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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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#434 ·
Just got back from 2 weeks of riding, and I have to say Im in love with my NX2-GT's :)

Only encountered one problem, and I can't really figure out how to solve it.

I have the bindings set up exactly the same, same angles, same settings on all straps and I still get a bit of looseness on my right foot around the heel. Not enough to be a problem but enough to be a little annoying. Even with a lot of forward lean on my right foot I still get this problem. Any thoughts?
 
#444 ·
Ok, so I got the mediums again. And by adjusting the heelcup as john doe pointed out, my boot does fit well on the board now.

So, I'm using the 7.5 Salomon boots in the Medium GT binding. And I'm STILL getting a lot of heel lift :(

On top of that, the smaller toe straps on the medium seem to result in the loss of the ability to get my foot in place without re-adjusting. The toe strap just wants to go too low and I have to loosen it/pull it up/re-tighten every time. Although that is kind of disappointing because it defeats the purpose of speed entry, at least it's usable. The heel slip problem however is not usable. I haven't measured yet, but I feel it coming up, and usually even hear it as the back of my boot slides up and down the highback and squeaks.

Are there any adjustments to help with that? I have my highback lean set to the second line from the bottom. I could go a little further but that is starting to get aggressive.
 
#445 ·
Pictures, and maybe even video? With the NASTY system you should be able to tighten the straps to the point of pain while still getting your foot in easily. For the toe strap try swapping the left and right one so they are upside down. Some people have found that works better.
 
#446 ·
I'm looking to purchase the GT's soon when I find a good deal and was following this thread regarding the sizing/heal lift issues from JTG in this forum.

I currently wear size 8 flow boots and was wondering if anyone knew if the Medium or Large would be better?

My 2008 flow NXT-AT's I used a large but the ratchets near the ankle tightened all the way to the last click and it fit snug but I wish it had another 2 or 3 clicks to get it tighter...

Does anyone wear a size 8 and have a recommendation?
 
#447 ·
I haven't had time to put pics up yet but I have got it working a little better. Still a bit of heel lift sometimes and I have to tweak them throughout the day. As I said previously it seems like they never quite want to go in the same spot every time. It seems to be basically determined by the new toe strap, and if it's in a good place and fits your boot well. I make a point of lifting it up before inserting my foot which seems to help a bit.

lexcorp, I suspect you will want the Mediums. Just be sure to find the heelcup adjustment ;) But it seems to be the case that you are better off as the largest foot in a smaller binding than as the smallest foot in the largest binding. All boots are different but I'd assume that if you have flow boots, the chart should be reliable when it says you'll fit both. Wiredsport can probably answer that better though.
 
#448 · (Edited)
Ok, well I just can't make these flows work. I thought I had it better but I definitely do not. I don't know if it's the design of the bindings, the shape of my boot, or just a bad combination of both. I've tweaked everything and cranked that thing so tight that I can't ride because it hurts, and I still get significant heel lift.

I think the problem might be that the upper part of the strap is too low on my boot, so increased tension isnt holding it back enough, its just pulling down. When you flex your ankles and lean forward, no matter how tight I make it, the heel still comes up. After I lock it in as tightly as I can, at the bottom of the run there is a ton of snow under my heel. The back of my boots also has a rubber strip, which makes kind of a squeak sound as it rubs against the binding, so I know it's lifting right away.

Maybe next season I'll try on some flow boots and see if they work better. I have to assume that's what they were designed with and maybe my boot just varies in shape too much. Either way I'll have to either buy new bindings or new boots, so we'll see what works. To be fair, I haven't tried these boots in other bindings yet...maybe it will be the case that they lift in those too.
 
#450 · (Edited)
OK I have had the same issue this season as many of us with the toe strap. My issue is the strap will tighten on its own not allowing me to kick in. This got very frustrating by the end of the season.

Here is what I found. The toe ratchet lock is super loose and doesn't lock down properly allowing the toe strap to move up the ladder strap IE tightening it. Either from loading/unloading the chair, kicking snow or anything will make it tighten.
He is a video of how loose it is, ** this is with the locking tab pushed into the locked position ** you notice the anke strap is solid and actually moves the strap as I wiggle it. The toe locking tab just bounces around and wont hold for SHIT. I really would like to resolve this for next season as I love this board/binding set-up I have

 
#453 · (Edited)
I just got a replacement buckle for my 13's put them on the ladder strap and seems to hold better.
I'm a bit un-happy as I have the SE's and they are color matched I got sent the basic black. Not sure if this is an up graded ratchet or just a new one from 13 model.

