Bindings

[Sean]

Hi All,

I have a Salomon Link with some older K2 Plasma 10 bindings that need
to be replaced. Do any of you have any suggestions for a
replacement? I freeride only and am looking for something that is a
little forgiving and not too rigid. I have looked at the Flow setup
and like the in/out design but I have heard that they do not collapse
making travel a bit tough.

Does anyone have any insight on who is putting out the best product?

thanks,

Sean

[josephmramirez@netzero.com]

On Jan 3, 9:34*pm, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I have a Salomon Link with some older K2 Plasma 10 bindings that need
> to be replaced. *Do any of you have any suggestions for a
> replacement? *I freeride only and am looking for something that is a
> little forgiving and not too rigid. *I have looked at the Flow setup
> and like the in/out design but I have heard that they do not collapse
> making travel a bit tough.

By "travel," do you mean in a car, or on a plane? If you detach the
strap -- something you wouldn't do in day-to-day use, but is OK for
traveling -- you can push the Flow highback down farther, making it
easier to pack and ship your board. If you don't do that, you are
correct that the Flows create larger "humps" on the board than strap
bindings. Still, I've found that they will fit through the typical
automobile trunk-rear seat pass-through.

> Does anyone have any insight on who is putting out the best product?

I have the Ride SPi's, which I like a lot. Good for freeriding,
although the aluminum base is probably more rigid than some of the
plastic models available.

Joe Ramirez

[Sean]

On Jan 3, 11:09*pm, josephmrami...@netzero.com wrote:
> On Jan 3, 9:34*pm, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi All,
>
> > I have a Salomon Link with some older K2 Plasma 10 bindings that need
> > to be replaced. *Do any of you have any suggestions for a
> > replacement? *I freeride only and am looking for something that is a
> > little forgiving and not too rigid. *I have looked at the Flow setup
> > and like the in/out design but I have heard that they do not collapse
> > making travel a bit tough.
>
> By "travel," do you mean in a car, or on a plane? If you detach the
> strap -- something you wouldn't do in day-to-day use, but is OK for
> traveling -- you can push the Flow highback down farther, making it
> easier to pack and ship your board. If you don't do that, you are
> correct that the Flows create larger "humps" on the board than strap
> bindings. Still, I've found that they will fit through the typical
> automobile trunk-rear seat pass-through.
>
> > Does anyone have any insight on who is putting out the best product?
>
> I have the Ride SPi's, which I like a lot. Good for freeriding,
> although the aluminum base is probably more rigid than some of the
> plastic models available.
>
> Joe Ramirez

Thanks for the reply, Joe. I was not sure if the highback would
collapse enough for safe transport on a plane, so you have answered my
question!

I don't mind the aluminum base, as my K2 is same construction...but
the plasmas do have a rubber padding that has *some* damping effects
on vibrations/chatter.

I will look into the Spi line.

Anyone heard from lonerider/Arvin? Used to see his opinions here
quite often, along with Neil. This group seems to have become quiet
with the exception of the MI5 nonsense.

Thanks again,

Sean

[josephmramirez@netzero.com]

On Jan 4, 12:04*am, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jan 3, 11:09*pm, josephmrami...@netzero.com wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 3, 9:34*pm, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Hi All,
>
> > > I have a Salomon Link with some older K2 Plasma 10 bindings that need
> > > to be replaced. *Do any of you have any suggestions for a
> > > replacement? *I freeride only and am looking for something that is a
> > > little forgiving and not too rigid. *I have looked at the Flow setup
> > > and like the in/out design but I have heard that they do not collapse
> > > making travel a bit tough.
>
> > By "travel," do you mean in a car, or on a plane? If you detach the
> > strap -- something you wouldn't do in day-to-day use, but is OK for
> > traveling -- you can push the Flow highback down farther, making it
> > easier to pack and ship your board. If you don't do that, you are
> > correct that the Flows create larger "humps" on the board than strap
> > bindings. Still, I've found that they will fit through the typical
> > automobile trunk-rear seat pass-through.
>
> > > Does anyone have any insight on who is putting out the best product?
>
> > I have the Ride SPi's, which I like a lot. Good for freeriding,
> > although the aluminum base is probably more rigid than some of the
> > plastic models available.
>
> > Joe Ramirez
>
> Thanks for the reply, Joe. *I was not sure if the highback would
> collapse enough for safe transport on a plane, so you have answered my
> question!

A couple of years ago, we flew to Calgary and I put two complete sets
of gear, mine and my son's, into one snowboard bag. We both had Flow
bindings at the time, so I took both sets completely off the boards
and labeled every single part so I could reassemble everything
properly at the hotel. :) Very annoying on the whole. With just one
board in a bag, you wouldn't need to do all that.

