Reebok Ribcor

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Open

[steelnation248 101]

I wanted to start off by thanking JR and Reebok for giving me the opportunity to review this stick! I am very excited to use this stick and report my findings to the best of my ability.

Stick Specs:

Reebok Ribcor

75 flex

P46 Bergeron Curve

Griptonite

About myself:

23 year old male

5'10"

210 lbs

Playing recreational/adult league hockey

Well, I wanted to start off by stating a little about me. I currently am just playing adult league. I have had some medical issues over the past 7 years or so, including eye issues and arthritis that mainly effects my back and ankles. Because of this, I just play hockey for fun. I'm not trying to further injure myself by playing ultra competitive hockey while working and going to school full time. Some of the sticks I've used recently are the CCM RBZ, Warrior Covert DT2, Easton S19, and BASE SuperNatural.

Unwrapping:

I just got this stick yesterday and was very eager to rip open the packaging. The stick is very light, coming in around 430 grams. This seems to be right around the weight of most top end sticks that have come out recently. I will admit, I'm not a gram whore, so anything around this weight feels great to me. As well as being light, the stick is very nicely balanced. The shaft is square with straight walls and rounded corners. It's not an overly thick and boxy shaft though, it still fits very nicely in my hands. I love grip sticks and the Griptonite Reebok has on this stick is right up my alley! It is very grippy, probably one of the most grippy options at retail. In addition to the grip coating, the shaft also has small raised bumps covering most of the back and underside of the stick, with some areas featuring them on the top and front as well.

The stick has a very dark color scheme - mostly black and grey graphics with small Ribcor lime green logos and some white graphics in a few locations on the shaft. I, personally, am a big fan of darker stick. The subtlety of the Reebok logo is very nice. It's wrapped around the stick and is noticeable if you're looking for it, but it doesn't pop out too much and look out of place. The lower shaft has the feature which became the namesake of the stick, ribs on the front and back sides of the shaft. The ribs are about 16" long and sunken in to the stick itself. Reebok has been know for their experimenting with the taper area of the their sticks. The first try was the 9KO and 8.O.8 sticks which feature holes in the shaft in order to reduce wind resistance on the shooters downswing. I never used any stick that featured this technology though. The idea behind the ribs is shaft is permanently in tension. This tension should help with power transfer through your shots, resulting in giving you "mind blowing pop" when shooting. I'm very excited to see how they effect the flexing and shooting of the stick.

The blade feels very stiff and has a matte coating. The carbon weave is pretty unique in it compared to traditional weaves. It's hard to explain but I will try to show it in pictures. The Bergeron curve is Reebok's branding of the P46 curve. This is the same curve as the CCM Landeskog retail model. I describe it as slightly open mid toe with a good amount of rocker. I went with a 75 flex for two reasons: 1.) Reeboks have always seemed to be stiffer than rated. The same feels true of the Ribcor. It's not a huge jump but I would say the 75 feels around 80-85 to me. 2.) I usually use a quick release in my shots. I'm not one to really crank down on the stick while shooting. Instead, I try give off quick snaps while in stride and let the stick do the work for me. I also usually cut a little bit off sticks - which leads me to the next point: The 75 flex Ribcor comes in about 1.5" shorter than other retail sticks. This is perfect for me to try out without cutting further.

Unfortunately, as summer winds down and school approaches, I am quite busy for the next couple weeks and don't have any usual ice planned planned since we are in between leagues here. However, I will try to get to get to the rink as much as my work schedule will allow me. I will update this thread after my first time using it and comment on the initial on ice thoughts.

Now for some pictures:

(Sorry for the poor quality. I snapped them quickly)

[steelnation248 101]

Sorry for the delay in updating this review! I skated twice in the past week and they were my first time on the ice in about a month. I was able to get a stick and puck session, as well as a game this week.

I will start off by saying that my stick and puck session wasn't as beneficial as I had hoped it would be in order to get a good go with the stick and really come back with a quality review. Unfortunately, I was having some skate issues with my new pair and it was really throwing me off on the ice. I will say though that the feel of this stick is very nice. The balance and weight of the stick are great on the sheet as well! I went with my buddy who is currently using a Dynasty and it was quite noticeable how much lighter and better balanced the Ribcor was. I'm not trying to bash the Dynasty either, I love my Warriors, but it was definitely evident when comparing the two side by side.

Now, back to the feel of the stick. Obviously, everyone looks for something different when talking about the feel of the stick, but I thought this one had a nice middle ground for models I have previously used. I usually prefer very stiff blades, which usually have a more pingy feel to it. The Ribcor has a very solid blade but it has a softer feel to it. Maybe a little pingy to me, but not as noticeable as other sticks, like the Covert line that I have been recently using. It took me a little bit to get use to receiving passes with it, due to the strong blade but it's not anything that can't be adjusted for. Pucks seemed to pop off a little more then I will am accustom to, but I just need a little bit more time with the stick. (Again, I probably would have had enough time to adjust if I wasn't adjusting to a completely new skate as well.)

