OneTail+ from Craft&Ride vs. Surestance Pro Back Footpad from Future Motion: Review by Craft&Ride customer William O.
We installed both the Onetail+ and the Surestance Pro on XR’s and rode for about 20 miles each. We tested multiple surfaces including grass, smooth pavement and single track, both smooth and rough. Both versions were tested without FlightFins. Running stock Vega at 20psi. I’m 6’2” and 185 and was wearing size 13 Vans.
1. Look. While both are visually appealing, I think this one is a matter of opinion. Either one looks natural on the board. The Onetail+ is obviously longer making the appearance slightly different than the original board, but the setup still looks clean. Advantage: None
2. Build. The Surestance Pro is solid and stiff. It’s fairly similar to the stock footpad. The Onetail+ is very thin (see photo) in parts and gives the footpad a significant amount of flex. The Onetail+ feels much softer and you can even see it flex a bit as you are installing. The grip tape appears is high quality and also includes a new piece of matching grip tape for the front. Also, the grommets (might be using the wrong term) on the underside of the footpad where you attach the screws through the bumper (see picture) are higher quality on the Onetail+. I’ve had problems with these spinning on FM pads. Advantage: Onetail+
3. Foot fatigue. The edges of the Surestance are a little sharper and more pronounced. They actually dug in a bit on my toes and heel. I found it a little uncomfortable. Overall the Onetail+ is a bit more rounded and much more comfortable. Because the Onetail+ is thinner in parts, softer andmore flexible, it does a FAR better job of “locking in” my foot. Because it cradles the foot a bit more, my weight was evenly distributed over the entire curved pad vs. the Surestance which has doesn’t flex making the edges uncomfortable. Advantage: Onetail+
4. Control. Because of both the length, the better foot contact because of the footpad flexibility and the larger bump (see photo) at the tail, the Onetail+ makes steering the board much easier than the standard footpad. Because the foot is farther from the wheel he board is easier to turn. My foot felt completely locked in...almost as if there was an invisible rear FlightFin. Also, gone was the feeling that my foot might slide off the back like on the stock pad. The Surestance Pro is an improvement over the stock FM footpad for sure. The board was slightly easier to control vs. stock. However, since the back lip is smaller on the Surestance, I still had that feeling my foot might slide off. Advantage: Onetail+
5. Ride. Of all the areas, this one was the biggest difference. The Onetail+ is flexible. The Surestance is not. In addition, the Onetail+ is longer allowing for a wider stance. With my feet farther from the wheel there is more bounce and float in the OW. With the Onetail+ you can feel the board flex into turns. It’s amazing. The Surestance just doesn’t do that. It’s like riding a brick in comparison. Even when not turning, the Onetail+ is a much smoother float. It makes the OW feel even more like a snowboard...just the right balance of rigid and flexible. The Onetail+ smooths out the ride on single track and is like floating on air on smooth pavement. Both model pads felt completely stable with no wobble at 20mph. Huge advantage: Onetail+
I had no real bias going into this and I figured FM copied what others had done that the Surestance would be about the same as the Onetail+ other than the extra length. Wrong. They are very different.
Riders with smaller feet that don’t hang over the edges of the Surestance Pro may not experience the same edge sharpness that I did which would likely make the pad more comfortable. FlightFin users may also like the shorter length.
The Onetail+ is less expensive and also comes with some nice new griptape for the front footpad.
Based on my experience, I’d recommend the Onetail+ vs. the Surestance Pro for most riders. Well done on an amazing product.
