Snowboarding Forum - Snowboard Enthusiast Forums banner

Switchback Bindings?

51K views 99 replies 25 participants last post by  CheoSamad 
#1 ·
Switchback Bindings Unveiled
Switchback Bindings

What do you guys think of the new switchback bindings?
Have not heard much about them until today but they look pretty interesting.
Never a bad thing to have the Helgasons on the time backing a product in my opinion.
It looks like an interesting concept.
Is anyone else thinking about putting together a pair?
 
#5 ·
i checked them out at SIA. i wasn't feeling it at all. they felt/looked very 'un-solid' if i dare say. i dont have the catalog with me right now but they offer color swapping parts and I think easy highback removal. i didn't see them at the demos so I can't say how they ride- so i could be totally wrong about them. i do know that after riding the Now bindings I didn't bother with anything else though except for a couple of spins on the Flux DMCC.
 
#7 ·
i tend to agree. and the skateboard comparison is completely wrong. seems like it would create a 'dead zone' before you actually got response.

are these switchback bindings just for switching colors or are there different stiffnesses and stuff like that?
 
#17 ·
rode the no-back version today. i would not say they were "great". They were OK. they do look like shit. I know looks don't matter, but first impressions yadda yadda yadda...

Snowboard Snow Geological phenomenon Snowboarding Winter


There was no forward lean adjustment (if that's your thing) on the ones they had today but the rep said they have a model available with forward lean, they just did not ship in time for this week.

The footbed was IMO kind of lacking but I guess I am spoiled with the Ride Wedgies. The straps look like old ass burton straps but they were pretty comfortable. Tool-less adjustment was pretty nice and a buttload easier than a lot of companies to adjust the bindings to fit your boots.

The footbed snaps in like a lego brick and it when I snapped my board down getting off the lift (to snap the snow out of the binding) the footbed popped out and flew across about 10 feet away from me. That was weird. Also, the piece that snaps in (instead of the highback, picture attached) also came loose. Not sure what this piece really does other than leave the same contour along the heelcup as if you had a highback in.

Footwear Orange Product Shoe Font


So that was alarming because I've never had a binding break in to pieces just snapping snow off my board before.

But other than that they actually rode pretty well.
 
#18 ·
First year product issues is all I hear. The highback filler is just that, filler. If you've ever tried nobacks before you know that you have to readjust pretty much your whole binding cause your boot now sits further back. This little piece fills that extra space your highback left meaning you don't have to readjust.

They are already looking at a more secure but just as easily removable highback system, the forward lean version works well and is simple to do, and the footbed... that's wierd. The brodude that set me up with mine gave me 0/-6 instead of the 12/-12 I asked for and on the hill I had kind of a hard time getting the footpads off. You're problem? SAMPLES. That's what I say. They have been taken off and put back on sooo many times.

They "look" cheap by comparison cause of the way the rest of the industry looks, when you get over it they are pleasantly simple looking and once you rode them they were much more solid than the simpleness implied eh? That's how I felt.

Full review will be done from BA on angrysnowboarder.com later. He'll be riding them with highbacks, maybe hopefully the Helgason's wings too. That would be neat.
 
#19 ·
First year product issues is all I hear. The highback filler is just that, filler. If you've ever tried nobacks before you know that you have to readjust pretty much your whole binding cause your boot now sits further back. This little piece fills that extra space your highback left meaning you don't have to readjust.
That's what I figured, I've never done nobacks before but that makes sense.

They are already looking at a more secure but just as easily removable highback system, the forward lean version works well and is simple to do, and the footbed... that's wierd. ... You're problem? SAMPLES.
Yep, i know this demo gear gets abused. Still, it would be silly of me not to mention this as part of my experience (there were problems with the Ride bindings and the new Flow bindings too, which I think were more design related than "abuse" related).

They "look" cheap by comparison cause of the way the rest of the industry looks, when you get over it they are pleasantly simple looking and once you rode them they were much more solid than the simpleness implied eh? That's how I felt.
When you take a step back and ignore the space age looking shit the rest of the industry is making, there is something to be said about clean and simple aesthetics.
 
#21 ·
the whole concept is to allow the consumer the option to build a binding
with the colours he wants!
there are 3870 different colour combos to choose from
the colours are red, white, orange black and a teal blue
to build this binding there are no tools needed at all (except to screw the discs to your board)
all adjustments are by hand
you can buy with a standard highback or with a forward lean highback
the small insert for backless is there to keep the adjustment correct but also to protect the spine of your boot so it doesnt get crushed
YES these are demos and issues are being corrected all the time. i rode these in December and they had issues, i have been riding them since and the improvements are 100% better!
yes they look simple but there is NO ONE in the industry doing what switchback is doing
feedback here in ONTARIO has been AWESOME!
the ratchets work really smoothly
the adjustments are easy to use

the wingbacks are only available on the pro models for the Helgason brothers
 
#31 ·
the ratchets work really smoothly! no issues
most comments i have heard, are positive!

the parts left over should not be an issue because the colours will carry over from season to season.
so what isnt hot this year may be hot next year.
and how cool would it be to match up colours to your kit!
it doesnt get stale

LEGO for the snowboarders!
 
#36 ·
yeah, good explanation is that he likes burtons over switchbacks. $250 - $300 for a gimmick is a pretty bad deal if you ask me. and so far i have no reason to believe these are nothing but a gimmick. everything is about how they look, not how they perform. so far there is a 0% chance of me considering these and i'm pretty sure there's a lot of other people that would feel the same way. That's the price of top of the line bindings and nothing is showing that these are top of the line.
 
#37 ·
gimmick? how so?
the bindings work well, are getting tested every day and are only improving!
i saw the early prototypes in December and have now seen samples and it is 100 times better
and only getting better for production.
by the way $250 is the Canadian retail!
0% chance of considering?
skeptics never try anything new!
 
#47 ·
If they're so 'solid', why is Halldor still riding Burton instead? Seriously, this is coming from the guy who thinks Union's are garbage. Hahahahaha...

Drop the price to $100 and the kiddies will be all over these like hot bags of crack. Otherwise, noone other than a few fanboys with some money to blow are going to waist their time on these.
 
#50 · (Edited)
As of SIA they were freshly made rideable samples. They were barely done and some tweaks are still to be made . So unless you ride with the helgasons i don't think you have the knowledge to talk about whether or not he's riding them.

Oh and funny, he rides Burton by choice and not your magical Unions. I guess that makes him a Hater too? And one of the more major tweaks in the future is due to Kevin Sansalones input after hiking with them in the backcountry a bit.
 
#53 ·
That's fair. Can't argue with footage.

Still though you think I see Union as garbage. I have never said that. I've only ever said that they have issues they refuse to acknowledge or make an attempt to resolve, and these issues make them less binding for value compared to what else is out there.

You come into a thread about bindings you know NOTHING about and start talking shit. Start arguing with someone that has RIDDEN them. I pissed you off and now you're butt hurt that I shat on Union a bit and you couldn't refute most of what I brought up other than "my 3 pairs have been fine". My three had all the issues I've stated. Did I ever have a complete failure? No, I know to check my shit often and I've never knocked Unions overall "catastrophic" durability. But I don't have the same issues I have always had with Union with anyone else I've owned.

You say Switchbacks LOOK like shit. They look clean as hell to me. But being a Union fanboy I completely understand why you value looks so much.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top