> I don't mind the aluminum base, as my K2 is same construction...but
> the plasmas do have a rubber padding that has *some* damping effects
> on vibrations/chatter.
>
> I will look into the Spi line.

The SPi's have nice rubber pads over the alum. base. I think most Ride
bindings have these; not sure if they all do.

Joe Ramirez

[Sean]

> A couple of years ago, we flew to Calgary and I put two complete sets
> of gear, mine and my son's, into *one snowboard bag. We both had Flow
> bindings at the time, so I took both sets completely off the boards
> and labeled every single part so I could reassemble everything
> properly at the hotel. :) *Very annoying on the whole. With just one
> board in a bag, you wouldn't need to do all that.
>
> > I don't mind the aluminum base, as my K2 is same construction...but
> > the plasmas do have a rubber padding that has *some* damping effects
> > on vibrations/chatter.
>
> > I will look into the Spi line.
>
> The SPi's have nice rubber pads over the alum. base. I think most Ride
> bindings have these; not sure if they all do.
>
> Joe Ramirez- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Heh....luckily my wife is a skiier, so we each have our own gear bag.

Thanks again for the reply. If anyone else has any opinions to share,
please post!

Sean

[Christopher Cox]

Hi Sean,

I demo'ed a pair of Salomon Relay Pro's this year. They feel different
enough that I would recommend you demo'ing them as well.
Very flexible from the front to the back of the board. (Skateboard'ish)
Extremely easy to go heal side. Going toe side is more of a challenge
for reasons I cannot grasp yet.

As for Arvin, have not heard from him on the group this year. It's
almost like it is not winter yet.

Chris

[Sean]

Thanks for the reply Chris. I poked around the intertubes and found a ton
of reviews for the Relay Pro's that were positive. I wish I lived near a
mountain so I could demo a pair...being in the southeast makes that kind of
difficult :).

I liked my K2's heelside move, but I'm much stronger going heel side than
toe side. It's kind of a strange feeling - while heel side, I have no
problem getting the edge to work for me putting down a nice, narrow line in
the snow. Toe side, on the other hand, I feel like I am about to launch off
the mountain with much less control. Something to work on this year. Do you
think the Relay Pro's have some flex in them going toe side transition? I
spent my youth on skateboards (mainly pipes) so the flexibility sounds very
appealing.

Arvin pointed me to a couple of choices for a new board two years ago...I
ended up with my Salomon Link and I really enjoy it. I only get about 10
days a year on the snow, so there isn't much opportunity to try before buy.
Anyhoo, I always enjoyed reading his technical posts.

Sean



"Christopher Cox" <chrisTOPHERcOX@coboxincORORATED.com> wrote in message
news:477e298c$0$8792$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Hi Sean,
>
> I demo'ed a pair of Salomon Relay Pro's this year. They feel different
> enough that I would recommend you demo'ing them as well.
> Very flexible from the front to the back of the board. (Skateboard'ish)
> Extremely easy to go heal side. Going toe side is more of a challenge for
> reasons I cannot grasp yet.
>
> As for Arvin, have not heard from him on the group this year. It's almost
> like it is not winter yet.
>
> Chris

[Bob F]

"Sean" <UU8***@****.com> wrote in message
news:13nsj0c2lidcmcf@corp.supernews.com...

> I liked my K2's heelside move, but I'm much stronger going heel side than toe
> side. It's kind of a strange feeling - while heel side, I have no problem
> getting the edge to work for me putting down a nice, narrow line in the snow.
> Toe side, on the other hand, I feel like I am about to launch off the mountain
> with much less control.

One thing I've found is that my bindings by themself do not allow enough forward
lean. This limits how much I can bend my knees on toeside to absorb bumps.
Therefore the bumps tend to throw me around a lot. On my old board, I made a
pair of wedge shaped risers to give me a couple degrees more of forward lean,
which pretty much solved the problem. I just got a new board which doesn't yet
have the risers installed, and have found I have much more of a problem turning
toeside again. I am just finishing a new riser set for that board.

The riser is just a piece of 3/4" plywood cut carefully with a handsaw into a
wedge of about 1/4" at the front and 1/2" at the back. I then cut the pieces to
match the bottom of the binding, and cut a hole for the binding plate. Next, I
primed the wood, and then coated the whole thing with polyurethane caulk using
an old credit card to give it a rubbery grip surface, and bought longer screws
for mounting the bindings through it.

