froese Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 (edited) 6 hours ago, Smalls said: they also never felt super great either lol. They just existed and worked good, but I was never "in love" with them if that makes sense. I just had my first skate with the Shadows tonight and I can completely relate to this sentiment. "Meh" is too strong a word but I was not wow'd. But also, first time in any Bauer pads period, so I'm willing to give it some more time, and I need to make some tweaks to adjust the strapping and get everything dialed in. Edited August 30 by froese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalls Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Yeah one skate isn't enough and truly the 10 or so skates I had in mine before selling them today wasn't probably enough to give them a fair shake. In reality I'm probably going to buy Shadows again since my team changed colors but this time I will customize them and try to change some of the things I didn't like about my stock Shadow spec set. The more I look around at what pads I haven't tried, I feel like the Shadows are my safest bet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmikex32 Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 On 8/29/2024 at 10:29 AM, seagoal said: @coopaloop1234 @xmikex32 this should be a good start You get a chance to skate in your shadows yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seagoal Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 59 minutes ago, xmikex32 said: You get a chance to skate in your shadows yet? Yep, one open ice training and one drop in game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmikex32 Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 1 hour ago, seagoal said: Yep, one open ice training and one drop in game. Aaannddd?… big difference between the M5s? Im guessing better rebounds and sliding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seagoal Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 1 hour ago, xmikex32 said: Aaannddd?… big difference between the M5s? Im guessing better rebounds and sliding Yup, absolutely both of those. And generally they're just a bit firmer. I'm a leaner and my M5s would ever so slightly give in when I put my elbows down on the thigh. Obviously being brand new all the nylons and bindings on straps are still a bit rigid but that'll break in and time. I have the Vapor Connect strap too which is so good for me. I used a Vaughn Professor strap so a long time and I sorely missed it on my M5s....which also felt a bit naked or precarious in the calf for me. The Shadow glove is a dream come true. It's significantly bigger than Mach/M5 and is just so buttery and comfy when closing. The Shadow wrist strap is perfection in my opinion and also a dream come true. Blocker was the least comfy so far and most annoying but that is all just being new. There is more backhand padding on Shadow than M5 and it made my hand kinda tired and grumpy but I suspect in a week or so that'll be a non-issue. Rebounds are loud and really hot of all pieces. All in all I'm super happy so far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seagoal Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 (edited) I'm not sure if one of these were posted in this thread already but just in case, here is the optional thumb pillow on the blocker. It's very thin compared to Vaughn's but I can for sure feel it while wearing the blocker. It exerts a comfy, cushiony bit of pressure on the thumb and it extends back all the way past the wrist cuff. Edited September 1 by seagoal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froese Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 On 8/29/2024 at 11:29 PM, froese said: I just had my first skate with the Shadows tonight and I can completely relate to this sentiment. "Meh" is too strong a word but I was not wow'd. But also, first time in any Bauer pads period, so I'm willing to give it some more time, and I need to make some tweaks to adjust the strapping and get everything dialed in. Quick follow up on this - I played my first game in the Bauer's last night and it went pretty well. As @TheGoalNet mentioned in another thread, the most significant adjustment from PX3/4's to the Shadows is the more restrictive feel of the leg channel vs more open in the Trues. That's not to say they don't rotate well - I haven't had any issues of under rotation and they seal incredibly well - but in my head it still feels like I could get "stuck" in my stance when dropping into butterfly because I'm so used to the PX3 feel of them always feeling like they're on the verge of rotating and instantly just getting out of the way whether I'm going into rvh or just doing a normal butterfly (not sure if that makes sense). I did adjust the strapping this time, making the tune fit + strap looser, and adding a tiny bit of length to my skate lace toe ties (I immediately removed the new bungees that they come with so I can't comment on those). These changes were definitely an improvement. Five hole closes well...probably easier than my PX3s do which isn't a surprise given it's a stiffer, straighter pad than the Shadows. Glove - This has been an adjustment as well, and I have to consciously remember to have an almost exaggerated fingers up hand position in order to position the pocket in the place I'm used to. But once I nailed that down it was pretty great. That huge pocket catches really well, and the strapping system is very comfortable and secure. I prefer that aspect of it over my True 590. Blocker - I was really not a fan of the blocker after my initial skate, but last night was much better. The thumb and fingers have already worked in sufficiently that I can actually slide my stick in and out for handling the puck and poke checking, and I'm getting used to the stiff, pronounced sideboard. Again, like the glove, it's getting used to where it sits in space relative to my True set, which is something that's just a normal adjustment whenever you change gear. Wrist articulation is good, and overall I just never really had to think about it at all last night, which is a good sign. @coopaloop1234 given that you've got previous blocker experience using a Mach, I can't imagine you'd have any issues with the Shadow. I have another game tomorrow night so we'll see if the adjustment trend continues to move in the right direction! If anyone has any questions, generally or specifically going from True to Bauer, feel free to ask. