[NullR6]

I'm unclear on the mechanics of this. It loos like the highback can be tilted back (Jeremy Jones picture) coupled with really long two-strap ladders. Does this mean you step in, pull up the back, and then pull down the straps?

Edit: I should have watched more of the top video before scrolling down. It's basically a Supermatic but instead of the highback pulling the straps down, you manually control the top strap for in/out. This also makes it easer to fold down the highback since the top strap can be super wide open, yet still engaged. Unlike a Supermatic, you have to pull the highback backwards before entry.

 

[NullR6]

It's basically a Supermatic but instead of the highback pulling the straps down, you manually control the top strap for in/out. This also makes it easer to fold down the highback since the top strap can be super wide open, yet still engaged. Unlike a Supermatic, you have to pull the highback backwards before entry.

The press materials has this quote, describing the actions:

To get in, simply insert your boot into the binding, the AutoBack (highback) automatcally closes around your boot while the Locked-In Toe Strap remains in place. Then simply buckle the FastStrap (ankle strap) with one hand to the preferred tension like you normally would.

To get out, simply open the FastStrap then lift your heel, the AutoBack naturally opens to release your boot. That’s it! The main feature is the AutoBack (highback) which automatically closes around the boot. This innovative design is built around the pedal, a pressure sensitve lever that raises the highback to the boot when strapping-in and opens the highback when the rider disengages as they are unstrapping.

I'm still not clear on how the highback can move both backwards to open and also fold down. Hopefully we'll see more videos as it becomes more public.

 

[NullR6]

So happy I grabbed some NX2-TMs last year before they were discontinued.

 

[NullR6]

Personally, I love that StepOn is driving all this innovation in the industry.

Burton has been a consistent advocate for quick entry, but I think it's inaccurate to imply they are the ones driving all the innovation. I rode Switch bindings back before Burton got in the game. I did ride Burton's Step-In bindings (pre StepOn) and those were not great. I haven't ridden StepOn, but they have the same two problems the Switch and SI bindings had: (1) you can't quickly switch over to a board with a regular binding due to the extra hardware on the boot and (2) you need a boot with way more internal structure/weight if you want any kind of boot/binding stiffness. Flow really changed everything by solving these two issues. And as has been said, they also solved it in a way that didn't compromise performance.

 

[NullR6]

The Switch, Step-Ins, and Flow experiences have all been my boards. Aside from a random rental here and there, I haven't used traditional bindings since the mid-90s

 

[NullR6]

I'm usually at a short hill. It's not uncommon to have runs that last less than a minute. The speed of rapid entry bindings really pays off in these situations.

For my Flows, I usually enter facing uphill, so the highback can lay all the way down. The slip baseplate on the NX2 series is also sooo much better than the non-slip baseplate versions (it might be on the Fuse, I didn't check). Your toe slides right in under to toe strap with less effort. It will be interesting to see if any of the FASE bindings adopt that baseplate design.

I have yet to try getting my foot into an open Flow binding while on a cat track. I'm sure it can be done but will require more muscle memory. I used to do that on my old Switch and Burton Step-In bindings, but those required simpler foot motions like the current Burton Step-On style.

 

[NullR6]

Yeah we had the Rome guys asking us (me and the Nidecker/was Flow rep) how they hell we've been doing it for so long with Flow. Like having to "hold peoples hands" as they figure out not to just jam and stomp their foot into the system. Focus on getting you're toe in as far as you can first, then step down. Easy as that.

Did they put the Flow slip & grip footbed in? I find that makes it much easier to bang my toe into my newer Flows.

 

[NullR6]

I suspect Nidecker has learned a lot from the Flow and Supermatic mechanisms. They aren't starting on this from zero.

 

[NullR6]

You can use any boots for Flow and Supermatic, but the Flow highback really grabs the back of a boot. This is why most of the mid to high end Nidecker boots have a rubber plate on the back above the sole. It also helps with stiffness on their stiffer boots, which is a nice byproduct (Rift has a small plate, while the Kita's is large).

 

[NullR6]

I do like the option of folding the highback down without having to undo the straps. This is my primary gripe with Flows since I can't toss my board in a bag without opening up everything.

 

[NullR6]

Rode the Katanas today. I back FASE completely. My rep might not get them back. The new ankle strap is great, probably my favorite Rome ankle strap ever. Coming from riding a lot of Flows, I still, by a small margin, prefer fusion strap Flows to this, but I would take FASE over Flow hybrid at this point. Not much of a learning curve for me personally, but again been riding Flow on at least one setup for the last decade+. But yeah I just adjusted everything like I normally would for 2 straps and it worked perfect with no further adjustments needed. Mechanism is simple. Definitely a kool-aid dealer after just that short test.

