Hello and welcome to my Ride Machete snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Machete as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Machete a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
NOTE: The 2021 model was the last model of the Machete.
Overall Rating
Board: Ride Machete 2020
Price: $479
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 71.9/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 24 men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Machete’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Machete’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $479 |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Feel: | |
Turn Initiation: | Medium |
Edge-hold: | |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Camber - Ride's "Hybrid Rocker" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
---|---|---|---|
149 | 243 | 70-100 | 32-45 |
152 | 245 | 80-110 | 36-50 |
154W | 260 | 100-155 | 45-68 |
155 | 247 | 110-160 | 50-72 |
158 | 249 | 120-170 | 54-77 |
159W | 261 | 140-190 | 65-85 |
161 | 250 | 170-220 | 77-100 |
163W | 262 | 150-200 | 68-90 |
Who is the Machete Most Suited To?
The Machete is best suited to those looking for a freestyle oriented board to ride the mountain with, who like to spend some time in the park, but want a board that is a little stiffer and can handle some speed.
Definitely not for a beginner, IMO - it feels too catchy and is too stiff for that.
The Machete in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Machete is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Ride Machete, 155cm (247mm waist width)
Date: March 10, 2019
Conditions: Mostly sunny and perfect vis.
Groomers were on the firmer side, but not overly hard - and really well groomed - especially first thing, was smooth going and could really confidently bomb and lean into some deep carves.
Got a little cruddy as the day wore on, but was never too bad.
Off-groomer was tracked, but there'd been recent fresh snow a few days prior and there were still some good patches of untracked fresh snow.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 258mm (10.16")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 185lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura
Bindings Used: Ride LTD Large*
* Important Note: for all other brands I use my test bindings to test boards. Unfortunately with K2 and Ride they don't allow other bindings to test with. This makes it difficult to really tell what is giving the feel. Whilst the snowboard is typically the bigger difference maker, bindings can certainly alter the feel of a board. Please take this into consideration for this review, as some of the feel may have come from or at least been influenced from the bindings. I try each year to see if they can let me test on my own bindings, but haven't worn them down yet! I am exploring other avenues for testing K2/Ride in the future, so that I can test them more accurately.
Flex
Feels on the stiffer side of medium. Softer tip and tail I think but overall it's medium, bordering on medium-stiff.
Powder
Pretty average in powder but that was expected given the specs.
Carving & Turning
Carving: This is a board that wanted to be on edge and you couldn't get too casual with it - but when you committed to get on edge, it had a good carve on it, especially for a twin.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Not something that I liked that much in terms of maneuverability at slow speeds. Not that fast edge-to-edge and had a bit of a catchy feel.
Skids: Not easy to skid turns on. It's something you want to commit to getting properly on edge for and really nail the turn. Getting too casual on this board and it felt a bit catchy to me.
Speed
The Machetes feel at speed was it's most redeeming feature for me. When getting it up to a certain speed and committing to an edge it charged quite well.
Uneven Terrain
Was OK for getting in and out of bumpy areas, like in trees, but not great.
It seemed to smash through crud though. I didn't have a lot of it, but once riding this board like it rides best (at speed, on edge) it crashed through crud well.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Pop: Decent pop and relatively easily accessible, but not amazing.
Approach: Didn't really enjoy the setup with the grabby/catchy feel I got from it.
Landing: Good solid landings off straight airs, but didn't feel as comfortable off spins.
Side-hits: Not maneuverable enough for my liking and that grabby/catchy feeling I got didn't help with the setup either.
Switch
Pretty much the same riding either direction
Spins
Pretty easy to get the spin around. I just didn't enjoy the setup or landings off them.
Jibbing
Not great for jibs. Didn't feel that confident jibbing on this board.
Butters
Some butterability, but not massively buttery. About average.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
JUMPS | 3.0 | 12/20 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 9/10 |
JIBBING | 2.0 | 4/10 |
CARVING/TURNS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
POWDER | 2.5 | 5/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPINS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
BUTTERING | 3.0 | 3/5 |
PIPE | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 71.9/100 |
Overall, it's not a board that I enjoyed riding. Not sure if there was something going on with it in terms of waxing or edging, or if that's just the way the board is. I got a similar feeling from the 2 K2 boards I also rode that day also, so something was up there. I also rode other boards that day, which didn't feel like that, and the conditions weren't extreme in either direction - not overly soft but not overly hard/icy, so I'm not sure.
Also, as noted above, I wasn't able to ride the Machete with my test bindings, so it may have also been something to do with the bindings, but it's hard to say how much difference that would have made.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Machete, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Machete compares to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
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