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Shotgun or Flatbar?

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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
I've got a rail being welded professionally - gonna be a 20ft straight rail. I'm trying to decide wether I want a shotgun rail or a flatbar though... Which do you think? I wanna be able to practice my sw-ups and spins on and off of the rail...
Oct 24 2007 10:26AM
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HeathR
Posts: 4357 - Karma: 1,379
i would go flatbar then. it will be easier to learn shit on. I have shotguns but thats just cause thats the material that i have.
Oct 24 2007 10:41AM
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Jwenz
Posts: 8893 - Karma: 7,633
Flat bars are sooo much fun, and slide better, I think
Oct 24 2007 10:00PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
you sure? shotguns sliede pretty well - there's less touching the ski (less friction)
Oct 24 2007 10:24PM
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ajax
Posts: 2850 - Karma: 1,236
i would probably go shotgun if you can
Oct 24 2007 10:59PM
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_Joe_
Posts: 314 - Karma: 725
i would go with shotgun, i think its easier to spin off of them
Oct 25 2007 8:31AM
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Skipig25
Posts: 10729 - Karma: 256
yea, I like shottys better
Oct 25 2007 2:52PM
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skiwoj
Posts: 2286 - Karma: 52
i prefer a shotgun, because sometimes when you go to spin on a flatbar and its slightly rusty your skis stop dead when they touch the corners, plus shotguns are just smoother in my opinion
Oct 25 2007 9:52PM
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quixotic
Posts: 6937 - Karma: 2,978
shotty... easier to grip the rail spinning on/off.  plus they slide better.
Oct 26 2007 2:45PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
what about sw-up...?
Oct 26 2007 4:05PM
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Lineskiah11
Posts: 2029 - Karma: 21
i think i would go with a flatbar. shotguns are fun but i def like flatbars better, you can still grip them well but i think they slide better
Oct 26 2007 6:57PM
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603
Posts: 18 - Karma: 11
agree
Oct 26 2007 7:13PM
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tjski
Posts: 5859 - Karma: 44
ive only done a short shotgun but they seem pretty well...i would say shotgun if your goin that long...it just seems to me you can keep your balance easier..
Oct 27 2007 4:27PM
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tBatt
Posts: 9632 - Karma: 580
i personally would go for flat, shottys just seem more sketchy to me for some reason

Oct 27 2007 6:00PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
so I ended up going with the majority here on this one, and got a shotgun. It's 20ft long, 3.5ft high on one end, and 2.5 on the other (because I'm putting it on relatively flat ground)

It hasn't been started though, and I'd like your guys opinions on whether or not making it slightly down is a good idea or not... the ground i'm putting it on is on a slight angle, and i'll have a nice ramp to get speed, but iunno i don't wanna get stuck... if it's too much of an angle i can always put wood or something underneath it to flatten it out...

what do you think? I can still change it.
Oct 28 2007 1:54PM
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ILoveOhio
Posts: 1793 - Karma: 253
I'd make it like 2.5 feet tall end to end.  You can always tilt it down if needed but welding it that way is permenent.
Oct 28 2007 3:52PM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,016
f-bar fo sh0
Oct 28 2007 8:49PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
iunno i think 3 feet end-to-end is ideal...

don't you think 2.5 might be a little short and close to the ground?
Oct 28 2007 9:59PM
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zylstra
Posts: 3613 - Karma: 125
nah dude 2.5 is fairly tall, for a nice easy to learn on usable rail that is.
Oct 29 2007 8:05PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
^I decided to go complete flat, 20ft shotgun rail 3ft high all along.

I'll post pics in the pic thread when it's done

Oct 29 2007 10:16PM
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WeK
Posts: 1894 - Karma: 11
how much is it costing you?
Oct 30 2007 1:38PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
$340.00 Canadian. And my brother and I are splitting it, so theoretically it's only $160.00. Professionally made, prices include labor. Shipping is free cuz he's gonna drive it himself over.
Oct 30 2007 2:18PM
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ajax
Posts: 2850 - Karma: 1,236
STOP!!!!!! I would definitely shorten the height. I made a 20 ft. flat bar that's 2.5 feet tall. When I made it I thought 2.5 wouldn't be bad, I can't rack on it, but when i set it up a shorter height would have been much better. I recommend 1.5 feet tall unless you can bury your rail legs in a ton of snow. 
Oct 31 2007 4:05AM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
I can bury them in snow...

I also don't need to worry about speed cuz my run-in ramp is gon be like 9ft tall... going onto a relatively downhill slope b4 the rail.

and I'd rather a higher rail that I can bury snow up to if I want it smaller, than a small one that is always small... in case of variety
Oct 31 2007 11:43AM
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Josh_Jibz
Posts: 236 - Karma: 28
Noob comment: What is the difference between a shotgun and a flatbar?
Oct 31 2007 10:54PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
A flatbar rail is a rail that is like a rectangle the whole way down - i.e. if you were to take a long rectangular piec of metal in the shape of a 2x4, and lay it out flat and make that a rail, it would be a flatbar.

A shotgun is like a shotgun barrel the whole way down - i.e. if you were to take two pipes, put them and weld them side by side, and then put that flat and make that a rail, it would be a shotgun.
Nov 1 2007 8:43AM
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DUBIE
Posts: 576 - Karma: 135
shotty
Nov 1 2007 2:06PM
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Peach.
Posts: 3879 - Karma: 933
go flat because if youre just learning 270s on you may spin a bit and i got caught on a shotty because of that once
Nov 10 2007 12:09PM
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Karcher
Posts: 3788 - Karma: 1,934
shotguns are a lot more fun... more stable on the rail
Nov 10 2007 11:34PM
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Peach.
Posts: 3879 - Karma: 933
i meant to say because of that once i left half my nose on the rail




yep i just quoted myself
Nov 11 2007 5:29PM
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Jared.
Posts: 1465 - Karma: 59
shottties--they're so much better because:

1)  they help with balance by being less stable than a flatbar unless they are wider
2) they are easier to pop and spin on(like 270's, switch ups..)
3) They are definitely faster because their is less friction between skis and rail which is a plus for backyard set ups where speed is hard to get

 
Nov 15 2007 12:54PM
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mistaskia
Posts: 1252 - Karma: 32
guys he already said he decided to do a shotgun theres no point in trying to get him to change his mind.
Nov 15 2007 4:13PM
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jmason
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 136
haha word

think its a good $$$ though?
Nov 15 2007 10:04PM
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