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Good "Do it All" Binding?

13K views 46 replies 17 participants last post by  Extremo 
#1 ·
I need a new pair of bindings for the brand new 2011 Lib Tech TRS C2BTX I just bought! Was looking for your guys' opinions on what a great all-around "do-it-all" binding would be. Thanks!
 
#3 ·
What would YOU personally suggest as a pretty responsive binding that would work well with the board I just bought. I'm looking for a binding that could handle ANYTHING from bombing down the mountain to hitting small jumps, jibbing and all that stuff.
 
#4 ·
I have Raiden Blackhawk on my Proto. I LOVE them. I demo'd some Burton (Cartel and Malavita) this week-end and prefer my Raiden by far. Very responsive, super comfortable, smooth ratchet (better than Burton IMO), and flexible enough for park. Also has canted and cushioned footbed. Mini-disc is nice but will only fit on 2x4 inserts...

On the stiffness, I'd compare them to the Cartel.

I think they would fit great on a TRS,
 
#6 ·
What's the gripe with the forces toe cap?

I have Raiden Blackhawk on my Proto. I LOVE them. I demo'd some Burton (Cartel and Malavita) this week-end and prefer my Raiden by far. Very responsive, super comfortable, smooth ratchet (better than Burton IMO), and flexible enough for park. Also has canted and cushioned footbed. Mini-disc is nice but will only fit on 2x4 inserts...

On the stiffness, I'd compare them to the Cartel.

I think they would fit great on a TRS,
Thanks! I'll def take a look at the Raiden's!
 
#11 ·
rome 390's should be alright. it's supposed to be the softer of the 2 rome bindings but it's nowhere near as soft as some other bindings like the union contacts/flux rk30's i think it might be stiffer than flux sf45's too?

on a slightly unrelated note, has it been proven that canting is actually better for the knees? i mean when you do heavy squatting, you're supposed to push our knees out.. if your knees bend inward (like it would when u have canted footbeds) u do horrible damage to your knees...

i understand how it might feel more comfortable, but is it actually healthier for the rider or does it just make it easier for the lazy rider so they don't have to squat down as low to relieve pressure from the knees?
 
#13 ·
Union's older style toe strap can either be rocked as a toe cap or a normal strap. As you can see in the picture below you need to get the piece of plastic pretty much perfect on your boot or else it will slide off with some boots. If you find a used set for cheap and really dislike the toe straps you can modify these Ride 3D Thingrip Snowboard Binding Toe Strap Upgrade Kit at REI.com to fit and they work amazingly.


Here is the new 2012 Union toe cap which I have not tired but looks to be a huge upgrade for most people (as stated before I have had zero problems with my older style straps in conjunction with my boots)

 
#15 ·
Also as stated above some people have had problems with the Union ratchets, but mine do not do this (maybe I am lucky). 390s get a lot of talk around here and other than a little bit a tweaking when setting them up I have heard nothing but great things about them as well.
 
#17 ·
Union have good baseplates/heel loops and highbacks but their straps and ratchets leave quite a bit to be desired. They stick bad upon release but give good traction and positive feedback when ratcheting. The toe caps are just need some beef taken out so they can actually conform to different toe shapes.

Good all arounders would be Burton Cartel/Malavita/Prophecy, Flux SF45, K2 The Company/Uprise/Formula,
 
#23 ·
Burton Cartel would suit your needs fine, though, so would the Prophecy depending on your wallet. From what I can gather, the canting on the Burtons is not adjustable, so, you may want to look at the Rome 390 Bosses for that little bit of adjustability seeing as you're not sure about whether you'll need binding cant or not.
 
#25 ·
I don't cant because I can.

Some good "do it all" binders in my opinion- Burton Cartel, Flux TT30, Union Force. All of those have a similar flex in the baseplate and highbacks with some difference in strap/buckle feel. I personally prefer the Flux straps and adjustability.

As far as canting goes, I'm not sold. When I am standing in my shoes and about to do something strenuous my feet are usually a touch wider than shoulder width and flat on the ground. That's just how my body was designed to work.
 
