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2013 union binding >HELP<

19K views 120 replies 29 participants last post by  Mfoehrkolb 
#1 ·
So I've watched those union binding clinic videos on youtube and my toe straps still get stuck (or take a huge effort to remove). I've adjusted them to the point where only about 4 teeth are showing, any suggestions would be appreciated.
:dunno:
thanks.


oh yeah forgot to mention they're contacts
 
#84 ·
My mistake. I thought you were equating her troubles with the kid who's dad had the complaints about the paint. Also, good to know calling may help. I have been emailing Flow since before Christmas so it looks like I will be giving them a call.
 
#85 ·
No, I was relating it to countless others who have over reacted like that dad. Jennifer was calm about the whole thing and wasn't acting like the binding itself was broken.

Sexist comment: besides, she's a female so...

One of my buddies experienced his first tree runs recently with me. He was a little bummed when he saw his new goggles all scratched up. I said, "What, do you think the goggle is for? Just the sun?" LoL good times.
 
#86 ·
I don't know if you have read the whole thread here or have been aware of other threads on this subject. It is by far a larger percentage of Union haters who have gone over the top with vitriol. If a couple of loyal fans have been a bit reactionary, it is a simple case of cause and effect. Most of what I see here is:

HATER: Union is shit! The ratchets are garbage
SUPPORTER: No! They work differently, you need to use them right.
HATER: You're a fanboy and suck Union dick
SUPPORTER: No! You're just a fucking idiot!

And it just devolves from there. Don't put all the stink on the loyalists; plenty of guilt to spread around.
I'd like to remind you of some of these same Union supporters that were around when Flow had a good following on here Wolfie...

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself with that comment haha.

Off-topic: I should have written you an email instead, but messaged you on Facebook instead because I was already on it so... GO READ AND RESPOND!
 
#87 ·
I don't know if you have read the whole thread here or have been aware of other threads on this subject. It is by far a larger percentage of Union haters who have gone over the top with vitriol. If a couple of loyal fans have been a bit reactionary, it is a simple case of cause and effect. Most of what I see here is:

HATER: Union is shit! The ratchets are garbage
SUPPORTER: No! They work differently, you need to use them right.
HATER: You're a fanboy and suck Union dick
SUPPORTER: No! You're just a fucking idiot!

And it just devolves from there. Don't put all the stink on the loyalists; plenty of guilt to spread around.
+1...the union negativity does seem to be over-the-top. When you read some of the threads on here makes me think it's more personal bias than actual product design failure that drives the comments. After watching the union binding set-up videos on YouTube, which are so clear and to the point my old grandmother could set up a pair, I'm left scratching my head as to why anyone would struggle with the toe cap set up and the ratchets look pretty straightforward to release no matter how grippy they make them...which after experiencing my Rome bindings fall to bits after one day on the hill can only be a good thing...:dizzy:
 
#89 ·
No he is right. I do find the paint on my heelcups on my forces chips easily. Kinda dissapointed. However the sticky toe cap is not a prob anymore for me after reading that tip about pressing down and pull up at the same time. WORKS BOYZ IT WORKS STOP BITCHIN.
 
#91 ·
heres my take :

for a binding specific company to have SO many issues and SO many complaints, it is clearly not the user who is at fault. While you could probably make a billion minute adjustments to somehow make the bindings work for you, the sad truth is that the same issues that were on the 2010, 2011, and 2012 Unions continue to appear on the newer versions. The toe strap is garbage..i stood in zumiez yesterday and compared it to every single toe cap they had..from ride EX's to burton citizen womens bindings..they were the floppiest, thinnest toe caps with the absolute least amount of friction-causing material on the inside of the toe caps. Holding them next to a pair of Burton Mission bindings, the Missions seemed better in literally every sense. I just wish that Union would take some feedback from their customers and make the simple changes that we're all hoping for.
 
#94 ·
You have so many complaints because such a large percent of the snowboard community is riding them. From my time on the hill, as well as my experience in this forum, I know more people riding Union than any other brand. I'm almost starting to notice more people ride Union than all other brands combined.

And 90% of the complaints are pathetic. 4-5 years ago they had a problem with their toe ratchets. They redesigned them. People didn't like the 2nd generation toe cap. They redesigned it. People wanted more dampening on the foot bed. They redesigned it. The complaints now are just from pathetic whiners. The bindings are great just the way they are.
 
#92 ·
So after figuring out that to undo my toe strap all you have to do is push+pull i have to say... i love my union contacts they're sooooo sick. the ankle straps undo so easily and the toe strap give me the security i need cause i know they won't slip. :yahoo:


still have to see how my paint holds up though seeing thats the 2nd major complaint.
 
#101 ·
These neon colors are very difficult to work with, especially green. It's impossible to perfectly match colors of fabric, injected EVA, painted materials, and pigment plastic injection. Why is your heelcup "all chewed up"?

For the record, we don't have an issue with paint quality. Bindings are painted 1 by 1, by hand, by humans. There will always be a few bad ones due to human error. If there is an instance where things are chipping beyond normal wear and tear, the person is always taken care of. It's probably less than 20 people a year.

People who are upset about scratches and ****** from normal wear and tear are going to be upset with any binding they buy. You ever heard of a kid trying to return a skate deck because it got scratched up? It happens.

Yesterday I started having a problem with one of the doors on my car. I googled it, and found a forum for my exact car. Lots of people had the same issue, and several of them were pretty mad about it. "They've been making cars for 100 years - how can they screw up a door latch?" That's when I realized that the only reason any of the posters on there was due their specific problem with the door. There are probably millions of those cars on the road, and maybe .001% of them had this specific issue, yet the casual observer would assume this is a major problem, and a recall is in order. Same deal here. We sell a lot of bindings, and have less than 1% warranty return rate. That's the main reason Union has had success. 99% of snowboarders will take durability and safety over anything else. Taking care our customers has also been one of our main strengths since day one.

