yfc1 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 hi, any flow bindings users out there? which is better? straps or flow? Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Ask Snowboard Freak... I prefer straps. Big meaty ones like on Ride bindings. Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 As soon as i saw this topic and one reply, i knew it would be you ender. I have always used Flows and never had a problem with them until Niseko this year. The back part on my "pro" model Flows popped open mid toe side turn on more than one occasion and i was very lucky a couple of times not to end up in hospital because of it. So im getting myself a pair of strap bindings now. I dont think it is as easy as asking which is better - Flows or straps. Everyone is going to have different opinions on them and i'd say a lot of riders on here havent tried Flows before. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 this topic has been here at least twice before. I use flow and think they are great. Ive never had problems with them coming undone or whatever, and mine are a cheapie old model. They arereally comfortable and save a lot of time and hassle getting in/out of your bindings. very useful if you fall in powder too. you can get them for 2man now in the sales. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Heard DB comment on his backs opening up too but mine never have. How tight do you have the forward lean set too? How long have you used the binding? Or maybe I should ask how many times? Momo has used hers around 30 times, mine about 35 so far. Have you talked with anyone at Flow about that happening? I'm not worried (yet) about mine, but I am curious about how/why it is happening... Ray Link to post Share on other sites
Bowler 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 i aint ever had a problem wi mine. i love flows purely for the convenience of them. im always first down the slope cause theyre so quick to put on. no sitting down for me!! Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 My older (cheaper ones) never popped open. They have seen a lot more days than my newer ones. The ones that have popped open were new last Aussie season. Seen maybe 40 or so days of use, so there is no way its over use. What worries me the most is that it is a small piece of metal that is causing it. Its one tiny thing that can cause one hell of a problem. I can what is causing the prob and tried fixing it, but with no luck. I was going to email them yesterday but didnt bother as emails rarely get replies. Im going to go to my dealer and have a chat to him and see what he says. Forward lean isnt set very far forward at all. I've got no idea what actually caused this malfunction in the first place, but i do know that i probably wont trust those bindings again. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Definitely wierd SBF - when you think about it, the design of the hi-back puts pressure on the locking mechanism so it can't open, so how it ends up opening is mysterious. I know that when I come off the lift, if the locking mechanism is just resting up against the hi-back, but not engaged, it won't let me open the hi-back to put my foot in it until I open the locking mech alot. I also have the the Pro Cs, so it seems mine might be prone to the problem you describe. I hope it doesn't happen to me cause I love them, especially in deep powder... Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by snowboard_freak: My older (cheaper ones) never popped open. They have seen a lot more days than my newer ones. I've got no idea what actually caused this malfunction in the first place, but i do know that i probably wont trust those bindings again. The older more basic ones don't pop open as they are a damn site harder to shut due to the angles of the lever involved. Take a close look and you will see this. The Pro models do pop open more easily as they are easier to open due to their design. However this will never happen if you close them properly in the first place. The hindrance is snow between the highback and the lever. When you are excited to get going in the powder it is easy to get snow in there. Get it all out, my best advice. The only other time they will come open is when you crash and the lever catches on the snow. This is a risk but requires a high speed crash (heel side edge catch). If there is snow jammed (as described) then it will obviously come open easier. It is worth remembering that I once crashed so hard that I toe BOTH the foward lean thingys off my burton bindings. In terms of being great to use: they rule. They simply are fantastic and I love them. Strap bindings hurt my feet and are a hassle. I am tired of waiting for staps to be done up. I will continue to use them, but here and there I have been a little nervous that I was about to pop out of my board and waste myself. Then I came to enjoy the hedonistic uncertainty buzz of high-speed equipment failure. Like a condom really. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 p.s. I have my forward lean set fairly tight against my calves...about 1/3 the way in from completely "loose"... Link to post Share on other sites
yfc1 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Author Share Posted February 14, 2004 do they help u set up the bindings to the board when you buy them? i've heard that it's quite time-consuming to mount and adjust the flows....is that true? Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Not at all, not once you get the hang of it... which only takes a few times. Follow the instructions to get the best fit. Some time you need to 'collapse' the binding for roofrack/plane/train travel. At the end of the trip you will need to quickly re-fit the binding to your boot. No big deal and it is a good way to give your bindings a once over before you ride so as to pick up any potential break points or damage. Link to post Share on other sites
