Curated Snowboarding Experts Everett Pelkey & Yuri Czmola got their hands on the 2024 Rome Mechanic Snowboard this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the Mechanic or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboarding Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Rome claim about this board? [Everett] Rome claims this is a predictable, pressable, and reliable board from day one to a couple of seasons.

[Yuri] Rome defines this as an awesome all-mountain twin that is flat between the feet with rocker on the nose and tail, making it very inviting to advance as an intermediate rider. It can handle some park and a little bit more.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Everett] They are super fun, stable, and really going to get you where you need to go. The flat rocker profile will give you that forgiveness to start yourself. But really, it feels torsionally stiff, so you can own this board for a lot longer than you expect as your first beginner setup. That flat profile makes it forgiving, but it’s not rocker all the way through, so it’s not loose. You’re super stable. It almost feels a bit like camber, but being on a bit of a softer profile, you can get the best of both worlds. This board will be a great East Coast resort ripper. It is a great fun board.

[Yuri] I was lucky enough to ride this board at Belleayre Mountain. Conditions were at an all-time high; pretty sick, soft snow off. Light, fluffy powder in the morning, and then it got slushy as the day went on. This board is a great option for anyone looking to get away from Craigslist’s secondary sales rental experience and wants to begin exploring more dynamic turns, get into their first butters, and then start riding the park more. I rode the 157 wide today. I am 6’6”, and I didn’t think this would hold me down, but it did. I had a blast. It was perfect for Belleayre and the style of riding I was doing. It was a great snowboard, and honestly, I could see myself riding this size more. But ultimately, if I was looking for an answer for the Catskills, the East Coast, and beyond, I feel a 157 could hold me down, but I’d size up if I rode more West Coast options. I like this board a whole lot. Given the choice, this might be one of those that I would snatch from the Rome lineup just because of the price point and because I feel I could ride this on the East Coast or even out west.

Carving

How does it turn? [Everett] The rocker in the nose and the tail is where you're going to be able to mess around and give you a catch-free edge where you need to go but still be able to lock in initiating turns once you start getting those down.

[Yuri] It has a nice, locked-in feel with the stable platform underfoot and the nose and tail being soft, making it very inviting into and out of turns.

What is the edge hold like? [Everett] The hot rods within these boards that you see indented in a lot of Rome setups is what’s going to give you a little bit more stability in this thing, which is super convenient when you get in a beginner board that you want something that you’re going to feel locked and confident in, but you still want something you can play around it on and understand the fundamentals of riding a snowboard.

[Yuri] Despite the fact it has a soft nose and tail, the flat platform underfoot keeps you nice and locked in.

How does it perform at speed? [Yuri] This board held up well. There are other options I would look for carving, but you’d be surprised how locked in this board feels overall, even if you push it at a higher speed.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle snowboarding? [Everett] This definitely isn’t for the hardest charger. This isn’t the most freestyle board, but it still can pack a lot more punch than you’re expecting.

[Yuri] If you want to put it sideways, look no further. This is a great option. The flat, stable point between the feet and the rocker on the nose and tail makes getting your first nose press and tail press very inviting. But even for the intermediate rider looking for more oomph in their park riding, I would check this out.

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Yuri] It’s not a true camber feel, but it has a nice, locked-in, surfy feel that lets you play around whether you’re in pow, slush, or some nice corduroy.

Is it good for riding switch? [Yuri] Riding switch and regular felt great because it is a true twin.

How is it on jumps? [Yuri] It has a nice locked-in feel, especially when you look to lock in on boxes and rails or even make a stable platform and bend your knees going off those jumps.

Freeride

How is it for freeride snowboarding? [Yuri] This board encourages a great park feel, and honestly, the even-more-mind-blowing part wasn’t just the feel in the park — when you took it to a freeride element, this board still held its own. Outside the park, you can still make the whole mountain your playground.

How is it in powder? [Everett] It’s definitely not going to be your powder house board, your tree ripper, or your cliff dropper.

[Yuri] In powder, it held up and had a nice float.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Yuri] I had a great time riding this thing in the woods and bumps.

What terrain is this board good for? [Everett] This board is for getting the fundamentals down, earning your way up from greens to blues, and even starting some interest in black. You can still handle those on this board.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Everett] Rome Boards are designed for those East Coast riders at heart, and that’s why I love their lineup. They always make great boards. This is a great way to get into the lineup, feel how you like their boards, get down to snowboarding, and realize why it’s such a fantastic sport.

[Yuri] This is an excellent option for exploring. For an expert rider on a budget or someone looking to upgrade, check out this board.

Who should avoid this board, there are other better options out there for them? [Everett] If your eurocarving hard and charging turns, this board will not be your style.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Everett, Yuri, or any other Snowboarding Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations on the best board for you.