Softboot bindings for this season

[Loc]

Fear not, I'm not going back to the dark side. I'm just looking for some decent freeride bindings to slap on the Prior ATV 171 and ride with my Burton Driver X boots. 2009 models are fine but I get a discount at backcountry.com on 2010 models too. Any suggestions?

[Hans]

Here are some nice Flows for sale:

http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=26393

[Willow 15]

I'm not going back to the dark side.

why not all the cool movie characters are on the losing side. But i am in the same boat my C60,s( 05;s with solid high back) are nearly dead, one of the high backs is snapped and bolted together with plastic and metal taking away the lightness of carbon. Is there any new products out there that compere to C60,s or Nidecker 900's. Yes I know Catek, but I drive a Passat not an Audi so I am wallet unfriendly.

[powdahbonz]

I have Flows, couple different models and Romes, far less than what you will spend online. They are all new and unused. Let me know size needed and I can send you pics if needed. Really looking forward to using my Flow Pro S-FS on my BX board this year.

Fear not, I'm not going back to the dark side. I'm just looking for some decent freeride bindings to slap on the Prior ATV 171 and ride with my Burton Driver X boots. 2009 models are fine but I get a discount at backcountry.com on 2010 models too. Any suggestions?

[Puddy Tat]

Nidecker A.C.T. 1 's?

[surlyguy]

I have a pair of nidecker carbon 900s that I'm probably going to sell this winter. As new condition.

I have a pair of Driver x boots size 43. These bindings wouldn't fit a boot much bigger.

Interested drop me a line.

[Jack M]

Catek Freeride.

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Fear not, I'm not going back to the dark side. I'm just looking for some decent freeride bindings to slap on the Prior ATV 171 and ride with my Burton Driver X boots. 2009 models are fine but I get a discount at backcountry.com on 2010 models too. Any suggestions?

Flows are FAST , great for quick entering and exiting. Excellent support once you get them dialed in, requires a bit more patience getting the fit right.

The Catek FR is in a class all its own when it comes to adjustability and I have not found anything else that is as stiff / supportive as the FR.

Not to mention you can swap from hardboot to softboot in a matter of seconds if you have your gear set up. Not to mention all bitchin CNC bling!

Draw backs? Bucks up. Beefy, too much for light riders maybe? Transfer is

direct. RE: Firm feel, viration.

[Loc]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'd love the Cateks but it's too much for bindings I won't use much. I plan to ride softies on powder days or when I want to try my friends' fancy new banana magne traction rocker thing-a-ma-jig.

[twelsch42]

Catek soft bindings are as close to a 'hard boot feel' as you can get with softies - I would argue.

[pow4ever]

Anyone hear from catek recently?

Hope all is well with Catek/Scott.

Maybe once the snow start to fall...

[Boarder_Ted]

Got an email response from Scott a couple weeks back but haven't heard anything since. They do seem to be rather hit or miss. Customer service, man- it's important.

[BigBump]

Catek soft bindings are as close to a 'hard boot feel' as you can get with softies - I would argue.

If you want a hard boot feel, why not ride the alpine? Since you already have pretty stiff boots, I would go with a softer binding, I love the Salolon Relay Pro's. Plenty of response toe and heel but enough flex in all the right places. Contrary to what alot of people think on this board, being able to flex your ankle does not equal slop.

IMHO, if you are going to ride softies, embrace it and set lower ankles and enjoy the new found freedom the setup gives you rather than try to force and alpine stance and style and fight it!

[bobdea]

on a banana in pow just about any mid range modern binding will do it

burton, nidecker, ride(my preference) , drake, technine and union to name a few all make something that would work well.

for pow, if I have to carry my board on my back, my ultimate preference is the burton c60, responsive enough but quite light. not overkill in stiffness like cateks or older nidecker 900s. the older nidecker 800s were a touch softer and I liked those but they are on the heavy side. really though, I could live with burton cartels for pow.

I'm a big dude too, you could even go with something softer I bet........

[Flash]

Try these Rides:

http://ridesnowboards.com/bindings/cad

I have last year's pair...way better construction than any of the Burton junk (metal base, not plastic). The footbed is also cantable (a huge plus) and the toestrap can act as a capstrap if you choose.

