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I just bought these new bindings made by FLOW. They are hybrid step in/strap in, so you can strap in while you are sitting on the chair lift. I bought them cos all the reviews on the net I found were raving about them. They feel really comfy, as the pressure from the support straps is divided across the top of most of your boot.

 

I'm busting to try them out but will have to wait for a while. In the meantime, does anybody have a pair and if so what do you make of them?

 

http://www.eternalsnow.com/flfl11.html

 

Are they too good to be true?

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I have a pair, but mine are stiffer than the model you have displayed. My gf just bought a pair of the ones you have.

 

I am yet to get the most out of mine and have reverted back to an old pair of burtons until I get better at boarding and can handle the stiffness of teh highback.

 

The performance of the binding is a function of the boot shape. Boots with thick stems (ie the bit around the shin and calf) particularly just above the ankle tend to not suit the way the binding works. ThirtyTwo boots are such a boot. They are quite bulky.

 

Nail your bindings to your board and then strap in. See how far you can wrench your boot heel off teh base plate. I can easily get mine up high enough to slide my fingers under my heel with room to spare. Just hope that your boots fits in them snuggly, ie you have a narrow boot stem and that the shape of the back of teh lower boot and heel melds into teh shape of teh lower part of the high back. I am yet to try it out, but on carpet Salomon Malamutes fit way, way better than ThirtyTwo boots.

 

Note that the Flows don't have a heel cup/loop. My boots wedge really nicely down into the heel cup/loop of my burton bindings. I dont know if this is a good thing, but I certainly like the way the heels is held into the binding.

 

They are certainly easy to use, but even I (a beginner) noticed the weight that was removed from my board when I swapped over to teh old burtons.

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yup, I have the FL11 from way back. the Ice Blue metal ones. They are still going strong and the speed in which i can jump into them compared to regular bindings is awsome.

I also have a few sets of burton bindings (top end) but even though the flows are the low end I still prefer them. I was interested in buying the Carbon Fibre model

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Headlice - I am assuming that you are an experienced boarder. If so it is good to hear for once someone that is experienced saying good things about the flows.

 

I have the carbon ones myself, FR C's.

 

Hows that busted foot going?

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thanks for the adice. i have salomon boots so hopefully they fit ok. they felt ok on carpet.

 

You can adjust that backpiece you know? so you can adjust the forward lean. i guess that would prevent you getting your fingeres underneath you heel.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by bobby12:


You can adjust that backpiece you know? so you can adjust the forward lean. i guess that would prevent you getting your fingeres underneath you heel.
yes, but unless you set the strop up right you will get a horrible pain in the back of the calf.
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Oh ender, you are a funny ba$tard aren't you!!! :p

 

Bobby12 - i use Flow bindings and Flow boots. They fit very well together. My girlfriend also uses Flow bindings and has just got some Northwave boots. They seem to fit ok, but we will have to wait to see how they go on the slopes.

 

I love my Flow's and haven't had any problems as yet. It can abe bit fiddley getting the binding settings right, but once you do, no worries!!! I can't remember wait model they are, but they are quite a flexible binding. My boots are Flow Morpheus.

 

Anywho I'm happy with them!!!

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DB, Yes I have a bit of experience but I have missed a seson so not looking forward to the frst few days of gumbyness!

 

I originally changed from regular bindings due to a pain that i was getting from my binding straps.

 

all is well and the speed of the entry gives me an advantage of getting first tracks about 15-20 seconds in front of my mates!

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Miss Nism - excuse me you rude little high school girl. perhaps I was ripped off? not an uncommon thing for this fool and his money, but i paid about y37000, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

Itchy - hope all goes well with your gammy foot in niseko.

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Fifth season in Flow bindings and boots. They have gone from terrible to fantastic. Step-in, yet no power gets stuck underneath. Great for places like Niseko where you have to unstrap your back foot all the time, and it's too cold to hassle around with straps.

