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2009 Ride CAD Review

9K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Incogneato 
#1 ·
Hey all!

I got in about 7 hours of riding on my brand new Ride CAD bindings. Holy crap the response on these things is insane! They are rock stiff, and offer almost no flex edge to edge nor laterally.

For bombing purposes, I am NEVER going back to composite bindings ever again. I've been wasting away on my 2007 Burton P1's this entire season not appreciating the the fact that there is a whole other realm of binding: aluminum. I can lay down thin, fast, high G carves with absolute ease. Holy crap I have been wasting so much damn kinetic energy with my P1's all this time!

At first, I thought the footbed was a gimmicky feature. I worried that it would reduce some of the response of the binding since it is a completely detachable piece that slides in and "stands" above the baseplate itself. It actually acts as somewhat of a suspension system, dampening a lot of the undesirable feelings that may be caused by a more "direct" footbed-baseplate designs. Stomping landings also feel pretty good with these. Response and comfort. Can't beat that! This binding is not for people who want direct feedback from their board.

I haven't fiddled with the adjustable CANT feature on my footbed yet. You can adjust the height of each individual corner of the footbed for those who like to have their foot slanted at an angle, whiever direction that may be. I dunno if I will get a chance to fiddle with this feature this season. I'm still getting used to the damn aluminum.


Gripes:

1. Ratchets: These ratchets don't hold a candle to Burton's smooth glides. They're pretty clunky in operation.

2. No ankle strap "height" adjustment: I prefer the strap to go around higher up on my ankle. It feels kinda naked (a bit looser) up there.

3. Toe strap: I prefer Burton's leather cap strap. The stretchy rubber straps on these...while definitely gripping better, are creating new, unpleasant pressure points... maybe time will tell on these.

(4.) This isn't so much a gripe as an observation that, through no fault of their own, aluminum bindings are inherently HEAVY. They are nearly twice as heavy as my P1's.


I know I'm comparing two completely opposite types of bindings in this review, but I have several observations. Burton seems to make a much more aesthetically and functionally refined product in the little details. In comparison, these Ride bindings seem sterile and mechanical. Tons of metallic hardware, screws everywhere. Setup was an absolute nightmare. The sacrifice in creature comforts is totally worth it when you can go flying down the mountain!
 
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#2 ·
I absolutely love my Ride CAD bindings. They are super responsive and unlike my Cartels, the webbed toe cap doesn't slip.
 
#3 ·
if you are getting pressure points from the toe straps then you are probably cranking them down too tight. They don't take a lot to get them to stay without slipping. Try backing off a few notches and I think you will see less pressure points with no loss in response from these bindings
 
#4 ·
I've got some Ride Contrabands and like the aluminum.

Here's what confuses me - I was at a local shop checking out boards and bindings and the salesperson - who is actually pretty knowledgeable - told me that ride bindings aren't great because they are inflexible. He said they cause a "dead" spot on your board. He was recommending Burton Cartels which I understand are great bindings.

so, who is right? I like my Rides and hated the Burtons I had on my borrowed board, but I'm just a newbie at this.
 
#5 ·
Some people argue that aluminum bindings don't flex with the board the way a plastic binding does. This is a personal preference kinda thing though. There is no right answer. To some, that lack of flex equates to extra responsiveness from edge to edge, which I personally love. If you like the feel, then stick with them.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the replies guys. Yup. Aluminum is totally preferential to the rider. I immediately realized when I strapped in that the tweakability that I used to have was completely gone. But thats the compromise, for when you're going extremely fast over chop, the last thing you wanna feel is all the crud you're sliding over. I learned feeling every little thing is really fatiguing, especially to the knees.


With these new bindings, I can say without a doubt my freeride setup is nearly complete. I can see it now: I have Ride's stiffest bindings, I have Burton's stiffest boots... My Rome Anthem may possibly be the next part of my setup to go... And then I'll go totally crazy. Cateks, anyone?
 
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