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Flow Binding 2013 Q & A

170K views 573 replies 110 participants last post by  dexter 
#1 ·
Hi,

2013 will be our 18th year selling Flow, so this puts a big smile on my face. Minds will be blown this year. The new line is so full of tech and options that I thought a Q & A might be in order. This year almost everything in the binding line has been reworked from the ground up. The Flow team has been torture testing variation after variation of these new designs for two years and has finally put their stamp of approval on the final product. Fire away if you have any Q's. We will be sure to get you quick answers.









 
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#265 ·
Stoked to hear that! Flow is a rider's company and it has never been my experience for them to leave anyone hanging (either customer or retailer). I am very pleased that you were well cared for.
 
#268 ·
I'm 6'7 , 230lbs, size 13 boot, entering my 3rd season.

Quite decent, comfortable with most terrain, trees, pow, etc. I ride a 172 Skunk Ape with Forum Factions. I feel the bindings are holding me back, as I need something more stiff. So I'm in the market for some new gear.

I've been researching the new NX2-GT and read great things about them, but I'm also leaning towards the Ride Capos/Hefes, and I'm undecided. Price is not an issue.

I want stiff bindings! Give me advice. :dizzy:

Sell me!
 
#269 ·
Hi AIR,

Do you have an opportunity to strap into a pair in a local shop? These bindings can be set up to really clamp down and be ultra supportive. It is a pretty unique featur of the design. I would highly suggest that you do that if you can.
 
#274 ·
I talked to the shop rep this weekend and he's been hearing the same complaints from people who've bought them and rode them. Biggest complaint is that people struggle to enter the binding, and then have to adjust the toe cap.

I think they're getting close to an awesome binding, but the angle and size of the toe cap is a miss on this design. It's too small and the angle puts the cap too low on the boot. I just bought last year's M9. :)
 
#275 ·
We are finding that this is highly boot dependent. Some makes and models will set your toe in the perfect spot. Others (that have more uplift at the toe-sole rocker) can set the toe higher that the lower lip of the cap which then requires a reach-down and lift.
 
#276 ·
One additional thing that can make a big difference is boot size in relation to binding size. The toe cap strap is set at an upward angle so that as you move the strap towards the inside of the range on the ladder straps, the toe cap not only moves in but it also becomes lower.
 
#277 ·
I used my ride flight boots size 11, on a Flow Large binding. They're a rather small boot footprint but the toe cap was just too small and would sit on the bottom of my boot. I had to adjust the top cap after locking..defeating the purpose of the rear entry. I did try using several different boots in the store and all had the same issue. I moved a size up in bindings (XL) and that did help but the width of the binding left way too much space between the boot and the binding sides.

They're really close IMO but the toe cap is going to be a big issue for them. If it was more like the GNU bindings it would work. :dunno:
 
#278 ·
I made a quick video of getting in and out of my NX2-SE's. Having these bindings I see the biggest flaw of the toe strap design. The ladder strap needs to have a stop on it so it can't pivot down. If you had a way of locking that side into position the strap would sit in a lot more consistent position. Since I have Flow boots it is working pretty well for me. If I get bored I may try messing with the ladder strap screw to make it clamp more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUo59GxW_Vo

 
#279 ·
having the same issues with my SE's half the toe strap sits below the footbed. looked in to switching the left and right toe strap like the set up video shows so it will go over the toe instead of under but they designed it so it wouldn't come off with out modification


I think the best fix would be to use the traditional I strap and the V ladder on both sides to hold the toe strap in place, but that would be overkill.
 
#281 ·
but they designed it so it wouldn't come off with out modification
They don't slip right off but just give them a yank. There are small barbs keeping the strap on but they won't stop you from getting it off. They're just enough to keep you from loosing the strap on the hill.
 
#301 ·
For reference I am using 11.5 Vans Aura and it does have a rockered toe.

They don't slip right off but just give them a yank. There are small barbs keeping the strap on but they won't stop you from getting it off. They're just enough to keep you from loosing the strap on the hill.
Once I did the switch the toe cap on my front foot stayed where I placed it whole time. Good props to flow for a stay in place toe cap if your not in and out of them.

The rear did good but there were a couple of times the LSR unlocked and I must have hit the cap while I was skating and made it too tight, so about midday I pulled it off and went without.
 