Happy it locks into place better but wont get to try them out for another 7 months :blink:

John Doe: /\ just got my replacment parts the other day. Wish they sent 2 rather than one I may contact them to get the other one as well
 
#458 ·
The differences between the two are I fusion vs A Fusion strap (more material and stiffer on the A fusion) and a Nylon vs and oversized asymmetrical Composite Fiber Support panel (again stiffer with more material). The support panel only makes up the top third of the highback.

Riders who love a stiff binding will love the RS. The strap and highback shaping is really refined so while they are stiff, they are also very comfortable for riders who love stiff.
 
#464 ·
Not for a single pair, but I can tell you that 2,000 pair are very heavy. :)

We will try to get some weights and photos soon. I can tell you that the production NX2's are dramatically lighter than the 2012/13.
 
#466 ·
Bought new boots for this year, not reduced footprint this time, hoping for a better fit in my Flow NX2 GTs. They are K2 Thraxis boots. Heel still comes up when leaning forward. Much less than with my previous Salomon boots, but still happening. For comparison, I put them in some cheap K2 Sonic bindings and they don't even come up a little.

So, who has these bindings and doesn't have heel lift? What boots are you using?
 
#473 ·
I rode with flows ng2gts last year, size 13 boot, and they were amazing. The rear entry was so easy, I'm a big guy, 6'7 so sitting down to strap is a pain, this has solved my issue. The toe strap needs a little "fit bump" if that makes sense,it tends to slide down when the binding is empty, but it's a simple slide your boot in, lift the toe cap a bit for perfect fit, buckle down and go.

It's not a perfect binding, but a really really good one none the less! And it solved a major issue for me, not having to sit down to strap. Plus the added stiffness is a bonus, my board is a 172 skunk ape, and no difficulty bending it whatsoever...

Will buy flow again.

50 days + on them, and no issues.
 
#479 ·
Thanks for your reply. I thought my board was big at 162 cm!!

As you're a giant... how is the ease of 'clicking in'? The vids show that one pulls the highback up which makes the 'tab' at the back pop out, then you just grab it and click it into place.

Is that really how easy it is? My K2 cinch has an extra plastic loop (like a big cable tie) at the back which you obv grab and yank up.

Quality of build is excellent in my opinion except for the locking ratchets, which will still move when locked.

Toecap is still kind of hokie if you ask me, I wish I would of gone with the hybrid strap. All boots are different and they may fit some better than others.

Heel lift is a bit of a problem and can be mostly eliminated with increased forward lean adjustment but doing that will also increase the amount of force it takes to lock the highback.

As others have said its not perfect but as far as whats out there its probably the best.
Thanks for the feedback too.

The lack of toe strap seems weird to me. But it seems the hybrid makes up for it by having a large foot clamp down system? My K2's get some heel lift as well so I have to tweak it a bit on the slopes to get it right.


CAN I JUST SAY....That the order of AIrider then your avatars is hilarious and accurate in this case. You two should always post one after the other.

For rear entry Flow is the best. No question.

The quality is on par with every other great brand out there. The GT's give you that super high performance feel with a blend of 2 strap and Flow strap feel. The Cap has a bit of a tweaked angle for 2014 compared to 2013 so they do fit a bit better and as always, you've got a 90% chance of a better fit if you swap your left and right to caps.
Thanks! I've never heard that about the left and right swapping! (unless you were joking then I look like an idiot....and I don't need anyone's help too look like one!)


It's good to hear all this info. Now I just need Mr Wiredsport to knock off 60% and we'll be sweet. :thumbsup:


Thanks guys! Take the rest of the week off.
 
#475 ·
For rear entry Flow is the best. No question.

The quality is on par with every other great brand out there. The GT's give you that super high performance feel with a blend of 2 strap and Flow strap feel. The Cap has a bit of a tweaked angle for 2014 compared to 2013 so they do fit a bit better and as always, you've got a 90% chance of a better fit if you swap your left and right to caps.
 
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