Nube

Considering these for my first pair of bindings. Thoughts?

phony_stark

What kind of board do you have?
Are you buying this year's or last year's Flite?

(I haven't ridden the flite baseplate, but since it's a scaled down contact baseplate, it should still be a great choice for a first binding).

Alkasquawlik

The Flite is a toned down version of the Force. Similar ride and package, just without all the added tech that the Force has (and with that, the added price of the Force).

Name comes from being "fucking light", and it's a solid mid-soft binding that won't break the bank. Simple binding, everything you need, and nothing you don't, but it's bomb proof as well.

Sold a couple pairs last year to some people and they were really hyped on it when they came back into the shop.

If it's something that interests you, pull the trigger on them. You'll be happy.

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Gdog42

They're good bindings but I wouldn't go for them as your first pair, because I think they'd be too soft if your still a beginner.
The Flite's highback is really flexible, so it's much more suited to terrain park riding. If you're doing all mountain riding, it's better to have a stiffer highback but not too stiff. -My first bindings had a rock-hard highback, you couldn't bend them at all, and that made it uncomfortable.
Right now I have a pair of Union DLXs, and they are great. The highback is soft, but not too soft: just the right amount of flex. They're perfect for me because I do both all-mountain and terrain park; they are flexible enough for the park yet stiff enough for powder and groomers.
I'd get something with a medium-flex highback that way you'll be comfortable wherever you are snowboarding.
Here's a breakdown of 5 of Union's bindings, in order from least to most expensive:
DLX: Medium
Flite: Soft
Contact: Soft
Force: Medium
Atlas: Stiff
Or you could try another brand. Burton is awesome too, and most of their bindings have a medium flex which is better for starting out.
Hope that helps.

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Gdog42

It doesn't really matter though. Go with whatever you're more comfortable with- that's what matters in the end!

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Alkasquawlik

Firstly, generally beginners like to have a softer binding, so the Flite would be an ideal binding for a beginner/intermediate rider not looking to break the bank. It allows them to flex the binding a little more and get used to sliding on snow. Generally a beginner with a more responsive binding (stiffer) catches more edges, but whatever, you're gonna fall on your face regardless of your binding's flex and you can learn on anything.

And were you describing the flex of the different bindings, because you got them all wrong.

Contact: soft
DLX/Flite: mid soft
Atlas: mid stiff
Force: mid stiff

__________________
www.heckler.com
"I'm only here for the apres"

phony_stark

+1 to Doggy on the DLX

I think the DLX is the best first binding money can buy. Great price point and a good jumping off point to find what you like, without having to throw/give them away or sell them, when you find another pair.

It was my first "real" one and I still use them on my small board.

Doggy, I'd make an amendment.
I'd say the Atlas is softer than the force.

UNION INHOUSE

What boots do you have Nube?

Gdog42

WHOA! Is that really you, Union? (Or are just another fan boy/girl?)
Anyway, yes Alkasquawlik I was refering to the bindings flex. I know for sure that the Flite is significantly more flexible than the DLX, so that's why I marked them as soft. I actually got them all right, execpt I'm not sure about the Atlas. I assumed it was stiff because I saw a few reviews that said it was "more responsive" than the Force, so that's where that came from. And you ALSO said that the Contact is soft, so that proves your statement wrong that I had them all wrong. As for the Force, I knew a park dude when I went to CO this year who had the Force bindings, and the flex was a little stiffer but not much stiffer than my DLXs. So there you go. I actually had them all right, except matbe the Atlas which I thought was stiff.
And I wasn't talking about the flex specifically in sub-catagories like you put it, I meant just the flex of each binding overall.

Sorry about any misunderstanding. I'll get the lid off that jar of honey for ya!

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phony_stark

I forgot the new Flites have the strap that was on last year's contact/force and are still the same price. Holy shit that's a good value.