Re: UPS boots

[joemzl]

[EDITED BY THE MODERATORS, December 3, 2018]
[Original message of the thread has been deleted. It was posted by a spam bot which replicated an old message about UPS boots. Three months later it edited the contents to post some ads and links about women's lingerie]

Hello lamxuyen,
welcome to the Forum.

You will find some more information at alpinecarving.com (see at "Links" on our Homepage)
There is written:
•Older models: ◦The RSV Mach, RX Mach, and Mach X boots do not have a buckle high up on the cuff, and do not have a power strap. So, you really need to add a power strap for these boots:
UPS RSV Mach (race), 5-buckles, no strap. One cuff cant adjuster on the outside.
UPS RX Mach (freecarve), 4-buckles, no strap.
UPS Mach X (freecarve), 4-buckle, no strap.

Mmh, could be a possibility, but Mach X are now very old now.

[frunobulax]

Hi lamxuyen,

you don't have a pic of the Mach Xs?

I'd say they should be at least 15 years old, if not significantly older. If they've been kept in a dry, dark place maybe everything's ok with them. The UPS/UPZ shells are AFAIK more or less the same for decades, but otherwise the boots have been undergoing quite a lot of small upgrades, so the later models are far better than the early ones. I had UPZs some 15-20 years ago (predecessors to the RC10, don't remember the exact name), they were way too stiff for my taste.
I'd say if the boots fit perfectly, and there's no visible damage, and there's a reasonable amount of flex, why not give it a try?

But I'm not sure if I would pay money for antiques like these..

[Aracan]

I am pretty sure those boots are from the 1990s. The predecessor of the current lineup was the RSV Superlight (red/grey). It had the shell shape of today's models, but it was extremely stiff and the stock liners were really crappy.
The models before that (such as the Mach X) were different shapes. I have no idea how they would compare to today's boots, and I doubt they are softer than an RC-10.
As frunobulax said: If they are not cracked, and if they offer enough flex AND if they are cheap, your friend could give them a try. Personally, I wouldn't pay more than maybe 30 euros for them.

[frunobulax]

RSV Superlight, you're right.. that's the name. Good design, but much too stiff and crappy liners. I think it took Wolfgang from UPZ a couple of years until he realized that recreational freecarvers and especially extremecarvers need much softer shells than racers.

Found some pics of 4-buckle UPS Machs in the net, and you right, that's a different design. No springs (no hardboot had springs at that time). If I should take a guess I'd say they're too stiff. Most of the boots were too stiff at that time. Many guys used their AF 600s with ride/relax lever in the open position. And the plastics tend to get stiffer and more brittle throughout the years as the softener chemicals dissolve.