Bob

[Sean]

> One thing I've found is that my bindings by themself do not allow enough
> forward lean. This limits how much I can bend my knees on toeside to
> absorb bumps. Therefore the bumps tend to throw me around a lot. On my old
> board, I made a pair of wedge shaped risers to give me a couple degrees
> more of forward lean, which pretty much solved the problem. I just got a
> new board which doesn't yet have the risers installed, and have found I
> have much more of a problem turning toeside again. I am just finishing a
> new riser set for that board.
>
> The riser is just a piece of 3/4" plywood cut carefully with a handsaw
> into a wedge of about 1/4" at the front and 1/2" at the back. I then cut
> the pieces to match the bottom of the binding, and cut a hole for the
> binding plate. Next, I primed the wood, and then coated the whole thing
> with polyurethane caulk using an old credit card to give it a rubbery grip
> surface, and bought longer screws for mounting the bindings through it.
>
> Bob
>
>

Innovative work, Bob. Norm Abrams would be proud! That sounds like a great
idea. I may have to run a piece through the bandsaw and see how it feels.

What type of bindings do you currently use?

Does anyone have any experience with the K2 of Flow models with the
highbacks that 'flip' down? Or should I stick with conventional?

Thanks for the reply,

Sean

[Bob F]

"Sean" <UU8***@****.com> wrote in message
news:13nssjpghfp6k13@corp.supernews.com...
>> One thing I've found is that my bindings by themself do not allow enough
>> forward lean. This limits how much I can bend my knees on toeside to absorb
>> bumps. Therefore the bumps tend to throw me around a lot. On my old board, I
>> made a pair of wedge shaped risers to give me a couple degrees more of
>> forward lean, which pretty much solved the problem. I just got a new board
>> which doesn't yet have the risers installed, and have found I have much more
>> of a problem turning toeside again. I am just finishing a new riser set for
>> that board.
>>
>> The riser is just a piece of 3/4" plywood cut carefully with a handsaw into a
>> wedge of about 1/4" at the front and 1/2" at the back. I then cut the pieces
>> to match the bottom of the binding, and cut a hole for the binding plate.
>> Next, I primed the wood, and then coated the whole thing with polyurethane
>> caulk using an old credit card to give it a rubbery grip surface, and bought
>> longer screws for mounting the bindings through it.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>>
>
> Innovative work, Bob. Norm Abrams would be proud! That sounds like a great
> idea. I may have to run a piece through the bandsaw and see how it feels.
>
> What type of bindings do you currently use?

The ones on the newer board are Ride SPi's.

>
> Does anyone have any experience with the K2 of Flow models with the highbacks
> that 'flip' down? Or should I stick with conventional?

I can't help here.

Bob

[Memascii]

On Jan 4, 6:52 pm, "Sean" <UU8***@****.com> wrote:

> Does anyone have any experience with the K2 of Flow models with the
> highbacks that 'flip' down? Or should I stick with conventional?

I'm a rear entry convert ;-)

I've had K2 Cinch for the last two years and for about
three years before that Flow FL11s. My experience with
Flows is therefore about 5 years out of date. I don't
think I'll go back to normal straps though, for comfort
and convenience.

The main advantage of both variations is the speed of
strapping in when you get off the lift. There may be
problems strapping in in deep powder, but that's not
something I often have the pleasure in coping with.
Also there are less problems with frozen ratchets.
They'er both a bit heavier than regular bindings
though.

Additionally, I find that Flows are much more
comfortable than strap bindings due to the better
distribution of pressure. For this reason I'd choose
Flows over the Cinches.

The Cinches do seem to grip your foot better due to
the way they clamp down, but they have a lot of
moving parts (more to go wrong?) and they are not
as stiff. Also because they have regular straps,
they can cause foot pain/cramps like regular
bindings, but on the other hand, it's easy to
ratchet them down an extra click before you hoon
down something stupid, which is always nice.

Like everything, it's best to try before you buy,
though if you rent Flows you'll probably end up
testing the cheapest ones.

Cheers.
Iain.

[Bas Mevissen]

On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:08:52 -0500, Sean wrote:

> I liked my K2's heelside move, but I'm much stronger going heel side
> than toe side. It's kind of a strange feeling - while heel side, I have
> no problem getting the edge to work for me putting down a nice, narrow
> line in the snow. Toe side, on the other hand, I feel like I am about
> to launch off the mountain with much less control. Something to work on
> this year.

That's quite unusual. Everybody I heared about it, has more problems with
heel side pressure than toe side.

Maybe you can have someone take a short film of you when carving. I think
that someone knowledgeable about boarding will immediately see the problem.

--
Bas.