[twelsch42]

If you want a hard boot feel, why not ride the alpine? Since you already have pretty stiff boots, I would go with a softer binding, I love the Salolon Relay Pro's. Plenty of response toe and heel but enough flex in all the right places. Contrary to what alot of people think on this board, being able to flex your ankle does not equal slop.

IMHO, if you are going to ride softies, embrace it and set lower ankles and enjoy the new found freedom the setup gives you rather than try to force and alpine stance and style and fight it!

There are a lot of drawbacks to running hard-boots for me. I have funny low volume feet, and don't have the patience for working with a bootfitter right now. Many other things to factor into individual binding / board choice. I don't ride Cateks for the hard boot feel, but it is a side-effect to riding really stiff bindings. I ride them because they fit my riding style. They help me ride anywhere on the mountain with my buddies (skiers). Surf the pow, and lay some trenches. If I'm by myself, or stuck on groomers all day, the hard-boots come out. If not, the cateks are a great compromise for someone not looking to lock into an alpine setup for the whole day on the mountain.

AND, some mushy plastic Burtons, are not going to let me get the control over a 192 Tanker in softies.

twelsch

[aactis]

Definitely not as nice as the Catek's, but I've enjoyed my Ride SPi's for the past several seasons. Lateral flexibility is sufficient for fast mogul riding but stiff enough for all mountain stuff. They match up well to my DriverX and Arbor Roundhouse.

Or at least, I haven't ridden anything better yet :), and they're like $200ish last time I checked.

[Dave ESPI]

I've been drooling for nearly 2 years over the Catek FR2 Pros.

I bit the bullet and ordered a pair this week.

I perfer softer boot, stiffer more responsive binding, but then again, I have strong feet and ankles ( unlike many apparently ) lol.

[Boarder_Ted]

Shoot, if everyone's so excited about the Catek Freerides, I have a pair of original Freerides I might want to part with. Hit me up for pics if interested.

(Sorry about the threadjack)

[terekhov]

FR2s - too many parts to lose for living for the snow guy. tried them & parted with them because it's maintainance nightmare for sure. real anti-occam product)

now riding nidecker 900's (2007?) & flow C-XFR (2006?) as softboot binders. both a great. carbonium highback is a must.

[Bullwings]

FR2s - too many parts to lose for living for the snow guy. tried them & parted with them because it's maintainance nightmare for sure. real anti-occam product)

I pretty much carry a bunch of EXTRA gear whenever i'm riding them. I have a full second screw/hardware kit in my pack, and extra rachet straps. I also have a spare power plate and teflon tape. I'm pretty meticulous about my gear, so I've never had a problem as far as losing a screw or anything coming loose while riding. The first thing I did with my set was take it all apart and put teflon tape on all of the screws (much better solution to loctite - usable in wet conditions, no need to wait for settling and drying).

[Dave ESPI]

I agree with Bullwings, Loctite and teflon tape and "Fluid Film" is your friend with ALL kinds of bindings.

I get soooooooooo pissed when I lose even a single screw from my gear.

No excuse for not checking your gear!

[terekhov]

I pretty much carry a bunch of EXTRA gear whenever i'm riding them. I have a full second screw/hardware kit in my pack, and extra rachet straps. I also have a spare power plate and teflon tape. I'm pretty meticulous about my gear, so I've never had a problem as far as losing a screw or anything coming loose while riding. The first thing I did with my set was take it all apart and put teflon tape on all of the screws (much better solution to loctite - usable in wet conditions, no need to wait for settling and drying).

yes, after considering all that - I decide to go occam's way: and because nidecker900 is better ride feel too -- there's no problem for me to which fr2 overengineering is a solution. and yes - I was small local catek dealer in that times.. so - i won't recommend fr2 to friend.

[bobdea]

IMO, you should not need locktite. cateks are the exception but even with those only once when you assemble them and then use blue only.

cateks are the only modern binding that I've needed the stuff with in the last decade. I'm sure many low end bindings need the stuff but most of the high end bindings don't have a whole lot of screws that don't have any sort locking mechanism already or in the case of the better manufacturers many of the places that screw or nuts and bolts use tabs, rivets or some type of locking system that does not involve screws at all.

burton for example uses few screws, ride is a example of company that uses a lot but all lock well.