Good bindings (Snowboarder)

[TheBoomDoctor]

First off, I apologize for being a boarder. Though I mostly boards with skiers, so I find myself feeling at home in this ski forum! I bought my board more than 15 years ago and have loved it the whole time, but in the past few years I have barely gotten to ride. My family and I are planning to go boarding in a few weeks, and as I looked over my gear, I realized I badly need new bindings. I currently have some of the early flow bindings, that I have really liked. Before that I had the Burton Custom bindings and liked those a lot, but they had a very aggressive forward lean that I liked while carving, but lift lines and rides were borderline painful. I'm old and have never really enjoyed jumping or tricks, just carving and enjoying launching off of small drops in the slope. When I was more active in the sport I would say I was one of the better carvers on the slope on an average day, but not the best, and I am pretty aggressive on each run.

At this point I have no knowledge of the current products out there, and am hoping some of you may have some ideas good bindings to look for in the used market, or cheaper new bindings that are actually good. Any help would be appreciated, and will help inspire me to not sit in the middle of slopes, clog up the area around the lift, and generally act like a punk to skiers!

 

[Tricia]

@raytseng @elemmac Any advice?

 

[fatbob]

I got Burton Missions about 6 years ago. Fairly standard solid binding. Capstrap for toes, not too much of a gas ramp. Just check the bolts regularly would be my advice. Cartel would be a step up.

 

[raytseng]

Ha, I've barely made it to intermediate Boarder level, and hung up my snowboard after a head injury (per a skier-biased doctors orders). So a better dual-sport slider here will have better knowledge than me.

If nobody peeps up, suggest you have to go to a snowboard shop and talk to someone; or if you're set on internet shopping you can give the bigger internet snow shops that have a snowboarding presence and good customer service a call /chat/ or post (i.e. like evo or backcountry)

 

[Lauren]

I ride Ride Fame bindings (have three pairs of the same model, just from three different years). I believe the men’s equivalent was the LTD. If you can find a set on closeout or used, they’ll do everything you’re asking.

Ride has changed up their line this year. They now label their bindings with an A for aluminum, C for composite/carbon. Then they have 1-10 number for the feel, with 10 being the stiffest. For the ridding you describe, I’d recommend going with a 6+. 6 if you want it to feel softer, 10 if you want the stiffest binding they make for aggressive riding.

Might be a good option if you're looking at the used market (and if you're a large):
Ride A-8 Snowboard Binding - Snowboard Bindings - Size Unisex L (geartrade.com)

Union seems to be a fan favorite...I see them everywhere on the mountain. My husband has a pair that he really enjoys.

Personally, one of the main things I look for is an aluminum chassis. They tend to be a bit heavier than composite, but I find them to be much more responsive and overall I like the feel better from a metal baseplate.

 

[Jarngreipr]

K2 Indy is a pretty solid middle of the road binding. If you want to spend more, I highly recommend the AT Lien. It's a stiff binding with signficant adjustability as to board/binding interface (elastomer 'pucks' between binding and board, of various durometer to fine tune things).

 

[TheBoomDoctor]

I got Burton Missions about 6 years ago. Fairly standard solid binding. Capstrap for toes, not too much of a gas ramp. Just check the bolts regularly would be my advice. Cartel would be a step up.

I have size 11 boots and find my toes hitting the snow with an extra wide board, this being the case I have avoided the cap strap in the past in fear it would make my feet that much longer. Is that something I should worry about?

 

[TheBoomDoctor]

I ride Ride Fame bindings (have three pairs of the same model, just from three different years). I believe the men’s equivalent was the LTD. If you can find a set on closeout or used, they’ll do everything you’re asking.

Ride has changed up their line this year. They now label their bindings with an A for aluminum, C for composite/carbon. Then they have 1-10 number for the feel, with 10 being the stiffest. For the ridding you describe, I’d recommend going with a 6+. 6 if you want it to feel softer, 10 if you want the stiffest binding they make for aggressive riding.

Might be a good option if you're looking at the used market (and if you're a large):
Ride A-8 Snowboard Binding - Snowboard Bindings - Size Unisex L (geartrade.com)

Union seems to be a fan favorite...I see them everywhere on the mountain. My husband has a pair that he really enjoys.

Personally, one of the main things I look for is an aluminum chassis. They tend to be a bit heavier than composite, but I find them to be much more responsive and overall I like the feel better from a metal baseplate.