Passing with the stick was very good. It was easy to put it where I wanted it to go. They got of crispy and had some good zip on them when I wanted to. Saucer passes are nice with the Bergeron curve. I was able to send them flat and smoothly with no problem. Backhand passes took a little adjusting to with the rocker and curve of this blade though, but that's not something that's uncommon when trying something new.

Shooting with stick was awesome! Definitely had some great pop in it. No matter what kind of shot, or how much of a wind up, the puck really seemed to jump off the blade. Loading of the stick felt fluid. I didn't really need to crank down on the shaft to be it to flex how I wanted. This is something that I really look for in a stick and is why I use lower flex sticks. It really seemed to work well with my shooting technique. During the game, I was able to get off some quick shots in tight and while having a little space. They all seemed to get where they were going in a hurry! It wasn't our teams best game (multiple new members, and a new rink) but we were able to pick up our chances. I managed to pick up one goal which I really felt the quick release of the stick helped with. It wasn't the best shot, as I got it off while off balance due to a defender, but the goalie didn't have time to react since I was able to get it off so quickly. I definitely look forward to getting some more scoring opportunities after my team and line mates are able to gel a little better.

It's kind of tough to comment on durability of the stick after only a few uses. Our game wasn't full of very much stick work either. I was asked to step in and take some faceoffs because one of our centers was having a brutal night in the dot. I only took about 5. I came away with one tiny little grey surface scratch and one mark on the white backing of the shaft from someone getting a little overzealous with the stick lifts. I've come away with much worse from playing the style of league I'm in, so it's nice to have such little things to comment about.

Well, I should be able to get out on the ice more frequently now that I have a pretty set schedule during the week and games every week as well. I definitely look forward to using this stick some more and seeing what it can do. I definitely don't intend to have as big of a gap in between posts as I did this time!

[steelnation248 101]

So I've gotten about 4 more uses in with the stick. I've been really busy with school and work, plus fighting a cold so even when I was able to get on the ice, I wasn't at 100%

First off, after some more games and sessions on the ice, I have started to notice what I can only describe as some little bubbles in the graphics/grip. Too be honest, I'm not really too certain how long they have been there but I think I would have noticed them when the stick was new. They just seem to be in random places and I don't know if it's in the graphics or the griptonite coating. They don't effect anything really, but I figured it would be worth noting as I go forward with using the stick.

Other than the bubbles, the stick has held up great. It stick doesn't show any real signs of damage other than what's to be expected with normal game play. The only place I really notice the marks is on the white underside of the stick. If I look closely on the black graphics, I will see small marks and dents along the shaft from where it has contacted other sticks, blocked shots, hit the boards/posts. Really nothing too concerning to write home about when it comes to durability thus far.

The stick still has a great amount of pop to it. I don't think I've mentioned this before but it is definitely preforming more like a mid flex than low flex stick. I really didn't notice it too much until the other day when I was able to use it next to Warrior's new DT1LT. With the Coverts extreme low kick, it really was noticeable when I switched back and forth between the two twigs. I didn't use the Warrior too much, really only in warm ups and for about 15 minutes during stick and puck.

However, since I have been using the Ribcor almost exclusively since getting it, taking a spin with the LT made me realize something about the Ribcor. The blade on the Reebok is extremely lively. I had used Warrior's DT2 in the past and really liked the feel of the blade on that one, and the newer model. Ceramic feeling with good feel. Since I had taken about a month off before starting to use the Ribcor, I had almost forgotten what other sticks felt like. I don't know if it was because I have been sick/tired or just using another stick made me think about it more, but the stiffness of the blade makes the Reebok play much different than other sticks I've used before. It's great for shooting and passing, stays nice and stiff. When catching passes, you really have to catch it flush or else it will bounce off the blade very easily. I feel as though I should have caught this earlier but I had assumed it was mostly due to the rust of not playing, but it definitely is the blade after trying something else out.

Other than the blade feel, the stick has preformed just like the first day I got it. I will try to get some more quality ice times out there now that my schedule has evened out and I'm starting to get over my sickness. I will continue to update the thread but everything has been status quo so far!

Thanks for reading along and I will post again shortly!

[steelnation248 101]

The stick is still going strong. I feel like the flex has lightened up a little bit since I first got the stick, but it still has plenty of power. Shots are still flying off the blade with great pop. The stick is starting to show a little bit of wear. Too be honest, I'm surprised it has taken this long. I've blocked shots with it, gotten slashed, had plenty of other stick and board work. All I have to show for it is some dings, scratches, and one tiny mark in the blade that looks like it could a edge of a blade. Everything is still stiff. The stick has definitely exceeded my expectations thus far.

[steelnation248 101]

The stick is still holding up and kicking strong! There hasn't really been anything to update about lately. I do have to say, this may be my favorite stick that I have used in the last few years. Before this, it was the S19 but I think that honor now belongs to the Ribcor.