and better at dealing with speed. We were also really impressed on how the board handled itself when you had to flat base. Usually C2 BTX gets an uncomfortable feeling in harder conditions that makes the board seem squirly. It seems to feel you are edge free and it doesn't want to stay on course. This is the most frustrating part about C2 BTX. The T. Rice had the least instability of any Mervin board we tried except maybe the Gnu Impossible Series and the Lib Tech Phoenix. The C2 Power BTX and C2 Horsepower reduced a lot of the issues C2 BTX had. We felt the 2012 Horsepower was the closest we all felt hybrid rocker has come to hybrid camber and camber when it came to stability at speed. It can almost one foot and flat base like the old camber MTX T. Rice. Groomers are great with this board. Especially if you like to bomb regular and switch. Carving Ability- It definitely took more effort to turn than other C2 BTX boards but we really liked it. You could really lean into a turn and get your belly close to the snow with relative ease. Compared it to the Lib Tech Dark Series it was a lot more fun to carve and took more effort to get on edge. The Dark Series and many C2 BTX boards were there almost before you decided to turn where the T. Rice required some thought and deliberate action. To us this was more fun because you could really make a nipple scratching turn. Pipe and Edge Hold- The edge hold is soo powerful you can ride if the pipe is completely iced over. Especially with the old cambered MTX that grips like no other board. The T. Rice C2 BTX has a little less edge hold than the MTX but will allow you a more forgiving re-entry. The Power is a little better than the C2 but the Horsepower is much closer to the Camber. All 4 shapes are still far superior to most other boards out there so you can choose any board if you are looking for good edge hold.
All in all the Travis Rice Snowboard in C2 BTX, C2 Power or Horsepower was a very fast fun board to ride and it would be an excellent board to add to The Good Ride quiver. Our personal choice would be the Horsepower version because we liked its stability but all boards do there job pretty well. This will make a good aggressive high speed freestyle board for the rider who likes to push it or know he can if he needs to. Don't get this if you have small feet.
You might see a lot of the 2011's out there on sale so here is the breakdown.
The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 Power Blunt- This is the high end board in 2011. It is for All Mountain Freestyle riding and as it says the nose/tail is blunt. This is more aggressive than the C2 BTX in 2011 and has slightly less rocker and camber than the C2 BTX version. The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 Power Pointy- This is the pointy high end version of the Pro Blunt above. Its bigger and more powder/freeride friendly. The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 BTX Blunt- This is pretty much the same board from 2010 with a few minor refinements. It is for All Mountain Freestyle riding and as it says the nose/tail is blunt. The C2 BTX here is pretty much the same as all other C2 BTX boards out there except it is pretty stiff and made for speed. The Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 BTX Pointy- This is the pointy high end version of the Pro Blunt above. Its bigger and more powder/freeride friendly.
This is discontinued MTX Camber Shape but you might still find it. Here is the rating on that one.
Company InformationLib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2 Power 2012Travis Rice ProTRAVIS’ ART OF FLIGHT ALL TERRAIN FREESTYLE GEOMETRIES!ace award
c2btx
good wood
King of the Hill winning, valley leaping, Alaska ripping, Jackson Hole freeride & jib sticks. C2 Power Banana Camber / Banana Blend (C2BTX)Mervin’s favorite blend for aggressive power snowboarders pushing the envelope. Rocker between your feet blended with a radial camber to contact points. Focuses pressure between your feet for easy turns, great edge hold on ice and our maximum amount of pressure to the tip and tails for power end-to-end stability, pop and maximum control in critical situations while maintaining float. Twin All Terrain Freestyle Freeride Sizes:157, 161.5, 164.5, 153
True Twin:Absolutely perfect twin geometry, tried and true science with MTX, or the added advantage of new Banana Technology and or Camber Combo. Sintered UHMW Base Material:Super tough base material that holds wax well due to its compression formed amorphous polymer structure. Super fast when waxed with Oneballjay. Correct Sandwich:SUPER LIGHT SPIN WEIGHT! The perfect blend of pickles and mustard. UHMW sidewalls, Power Transfer Internal Sidewalls, torsionally loose. The new kids think they are new! Double Sintered UHMW Sidewalls:A Lib Tech innovation. Twice as sintered as any other sidewall. Tough, handsome and light. H-Pop Core:Wood Alloy Core. Experimental new dead tree with the highest compression response ever used in a snowboard. It has half the glue weight and absorbs less resin weight. Another industry first for Lib Tech. Bio-Plastic Beans:ExperiMENTAL division leader Mike Olson loves beans! When he’s not eating them he’s buying plastics made with them. Lib Tech has made a commitment to using a new earth friendly, bio-plastic top skin made from beans that features the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any top sheet in the industry. Power Transfer Internal Sidewalls:The same futuristic power 90º pop technology from our world record setting skateboards and power transfer spines only this time we have placed it along the sidewall of your board to add board control to our sandwich construction. Stronger, more pop, and more control brought to you by our Woodshop!
Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro Horsepower 2012Travis Rice Pro HorsepowerTravis' Favorite Geometries In Galactically Aligned Ultralight, Eco HP Construction! no fiberglass
bio beans
c2btx
We added some Horsepower Split sizes to Travis’s line and the ultralight horsepower construction really makes a difference climbing and riding with the split set up. The basalt also adds torsional rigidity which helps the split set up perform at a high level when Travis puts it to the test. True Twin:Absolutely perfect twin geometry, tried and true science with MTX, or the added advantage of new Banana Technology and or Camber Combo. Axis Inversion Fiberglass:Technology even we don’t understand?! Columbian Gold Core:Experimental new dead tree with the highest compression response ever used in a snowboard. Sintered UHMW Base Material:Super tough base material that holds wax well due to its compression formed amorphous polymer structure. Super fast when waxed with Oneballjay. Correct Sandwich:SUPER LIGHT SPIN WEIGHT! The perfect blend of pickles and mustard. UHMW sidewalls, Power Transfer Internal Sidewalls, torsionally loose. The new kids think they are new! Glow In The Dark Sidewalls::Sidewalls made from high-level radioactive waste donate by the Hanford nuclear power plant, a renewable resource. Double Sintered UHMW Sidewalls:A Lib Tech innovation. Twice as sintered as any other sidewall. Tough, handsome and light. Bio-Plastic Beans:ExperiMENTAL division leader Mike Olson loves beans! When he’s not eating them he’s buying plastics made with them. Lib Tech has made a commitment to using a new earth friendly, bio-plastic top skin made from beans that features the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any top sheet in the industry. Horsepower Construction:All basalt, no fiberglass! Power Transfer Internal Sidewalls:The same futuristic power 90º pop technology from our world record setting skateboards and power transfer spines only this time we have placed it along the sidewall of your board to add board control to our sandwich construction. Stronger, more pop, and more control brought to you by our Woodshop! Power Transfer Internal Sidewalls:The same futuristic power 90º pop technology from our world record setting skateboards and power transfer spines only this time we have placed it along the sidewall of your board to add board control to our sandwich construction. Stronger, more pop, and more control brought to you by our Woodshop! 2012 Travis Rice Pro SplitsTravis' Ultralight Horsepower Construction Split Boards. Ultralight Ascenders are Rock Solid Descenders! bio beans
basalt
c2btx
no fiberglass
We added some Horsepower Split sizes to Travis’s line and the ultralight horsepower construction really makes a difference climbing and riding with the split set up. The basalt also adds torsional rigidity which helps the split set up perform at a high level when Travis puts it to the test. Art by Mike Parillo • Split board hole pattern. No drilling required!
Lib Tech Travis Rice C2 Power BTX 2011The T.Rice C2 power BTX by Lib-Tech is the ultimate power banana camber combo tech and magne traction Snowboard. Travis' contest winning, valley leaping, Alaska ripping, Jackson Hole freeride and Jib stick. 100% shredtassium for sliding in and out of tricky situations with ease in all types of riding conditions: hardpack, park, pipe, pow, rails, and even rice. Product Features
Buy the new 2011 Lib Tech Travis Rice T.Rice 153 C2BTX Banana snowboard and boost your riding skills to the next level! Lib Tech designed the T.Rice Banana Tech models with a stiffened tip & tail to stomp big landings and create mad pop. The T.Rice BTX has a blunt nose shape for sliding in and out of sticky snowboard situations with ease in all types of riding conditions: hardpack, park, pipe, powder, rails, and yes, even ice. Updated for 2011 with Lib's C2BTX (C2 Power Banana Camber Combo Tech), Lib Tech has made Travis Rice's pro model even better. Buy yours now before they're all gone. Features art by Mike Parillo. 153 cm size; 2011 model.