SimonWB 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Once you have adjusted once at the beginning of the day, you pretty much don't have to worry about them from then. They can be a bit difficult to get off in powder I found.. I was in Kagura Mitsumata on Sat and I got stuck a couple of times.. ended up on my back with the board in the air.. They are GREAT! Link to post Share on other sites
yfc1 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Author Share Posted February 14, 2004 so they come with instructions then! that's a relief! i'm new to this! Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Ray, it is very weird. I can't really figure it out. When it first happened i thought it was just snow caught in between, as db mentions. But that was not the case. So i've got no idea what has caused it. If i flick the the left binding down, then the right one, the right pops out very easily. Every time the binding opened i was doing a a pretty high speed toe side turn, or a quick toe side traverse. Basically when i was on my toe edge. Link to post Share on other sites
gammaman 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 Flows win. Love `em cos they are so easy and comfortable. My fairly basic (just a minute.. had to check the name) FL-5 from last season have never looked like they were gonna come undone, and never have. The only shortcoming I can think of is the slight weight increase (which may be fixed by the new models). Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 maybe you just didnt close it properly in the first place, rather than it coming undone due to a hard turn? could that be possible? Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted February 14, 2004 Share Posted February 14, 2004 both my flow models have never popped out. I have to agree with db that you would have to not shut them correctly to have them pop out in the first place. The fact that I can get BURTON bindings for free and yet I choose to pay full price for FLOW's says something about how good they are. As for setting them up. I remember how many clicks up each ratchit goes and they are easy as. If you are new to them, just try marking the "sweet spot" with a colored marker pen. & a final benefit is that they disperse the pressure on the foot where the normal straps often cause discomfort. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 i never adjust the little wheel thing on the back bit. what does that do? does it adjust forward lean, or does it just tighten/loosen subtly? Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 bobby - it was definately closed properly before it popped open. Like i said before, it is very noticeable now when you compare the two bindings. If it was just a problem with me not closing them properly then they would be fine now. Link to post Share on other sites
RayInJapan 0 Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 Bobby - the wheel adjusts forward lean. In theory, it should be adjusted to match the forward lean of the boots you're wearing - no more, no less. The manual that comes with it says not to adjust them too tight cause it will stretch the cable. I have mine a little more than matching the boots though cause I like the feeling of the hiback tight against my calves... Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 Look guys, here's my 2 cents on whether they popped open because snow was obstructing the closure: Here's _freak, a rabid cannonball boarder who's been a Flow fanatic for years, has an older pair probably ridden into the ground that never popped open for any reason whatsoever, and now he gets into a new Pro model and it pops open. He surely wiped as necessary and locked it the way he always does, the way he has 5,000 times before. And if it popped due to snow even after that, then it must be a defective, snow-hogging design. Not acceptable. This shouldn't happen to such an experienced rider or Flow user. There's something wrong here. I hope he gets to the store rep ASAP. If it is a snow clogging issue where the Pro behaves differently from older versions, then think what less experienced riders are going to find. If it didn't pop open due to snow, but due to some other problem, well, that's another story. Maybe it was the only Flow binding off the assembly line in 2003 with this problem. Or maybe ALL the Pro models pop open. Whatever it is it needs fixing. I've had Burton and Salomon strap bindings that came apart on the slope, or had broken straps that pitched me out dangerously on the gelende. I've had Burtons that wouldn't let me OUT of the binding. In powder or a tree well, I might have died, stuck to the board like that. You pays your penny and you takes your chances. You figure it out, fix it, and go boarding. I never stopped buying these products, I just tried to make sure they were working right like any other piece of gear. My Flows rule, they are heartily recommended. _freak, I'm glad you're OK, and hope you post whatever you find out from the maker, so we can all follow along. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 s_freak - ok i see, i thought it just happened once but it sounds like yours are actually broken. in which case, it should be easy to ascertain the problem if you take them to a flow rep. ray_in_japan - thanks for the info about the wheel thing. i will adjust that for the first time when i go boarding tommorow! hopefully they werent fitting well before and i will get a nice comfort boost. Link to post Share on other sites
snowboard_freak 0 Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 Cheers badmigs. I think i'll email Flow tonight as well as going to visit local store. It'll be an interesting exercise to see if they respond, and if so, how quickly. I'll keep you posted, Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted February 15, 2004 Share Posted February 15, 2004 email the rep before talking to the shop. Japan's FLOW rep got back to me in a day and was really helpful when i needed some parts. Oz rep should do the same. good luck, but don't change teams just because of a defect! (and Regular users getting in ya ear!) Link to post Share on other sites
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