[Bas Mevissen]

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:34:20 -0800, Sean wrote:

> I have a Salomon Link with some older K2 Plasma 10 bindings that need to
> be replaced. Do any of you have any suggestions for a replacement? I
> freeride only and am looking for something that is a little forgiving
> and not too rigid.

You could consider Wed'ze FR6 binding. Cheap but good. They also have a
FR9, but that one is designed for their FR9 board, which is very stiff.

> I have looked at the Flow setup and like the in/out
> design but I have heard that they do not collapse making travel a bit
> tough.

For quick in/out bindings, I would recommend looking at the ones from K2.
Still the straps instead of the cap for more feel but with the easy in/out.

--
Bas.

[Sean]

On Jan 5, 1:31*pm, Bas Mevissen <s...@voornaamachternaam.nl.invalid>
wrote:
> On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:34:20 -0800, Sean wrote:
> > I have a Salomon Link with some older K2 Plasma 10 bindings that need to
> > be replaced. *Do any of you have any suggestions for a replacement? *I
> > freeride only and am looking for something that is a little forgiving
> > and not too rigid. *
>
> You could consider Wed'ze FR6 binding. Cheap but good. They also have a
> FR9, but that one is designed for their FR9 board, which is very stiff.
>
> > I have looked at the Flow setup and like the in/out
> > design but I have heard that they do not collapse making travel a bit
> > tough.
>
> For quick in/out bindings, I would recommend looking at the ones from K2.
> Still the straps instead of the cap for more feel but with the easy in/out..
>
> --
> Bas.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I took my boots to our local shop
hoping to kick the tires a bit on some of the various bindings that
have been discussed here. The shop actually took the effort to attach
a couple of them to boards for me and see how they felt with my
boots. I tried the Ride Spi's and Flow NXT....both felt great and fit
my Buton's well so I went ahead and took the plunge with the Flows.
The construction felt solid and there were not as many moving parts as
the Cinch. The cable/release system on the Flow highback seemed well
engineered - didn't look to be much opportunity for sheath chafing on
the cable. There is a bit of redundancy built in at the cable attach
points; if the inner screw backs out over the course of riding, there
is a secondary screw that will maintain the cable integrity. The
'powerstrap' felt nice on my feet; no pinching or awkward pressure
points that I sometimes felt with my conventional bindings at the
ratchets. I was also pleasantly suprised at the low amount of give at
the strap while moving back and forth. The single strap setup felt
sturdy and there was not any noticeable give when leaning toe or
heelside.

I know that performance is an unknown until I get some time on the
slopes, but I felt comfortable with the decision and look forward to
the new setup. I'll really know the performance after my first yard
sale :).

Thanks again for everyone's input and experience. I'm heading west in
mid February and I'll post my thoughts on performance then.

Hope Ullr keeps up the December dump into 2008 for the midwest...

Sean

[Memascii]

On Jan 6, 7:19 am, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> boots. I tried the Ride Spi's and Flow NXT....both felt great and fit
> my Buton's well so I went ahead and took the plunge with the Flows.

Hi Sean,

So which NXTs did you go for, the FX, FS or AT?

I hope they work out for you!

Cheers.
Iain.

[Sean]

On Jan 6, 4:56*am, Memascii <jbmemas...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> On Jan 6, 7:19 am, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > boots. *I tried the Ride Spi's and Flow NXT....both felt great and fit
> > my Buton's well so I went ahead and took the plunge with the Flows.
>
> Hi Sean,
>
> So which NXTs did you go for, the FX, FS or AT?
>
> I hope they work out for you!
>
> Cheers.
> Iain.


Iain,

Well, courtesy of the insightful post explaining your thoughts on the
Cinch vs. Flow, perhaps the salesperson should send some pounds your
way.:)

I went with the AT's. The were in my budget....unlike the Flow Team,
which were noticeably lighter than any binding on the rack, but also
twice the price.

Thanks again for the help and and suggestions.

Sean

[Memascii]

On Jan 6, 6:48 pm, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Sean,

> I went with the AT's. The were in my budget....
> unlike the Flow Team,

I read this today, hopefully your new bindings have come
with the fix already in place.

NXT Series "Front Pod" Upgrade

http://au.flow.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=221&Itemid=329

Enjoy.
Iain.

[Switters]

On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:04:20 GMT, Sean <bulldawg94@gmail.com> allegedly
wrote:

> Thanks for the reply, Joe. I was not sure if the highback would
> collapse enough for safe transport on a plane, so you have answered my
> question!

I put my boots into the bindings for packing. So I don't really care how
well they pack down or anything.

Where are you packing your boots?

