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2022 Nordica Speedmachine 3 130S: Not your old Speedmachine.

Philpug

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This thread is for the general discussion of the Article 2022 Nordica Speedmachine 3 130S: Not your old Speedmachine.. Please add to the discussion here.
 

SkiMcP

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Thoughts on the flex adjuster? My current boot is a circa 2008-2009 Speedmachine 14 that has a soft (120) / hard (130) flex selector that I've never been able to make stay in the "hard" position. The idea of a relatively easy flex adjustment is great - but does it work?
 

bbbradley

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Thoughts on the flex adjuster? My current boot is a circa 2008-2009 Speedmachine 14 that has a soft (120) / hard (130) flex selector that I've never been able to make stay in the "hard" position. The idea of a relatively easy flex adjustment is great - but does it work?
Hah!! I had the same boot and the same problem. I scrapped them for Head Raptor 140.

I was happy with the Nordicas, despite that minor issue. TBH, I never noticed one bit of difference regardless of the soft/hard setting.
 
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Philpug

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Thoughts on the flex adjuster? My current boot is a circa 2008-2009 Speedmachine 14 that has a soft (120) / hard (130) flex selector that I've never been able to make stay in the "hard" position. The idea of a relatively easy flex adjustment is great - but does it work?
Not really. Besides a 08-09 boot? At this point it is worn out. Time to start looking.
 

SkiMcP

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That's the idea - look and pay attention to my skiing so I can be a good boot-fitter customer next fall. Liners never packed out, I have three year old custom footbeds (replaced the original super-fret insoles I bought when the boots were new - not the OEM "footbed") and I replaced the rubber lugs for binding safety reasons before last season. Am hoping not to have to buy new boots this year because of the supply shortage - I have a common foot-size so not going to luck into anything. Is the age of the plastic making enough of a performance (or safety) difference that I "need" to replace this year?
 

schaudhary77

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Question regarding flex adjustment. In previous generations, you could remove the first screw OR the second screw (but not both) to lower the flex. In the new SpeedMachine 3 130S, the Nordica website shows that you can set the arrow on top screw to "-" AND also remove the lower screw to even further reduce the flex. Is this correct?
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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In the new SpeedMachine 3 130S, the Nordica website shows that you can set the arrow on top screw to "-" AND also remove the lower screw to even further reduce the flex. Is this correct?
Yes, but the difference is negligible.
 

tkarlin78

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Does anyone know what the difference is between the Speedmachine 3 130S and Speedmachine 3 130 is? What does the "S" after "130" change on the boot?
 

schaudhary77

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Don’t know what the difference is but was told that only the 130S will be available in the US market.
 

Nate L

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This was the boot I chose to complement my upgraded ski quiver.

I have been skiing on Salomon Falcon CS PROs for 12 years (although very little the last 5-6 years, recovering from injury + reduced pandemic travel). They were great boots, stiffer in the cold than the published 100 flex and well-suited to a normal-volume foot from the bridge forward but with narrow heel and thinner calves. And they were VERY warm and comfortable...

Too comfortable. Getting back into regular use this year, I noticed more movement and lift in the heel, and just a bit more sloppiness in turns ... they were becoming nice, soft skiing slippers. Great for comfort, terrible for performance.

So it was time for an upgrade, my Masterfit Bootfitter took the measurements, looked up at me, and smiled ... "I think I have just the boots for you."

Wow. The feeling after holding a skiing stance for 15 minutes in these Speedmachine 3s had me returning the smile in spades. For a guy with narrowish heels and thinnish calves but a very slightly wider-than-normal toe box, it was like these boots were made for me ... the cork heel pocket just felt ... PERFECT. And with an adjustable tongue to accommodate a slightly higher arch, I was sold. Throw in custom footbeds, and I can't believe how much energy transfer I have recovered that I was bleeding away in those old Falcons.

I think Nordica hit a rare performance-to-comfort sweet spot for advanced skiers with these boots.
 

schaudhary77

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I have the tongue at it's default location. What would moving it forward or back achieve? From your post it seems like it would help with higher arch / in step?
 

Nate L

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I have the tongue at it's default location. What would moving it forward or back achieve? From your post it seems like it would help with higher arch / in step?

Exactly. If you get a hot spot or bit of a pinch on the top of your foot, you can pull the tongue back a notch or two and create a bit more space over the bridge of your foot.
 

schaudhary77

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Exactly. If you get a hot spot or bit of a pinch on the top of your foot, you can pull the tongue back a notch or two and create a bit more space over the bridge of your foot.
Thanks. I feel a pinch over my instep. To confirm, in this case, I'd make the tongue longer (bring it closer to the leg)?
 