The size chart for the regular Katanas say a US 9.5 is on the edge of fitting the Medium size and will be boot dependent. I'm curious to know if being on the upper edge is more of an issue with the FASE version. Are you near an upper bound or squarely within the binding size you tried?

 

[NullR6]

I messed around with the Mercury in a shop. It felt pretty solid. Not much flex in the highback. Stiff ankle strap. The footbed was also quite hard like some Union bindings have. Maybe it helps the boot slide in a bit better and there is some cushioning under the base (it was mounted to a board so I couldn’t see). The baseplate kind of curves under at the sides so it should have a bit of lateral roll to it.

The higher end Flow bindings have a hard plate in the middle of the footbed so your toe slides more easily under the straps (Slip-n-Grip mentioned earlier). It makes a huge difference on ease of use, so it would make sense if they mimicked that. The NX2 binding series has cushioning under the base which is good for absorption.

 

[NullR6]

with the FASE, the rider can sit on the snow to get in and out, while still using the fast entry system. unlike supermatic and flow.

Supermatic and Flow can be done from seating - the strap assembly can be opened and closed manually. It's just annoying to do that and not as easy as regular straps. I have to do this with my Flows during air transport since I fold down the highbacks under the straps.

 

[NullR6]

You can always tell the difference between mountain riders and short hill riders during convenience debates on rapid entry bindings. My brother rode the lifts 15 times to collect 30k ft vert in just under 6 hours at Snowbird earlier this year. I did 29 runs for 8.8k vert in 4 hours at my short local hill. Most of my runs were 1-2 minutes, with a couple under 1 min.

There's a reason I went to Switch bindings in the 90s and never went back to the traditional 2-strap style.

 

[NullR6]

From what Ive seen of the 32/Jones, the toe straps seem to stay in position better (perhaps part of the completely new baseplate design but I could be wrong). The Rome/Bataleon flops around like their regular bindings.

This may be a function of bolt tightness at the strap anchor.

 

[NullR6]

I randomly walked into a store today and they had their FASE Katana and Blaster samples on the display for people to play with. They weren't bolted to a board but I could mess with the ratchets and other parts. From the testing I could do, the ankle strap was easy to use and I'm not concerned about the lever-highback connection durability. I could also pop it apart reasonably easily by just smacking the highback forward with my hand, so it should be a piece of cake when using a boot to kick it down.

The toe strap webbing for the Blaster is definitely more flexible than for the Katana (grain of salt, these were sample bindings so it may change).

The Blaster sample was the black body but with grey accent colors instead of the red ones shown for the product version. I know I'm probably in the minority, but I liked the grey better. I wonder if they will sell the color parts as spares, since that would allow people to swap out accent colors for the other options in the model.

I'm definitely interested in picking up a pair. I just need to decide which binding makes the most sense for how I ride - not the Thirty Two, I'm not freestyle. I'll probably put my Flow NX2-TM bindings on my Coda and the FASE on my Superposition.

 

[NullR6]

For those in the US, Evo is taking pre-orders. (dupe)

 

[NullR6]

The Flow strap styles are Hybrid (low over the toe) and Fusion (exposed toe). The models worth considering are the Fuse, NX2, and NX2 Carbon - the order of increasing stiffness. I wouldn't bother dropping down to the Fenix model since it doesn't have the slip plate, which makes getting in a lot easier.

 

[NullR6]

One thing I'm used to from riding Flows, which Supermatics also have, is that it's easy to catch your highback on lift poles and gates if your board is too close on the heel side. The highbacks should open so they don't get crushed by the lift.

With FASE, this will also be an issue if you load with the highback open backwards like Flow/Supermatic. Slapping them forward like a traditional binding would obviously prevent this. I'd love to hear if early FASE riders have been opening the highback while riding the lift.

 

[NullR6]

Thanks a lot, honestly my hold up against flow was based on their first models and yeah for not being cool, but now that I am 51 thats no longer an issue and the day will come that I will appreciate the convenience . Will look intp them!

I'm over 50 and the Flows have been amazing. It is very important to dial in the setup and it may take a bunch of tinkering. Don't be afraid to alter the locked down side of the straps too, since that changes the high point location which alters entry and fit.