Like the Shop Rat’s playful powder brief but want a different build? The Guide Series adds Carbonite and a dedicated touring-toe pattern while retaining the distinctive directional outline.
Is the Chimera Shop Rat Guide Series 26/27 right for your tours?
For active freeride and freestyle splitters, the appeal is compact length with a substantial nose. Carbon fibres and aluminium stringers are intended to deliver lighter construction with damping. We do not claim a specific weight saving without comparable measurements. For jumps in particular, ask which tuning gives you useful feedback and confidence.
What should you consider on the ascent?
The combined pattern for standard touring toe pieces and many tech-toe systems may interest hardboot users. Check your actual system’s hole pattern. Material choices replace neither properly fitting boots nor practising transitions before the first tour.
How do you choose suitable length and width?
The shape comes in 155 cm: the chart gives a 255 mm waist, 8.7 m radius and 69 mm setback. These figures fit the Shop Rat idea; construction and interface are the reasons to consider the Guide Series.
How do boots, bindings and skins work together?
Start by matching boot fit, board width and lateral support. An oversized boot loses support before pressure reaches the edge. For the Chimera Shop Rat Guide Series, we would prioritise heel hold and a highback suited to your weight over choosing the stiffest possible binding. Playful downhill handling need not mean a setup that collapses sideways on a traverse. Practise both touring and riding modes with your actual interface and its specified screws. Plan suitable skins too: length, width and nose and tail fittings need to work together.
Read more in our Splitboard Gear Guide.
Which of our test experiences help you?
We have not yet tested the Chimera Shop Rat Guide Series ourselves. Our advice uses current manufacturer information and our Gear Guide principles. An older model introduction provides history rather than our own riding test. Manufacturer-shop customer ratings are not used as our editorial scores either.
For a demo, start with a suitable size and your own boots. Check whether you can apply pressure comfortably in slow turns as well as at speed. After a longer climb, consider whether width and flex still feel manageable. A consistent setup is more useful than comparing random boards with very different lengths or stance settings.
What has changed since 25/26 and earlier models?
Chimera Splitboards currently includes this model in its regular range. The manufacturer page does not identify a separate technical redesign for 26/27 or a complete change list from 25/26. This page is therefore our guide for the 26/27 season rather than a claim of a newly developed annual model. Compare the actual generation, length, width, hardware and package contents. A new graphic or different price alone does not establish changed tuning.
What is included in the price and what else do you need?
Budget for bindings, interface and suitable skins alongside the board. Check touring-toe compatibility particularly carefully for the Guide Series and Hermit. A regional euro display does not establish shipping and delivered costs for your country.
Which alternatives should you compare?
Compare Chimera Shop Rat and Chimera Sceptre Guide Series. The riding-style differences are discussed above. Use comparable sizes and your own boots on a demo where possible. A different stance or substantially softer binding can change more than a small dimensional difference between boards. Decide by how well the setup suits your usual tours.
FAQ: What should you know before the first tour?
Does the Guide Series automatically ride better than the regular Shop Rat?
We have not compared them ourselves. Construction differs while the intended use remains similar. Whether the premium makes sense depends on desired tuning, tour length and your binding system.
Which size and width suit me?
The shape comes in 155 cm: the chart gives a 255 mm waist, 8.7 m radius and 69 mm setback. These figures fit the Shop Rat idea; construction and interface are the reasons to consider the Guide Series.
Have you tested this model yourselves?
We have not yet tested the Chimera Shop Rat Guide Series ourselves. Our assessment uses manufacturer data and our Gear Guide; we do not assign riding scores to it.
Which boots, bindings and skins suit it?
Start by matching boot fit, board width and lateral support. An oversized boot loses support before pressure reaches the edge. For the Chimera Shop Rat Guide Series, we would prioritise heel hold and a highback suited to your weight over choosing the stiffest possible binding. Playful downhill handling need not mean a setup that collapses sideways on a traverse. Practise both touring and riding modes with your actual interface and its specified screws. Plan suitable skins too: length, width and nose and tail fittings need to work together.
What is included in the price and what else do you need?
Budget for bindings, interface and suitable skins alongside the board. Check touring-toe compatibility particularly carefully for the Guide Series and Hermit. A regional euro display does not establish shipping and delivered costs for your country.
What differs from the previous season?
Chimera Splitboards currently includes this model in its regular range. The manufacturer page does not identify a separate technical redesign for 26/27 or a complete change list from 25/26. This page is therefore our guide for the 26/27 season rather than a claim of a newly developed annual model. Compare the actual generation, length, width, hardware and package contents. A new graphic or different price alone does not establish changed tuning.
Which sizes and specifications does the manufacturer list?
Sizes: 155 cm. These are manufacturer specifications, not our own measurements.
| Size (cm) | 155 |
|---|---|
| Running length [mm] | 1118 |
| Sidecut [m] | 8.7 |
| Waist width [mm] | 255 |
| Nose length [mm] | 246 |
| Tail length [mm] | 185 |
| Nose width [mm] | 302 |
| Tail width [mm] | 275 |
| Stance setback [mm] | 69 |
Where do the data, images and tests come from?
Chimera Shop Rat Guide Series – manufacturer page. Checked 19 October 2026. Product photographs and size charts come from the manufacturer.
What does the board look like? (1 photos)
