softies-flow/Catek/other?

[Carp]

I'm looking to buy my wife some new bindings. As much as I'd like to get her into hard boots she really doesn't have an interest and I'm just happy she boards with me. Anyway, she currently has the Burton Step in's only the high back broke and the step-ins seem to not engage as well as they did a few years back. She and I really like the convenience of stepping in and don't want to get her new boots(unless I have to). I've seen quite a few of the Flows on the hills and although not technically a step-in look like they'd be real easy to get in and out of and also pretty responsive to maybe progress her into hard boots? I also thought the Catek Freerides looked really responsive being all aluminum, however not close to a step-in. I'm wondering if these will work with her burton boots and/or if there's another binding out there that might work as well or better? If I'm forced to get new boots for her, what's something that would be nice and stiff in a softboot?

[kinpa]

I'd have to agree about the Burton Step-Ins. I use them to teach and I'm in and out of them a lot. When I first got them, I loved them, but they didn't seem to hold up very well. I've got a spring broken in one of them so I have to be extra careful to make sure I'm in. I don't know what other step-ins would be good, but like I said, I'd have to agree with you about the Burtons.

[Gecko]

Flows will work with almost boots the only issue seems to be comfort. Since each boot has a different front shape some mesh well with the front some don't. Try a pair out, I know here in Ochanamizu they have a test setup that you can try out your boots in various bindings. I think K2 makes a rear entry binding that works the same as Flow but has two straps like regular ratchet bindings.

[skategoat]

You have to be careful with the bulk in the toe of your boot when you buy Flow bindings. It's best to test them together in the store. Flow has a new model (FL-11, I think) which is reasonably priced. Not bulletproof but it works for 90% of people out there.

As for Cateks, I don't get it. They are expensive and I just don't see the benefit. I mean, there is so much slop in soft boots, I don't see the benefit of a precision binding made of aluminum.

I had Burton SIs before and they are convenient but not very stiff.

[big mario]

I have a couple pairs of flows on my all mountain boards, and I love them! They are nice and comfy, you can " strap in" on the lift, and you can carve with them. They can be a pain in the butt to get out of if you are doing any off piste hiking however.

[jason_watkins]

Flow are good, but can be a bit picky to adjust, and are occasionally incompatible with some boot.

Another option is bindings where the toe strap doesn't completely seperate, just loosens enough for you to take your foot out with ease. Salomon makes bindings like this, and I'm just as fast in and out of those as my buddy with flow's. If your balance is ok, you can get used to strapping them while on the glide as well easily enough.

Another tip is replacing the screws that hold the strap to the binding frame with something that allows a bit more tension... stick a washer or two in there. That way, the strap stays urhm erect, so you can just use one hand to grab the buckle and slip it over the tounge.

Anyhow, with that tweak and a little cordination, the salomon bindings are very quick to get in and out as well.

Personally, I think the flow feel better for riding once they're all dialed in. If I planned to ride softies more than occasionally, I'd pick some up.

[Hagen]

...I had problems with my flow bindings - my boots, I guess, had an incompatible shape...

Since she had burton step ins before I guess your wife will also need new boots. I would suggest to find boots that she likes and then test if those work with the flow bindings. If not the K2 bindings that Gecko mentioned sound good too and should be more adjustable to boot shape.

After dumping my flow bindings I went back to regular straps and realsized that it's not really that much hassle to get in and out.

...now I don't like to ride in softies at all anymore and mount my TD2s on my freeride deck for powder days...

Hagen.

[kjl]

Originally posted by skategoat

As for Cateks, I don't get it. They are expensive and I just don't see the benefit. I mean, there is so much slop in soft boots, I don't see the benefit of a precision binding made of aluminum.

I got the Catek freeride last year and thought pretty much the same thing - the boot is so soft compared to (any) binding that stiffening the binding seemed overkill, and kind of useless.

However, after last Saturday... I think I've changed my mind again. It is a very good carving softboot binding, mostly due to the canting/lifting adjustability of the baseplate. (normally, rotating to face the nose for a heelside turn on a flat-angle setup tends to push your front calf towards the heelside edge, against the highback, but pull the back calf towards to toeside, peeling it away from the highback, resulting in torsional twisting of the board or at the least, ineffective edgehold near the back foot). By toelifting the front and heellifting the back bindings your can diminish this effect and I was able to finally rail that heelside in softies...

