Harb Carver Questions?

[h.harb]

I'd like to answer any questions or concerns, while describing our product, so skiers can have the whole story about Harb Carvers. Recently I received this e-mail. I am providing the response as well.
HH



I've been going over the material on your website about Harb Carvers, and
I must say you have put some really great thought into these devices. I
would love to try a pair, but I have some questions...
I found some posts in online forums from people who claim the bindings can eat up your ski boots:

http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.ph ... st&t=27892

Would you please respond to these claims? Does the binding system still
chew up boots? Is there any way to safely mount real bindings on the
aluminum frame? Have you improved the quality of the bearings?

Hello,

Thanks for asking about the Harb carvers. I am surprised that someone who bought Carvers and is having a problem, has not contacted us for help or answers. Well, I can only guess that his issues with the Harb Carvers are not big enough to ask about, as you have. Let me assure you, we have sold over 500 Harb Carvers and not one user has responded about a problem with their boots. In some cases, racers are using wood screws, screwed into the side of their boots, rather than the threaded rod to hold the boots in place. They remove the screws to take the boots off the Carvers, before they go back to snow skiing. I understand most skiers don't want screw holes in their boots, so we devised the binding system that is presently installed. A real commercial type binding would have increased the Carver's price by at least $100 a pair. This is why we opted for the present fixation method.


The comment I read on the forum post you provided said:

"The aluminum coupling for the heel gouged out the sides of my boots and the threaded rod that holds the toe put screw thread marks into the front of the boot above the toe lug. These markings are purely superficial, but I'm glad I used my "trasher" Flexons and not my current main pair."

About the boot scuffing, the heels on some boot manufacturers' boots are slightly wider then Din spec. Our bindings are Din spec designs. If you use a boot from a manufacturer that has a wider heel there is a slight scuffing on the corners where the boot presses into the heel piece. This is totally superficial. A normal Din boot is no problem. We use many models of Nordica and Head in the bindings without scuffing problems. The toe piece has a threaded long screw that holds the boot toe down. Sometimes boots with lifters and other modifications cause some scuffing, again this is totally superficial. We do have a pin system that we can make available with an order of Carvers, this is a straight metal rod and does not cause scuffing. The heel pieces can be filed off slightly to open the sides of the binding for the tight fitting boots.

We have extensive testing into the Harb Carvers, two years worth. We tested numerous bearing, there is no need for faster bearings, as in fact a faster bearing would be a liability, as the Carvers are very fast and smooth. There is no noticeable difference in performance with faster bearings. These are the bearing the wheel manufacturer supplies with their racing wheels. We have discussed this at length with the wheel manufacturer and they are confident that the bearings are above needed specs. In four years, we have yet to blow out a bearing. The Harb Carvers are used everyday in race training with gates, by FIS racers, . We have yet to see any problems with manufacture quality. These racers are very aggressive and very demanding of the product. We have one bent frame, after all these years, but that was due to contact with a street curb. The Harb Carvers are not intended for indoor home use.

There is no comparable product on the market for ski feel, developing correct ski technique, or for ski muscle development and movement specificity. This is a serious ski training tool, used by top level racers and recreational skiers. The women's World Cup champion, Nicola Hosp, stated that Harb Carvers are the only summer training tool she uses, as it is most like skiing or carving on snow. She is not sponsored by us or given product.

I hope this answers your questions,

regards,

Harald

[Icanski]

Hi Harald,
I didn't want to get thread marks in my new boots, so I went to the local hardware store and bought a piece of tubing which is quite hard but very thin. I got the threaded rod through it and use it. It is extremely snug, so there's no wobble or looseness, it leaves no mark at all on the toes, and I'm off to the races, so to speak.
Have fun,
John

[Icanski]

HI,
I got out on a bunny hill of asphalt and played around with my carvers. It was a bit nervewracking at first when I tried to "carve" the turns. I was making large GS turns. I started to get it after a few runs and really was having fun. A cyclist drove past me and cracked "maybe that's how I should have learned!"
I have two questions:
1) what exactly is the purpose of the "toe bumper"? I found that any little stone I rode over caught on it and stopped that foot cold, or if I went to flex my boots a bit and they tipped forward the bumper would grab and I almost (thank goodness I didn't) went down. As Chris had said to me "they stop you and right now!" I thought they might be to use for a straight forward push like the toe pick of a skate, but I'm thinking of just taking them off. So what is the purpose, please, I may just not realize it.

2) I found that my weight was sometimes more on the free foot trying to turn than the stance at first. It could be because I was on such flat ground, or wasn't going very fast, but it sure took a while to get them to come around. I have the Pro and wonder if it's because the wheels are in the as new position. (it couldn't be my technique of course, so it must be the equipment, right ) any tips for tightening up the turns?

I must say that it really is way more like skiing than just regular inlines, and I really have to be centered and accurate with the technique or they just don't respond well. Regular inline type skating steps to get back up the hill, and step turns are much easier than I had thought. They are a lot of fun to play around on, and I'm looking for bigger and better parking lots with more slope to try. The bike paths are a bit narrow for schussing until I can make some quicker slalom like turns.
I've also made a copy of the basic sheet on Carvers and the models and have given it to some friends who are interested to see if I can get some sales from up here and generate more interest in PMTS.
If you're interested in a good article on asphalt, sort of like different kinds of snow, see the May or June issue of Bicycling magazine for an in depth article on asphalt. So far, here in Toronto, I've encountered mild bumps, potholes, corn and some packed, but I just can't find any powder
Icanski