Arbor Abacus Splitboard Review

Arbor has been making great snowboards that are as attractive as they are fun to ride. When I got my feet on the Arbor Abacus Splitboard I could tell that they did their homework making this one top-notch splitboard. There are several factors that make this a great pick.

Arbor Profile

First, the shape and parabolic camber/rocker (Arbor calls it System Rocker) profile are really amazing for riding as well as skinning up. The unique shape allows for more contact underfoot as you skin up the mountain (something quite a few rockered splitboards overlook). This helps with traction on the way up without sacrificing the riding experience, in fact, the shape also allows for a very fun, agile and forgiving ride on the way down!

Next, the Arbor Abacus splitboard is very well made. Maybe the best production of any split we have seen yet. That is a HUGE statement! There is no gap at all between boards. That is nearly impossible to accomplish. Almost all boards have some gapping, but this one has none. Zilch, zero. Impressive for many reasons. Arbor sourced a factory in the UAE to create this board. Not sure what kind of alien technology they are using, but it results in a flawless board. This split actually rides like a regular board, so much so that Sean found himself preferring to ride this split inbounds over the other regular snowboards he loves. That is a big testimony to the construction and the fun of this great splitboard.

The ride of the board is about as perfect as we have found. It floats in powder, initiates a turn easy and is forgiving on chopping conditions. It has a playful flex too. Not too flexible as to be a noodle, not too stiff as to be hard to ride. It turns on a dime too. It’s fun to ride in all conditions so it can be a one board splitboard quiver.

Arbor includes Karakoram hardware with the Abacus – which we love. Also, it has a 3-year warranty. That is better than most! Comes in 4 sizes (152, 158, 161 and 164). See size chart below for exact measurements.

If you are getting into splitboarding, the Arbor Abacus Splitboard a great board for you. If you have been riding for years and just want to have fun, this board is for you too. If they had a wide version then this would cater to most everyone. Sean has size 11 boot and felt this on the line of being almost too narrow. He never caught a toe, but it would be nice if they offered a slightly wider version for those with a size 11.5 and bigger. Overall, a great board at a really great price. We can not find anything even close to it in this price range. Bummer that the Abacus  are no longer made.  Below are some other solid choices for splitboards from Arbor and some others that we recomend:

Never Summer Swift

Weston Backwoods $899

Arbor Bryan Iguchi $789

Arbor Coda Splitboard $739

Check out our video review!

MSRP $679

TECH SPECS

Length: 152 cm, 158 cm, 161 cm, 164 cm
Profile: The System Rocker (parabolic rocker)
Shape: directional twin
Flex: medium
Effective Edge: [152cm] 1136 mm, [158cm] 1190 mm, [161cm] 1217 mm, [164cm] 1244 mm
Waist Width: [152cm] 249 mm, [158cm] 252 mm, [161cm] 253 mm, [164cm] 255 mm
Sidecut Radius: [152cm] 7.6 m, [158cm] 7.9 m, [161cm] 8.05 m, [164cm] 8.2 m
Stance Width: 22 in
Stance Setback: 0 cm
Core: Highland – Poplar and Paulownia
Wrap: mixed
Base: sintered
Hardware Included: yes
Skins Included: no
Recommended Rider Weight: [152cm] 114 – 194 lbs, [158cm] 126 – 206 lbs, [161cm] 132 – 212 lbs, [164cm] 138 – 218 lbs
Recommended Use: backcountry touring
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years