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalls Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 (edited) 4 hours ago, froese said: I have another game tomorrow night I'm just most jealous of this lol. Leagues here don't start for 3 weeks and even then the other start a month after that, and my summer league ended a month ago. Great writeup though. I can see where you're coming from. I did end up pulling the trigger with Jay at TGC on my next Shadow-ish set. Ended up selling my other stock Shadow set because the team changed colors on me and I wanted to match. This time around I went with a Shadow chassis and graphic on the leg pads because I do like the older school recessed boot over Hyperlites flat boot. That recess is also probably how I'm able to fit in smalls so comfortably. I went with a Hyperlite thigh though as Jay said it does have a slight more S curve profile wise than Shadows does. I also went with the Vapor knee block instead of supreme to give me back a little more of that less stiff knee area since the RVH can feel so clunky when that knee block is so rigid with the face of the pad. Also kept the Supreme strapping as I actually prefer a tighter leg channel feel and compared to the hyperlites I had supreme felt tighter more connected to my leg, kind of like you mentioned here froese how you prefer something more open feeling like Trues. Im the opposite. Ended up going with the Shadow glove as I think it's one of my favorite gloves I've tried in a while and had no reason to change anything on that from my last set. The blocker though, I went with the 2 piece as I've heard SO many people love. Really just to see what the hype is about and so I can say I've tried one. Main reason I chose Bauer is they have the shortest timeline for customs at the moment. I may end up trying some digiprint on the next Bauer set but time will tell on that as I've never gone full custom like that but I do graphic design for a living and think it would be cool to design my own. Only downside is I hear they are VERY far out on digiprint orders. Which would make you think they need designers to help but some of my friends who said they reached out about designing for them there were no openings so kind of stumped on that part. Edited September 4 by Smalls 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopaloop1234 Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 52 minutes ago, Smalls said: Also kept the Supreme strapping as I actually prefer a tighter leg channel feel and compared to the hyperlites I had supreme felt tighter more connected to my leg, kind of like you mentioned here froese how you prefer something more open feeling like Trues. Im the opposite. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aside from the interchangeable strapping (tune fit+ vs 2.0) and the calf pillow, aren't the leg channels almost identical between the current Vapour and Supremes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalls Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 (edited) Channel is the same but I think the way the strap wraps around your leg with more of that one whole piece on the supremes is tighter feeling than just the two elastic straps that vapor strapping has. At least to me, my Supreme sets always felt tighter on the leg. Edited September 4 by Smalls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froese Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 18 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said: Correct me if I'm wrong, but aside from the interchangeable strapping (tune fit+ vs 2.0) and the calf pillow, aren't the leg channels almost identical between the current Vapour and Supremes? 18 hours ago, Smalls said: Channel is the same but I think the way the strap wraps around your leg with more of that one whole piece on the supremes is tighter feeling than just the two elastic straps that vapor strapping has. At least to me, my Supreme sets always felt tighter on the leg. I haven't used the 2.0 hyperlite strap so I can't comment on that, but I suppose that could make a difference. Thankfully the tune fit+ is fairly adjustable, and I may even try attaching it to the outside of the calf wrap as opposed to the inner velcro flap which would open it up even more. It just becomes a bit annoying because it's then fighting for space with the strap from the knee block that I go down the calf with. But yes if you prefer a tighter leg channel the more substantial tune fit+ probably gives you a more solid connection to the pad. Hopefully your wait time isn't too long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopaloop1234 Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 13 minutes ago, froese said: I haven't used the 2.0 hyperlite strap so I can't comment on that, but I suppose that could make a difference. Thankfully the tune fit+ is fairly adjustable, and I may even try attaching it to the outside of the calf wrap as opposed to the inner velcro flap which would open it up even more. It just becomes a bit annoying because it's then fighting for space with the strap from the knee block that I go down the calf with. Tune Fit 2.0 is essentially the same strapping set up they've had on Vapour pads since the 1X. I had it on my Ultrasonics, but I wore it so loose it was more of just a velcro attachment to keep my leg channel flaps in place. I'm not a fan of tight fitting leg pads, but I never found the Tune Fit+ to be constraining when I wore Machs for a bit. I actually really liked them and thought about tossing them on my Ultrasonics at a point too. I found them less restricting that a medium/tighter strapping set up of the 2.0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froese Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 2 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said: Tune Fit 2.0 is essentially the same strapping set up they've had on Vapour pads since the 1X. I had it on my Ultrasonics, but I wore it so loose it was more of just a velcro attachment to keep my leg channel flaps in place. I'm not a fan of tight fitting leg pads, but I never found the Tune Fit+ to be constraining when I wore Machs for a bit. I actually really liked them and thought about tossing them on my Ultrasonics at a point too. I found them less restricting that a medium/tighter strapping set up of the 2.0. I'm the same - I prefer a very loose fitting pad. Am I correct in saying it looks like you went to the outside of the calf wrap for your tune fit+ like I mentioned? I'm going to have to give that a whirl... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmikex32 Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 Supreme is tighter on the leg, one of the issues I'm having with my new vapor set is getting them to feel "right". I like the tightness of the tunefit+ on my M5s and to keep the other straps relatively loose so the tunefit+ is pretty much holding my leg to my pad. The tunefit 2.0 has too much stretch for me which makes me use the knee block and calf strap tighter making the whole leg channel feel tighter. Going to try the tunefit+ on the vapor and see if i can get that tight feeling back without having the straps tight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopaloop1234 Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 1 minute ago, froese said: I'm the same - I prefer a very loose fitting pad. Am I correct in saying it looks like you went to the outside of the calf wrap for your tune fit+ like I mentioned? I'm going to have to give that a whirl... Nah, I never put the TuneFit+ on my Ultrasonics. These are still just the regular Tune Fit strapping set up that still comes with retail Vapour pads. The only difference was that instead of a tab inside of the leg channel, it was on the outside. I wore it on the loosest setting and at the lowest velcro point on the channel. Right above where the blocks are in this image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmikex32 Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 7 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said: Tune Fit 2.0 is essentially the same strapping set up they've had on Vapour pads since the 1X. I had it on my Ultrasonics, but I wore it so loose it was more of just a velcro attachment to keep my leg channel flaps in place. I'm not a fan of tight fitting leg pads, but I never found the Tune Fit+ to be constraining when I wore Machs for a bit. I actually really liked them and thought about tossing them on my Ultrasonics at a point too. I found them less restricting that a medium/tighter strapping set up of the 2.0. im there with you its kind of weird i don't like tight leg channels but the tunefit+ was tight but just held my leg the right way that let the pad be strapped looser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopaloop1234 Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 1 minute ago, xmikex32 said: im there with you its kind of weird i don't like tight leg channels but the tunefit+ was tight but just held my leg the right way that let the pad be strapped looser. Just hugs the leg in the right way. Which makes me curious to see how the True/CCM version would feel. Traditional professor straps aren't my thing unless I can wear them very loose as a stop gap to keep my knee on the block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froese Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 5 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said: Just hugs the leg in the right way. Which makes me curious to see how the True/CCM version would feel. Traditional professor straps aren't my thing unless I can wear them very loose as a stop gap to keep my knee on the block. My favourite thing about the eflex 6 was the qmss2 strap (their version of what we're talking about. Complete granular adjustability because of how it looped through and then velcro'd back on itself. Very comfortable and promoted great pad rotation. Felt awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froese Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 12 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said: Nah, I never put the TuneFit+ on my Ultrasonics. These are still just the regular Tune Fit strapping set up that still comes with retail Vapour pads. The only difference was that instead of a tab inside of the leg channel, it was on the outside. I wore it on the loosest setting and at the lowest velcro point on the channel. Right above where the blocks are in this image. Right, whether it's regular tune fit or the +, I was just confirming that you wore it on the outside of the leg channel wrap which is what I think I'm going to try as well. I just wish the Shadow had the same surface area of velcro as you have in the pic you included so that there was more placement options... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopaloop1234 Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Pulling the trigger on a full set of stock Shadow, Red/White colourway today. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seagoal Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 54 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said: Pulling the trigger on a full set of stock Shadow, Red/White colourway today. Finally. Nice work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopaloop1234 Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 5 minutes ago, seagoal said: Finally. Nice work. I'm sure you specifically are tired of my musings about potentially doing it or not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froese Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 57 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said: Pulling the trigger on a full set of stock Shadow, Red/White colourway today. After my initial cool response to my set I've seriously warmed. I am now smitten. Congrats 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coopaloop1234 Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Just now, froese said: After my initial cool response to my set I've seriously warmed. I am now smitten. Congrats Considering my familiarity with Mach and Ultrasonic legs, this will be a pretty familiar set. Very sad about my Warriors, but just couldn't make them work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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