Nate L

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Thanks. I feel a pinch over my instep. To confirm, in this case, I'd make the tongue longer (bring it closer to the leg)?

Yes. (The tongue stays the same size, pulling it just moves the "structure" it reinforces in the boot higher in the shell). Pull it up, and more space over the bridge of the foot is created in the boot.
 

schaudhary77

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Yes. (The tongue stays the same size, pulling it just moves the "structure" it reinforces in the boot higher in the shell). Pull it up, and more space over the bridge of the foot is created in the boot.
Just tried it and it feels much better. Thanks a ton for your help.
 

Tom K.

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Just snagged a pair of these. Recommended as the highest performance boot that comes off easily in cold temperatures. Success today at 6 degrees F.

Just two days in, but a solid winner for my skinny-ish heels and medium forefoot. Great power-to-edge feel and smooth flex.

Not so sure about the plastic thingamabob on the power strap. Screwed on my Boosters for a try tomorrow.

Also, just a wee bit tight over the instep with my custom footbeds, so thanks to @Nate L on the tongue instructions. We'll see if that gives me a bit more room tomorrow.

BACKSTORY: I went all in on a pair of Atomic Redster CS 130 Pros this year. Otherworldly power transfer and smoothness of flex, but I could barely get them off at 28 degrees -- and even then had to be very methodical and patient. No way they would have come off today, and at my age I can't afford to pull/tear ankle tendons doing this (again).

Cheers!
 

neonorchid

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Just snagged a pair of these. Recommended as the highest performance boot that comes off easily in cold temperatures. Success today at 6 degrees F.

Just two days in, but a solid winner for my skinny-ish heels and medium forefoot. Great power-to-edge feel and smooth flex.

Not so sure about the plastic thingamabob on the power strap. Screwed on my Boosters for a try tomorrow.

Also, just a wee bit tight over the instep with my custom footbeds, so thanks to @Nate L on the tongue instructions. We'll see if that gives me a bit more room tomorrow.

BACKSTORY: I went all in on a pair of Atomic Redster CS 130 Pros this year. Otherworldly power transfer and smoothness of flex, but I could barely get them off at 28 degrees -- and even then had to be very methodical and patient. No way they would have come off today, and at my age I can't afford to pull/tear ankle tendons doing this (again).

Cheers!
I had the red Speedmachine 110, I think '08 '09 model year or thereabouts. They were difficult to get off at the cold car in the parking lot after skiing.

Every version of Atomic Hawx I tried on inside a ski shop at room temps have been very d@rn difficult to get off - not sure I want to think about that with a Fisher-Price fishing reel and cats cradle Jacobs ladder spider web of steel cable on the clog but that's another thread!

Fwiw; My aging Salomon X-Max 120, easy peasy in comparison. Don't know if that changed with the current crop, did try on an S-Pro and S-Max when they first came to market, no trouble getting out of them (room temp @ local ski shop).
 

onenerdykid

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Every version of Atomic Hawx I tried on inside a ski shop at room temps have been very d@rn difficult to get off
This is a great point to bring up, as it is linked to the specific type of PU that we use in the Hawx Ultras, Hawx Prime 130 and Hawx Magna 130. All of the mentioned boots use our True Flex PU, which maintains its flex characteristics across a wide range of temperatures (think -20°C/-4°F to 20°C/68°F). This means that the boot doesn't get overly soft in warm conditions nor incredibly stiff in cold conditions. However, this consistent flex in both warm and cold conditions comes with a trade off - the plastic is stiffer at room temperature and a little harder to put on vs. a regular PU boot.
 

Tom K.

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This is a great point to bring up, as it is linked to the specific type of PU that we use in the Hawx Ultras, Hawx Prime 130 and Hawx Magna 130. All of the mentioned boots use our True Flex PU, which maintains its flex characteristics across a wide range of temperatures (think -20°C/-4°F to 20°C/68°F). This means that the boot doesn't get overly soft in warm conditions nor incredibly stiff in cold conditions. However, this consistent flex in both warm and cold conditions comes with a trade off - the plastic is stiffer at room temperature and a little harder to put on vs. a regular PU boot.

True. I never had much trouble getting out of my Hawx Ultra 130 S boots, even in single digit F temps. I just wore/packed them out. Was on the fence about new liners but went all in for the Redster CS 130 Pros and they do not come off very willingly in the cold.

The Speedmachines have a different plastic on one side of the lower clog's instep area and this helps.

I'd put their performance perhaps slightly above the Hawx Ultra and a notch below the all-powerful Redster CS 130s. Bummed those didn't work out, not in the least because I no longer have red boots!

Side note: only a couple days so far, but these may be the warmest boot I've had in ages, which really matters in northern MT, where today's high is pegged at 4 F!
 
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