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org.uk/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/

[Switters]

On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:30:37 GMT, josephmramirez@netzero.com allegedly
wrote:

> The SPi's have nice rubber pads over the alum. base. I think most Ride
> bindings have these; not sure if they all do.

My wife's DVA bindings do. Nice bindings. I'm going to take a serious
look at Ride when my current bindings expire.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org.uk/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/

[Sean]

"Switters" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9A1E7EAF3B794swittersnospam@85.214.90.228. ..
> On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:04:20 GMT, Sean <bulldawg94@gmail.com> allegedly
> wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the reply, Joe. I was not sure if the highback would
>> collapse enough for safe transport on a plane, so you have answered my
>> question!
>
> I put my boots into the bindings for packing. So I don't really care how
> well they pack down or anything.
>
> Where are you packing your boots?
>
> - Dave.

Hi Dave,

I was unsure if the the Flow highback would collapse forward, but they do.
I usually put my boots in my travel bag, between the bindings, not actually
*in* the bindings. I would think this would make my bag rather bulkly and
tall for airline handling.

Sean

[Sean]

"Memascii" <jbmemascii@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:37891987-668a-46cf-a5ba-aa2b7479469e@m34g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 6, 6:48 pm, Sean <bulldaw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Sean,
>
>> I went with the AT's. The were in my budget....
>> unlike the Flow Team,
>
> I read this today, hopefully your new bindings have come
> with the fix already in place.
>
> NXT Series "Front Pod" Upgrade
>
> http://au.flow.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=221&Itemid=329
>
> Enjoy.
> Iain.

Hi Iain,

I looked at my bindings and they look like a re-design from that setup shown
in the link above. Rather than a single screw that is set in a flange, it
is two screws, one on each side mating each other.

Maybe this is for older model NXT's? I didn't see a date reference on the
news bulletin nor a specific NXT model (AT, FX, FS).

Thanks for the information!

Sean

[Switters]

On Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:09:02 GMT, "Sean" <UU8***@****.com> allegedly
wrote:

> I was unsure if the the Flow highback would collapse forward, but they
> do. I usually put my boots in my travel bag, between the bindings, not
> actually *in* the bindings. I would think this would make my bag
> rather bulkly and tall for airline handling.

Ah - It sounds like you're leaving your bindings on the board and putting
the whole lot into a board bag. I remove my bindings, put the boots in
them and pack them on their side. Obviously you then need to pack a tool
to do the bindings back up, but then you carry one anyway don't you? :-)

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org.uk/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/

[Sean]

Heh. I see the light now. Yes, I leave my bindings mounted and it's not
caused any problems in a dozen or so round trips out of ATL. And yes, I have
an awesome set of tools. :)

Sounds like a solid idea.

Cheers,

Sean

And yes, I have an awesome set of tools that travel with me. The trusted #2
philips head is a must.
"Switters" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9A1F83818EB62swittersnospam@85.214.90.228. ..
> On Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:09:02 GMT, "Sean" <UU8***@****.com> allegedly
> wrote:
>
>> I was unsure if the the Flow highback would collapse forward, but they
>> do. I usually put my boots in my travel bag, between the bindings, not
>> actually *in* the bindings. I would think this would make my bag
>> rather bulkly and tall for airline handling.
>
> Ah - It sounds like you're leaving your bindings on the board and putting
> the whole lot into a board bag. I remove my bindings, put the boots in
> them and pack them on their side. Obviously you then need to pack a tool
> to do the bindings back up, but then you carry one anyway don't you? :-)
>
> - Dave.
>
> --
> The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
> http://www.vpas.org.uk/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow.
> Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162
>
> The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://www.vpas.fsnet.co.uk/rssFAQ/

[Nobody]

Memascii wrote:
> NXT Series "Front Pod" Upgrade


Thank you for the information. I didn't know about the problem. I
requested an upgrade today.

I've been satisfied with my NXT FX bindings.

[Jimi77]

I went thru 2 pairs of Ride SPI's - they both were returned due to defective (Revolver) ratchets. The straps would literally vibrate loose.

I had some Flow F11s for years and they were great. I tried some newer Flows, but they had bulky rivets in the powerstrap for the buckles and they caused pain in my pinky toe, so those went on ebay.

Then I tried the K2 Cinches - those are very comfy, but the release on the toe strap sticks up. When I was on the lift that release would brush up against other people's skis and boards and I'd end up with the toe strap loose when I got to the top of the mountain. So I ended up redoing the toe strap a few times a day, which defeats the whole idea behind the Cinch.

I ended up with the Salomons SPX 55 (now called the Pro). I'd check out their line up of bindings.