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Gnu Riders Choice C2 BTX and C2 BTX Wide Snowboard Review

Snowboards - Snowboard Reviews

 
User rating
 
5.0 (4)

Gnu Riders Choice C2 BTX and C2 BTX Wide Snowboard Review

1-Good-Ride-Favorite-2

riders_choice-1
$529
Intermediate to Expert Freestyle to All Mountain Freestyle
Hybrid Rocker  Twin Shape
2007, 2008, 2009 & 2012 Good Wood Best In The Park Award Winner.

The Riders Choice can't stop winning awards. The Gnu Riders Choice has established itself as the leader of the modern park board and it's becoming one of the best all time park boards ever.  We are pretty stoked that the Riders Choice upgraded from BTX to C2 BTX in 2011.  We feel this takes it from freestyle to all mountain freestyle and makes the ride a lot more well rounded.  The C2 BTX does have some short comings but the advantages far outweigh its flaws. Also Gnu keeps refining C2 BTX to where its reducing the small issues to where its getting closer to the having the good parts of camber and rocker. The BTX is a good board but the C2 BTX is the way to go. The 2011 and 2012 still have a lot of similarities but there is one new upgrade that makes the 2012 a little better than the 2011.  The addition of the Asymmetrical side cut taken from the
Gnu Park Pickle PTX makes it an easier board to turn and ride switch than before. You can still get the standard C2 BTX in 2012 but most will probably like the pickle or PTX Asymmetrical side cut. Check out the detailed review below. 

How It Rides

Groomers Excellent
Speed Good

Flex Medium
Rails/
Jibbing
Average
Powder Good
Weight Medium

Carving
Good

Pipe Excellent
Turn Initiation
Easy
Edge Hold Excellent
Switch Excellent
Jumps Excellent

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The Good Ride Take

The Gnu Riders Choice Snoboard Review by The Good Ride

Days on this board- 9
Sizes- 161.5, 154.5 & 157.5 Thanks to P3 at Mammoth.
Bindings Used- Burton Co2's with Cartel High Backs,  Union Contacts, Burton Co2's
Riders who rode this- 5'9" 150lbs, Size 8 shoe, 6' 160lbs size 10.5 shoe, 5'10" 200lbs size 9 shoe.


It's hard to objectively review a board like the Riders Choice because it has such a big reputation.  This board has more awards than almost any other board out there and we had high expectations when putting the bindings on.   The 2 riders who sampled this board were more all mountain riders than park riders so this was a good challenge.  We initially tried the BTX but when we tried the C2 BTX we felt a lot more comfortable riding in any place on the mountain.
A quick look at the 2012 Gnu Riders Choice

            

 

Groomers-  The Riders Choice is one of those boards that continuously evolves.  Even though it's a twin it rides big and does a very good job making it down a groomed run if you take your time looking for jumps or if you like to bomb.  It's better for a mixed assault but will do both very well. At the end of the day the Riders Choice did very well negotiating the ruts and weaving in and out of all the people. With hard pack the RC wasn't terrible and was actually fast and fun.

Powder- A twin with a centered stance isn't ideal for powder but we have to say that the Riders Choice does a very good job for what it has.  Even the 154.5 did well with bigger riders in 1' plus of powder.  The 161.5 made it pretty easy to ride in most situations except the super deep stuff.

Turn Initiation- The first day we got on this board we were riding a lively cambered twin before so it was a little surprising how fast this board turned.2 out of 3 thought the Riders Choice was very easy to turn but one rider felt it was a bit difficult making short radius turns but had fun making wide radius turns.  The other 2 riders felt comfortable making short or long turns.  The MTX side cut definitely makes for a different ride than most hybrid rocker boards.  It was a bit easier to one foot off the lift than many hybrid rocker boards that don't have mtx. The 2012 is easier than the 2011 when it comes to turning but we would still give it pretty much the same rating.

Speed- The Riders Choice  is very damp and holds up at high speeds but with the nose and tail up there isn't much contact with the snow.  On a few occasions you could feel the board want to turn side ways if you tried to lay it flat to get the most glide.  This sensation is not going to stoke you out.  Some get use to it and others stop flat basing unless absolutely necessary.   If you give a little pressure to either edge then you eliminate that feeling but it takes the joy out of flat basing a board. If you do stay on edge the Riders Choice will be fun and it's a pretty fast/damp board for a twin.

Weight- Not too light but not heavy either. You get a realiable board that will last a long time.

Edge Hold- The MTX side cut might have the most aggressive grip in the snowboarding industry. For some it's almost too much but if you live in icy regions and choose to ride in crappy conditions the Riders choice will grip even the blue ice if the edges are sharp.  Some complain that the aggressive MTX cut is too grabby but others love it.  It's all personal preference so it's up to you to decide here.  One of our riders hated the feeling, another loved it and I was pretty neutral.  Sometimes I loved it and other times I felt it was too much.