SpecsLib Tech Travis Rice 2012 Specs
Lib Tech Travis Rice 2011 Specs
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Lib Tech Travis Rice Snowboard Review
Snowboards - Snowboard Reviews
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4.3 (8) |
User reviews
Average user rating from: 8 user(s)
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Jackson Powder
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
I just came back from the sickest weekend in Jackson Hole. 5 feet of pure Wyoming White-stuff. 55 inches in 3 days. Huge, puffy, snowflakes, everywhere at all times. It's taken me a week or so to really put it into perspective, but I wanted to make sure I posted my findings, since this website has been such a huge help in me selecting gear. Props "Hole in Wall Snowboard Shop" at Jackson Hole and mainly "theGoodRide" for pointing me in the right direction. So, the long story short is that I rode the Burton Barracuda on Day 1, strapped on the TRice on the last run of that day, and never switched out and never looked back. I'll explain below. Day 1 - Burton Barracuda 161 Within 3 seconds into the first run, I dive bombed into a huge powder mound and couldn't see for a few seconds, and then boom the dust cleared and I was going for another one. The tone was set for the rest of the trip from here on out. My friends and I were flying and falling in and out of powder all-day with basically no breaks and no fears. Gear Whore Check: This was the first time I rode with a helmet (Red-Theory), pack (new Osprey Karve 16), and hydration kit, all of which were absolutely necessary in these conditions. You could blow up your goggles for the rest of the day, so easily in one fall, because there was just so much snow. But...back to the boardgear. I'm so glad that I rode the 'Cuda. It was probably the best conditions I'm going to get to ride such a board and my first introduction to any type of rocker. You could immediately tell that it was made for this type of day. I adapted quickly and got the whole concept of the short tail which made turning a breeze. The big rounded nose just never seemed to get stuck or burried down, it was always up and ready to move through the powder and mounds of white ahead. I could make my own lines or ride someone else's and really pick up speed. I wouldn't say it's a fast board, but it's certainly fast in powder. More importantly, it's the most nimble thing in powder I've ever ridden. Moving in that much powder takes everything out of you, so it was great to have a machine that took a lot of the effort out. After the first run or two, I adjusted the stance one step further back and really let this board do the work for me. Next thing I know, I was laying a few butters, bombing through pow, and just started surfing "Larry Birdleman" style down the terrain. "I basically said to myself, ride this mountain like a wave, take what it gives you and just go!" I did this for the rest of the day and it was awesome. At the end of the day, when there was some pretty large mounds of moguls and tracked-up-ness, I found the board to be a little squirrely and not quite aggressive enough to get to the bottom of the runs to the lift. I wanted to switch to the TRice before the weekend warriors came up to Jackson Hole, so to ensure I got to ride the board. I had my pick of the litter Thursday morning, but things were thinning out at the end of the day. Day 2 - TRice 157 I wanted the 161.5 but the 157 was all they had, so I booted up with that one. The second day, there was a lot of powder, but the snowfall actually slowed up a bit which allowed us to see, which is always nice! I could tell almost immediately that this board was much more geared for all-mountain, varying terrain, and most importantly, my riding style, reads: Aggressive. I'm pretty sure that I learned that I like and/or need to ride a stiff board now. What I like about the TRice though is that it's stiff, but not too stiff, and it's super easy to turn. I love my old Burton Jussi board and think it's a great board for out on the East Coast for ripping through hardpack. But, where I saw the TRice really being a better & more versatile snowboard was in the powder. It not only turned well, but had similar, obviously less pronounced, nose-up like the Barracuda. There was a couple of times where we were moving through really super steep terrain, and I was able to "trust" this board to get me through. It held an edge superbly and I can finally say that I "get" the whole magnetraction concept. I feel that the Magnetraction really would be must have option on my next board for the east coast. A couple times where I was in really deep powder, or fell due to total exhaustion, I always knew the board could get me up and get me OUT! It was this type of trust and the fact that I was becoming "one" with it, which is why I never switched out. We only took the tram up once that day, and I got to see what Jackson Hole is really about: Vertical... Day 3 - TRice 157 I knew Day 3 was going to be an ATAD day or "All-Tram-All-Day". 4,100 feet. I went to the shop that morning to see if they had a 161.5 to no avail and to contemplate switching into a NeverSummer. As much as I wanted to ride a NeverSummer board, I just couldn't let go of the TRice. I really felt comfortable with the flex/stiffness of the board and I also didn't want to be getting used to riding something new on my last day. God had turned back on the "powder/dump" switch and it was coming down in full force. I knew the TRice could handle it all and handle it well...and it did. This was the day that I unleashed the TRice and noticed how fast the base is and how easy it is to go from edge to edge at speed. I found that I was able to catch up to anyone at almost any distance. I love this board. If I had one negative, it's that flat-basing on this board was definitely tougher than a traditional cambered board. When I read your reviews before, I didn't understand what you meant exactly, but I do now. This is one of the reasons I switched out from the Barracuda along with needing a more aggressive, and faster snowboard. The TRice is all of these things: agile, fast, & aggressive. It's a great board and a ton of fun to ride. Recent Update I was out boarding in Stowe, Vermont and was told my trusty Burton board is on it's last legs from...simply years of use. There's a gap you can put your fingernail in between the rail and the ptex base. They basically said it's just not worth putting any new money into the board and time for a new one. I will be purchasing a TRice in the next couple of weeks. |
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Reviewed by Chris H.
