They are a lil more pricey, maybe that plays a factor. Regardless though i tried a pair last season and am sold on the hinge tech..off topic but gea hinge tech.
any1 wanna trade malas 4some 2013 cartels lol.
I've been contemplating a set of Cartels or Vitas this year. Question though, are you referring to the Restricted version with wingbacks or the regular version?
I just bought the '13 Restricted Vitas after reading some threads on here and talking to the guys at the shop. Haven't ridden them yet, but looking forward to it.
For the same price and build, seems like going with the Restricted version makes the most sense. (Well for any of their restricted bindings like the Cartel etc...)
Malavitas are the higher end park binding. They have a heel hammock, which allows you to not strap in as tight (if you don't like strapping in as tight), but still get the same grip. If you're running ESTs they have the hinge, auto cant and dual component ratchets. This year there's a clear difference in ankle straps
Cartels have AysmReact strap. Which is like the Asym but with less material. I guess the team really likes this one.
Malavitas have the Asym Strap - Super comfy
Missions have the SuperStrap.
re: The winged Highback
Ummm....if you think it works, then it does. I have a pair of malavitas and bought some winged highbacks....I couldn't tell a huge difference. Looks cool though!
re: why they're not discussed...I think they are.
A lot of people talk about the Malavitas on this forum, but this place really likes their Romes/Fluxs/Flows, so normally it's in comparison to those. I like Unions which means normally I'll get yelled at here.
Ya, I too have the (restricted) Malavitas, and haven't really noticed much difference with the wing. I think I'll just be running them on my Antler for the season. The asym straps are where it's at for me; comfy, not too thick, fit my DK's well.
I'm with Phony on Union though. Rode the Atlas last season, absolutely loved it...maybe even a little more than the Malavita. Pow, park whatever... baseplates were responsive enough on the deep days, but playful enough for the park (if that makes sense). 10% carbon injected.
What's the point of having a winged highback? What does it do? I read Cartels dig into your calf...but maybe that's old news. Sorry, I'm getting back into the sport and will have a lot of questions.
@poutanen - You're right it's probably only two or three people that go out of their way to hate Unions. They're very active though. I can't speak for the whole board.
@Triple8 I KNEW IT. I felt up some lichens a few months ago, and they felt the same as my 2012 Vitas but I thought they were pre-pro so I paid it no mind.
However, handflexing and riding are two different things.
@poutanen - You're right it's probably only two or three people that go out of their way to hate Unions. They're very active though. I can't speak for the whole board.
Fair enough. I can only hope that people asking for advice ANYWHERE (in a shop, on the internets, from their friends) will take that advice with a grain of salt.
Just because I've had good luck with Burton C60s doesn't mean they're the right binding for somebody else... I think the best thing to do is say "in my situation binding/board/boot/goggle/turd "X" worked well for me or it didn't, and here's why _______________"
To the OP, I like Burtons toe caps and ratchets. We just recently switched my GF over to mid-range Burton bindings because her previous bindings kept stripping ladders. I find the all metal ratchet to have far less play and is less likely to skip teeth when ratcheting fast than her previous brand (and previous brands of bindings I've used).
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