Flex- The Longitudinal Flex is more on the softer side of medium but will soften up over time like all boards do.  It's pretty medium when it comes to the torsional flex. Still this is more aggressive than your average Twin.

Carving- The Riders Choice with C2 BTX is so much better than the old BTX design and it no longer washes out.   This is still a twin with a hybrid rocker shape but it's pretty good despite it's shape.  You can lay into a carve in all good conditions and also some pretty crappy conditions.

Switch- This is a true twin so it's super easy to ride switch.  We didn't think the 2012 PTX could be easier riding switch than the C2 BTX but it is.  If you are a really technically sound rider switch you might not like it but if you are like most of us who are weaker switch than regular you will. 

Jumps- The Riders Choice is very lively and popy on jumps and we were pretty surprised by this.   You can hit a big kicker or find enough ollie power to generate your own air.  If you are lapping the roller coaster section of the park you will not be dissapointed.  It can handle small to massive and none of us had any issues with the Riders Choice here.

Rails/Boxes/Jibbing- Rails and boxes aren't terrible for this board even though its a little on the stiff side of the park world.  If this is your staple you might want to look for something else but you can hit a mellow jib or two.  It's not for those that like the long, big kinked out rails and jibs.

Pipe- The pipe was incredibly fun.  It climbed the icy morning pipe wall without an issue and took just a little pressure on the edge to set your line up the wall.  We weren't ripping through it but you could see that this board would be very forgiving on any sketchy landing if you went bigger.  It's not going to save your life but it can help you with minor miscalculations.  We'll leave going big for the kids who's balls are bigger than their brains.  Most of us are a little older so now our brains are now bigger than our balls. 

Most of us were really impressed with the Riders Choice and felt the Riders Choice has it's name for a reason.  If you are an aggressive jump/pipe/all mountain freestlye rider you will have a lot of fun with this board.  Also if you live in hard to icy areas you will absolutely love this board. 

How the Old BTX Gnu Riders Choice Rides

How It Rides

Groomers Good
Speed Average

Flex Medium
Rails/
Jibbing
Average
Powder Good
Weight Medium

Carving
Average

Pipe Good
Turn Initiation
Excellent
Edge Hold Excellent
Switch Excellent
Jumps Good

The old BTX Riders Choice was a lot of fun at the time but now it just seems ancient to the C2 BTX in terms of stability, speed carving and all around feel when riding in different places on the mountain. 

 

The Good Ride Take on Hybrid Rocker Snowboards

This is what we call a snowboard that has rocker in the center and then a camber bend at the tip and tail.  The end result is the tip and tail are still off the ground but it helps bring some good qualities that people liked with camber to rocker. The camber usually keep’s the board from washing out when you lay into a harder carve and for the most part provide a more balanced all conditions ride compared to continuous rocker or camber. This is still nothing like camber board and it provides a loose forgiving catch free ride. Hybrid Rocker comes in all riding styles from Freestyle to Freeride and is a solid next step from where it started with continuous rocker. Hybrid Rocker is usually pretty poppy, floats well in powder, catch free and very forgiving. The one complaint is it can still be unstable flat basing or one footing in some conditions like hard pack or ice. The major companies are working on this problem and it’s been getting better since this was introduced. Most love this loose feeling and get use to the squirrely nature in certain conditions. We at The Good Ride feel this is one of the better shapes out there so give it a try.

 

Company Information

Gnu Riders Choice BTX 2012

New Riders Choice Pickle Tech. Asymmetric sidecuts and construction to balance the different turning mechanics required for heelside and toe side turns. Your body is asymmetric your snowboard should be asymmetric. Rip harder and have more fun balanced through Asymmetry! The award winning Banana Technology Magne-Traction Riders Choice is ridden and designed by freestyle riders Zach Leach and Nate Farrell and crew. These guys test this board in all conditions all over the world every year and have chosen C2 BTX camber banana combo as their favorite geometry. The camber gives the board pop, end-to-end stability for big landings, critical lines and aggressive riders. The Banana between the
feet makes for great carving on hardpack and ice and easy float in powder and broken, variable snow conditions. Focused on Park Freestyle, this medium firm flexing C2 BTX also rips the entire mountain. You can ride Banana Tech about 3cm shorter than your regular board even in pow because they float so well. Your jib board is your pow board, your pow board is your park board.
Handmade by snowboarders at Mervin MFG in the USA.

MSRP: $519.95 USD

Leather Sizes: 151.5, 154.5, 157.5, 161.5
Black Denim Wide Sizes: 158, 162, 166
Blue Denim Pickle Sizes: 151.5, 154.5, 157.5, 161.5

THE ART

Graphic by Boston based designers Second World and Gnu art director Pinski. This graphic was made possible by the 70’s, 80’s and Miller High Life. More at Secondworlddesign.com.