Even the cheaper plastic binding models are proving unbreakable.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by deebee:
Miss Nism - excuse me you rude little high school girl. perhaps I was ripped off? not an uncommon thing for this fool and his money, but i paid about y37000, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Itchy - hope all goes well with your gammy foot in niseko.
i meant it as if it was steep. i didnt mean it against you or anything...
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This discussion has got me a bit more interested in Flow boots and bindings, but I've still got one big concern.

 

Having possibly the squishiest goddamn boots in the civilized world, I wonder if Flow boots, being generally more slender and less bulky, won't go the same way quicker. How well do Flow boots last?

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I've used Flow since '94 - now my third pair(I upgrade when there are significant improvements). Absolutely love them.

Great in the pow and you can lay down some nice trenches with them too.

Lots of locals in Niseko use them, makes getting around easier - flat spots, short hikes (like kogen gondola to 6C), hike to peak, etc.

 

Don't clog, though there is some buildup on the disk, I cover it with packing tape, easy.

 

I've used them with Sorels and Flow boots.

My old Flow boots have lasted 200 days and are still in good condition, but I bought some new Flow boots,Domain, last year.

 

Comfort and ease of use are the main benefits for me. Could never go back to straps.

 

cheers.

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snurfer thanks.

 

I read about them on SnowboarderReview.com last night, and lots of reviewers said they break, are generally fragile, or that the cables 'de-tension'. Of course, it's hard to trust the reviews when there's only 5 or 6, and there are many more users around. Have you experienced or heard of any of these kinds of problems?

 

The time for a decision is coming up fast, and I'll be trying on some Flows I think.

 

Cheers

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ocean - keep in mind that some reviews are regarding old models - since had problems fixed (in some cases). Also, different models from the same year are quite different in construction. One apparantly very common problem that I read about cant happen to the model that I have as the problem piece isnt on my model.

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O11, like db says - there have been some probs for some people with the older models. There were some problems when they switched back to plastic from aluminium - the plastic they used was brittle and cracked in very cold temps.

The plastic they use now though is fine.

 

I haven't had any, except for breaking a cable after hitting a tree. (Flow Japan were great and had me back on the snow in an hour.) Checking out the new models, I can't see how they can improve them.

I rode 150+ days in my old blue aluminium ones (still ok) and 60+days in the new plastic ones.

 

They've added a locking device on their snap lock, because some people thought they might pop open - not something I've ever experienced.

 

Cabling has been changed and adjustment is now tool free and simple. Cables will stretch initially, but will settle down.

 

I think the carbons are pricey and have the FL-11s - they were 19,000Y last year.

 

Keep in mind that it may seem more difficult to slide in to the binding in the store, but that on snow, the snow works like lubricant.

 

Another great thing is that you set them up once and ride that way for the whole season.

 

have fun.

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i'll be trying them out on thursday so will post here about it.

 

does anyone know how important it is to adjust the wire thing? when i first tried them on they seemed to fit ok, but i wonder if they'll be tight enough... \:\(

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Bobby - by "wire thing" i gather you mean the part that connects to the highback?? If so you can play around with the tightness very easyily by spinning the little knob on the highback. You should be able to snap the highback up without too much of an effort, but at the same time it shouldn't be too easy to snap up.

 

The Flow website is very good. And has some info about adjusting bindings etc. Flow Website

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Bobby12,

the wire thing adjusts your forward lean, it's not for making the binding fit tighter, that's what the adjustments on the footstrap are for.

 

My tips for setting the footstraps are

1. put your boot in with the footstraps all the way up and raise the highback

2. push the footstrap down till it stops clicking

3. remove boot and push the top clips an extra 1-2 clicks

4. ride and adjust again if necessary

 

Note - don't make the front of the footstrap too tight, you'll find it hard to slip in.

Raising the highback will push your boot into the footstrap, you want it loose with the highback down so that you slide in easily.

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