This is very helpful!

 

[TheBoomDoctor]

K2 Indy is a pretty solid middle of the road binding. If you want to spend more, I highly recommend the AT Lien. It's a stiff binding with signficant adjustability as to board/binding interface (elastomer 'pucks' between binding and board, of various durometer to fine tune things).

I will check these out. Thank you!

 

[Tricia]

I will check these out. Thank you!

Coincidently, you have a K2 snowboard.

Also, Ride and K2 are not the same but they are made by the same company.

 

[fatbob]

I used to be a fan of alu bindings until I snapped heel hoops of 2 successive pairs. Then I decided Burton ubiquity had a value with sourcing spares almost anywhere you might be.

I don't find capstraps an overhang problem.

Agree that Union seem to be the top choice these days though.

 

[Delicious]

First off, I apologize for being a boarder. Though I mostly boards with skiers, so I find myself feeling at home in this ski forum! I bought my board more than 15 years ago and have loved it the whole time, but in the past few years I have barely gotten to ride. My family and I are planning to go boarding in a few weeks, and as I looked over my gear, I realized I badly need new bindings. I currently have some of the early flow bindings, that I have really liked. Before that I had the Burton Custom bindings and liked those a lot, but they had a very aggressive forward lean that I liked while carving, but lift lines and rides were borderline painful. I'm old and have never really enjoyed jumping or tricks, just carving and enjoying launching off of small drops in the slope. When I was more active in the sport I would say I was one of the better carvers on the slope on an average day, but not the best, and I am pretty aggressive on each run.

At this point I have no knowledge of the current products out there, and am hoping some of you may have some ideas good bindings to look for in the used market, or cheaper new bindings that are actually good. Any help would be appreciated, and will help inspire me to not sit in the middle of slopes, clog up the area around the lift, and generally act like a punk to skiers!

Bindings are best matched to boot and board performance level. What model boot do you use? Board?

 

[Delicious]

I used to be a fan of alu bindings until I snapped heel hoops of 2 successive pairs. Then I decided Burton ubiquity had a value with sourcing spares almost anywhere you might be.

I don't find capstraps an overhang problem.

Agree that Union seem to be the top choice these days though.

Yep. Union actually use aluminum heels cups too. While I agree that Union seem to be the "binding of choice", I have had much better experience with the Burton Mission series. Currently own Union Force bindings in our only remaining snowboard, but very much wish they were Missions or Cartels.
Cap Strap:
This technology is all upside, no downside. Don't even think twice about this. You can moderate overhang issues with toe ramp, binding baseplate height, and of course foot angle.

 

[Delicious]

Personally, one of the main things I look for is an aluminum chassis. They tend to be a bit heavier than composite, but I find them to be much more responsive and overall I like the feel better from a metal baseplate.

Only issue here is that a "responsive" (stiffer) aluminum binding can be very uncomfortable with a freestyle boot. The snowboarding world has done a pretty good job of identifying "freestyle" vs "freeride" components, and they work best when not intermixed.

 

[Lauren]

Cap Strap:
This technology is all upside, no downside. Don't even think twice about this. You can moderate overhang issues with toe ramp, binding baseplate height, and of course foot angle.

The downside is when the toe cap strap doesn’t match your boot well, it really sucks. They end up fitting awkwardly and falling off or not doing anything to improve performance.

I prefer the “hybrid” style straps that have a flexy rubber that can either be worn traditionally over the toe or on the tip.

 

[Delicious]

I prefer the “hybrid” style straps that have a flexy rubber that can either be worn traditionally over the toe or on the tip.

Yep. Which is pretty much what you're going to find.

 

[TheBoomDoctor]

Bindings are best matched to boot and board performance level. What model boot do you use? Board?

Lol. I’m embarrassed about this. But there’s a great story behind it. I ride a K2 Union 163wide, bought in 2003. My boots are a model of Ride boots, size 11 from about 10 years ago, I don’t know which ones.

Story is, I was saving up for a new board in high school and one day my aunt, @Tricia , showed up to pick me up from school. Then she took me out and bought me a board that was way more expensive than I could afford and got me new bindings to add to it. It was such an awesome day!

 

[Tricia]

It was such an awesome day!

We had many more awesome days after that!

 

[Dwight]

Union seems to be a fan favorite...I see them everywhere on the mountain. My husband has a pair that he really enjoys.

Ditto on Union. It is what my daughter uses.