CONSTRUCTION

  • - BANANA TECH.
  • - MAGNE-TRACTION
  • - PICKLE TECH.
  • - SANDWICH CONSTRUCTION
  • - TRUE TWIN SHAPE
  • - ASYMMETRICAL TWIN SHAPE
  • - SINTERED 9900 ALLOY BASE
  • - QUASI GLASS
  • - AG1 SUSTAINABLE WOODCORE

 

Gnu Riders Choice BTX 2011

Riders Choice C2-BTX

Description:

Rider Designed all Terrain Freestyle!

The award winning Banana Technology Magne-Traction Riders Choice is ridden and designed by freestyle riders Zach Leach,

Dennis Buongiorno and Nate Farrell. These guys test this board in all conditions all over the world every year and have chosen C2 BTX camber banana combo as their favorite geometry. The camber gives the board pop end to end stability for big

landings, critical lines and aggressive riders. The Banana between the feet makes for great carving on hardpack and ice and easy float in powder and broken variable snow conditions. Focused on Park Freestyle, this medium firm flexing C2 BTX also rips the entire mountain. You can ride Banana Tech about 3cm shorter than your regular board even in pow because they float so well. Your jib board is your pow board, your pow board is your park board. Handmade by snowboarders at Mervin MFG in the USA. Get weird!

Sizes: Green - 151.5, 154.5, 157.5, 161.5 Orange Wides -158, 162, 166

About the Art:

Brian Schnelle lives and works in Los Angeles. His work explores themes of provoking political and social thought, as well as intricate hand drawn patterns. His work has been shown in galleries in Los Angeles and San Francisco. To see more masks and weirdness, check out: Bryanschnelle.net.

Construction:

Banana Magne-Traction Shred Tech.  -  Sandwich construction - True twin shape

Quasi Glass / Double sintered UHMW sidewalls - Mervin AG1 Eco farmed wood core

Sintered 9900 alloy base

 

Gnu Riders Choice BTX 2010

The award winning Banana Tech Riders Choice is ridden and designed by freestyle riders Zach Leach, Dennis Buonjourno and Nate Ferrell. Focused on Park freestyle this medium firm flexing Banana tech board also rips the entire mountain. Your jib board is now your pow board.

  • Rider designed all terrain freestyle
  • Banana Mag shred tech
  • Sandwich construction
  • True twin shape
  • Double sintered UHMW sidewalls
  • Quasi Glass
  • Mervin AG1 Eco farmed wood core
  • Sintered 9900 alloy base
  • Art by Soldier Design

Specs

Gnu Riders Choice C2 BTX 2012

 

 

Model

 

 

Contact

 

 

Side Cut

 

 

Nose

 

 

Waist

 

 

Tail

 

Stance
Min-Max/BOC

 

 

Board Cat

 

Const
Type

Flex
1=

Soft

Weight

Range
(lbs)

RC158 Wide C2 120 cm 7.8 31.1 26.8 31.1 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 6 130-220
RC162 Wide C2 122.5 cm 8 31.2 26.8 31.2 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 6.5 140-250
RC166 Wide C2 125 cm 8.1 31.3 26.8 31.3 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 7 150-280



Model



Contact



Side Cut



Nose



Waist



Tail


Stance

Min-Max/BOC



Board Cat


Const

Type

Flex
1=

Soft

Weight

Range
(lbs)

Riders Choice 151.5 C2 116 cm 7.6 28.5 24.5 28.5 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 5 100-170
Riders Choice 151.5 C2 Pickle 116 cm 7.6 / 8 28.5 24.5 28.5 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 5 100-170
Riders Choice 154.5 C2 118 cm 7.7 28.8 24.8 28.8 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 5.5 120-200
Riders Choice 154.5 C2 Pickle 118 cm 7.7 / 8.1 28.8 24.8 28.8 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 5.5 120-200
Riders Choice 157.5 C2 120 cm 7.8 29.2 25.3 29.2 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 6 130-210
Riders Choice 157.5 C2 Pickle 120 cm 7.8 / 8.2 29.2 25.3 29.2 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 6 130-210
Riders Choice 161.5 C2 122.5 cm 8 29.5 25.4 29.5 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 7 140-240
Riders Choice 161.5 C2 Pickle 122.5 cm 8 / 8.4 29.5 25.4 29.5 20.25?-25? / 0? True Twin C2 7 140-240

