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Just wondering what peoples choice of binding are?

As I mentioned in another thread I was overwhelmed by the choices on offer at Jimbocho the other day, looking for some feedback from more experienced riders! \:D

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all i would say is - once you've decided on a couple of choices based on people's comments, go with a big name brand. that way if something breaks, or you need a screw or a ratchet or whatever, you can find a replacement easily.

i lost a screw from a flow baseplate and finding a replacement was a pain in the arse (the baseplate is slightly thicker than normal)

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I have been riding for a long time and have seen the evolution of many binding companies so this is my experience and by no means gospel.

 

I can't remember the first brand I had but I know the 2nd were Bent Metal, low back from '93/94 season. Snowboarding was so Skate/Freestyle back then and the scene had heaps of really low back bindings. I wasn't so I changed.

 

I then started to ride Burton bindings but found they weren't torsionally rigid enough i.e. they always ended up with snow under the binding and in between the board. This was due to the position of the high back being joined to the base plate in the middle of the binding and not towards the back like most other companies. If you look at any Burton binding and compare the positioning of the joining screws to other bindings you will see the difference. I am sure this has improved but I have demo'd heaps since then and still find the same problem freeriding and in powder.

 

I tried Drake and found their high backs too high but much better under foot but they were too wide overall unless you had Northwave boots.

 

I now ride with Technine bindings but the ratchets on these are crap and the toe straps have cracked/broken on both sides so I'm definitely upgrading to something new again. They do have fantastic service for these problems and now even provide all bindings with new ratchets but it is just too annoying to find they freeze everywhere and sometimes come loose when riding..scary

 

The choice is now what are compatible with Vans boots in terms of base plate size. They must be, for me, metal base plates or at least composite metal/plastic/carbon so they are quite stiff but that is not the same for everyone.

 

Park and pipe, softer materials and flexibility are important

Powder and freeride, stiff baseplates and more rigid materials.

 

Maybe it is time try Rome or Drake/Burton again.

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We have a range here - depends on personal comfort and what your use is I suppose!

His Injuredness is a Cartel junkie.

BearCub#3 found Nirvana in Flows.

And I am a girly girl with some white sparkly Charm's - easy to use and comfortably fit with my Van's Boa's (heaven on my feet!)

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I ride c60 Burtons with Vans Boots they fit perf are superlight for hiking , i always carry a spare strap set front and back, and screws. I used these last year with Palmer base plates look forward to trying the Eelevator plates this year.

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I ride c60 Burtons with Vans Boots they fit perf are superlight for hiking , i always carry a spare strap set front and back, and screws. I used these last year with Palmer base plates look forward to trying the Eelevator plates this year.

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I ride c60 Burtons with Vans Boots they fit perf and are superlight for hiking , i always carry a spare strap set front and back, and screws. I used these last year with Palmer base plates look forward to trying the Elevator plates this year.

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i've been through many bindings.....burton, agency, ride, drake, forum, and flux. I would recommend this....though its quite pricey and hard to find....Nidecker Act-1....it goes for about $360 USD. My bindings cost more than any board i've ever bought, but hey, I have never lost a screw, broken a ratchet, etc. Its built pretty solid and its light.

 

But if money is an issue, burton missions or drake czars are good...and they have replacement parts that are easy to find.

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I have a pair of burton Co2's, Rode them all season 07 New Zealand, my style is mostly freestyle with some park riding. I am super happy with them - they are still in great condition and I am confident they will great for my season in Japan.

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There used to be a time when there was one answer to this question.

 

Burton.

 

The list of riders who rode their bindings while not sponsored by them was huge, but now the difference is not so big. I think actually Burton's have become less good rather than others being any better.

 

Travis Rice still uses Burton (Missions or Cartels) and I've never had nay problem freeriding with those flexier bindings - and nor does TRice by the look of things.

 

Technines are so bad, they look like a child has made them with mechano - any binding that has a simple nut and bolt through any moving part should be thrown in the bin - every time you move that part it will become looser, and then fall off, maybe when you are riding. Look at the engineering Burton, Salamon, Rome etc have done to avoid this.

 

Rome's look good.

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burton ratchets break within a couple months of constant riding, which should happen with $300 bindings. i am also wary of this years p1s (i think ). The highbacks are only connected to the part that attacched to the baseplate in two, very small areas. They did it like that so the highback can flex more, and i'm sure they have done testing. But they look very sketchy

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 Originally Posted By: AK 77
Union also look decent.

Drakes are plasticy and break, as do SP.


I hear that AK.
I bought my gear last Xmas as a package, so I knew that it wasn't the best of bindings, but I expected them to last longer than they did. I only used them for 1 week's boarding in France, but by the 3rd day the ratchet strap was all chewed up and having difficulty fitting into the ratchet, by the end of the week the ratchet had chewed most of the teeth off of the strap, I was WELL pissed off. The day I got back I marched back to the shop and demanded answers, they didn't even hesitate but they upgraded them right away. They are stil SP though, but you can tell the quality is better. I'm only wanting them to last this season and next year when I get some dough together I'm upgrading everything
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I was satisfied with my high-end Rides a few seasons ago, but decided to try something new. I gave Union a shot. More or less, the founder of Drake wasn't too keen on the direction of the company, so he broke off and started his own brand. Unions blow anything else I've ridden out of the water. Durable, adjustable, comfortable and all with an extremely versatile flex pattern. The density of the highback is tapered, being stiff at the bottom but becoming gradually more flexible as you move up the highback. This flex profile offers freeride responsiveness with freestyle tweakability, and it works.

 

It'll take the whole Bolivian army to make me part ways with my Unions. I've got a few seasons on a few different pairs, and I haven't had a single problem, and all of them are still going strong. The wife digs hers, too. Far better than the Drakes she had that fell apart while she was riding (literally).

 

Look at Union, and definitely look at Rome as well.

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Going on my direct experience - under my own feet or infront of my eyes....

 

Would always first consider buying:

 

Burton - maybe due to their past glories, but I think the good points still outweigh the bad, plus they have decent warranty.

Missions represent good value for money and almost the same performance as Cartels on the simple one-piece tray design that is modular with parts and ..well, just works.

P1s are heavier and have too many different parts to break, and the new top of the line ones have been tweaked too much for lightness and look weaker than the classic tray design.

 

Would NEVER buy:

 

Drake - seen too many baseplates and highbacks snapped by hard riding.

SP - same reason.

Technine - made with bolts that fall off.

Ride - Aweful ratchets, nasty combiantion of plastic and metal.

K2 - same reason as Ride.

Would also probably never buy FORUM bindings either.

 

Would also consider buying higher level models from:

 

Salamon - seem to put decent amount of R&D into stuff, decent ratchets, simple designs.

Rome - pretty much same reason as Salamon.

and maybe Nidecker - haven't seen them for a while, but the carbon 306 model from 2002 looked killer, but parts would be a pain.

 

Don't have any experience either way of:

 

Flux - seem nice and cushy but heavy, with fairly low high backs.

Bent Metal/Gnu/Mervin mfg models.... always seemed kind of home-made.

Union - too new to know about really.

Nitro - the Raiden top end ones look ok.

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