#282 ·
glad to read that i'm not the only one with the issues highlighted.

i last used flows about 3 years ago (flite 2) before springing for the
NX2-GTs this year. like some others here, i'm always up to try new technology so i was pretty stoked.

the issue with the heel getting caught in the highback is kind of annoying, since i remembered on my flite 2s they provided me a sort of shoehorn is get my boot all the way in.

also, it seems like there's a chance that my boot gets caught on the cable screws on the inside of the binding (those green parts that stick out) which is also incredibly annoying. i have to pretty much perfectly place my boot in there to avoid any issues. the toe cap issue was kind of poor design on their part. the fact that it moves so much really should've called for a mechanism to lock it in, but unfortunately i don't see an option.

in order to get around them, i pretty much had to set them up so that they were snug, but not tight (which their manual explicitly recommends). it didn't eliminate all the issues but i had an easier time with them. but as a rider who likes to crank down the ratchets, it was definitely a different experience.

gonna give flow a call and see if there's anything they can do/suggest.
 
#283 ·
Snapping Out of Bindings

Just purchased the NX2-AT's. Rode them for two days in Squaw Valley in Tahoe (thanking CA for giving us good early snow). I actually really liked them and recommend them. For frame of reference, it's my third Flow binding. I have a size 13 boot and was riding on a 162 board (little small).

What caught me off-guard is I was riding pretty hard, caught an edge, and ended up sliding down a steep hill on my back, board facing top of the mountain. When I stopped sliding I tried to get acrobatic and do a reverse somersault back to my toe side (stupid idea, but I've done it before). Thing is, both bindings popped and my board flew off mid roll. This ever happen to anyone before? I've been riding Flow bindings for 10 years and have never had one pop open. It really sucked...my buddy was 75 yards below and saved the board but nevertheless. I'm pretty sure the bindings popped from the reverse somersault and not the fall.

Thoughts? Freak accident? Time to get a board leash? Glaw in the bindings?
 
#284 ·
What caught me off-guard is I was riding pretty hard, caught an edge, and ended up sliding down a steep hill on my back, board facing top of the mountain. When I stopped sliding I tried to get acrobatic and do a reverse somersault back to my toe side (stupid idea, but I've done it before). Thing is, both bindings popped and my board flew off mid roll. This ever happen to anyone before? I've been riding Flow bindings for 10 years and have never had one pop open. It really sucked...my buddy was 75 yards below and saved the board but nevertheless. I'm pretty sure the bindings popped from the reverse somersault and not the fall.

Thoughts? Freak accident? Time to get a board leash? Glaw in the bindings?
had that happen with my Fives, but only one foot. Problem is that you're sliding head-first on your back, and the clips on the back of the highback get dragged open by the snow. You might need to get just a bit more tension on your cables.
 
#285 ·
happened to me once (on flow 5) while practicing on bumps. miss the trough and got launched off the top then landed on my back, slid down head first,stop and pop back up to gather myself and notice my back binding was loose. I guess as Donutz said, popped open due to snow pushing the clip down:icon_scratch:
 
#286 ·
Like a lot of guys on this forum, I read up, looked around, watched some vids, and ended up pulling the trigger on a set of Flow NX2-GT's. I've always been a bit of a techie, and they really looked like something that had it all going.

Well, I've been out on them 4 times now, and really haven't found a setup that I could call dialed in. (like my 3 yr old NXT-ATs.) Ironically, they seem to work well when you ignore the highback, and strap in like a traditional, which is totally nonsense.

Turns out my "game changer" was last year's Fastek\GNU Agro's. The toe piece stays in place; raising the heel piece does not involve a shoe horn; and the locking ankle strap gives a nice solid feel of a traditional two strap.

So far, Flow's "next big thing" are on the back up plank while I see if I can figure out how to make them live up to the hype and the cost. :dunno:
 
#288 ·
Standard M9's.

How are Gnus faster than Flow? Even if you have to adjust the strap a smidge, with Gnu you have to clip that stupid ankle strap down. And the ones I rode the toe strap did not stay in place. They asjusted them for me. They felt like 3 year old rides with highbacks that were too canted. One of the worst bindings I've been in.

If you were trying to get a two strap feel even with the hybrid strap you were doing it wrong. It's not a traditional 2 strap and the toe strap is not a traditional cap. It grabs the front of the boot and pushes back. If you just dont like the overall feel that's fine, but the tech is solid and much more thought out than Fastec.
 
#289 ·
Just got the GTs set up on the skunk ape, and my 13 boot, haven't taken them to the hill yet, but I have no problem with the toe cap sliding down no matter how many times I slide in and out if them. They feel great. I'll write a better review this weekend.
 
#290 ·
hoping to get mine setup out today as well. Been a nightmare waiting for mother nature plus my work hours have exploded so no time to hit the hill during the week either.
I was planning on a couple of hours messing around with them to get them dialed in. Doubt it will take that long!!!! but I also want to redo my riding angles, I got to much angle need to find that sweet spot !!!
So stoked to try these !!!!
 