Also, the heelcup of the binding is very tight, by design according to Jeff Caron when I asked on the Catek forums last year, so that your foot really wants to stay clamped down to the bottom of the bindings, even in hard toeside turns/skids (where you might separation between the boot heel and the binding in a looser binding).

That being said, if the original poster is looking for the convenience of a step-in... this binding's not the one. Getting my foot properly strapped in involves a lot of me pounding the crap out of the boot toe with my bruised fist to get the heel of the boot to shove into the back of the binding, ratcheting everything down, pounding the crap out of the toe some more, and ratcheting everything down again. Once everything is in there, though, it is definitely a stiff, solid binding (definitely a noticeable difference over my old Bustom Custom Freestyles or whatever I had before). Definitely a precision ride. Combine with stiff softies (Solomon Malamute) and a good, stiff, all-mountain board (I ride a Never Summer Premier), and you have a viable softboot carving setup that still maintains that surfy feel in the powder/trees.

I had Flows for a while and returned them because they were not compatible with my boot (Burton... Ion's at the time, I think). My heels would lift significantly in toeside turns, no matter how I adjusted the 4 ratchets. That being said, I've heard they have great lateral stability for carving if you're into that. In terms of convenience, they look like they should be easy to get into but for some reason I always see people with Flows on their hands and toes, trying to reach around to pull the heelpiece up. I assume it's because unlike most bindings you step into Flow on your toeside edge instead of your heelside... then you bend over to buckle in, break at the waist, lose your edge, and end up on your hands...

[Boarder_Ted]

Gotta throw my two cents in here to. I've ridden Flow bindings for two years now and I find them to be great. Yeah they do take a while to set up, but most of us here a gear-heads anyway (c'mon, admit it) and spending time tweaking our gear is what we do.

I found the biggest problem with the Flows was the shape of the highback. It has a bit of an "s" curve to it causing a pinching point around the achilles (a common problem as I understand it). I rectified the situation by putting in a permanent wedge on the highback. It now follows the actual shape of my boot and voila! no more problem. Also seems to have solved the heal lift issue.

As for having to find new boots (the user was in Burton S.I.'s) not really a problem there either. I use Burton Driver step-in's with the strap removed. Works just fine.

[bobdea]

service a few years ago I bent the bails on my WCs

I emailed Jeff and asked how I could get some new ones

I in no way did I plan to get a freebie.

he replied to me by asking what my shipping address was, a week later I have a set of bails on my doorstep.

no questions asked other than my address.

I bent the heel hoop on my rear binding of my freerides, I assume it was from a high ramp on a lift.

today I got a email from Jeff asking what my address was.

if this were any other company that makes binding I would be sending them off for a warranty and waiting ages to get my stuff back.

only a couple other companies will treat you as well, one of which we are using their forum right now.

[Gecko]

I have talked to Fin, Sean, Bruce and Jeff (the fact that we can refer to them in this manner and not feel pretentious is a plus) and have nothing but positive experiences with them. I cannot wait to meet Jeff when I go home to Newport next year

[glenn]

Rode Flows when they were first marketed and had some durability issues which Flow remedied. As a courtesy for my inconvience they replaced my mid grades with carbon model and I haven't had a minutes trouble since.

As for the ease of entry the other posters are right on. Some boots are compatible, some aren't. I've found that square heeled boots are problematic as well as those with bulk.

My advice is to go with stiff Flow boots and avoid any entry/exit issues.

The best way to adjust the surf strap escapes me at the moment but Flow has a procedure to get optimum fit right from the start. Think it might have something to do with putting two fingers under the strap at the arch of the foot and the toe and then pushing the strap snug.

In any event, a very good soft boot set up and yes they are very carve friendly...

[Phil]

There is a lot of good advice here.

If I were you, I would get a set of late model Burton SI bindings. They really have addressed most of the issues with play. Since she is used to them, it would even be better.

The PSI's were the worst. They would break springs left and right. I am guessing that most people who had breakage issues had these.

The older SI's were not nearly as durable as the newer model SI's. I have been getting a new pair every year, and they have really improved. Make sure that you get the newer ones though. There are a lot of old ones that people would probably like to unload and pass off for new ones.

[Gtanner]

I've got a set used once that are sitting around. If anyone is intersted send me an email with an offer (used once, size large).

-Gord