#26 ·
Would pretty much everyone agree that for just 40 dollars more the Malavita are a better option than the Cartel? I'm pretty sold on getting the Cartel's but I think it's more than worth it to spend 40 dollars more for the Malavita's. Thoughts?? Also, just bought size 11.5 Nike Kaiju's, was wondering what size bindings I would need if anyone has this set up, I'd appreciate the help. Thanks!
 
#28 ·
Not to muddy the proverbial waters but my personal experience with Burton bindings is not good (I had a ratchet break off in my hand in a store earlier this year - it helped narrow my options). If you are set on them, I'd go for the Cartels - because you may be needing to put that $40 towards new bindings fairly soon...
 
#27 ·
FYI on canting...

A competitive bodybuilder (and personal trainer) at my gym does squats (I'm talking like a thousand pounds) on a canted floor pad. He says (for what it is worth) that when pushing your body to the limits, canting your feet at an angle perpendicular to your legs significantly reduces the stress on the ligaments of the knee and ankle because they don't have to support as much lateral movement.

It makes sense. Yes, I know the body doesn't do that naturally...but that is only because it can't (no pun intended). People use braces and other artificial things all the time to lessen the strain on their joints/ligaments/tendons/muscles. This is no different.

However, with canted snowboard bindings, we are talking about, at most, 3.5 degrees. That is not hugely significant, really, so it is about preference.

I rode for 14+ years without canted bindings. I got Rome Targas this year so I tried the canting...and I love it.

To each their own.
 
#34 ·
2cents: I like my K2 Auto Uprises. Mid-stiff, very supportive, not a super tight bomber by any means but secure, nice. About a million times more responsive than my 15 year old t9's or last years contrabands (did not work for me, but some ppl love em).
 
#36 ·
i have a pair of cartels and i have a pair of union forces; i ride mostly all mountain stuff, natural hits and lots of backcountry terrain, i have never had a bad day on the forces, i have had plenty of so-so days on the cartels, they are light and comfy but they give up a little support to the forces. the unions are a little heavy and clunky but i continually go back to the forces for my everyday binding... i usually have my cartels mounted on my second board but will likely get rid of them as it seems every time i ride them i'm wishing i had my unions. just my two cents... they are both solid choices.
 
#38 ·
I've been hearing a lot of complaints with the Force's toe cap though. They must fit your boots quite well. What kind of boots do you have? Also, do you know if the Force's toe cap fits well with the Nike Zoom Kaiju boots, cause I just picked those up.
 
#40 ·
I know some people have tried many different setups on their forces (Leo comes to mind) and were just not able to get them to work with their boots, but I feel that 90% of the hate for the toe strap is people just not setting them up properly (same thing with the 390s most will argue).
 
#42 · (Edited)
I am not going to run around and point fingers, but people in general find problems with any product and would rather complain than try to find a solution. Are there people out there who have treid every set up possible and they just won't work for their boots? Of course, but I have multiple friends with forces from different years and different boots and after properly adjusting the toe strap the slipping went away.

This is just my personal experience with forces and would like to hear what other people have to say about setting them up.


EDIT: This is for the 2011 models and back. I have no experience with the 2012 toe caps.
 
#43 · (Edited)
my forces are 3 years old, old toe straps, but i cut out the toe piece so the basically are just like the 2012; they cup the toe of my boot perfectly, before i did that, yes.. they were annoying and would slip off the toe of the boot.. simple 5 minute modification, 2 strips of duct tape and a few zip ties.. solid fix.

oh and i have two pairs of boots with similar toes.. the dk zooms and the 32 lashed. toe fit is solid on both, after the mod that is.. i just did this 2-3 rides ago and it made a huge difference.. was previously my only complaint about the binding.. was going to buy 2012 straps but the shop talked me out of it and just told me to mod the ones i have.
 
#45 ·
I swapped out my 2011 Force toe strap with the burton get-a-grip strap, and honestly the original force strap applies more pressure and response than the burton stap does. I am actually pretty dissapointed. The only toe strap I've found to be superior to Union's is the Flux cap on the super titans. Which it appears they have now modified as well. But bottom line, Union's toe straps are pretty decent.
 
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