#291 ·
Had my first day on my NX2-SE's yesterday. First they feel great and have great response. I felt locked in but not clamped down. Just a solid and comfortable connection to the board. When the ratchets were correct (more on that latter) getting in and out was a breeze and easier then my 2010 NXT-ATSE's. A few issues. The toe strap being down was an issue but a very minor one. Before putting my foot in I would just pull it up (if needed) right before brushing any snow out of the binding. I have an idea that should reduce the movement of the toe strap and be easy to do. I'll have to monkey with things a bit. My biggest issue was one I did not expect in any way. When I went to strap in my rear foot I would sometimes find the ratchet had tightened. This is how I found hat just one click tighter cause a massive pressure point on my achilles tendon. Just now I simply tried pushing on the strap with my hand and the ratchets tightened even though they were locked. Trying the same with my older NXT-ATSE's I couldn't get the locked mini-ratchet to move no matter how hard I tried.
 
#292 ·
I had a full day to test the GTs, and if i could describe the experience in one word, it would be "magnificent".

It took me a few run to get used to strapping in standing up, and yes the straps took a few minutes to adjust properly, but once I had everything dialed up, my god what a difference it made to my riding over the old forum factions I used to ride. Great response, and awesome amount of stiffness to bend my big ass board.

Strapping in was a breeze once I got used to it, and it easily saved me at lest 3 minutes each run, so if you do the math, I did over 20 runs today, so that's almost 60 minutes of saved time = profit!

Overall I'm super pleased with them, no more pressure points, and the feeling was very supportive! Like if my board/bindings/boots were all one.

Super pleased.
 
#293 ·
I have had a chance to use the nx2-se 3 times so far. And I am liking it a lot. I have had experienced some of the same problems other have said they were having, like the toe cap moving, the heel getting caught on the highback, and once my ratchet randomly got tighter after getting off the lift and the ratchet was locked.

Some of the things that helped me were, that I switched the toe caps on the bindings as some people have mentioned here before, and I think it's also on the flow website (Left to right, right to left). For me it doesn't move around too much like this.

Also about the heel getting caught, I found that if I lifted my heel a little bit as I am closing the blinding it does not get caught and the binding is easier to close.

If I ever do have trouble getting into the binding, I never adjust the toe cap, I loosen the bigger strap a little and my boot goes in without a problem, just another extra litte step to tighten it back up once its closed.

But the more and more I am using these, The more I find it easier getting in to. Hope this was able to help someone out. I think these bindings are great and I can't wait to ride some more!
 
#294 ·
I switched the toe caps on the bindings as some people have mentioned here before, and I think it's also on the flow website (Left to right, right to left). For me it doesn't move around too much like this.
got a link on this haven't been to Flow's site yet. Tomorrow will be my 1st day on my Flows. The winter here along with my work schedule, this is the first week I can get out and actually do some riding. Hoping dialing these in goes smooth.
 
#295 ·
John not sure you knew this or not as I did 'not' I just found it in there video.
After you tighten the ratchet's if you push the release lever 'down' it will actually lock the ratchet so it won't open or close. That is a very similar feature to the 2010 SE's mini ratchets that you could lock.

the set-up video also mentions as Random pointed out flipping the toe caps around binding to binding. If I have to I'll try this but we will see how they work with my boots tomorrow.
 
#297 ·
Setting Up Flow Hybrid Powercapstraps on Vimeo

There is the video that shows switching the toe strap around.

Flow "How To" Videos on Vimeo

There is Flow's "how to" channel.

Slyder, I was aware of the locking part of the ratchet. As I said I can get the ratchets to move relatively easily even when locked. The mini ratchets on my NXT-SE'2 don't move when lock no matter how hard I try. I'm thinking I'll make a video showing the ratchets moving. After basically getting stuck in powder while in CO last winter I was stoked for the new ratchets. Now I'm not so sure.
 
#299 ·
I finally got to step into my Flows today, NX2-SE's and I love them


Boots: K2 Rykers relatively small profile

I had no issues with getting the heel of the boot caught on the highback when locking it in.
The toe strap I wasn't sure what to expect after reading some of the issues people were having. I left them the way there were designed to see how it would work. I did have a little slippage but it was never loose in the toe or anything I felt for feedback when turning. I did pull up the strap once in a while again I felt no difference in the response of the board when I did this.

I did need to get used to adjusting these as there are more points of adjustment. I missed the top locking lever on the ankle strap. Actually I had it adjusted just not properly. I looked down while on the chair and noticed a large gap. I tightened that up and felt a bit better.

Like the other Flows I had to remember they don't need to be clamped down like a vice. Once I found the sweet spot I never adjusted them again, just like my old ones.

So hoping this may answer some questions and add input to the reviews of the new design. Any questions fire away, everyone seems to be really helpful on reviewing these.
 
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