Thanks for reading, and go have FUN.
 
#102 ·
These neon colors are very difficult to work with, especially green. It's impossible to perfectly match colors of fabric, injected EVA, painted materials, and pigment plastic injection. Why is your heelcup "all chewed up"?

For the record, we don't have an issue with paint quality. Bindings are painted 1 by 1, by hand, by humans. There will always be a few bad ones due to human error. If there is an instance where things are chipping beyond normal wear and tear, the person is always taken care of. It's probably less than 20 people a year.

People who are upset about scratches and ****** from normal wear and tear are going to be upset with any binding they buy. You ever heard of a kid trying to return a skate deck because it got scratched up? It happens.

Yesterday I started having a problem with one of the doors on my car. I googled it, and found a forum for my exact car. Lots of people had the same issue, and several of them were pretty mad about it. "They've been making cars for 100 years - how can they screw up a door latch?" That's when I realized that the only reason any of the posters on there was due their specific problem with the door. There are probably millions of those cars on the road, and maybe .001% of them had this specific issue, yet the casual observer would assume this is a major problem, and a recall is in order. Same deal here. We sell a lot of bindings, and have less than 1% warranty return rate. That's the main reason Union has had success. 99% of snowboarders will take durability and safety over anything else. Taking care our customers has also been one of our main strengths since day one.

Thanks for reading, and go have FUN.
I can totally appreciate where you're coming from and you make a fair point. You have to remember that your 1% warranty return rate has other factors involved - for instance, for me, i wouldve dont the warranty return but I cant wait 2-3 weeks for my bindings to come back to me from Seattle. Also, many people probably find a fix to the issues themselves rather than look for a warranty - similar to what you did searching on google. I'm not saying you make a bad product, but anyone would agree there is always room for improvement and the issues that I've had seem to echo others problems as well.
I can understand how difficult it is to match that green in multiple different materials, but as time has gone on, you can definitely see that the plastic has faded to a more yellow color, as have the perforated leather straps. That's okay though, cosmetics are secondary and anything that gets that much use is going to take a beating, especially outdoors. I don't know why my heelcups are all chewed up..I'm far from a pro rider, but I don't spend much time falling down either..:dunno:
Id really love to say at the end of the everything that I was able to make the Unions work and that in the end I was happy with them - that'd be my ultimate goal. Not to complain, but to get the product that I'd heard about and hoped for.
 
#95 ·
Yeah, unfortunately I have to agree. The problem is I liked everything else about the Union Atlases over most Burtons when I bought them last year. The high back, ankle strap, heelcup adjustability, etc. The cap strap kept slipping off during runs whether I had on my Burton Rampants or Salomon Synapses, even on mellow runs.

I just bought Burton Getta-grip toe straps and now it's perfect, but it would be nice not to have this issue out of the box.
 
#97 ·
Seriously, the Union toe strap is better than my Burton getagrip strap (for those following along, the getagrip isn't that responsive). Just because you either don't like it or can't figure it out doesn't mean you have to dedicate your life to ripping on them. You should try like... snowboarding, or something.
 
#98 ·
i do like, snowboard or something, assclown. i would say you're far more dedicated to kissing Union's ass than i am to ripping on them. I'm giving an honest assessment of the problems I've had with my unions..im 27 years old, I have a full time career, I'm pretty sure I can figure out how to set up bindings..I've tried every position for both the ankle and toe caps..it doesnt matter how you spin it, wet leather does not provide ANY sort of grip, and the shapeless floppy flacid piece of perforated leather doesnt even fit correctly around the toe box of most boots. I'm entirely entitled to my opinion (which is based in FACT), and not liking them due to a major part of their binding is a fair reason to complain.
 
#100 ·
im just going to go back to cartels or missions..since the missions are basically last years cartels. i just feel like if you have an issue with Union, you get bashed on for it. I'm clearly not the only one having these problems, and I'm sure not everyone is using the same boot as me.
I don't have a sullen life, but considering you're sitting in front of a computer also, what's your excuse? I'm letting people know my personal experience with my bindings..not everyone is made of money and can just go and grab a new set of bindings or boots when they're unhappy with the product.
Again, im not pissing over anything..if people asked me about my board or boot experience id be just as honest..for better or worse
 
#103 ·
I too have a job...which is why I'm sitting in front of a computer. So if you would get over it already, I've got billings that need to be done. Besides, aren't you also sitting in front a computer? :icon_scratch:

I'm just pointing out, that, in my experience with Union, which has been relatively extensive, I haven't been able to replicate this problem (which is why I'm more than happy with the product) and suspect that you may be doing something wrong, especially considering, in most cases of someone coming here for advice it turns out to be someone with little experience with the product and their problem is easily resolved. I just find it odd that I ride these same bindings 3-4 times a week and still haven't experienced any of these issues. Like Union said, you may be in that 1%.
 
#111 ·
So I got to ride my first pair of Union’s. I was at the hill the other day and ran into a guy I knew from around town and he really wanted to try my Bezerker. So I was like sure why not I get to try a Capita DOA and Union bindings, cool. We did three runs on each other’s boards and I must say that I loved how playful his setup was compared to mine. Anyways I was Contacts and without changing any setup on them they worked really well I thought. The toe cap fit my RFL’s well, no slipping off or anything, held them down really tight. The toe strap buckle is a little weird, but after reading over this thread I knew how to get them off. Overall from that 3 run test I would consider buying a pair for sure. I also really loved the DOA board, that thing was awesome. Off topic a little, I think I am going to try a few more softer shorter boards than my Bezerker, but I think I may be in the market for a trade.
 
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