February 08, 2012 |
Great all around. Ice grip
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I absolutely love this board!!! It's my true go-to board for almost every occasion. I got it mainly for east cost ice riding and really was not sure that magne-traction would hold true. But it's for real.The board is very easy to ride. Easy to manoeuvre & control. Great for glades and tight tree lines. Superb on ice and has excellent smooth pop jump landing feel. It absolutely kills it on groomers. Although I did not think of it as a fast charging board, I can pass almost everyone on the blacks (skiers or boarder)! My only reservation (and this is just a minor, having been on stiffer high end free ride boards) is that you will need to cut straighter lines to avoid chop & crud or the board will chatter a bit! It's nothing a good rider can't handle, or that big an issue to not take the board out into blacks & blues. :) But just my point of view. 7/10 on that. Overall... it's one of my favourite board ever. I found myself progressing much faster riding switch on this board. Pops and 180 landings are easy to come by. Landing jumps is effortless. Super fun board for everything and anything you want to do on the mountain. Cheers... |
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Reviewed by Dice
January 12, 2012 |
Great all around stick- 161.5
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I've ridden for a long time, camber only, and was pretty worried how the C2 would perform as far as arcing nice carves and all around riding. Well I've been very surprised and can report it works really well! The board is extremely fast and can arc a turn awesomely. I set my stance back about an inch so maybe that helps.At times, I was amazed by the speed I could carry- it would just keep going faster and faster, even faster than the Burton T6 I have. I'm really, really happy with the board. Made in USA also, which you can barely find anymore. |
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Reviewed by easy rider
January 12, 2012 |
Best board ever!
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
I naught this board last September and rode it in every condition so far.It's a perfect board for powder and especially for hard icy trails. The magnetraction and C2 banana provideerfect edge hold and stability at high speeds. At the same time, the rocker in the middle of the board gives you a great forgiving feel, which makes it a really fun board for those warm slushy days. I think the on Y problem at this board for other riders could be the flex-it's a really stiff rocker board! I personally love the stiff flex. The board gives you a a lot of pop and support jumping and buttering around n the backcountry. For me it was very helpfull, getting pushed back up again when I put too much weight on my back foot riding down a 30 feet pillow line. The only negative aspect you'll have with this board is because of the construction itself. Libtech does not built a tip to tail woddcore in it, so you can damage nose and tail quite easy slightly banging against ice blocks, trees or a ski boot in the lifeline-but who really cares..... All in all amazing board! FYI : I'd not recommend to spend more money for the HP version-the feel is just slightly different and not that much rocker like.... |
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Reviewed by Nico
January 05, 2012 |
Great allrounder
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Tested my 161.5 HP in both deep powder and hard packed conditions this week end, and i gotta agree with the "right balance" review below. The way this board floats in powder is amazing, and it is very playful, yet easy to control. I did a few steep powder runs at high speed, and the stability is great. Turn initiation is a bit different to what i'm used to (this is my first non-camber), but not an issue.I also got to try it on hard packed groomers, and it carves way better than anything i've tried before. The only concern i have, is that the "bio-bean" top sheet seems a bit fragile. I got a nasty notch on the nose from barely touching some bushes (which i'd normally plow through without getting a scratch). All in all i'd recommend this board, especially if you can't be bothered draggin around boards for every condition you might encounter. |
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Reviewed by Henrik
December 21, 2011 |
The "Right Balance"
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1 of 6 people found the following review helpful
I've just tested it (HP 164.5) yesterday in soft snow condition (20 to 35 cm of powder and compacted powder) and it rocks !!! It is absolutely perfect in powder, and seems to be a very good compromise between high-speed stability and low-speed maneuverability... I also got a Burton Custom Flying-V 162 and my feeling is that the T Rice is far more stable at high-speed (on track and off-piste). After the first day, I can't say anything else than I LOVE IT !!! My first Lib Tech and probably not the last one... Have fun. |
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Reviewed by Shaka
December 12, 2011 |
Great Performance in all conditions!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
This board is definetely worth the money! I took my new T.Rice C2 BTX Pointy with HP for the first ride in Andermatt/Switzerland. Coming from Burton and Nidecker camber boards, I was not used to the rocker feeling, but after a few turns I loved it. I was sceptical about the performance of the T.Rice on ice, however I have to say this board is fantastic. It offers top performance on all conditions.. powder, ice, it is super fast and great fun!
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Reviewed by Zach
January 16, 2011 |
The "how it rides" is wrong
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5 of 11 people found the following review helpful
This board is AWESOME in powder! Nose never sinks and speed is automatic. The only problem I found was the board needs more pop.
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Reviewed by Lucas
June 25, 2010 |