Gnu Riders Choice C2 BTX 2011

RC158 Wide C2 120 cm 7.8 BTX 31.1 26.8 31.1 20.25?-25? / 0? 6 True Twin C2
RC162 Wide C2 122.5 cm 8.0 BTX 31.2 26.8 31.2 20.25?-25? / 0? 6.5 True Twin C2
RC166 Wide C2 125 cm 8.1 BTX 31.3 26.8 31.3 20.25?-25? / 0? 7 True Twin C2
Riders Choice 151.5 C2 116 cm 7.6 BTX 28.5 24.5 28.5 20.25?-25? / 0? 5 True Twin C2
Riders Choice 154.5 C2 118 cm 7.7 BTX 28.8 24.8 28.8 20.25?-25? / 0? 5.5 True Twin C2
Riders Choice 157.5 C2 120 cm 7.8 BTX 29.2 25.3 29.2 20.25?-25? / 0? 6 True Twin C2
Riders Choice 161.5 C2 122.5 cm 8.0 BTX 29.5 25.4 29.5 20.25?-25? / 0? 7 True Twin C2


Gnu Riders Choice BTX 2010

Size Waist Stance / Set Back Flex
151.5 BTX 24.5 20.25"-25" / 0" 6
154.5 BTX 24.8 20.25"-25" / 0" 6.5
157.5 BTX 25.3 20.25"-25" / 0" 6
161.5 BTX 25.4 20.25"-25" / 0" 7

Gnu Riders Choice BTX 2010 Wides

Size Waist Stance / Set Back Flex
158W BTX 26.8 20.25"-25" / 0" 6
162W BTX 26.8 20.25"-25" / 0" 6.5
166W BTX 26.8 20.25"-25" / 0" 7

 

Pictures

Gnu Riders Choice 2012

Gnu Riders Choice 2011

2010 Gnu Riders Choice



User reviews

Average user rating from: 4 user(s)

 

Overall Rating:
 
5.0
 
 

2010-2011 GNU Rider's Choice vs Dark Series and other bananas

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
I love to snowboard, but I am no expert. I live in the midwest and only get to Colorado once a year. Super enthusiastic, moderate ability, decent athleticism (if that is a word). Ride groomers, moderate bumps, play in the trees, but do not venture into the park.

Reference board was a 2009 LibTech TRS. Always had difficulty on flat cat-tracks and decided to demo. My buddy had the Rider's Choice and a 2010-2011 LibTech Dark Series (yes, I was jealous). Compared those with Skate Banana, Banana Magic, and an Altered Genetics (that board tried to kill me many times) back to back. In the end, for me, I could not sort out my TRS from the Skate Banana or Banana Magic, but the Rider's Choice was a fantastic fit for my ability. I have to say though, I would cheat on my Rider's Choice with the Dark Series if given the chance. For me Dark Series was fast, stable, and inspired confidence, but I am certain my moderate technique limited the full performance of the board. I skidded a lot of turns with the Dark Series but could turn the Rider's Choice better. I am not sure if that makes sense, but the Rider's Choice felt better all around, and I have had nothing but a good time since. Hope this helps.
Overall Rating:
 
5.0
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Reviewed by Bill T Cat
January 28, 2012
 
 

Great Board!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By way of background, I would classify myself as a beginner/intermediate. I hit the slopes about 10 times last year at Tahoe / Whistler. I enjoy riding down intermediate slopes and an occasional black. Just started to do beginner jumps, rails and boxes.

After getting great advice from the goodride, I settled on the GNU Riders Choice C2BTX (as my first board). I love it. The rocker provides a very nice glide and magna-traction works to give hold and control. I can take this down the mountain and on jumps. I feel like this provides more control and hold than my friend's Banana. Very easy to pick up and use.

Definitely recommend this board!
Overall Rating:
 
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Reviewed by Chris C.
January 15, 2012
 
 

One Seriously Sick Board!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
I live and board on the East Coast. That right there should tell you what conditions I ride in, icy, hard pack and mostly icy. Edge hold is second to none thanks to the Magne-traction. You can hit the rails, boxes and jibs in the am then come back after lunch and fly down the straights like an F-35 off the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan! The easiest board to switch on that I have ever ridden!
So go grab one, you will not be disappointed:)
Overall Rating:
 
5.0
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Reviewed by Stoked Old Man
January 09, 2012
 
 

I LOVE THIS BOARD!!!

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
I bought a 2010/2011 Riders choice at the beginning of last season after riding a number of traditional cambered boards. I LOVE THIS BOARD!!! This board is a great choice for anyone looking to slay the whole mountain. The board is stiff and responsive at high speeds but the reverse camber or rocker design gives you flex and pop you want when freestyle riding, jibing, buttering, or taking a stroll through the park. Furthermore the rocker and magna-traction work very well together when it comes to edge hold and control, especially on the ice. I have literally never slipped on ice, and I've caught an edge just one time! My friends all ride tradition cambered boards and anyone who I've let step foot in this board instantly fell in love. I fact almost all of them said they were going to steal it or buy one. I highly recommend this board to anyone and everyone!!!
Overall Rating:
 
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Reviewed by Taylor Masotta
January 06, 2012