Right folks I need your valued opinion and obviously your mindless drivel too 😉

I have just grabbed a bargain Endeavour Live RC, brand new for £185, I am considering buying some bindings as well.

I am a very average rider. I am getting more comfortable each year with switch, I like drops although nothing huge. I want to spend more time messing around with smaller jumps and ground tricks.

My current bindings are Flow pro and at least 10 weeks old in real terms, 8 years design wise.
They are comfy if a little heavy but are a pain if you end up plugged in deep snow.

So what does anybody recommend?

Please bear in mind, I would prefer opinions on wrecked and rated stuff and no bindings that I will struggle to find parts for. My mate brought some lovely new bindings to whistler one year. They broke first ride out and nobody stocked spare parts. He had to buy some more!

Some will disagree strongly, but long after many people have ditched every single other Burton product in favour of another brand, Burton bindings seem to endure.

I’ve had Custom, Freestyle, Mission and Cartel over the years, all have been brilliant. I tried Drake for a while and they were pretty decent, but I’ve always gone back to Burton for bindings. I have no idea whether it’s still true today, but in the 90’s the majority of pro-snowboarders who lacked a binding sponsor (or rode for a firm that didn’t manufacture bindings) chose Burton.

ETA: You will NEVER have trouble sourcing spares for Burton bindings (with the possible exception of the super high-end stuff). I’m on my second pair of Cartels now, you can get them for around £140 if you shop around online…obviously, if you’re going back out to North America get them there instead.

Drakes f60’s have lasted me well. Only replaced as I wanted to try something a bit different – got some APO’s to try out this year.

Burton are my obvious choice and Steamboat, Colorado is where I’m off so buying over there might be the answer.

Burton Freestyle, flex 3
Custom flex 4
Mission flex 6 and so on. Anybody compared them?

Cartels for £140, where?

I’ve owned all three and used Freestyle and Mission respectively during seasons in France and Canada.

Freestyle are great (and cheap) and will do anything, Mission are more biased towards freeriding whilst Cartel are the choice of the park and pipe fraternity. It depends on what style of riding you enjoy the most, but to be honest any of them would be a good all round choice.

S4 Snowboarding seem to have Cartels for around £140 at the moment, just do a search on Google Shopping.

I want to ride most stuff but I am a forty year old who boards once a year. So no time to learn massive tricks or halfpipes, etc.

If I master a 360 I’ll be happy. So thinking the equivalent of an all mountain bike? Will burton freestyle be too flexy or will they be more than good enough?

Freestyle should be fine to be honest, if you’re willing to stretch to a little extra I’d go with Cartel though.

As a Flow user you might like the K2 Auto Ever:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObojFhu9E_c[/video]

Flow advantage of easy in/out but with less weight and normalish binding straps and flex.

Have some Burton Missions that I simply canT fault. Was using them last week in Switz on an old dominator and just realised how good they are. Too good for the board:-(

Once spent wads on some RIDE bindings and they were shit. The ratchets wouldnt hold.

I’ve been boarding for about 12 years and to be honest can’t definitely say that I find X binding better than Y, and am happy with whatever so long as they aren’t Flow or similar (which I actually find more faff than straps and not at all easy in).

I choose based on how I like the straps/ratchets. Had Burton Cartels for a while, which I am very happy with….maybe the sign of a good binding is that you don’t really notice it(?)

Freestyle should be fine to be honest, if you’re willing to stretch to a little extra I’d go with Cartel though.

Cartel isn’t a ‘little extra’ but a lot extra. Custom and Mission are next up from the Freestyle

I know, I’ve owned all three of them.

‘A little’ or ‘a lot’ are relative terms. Additionally, for most people bindings are a once every 4/5 years purchase.

Used k2s Burton Missions, currently on Burton cartels on a Gnu Park Pickle, Seem pretty bullet proof and super comfy, way better than the Missions imho. Good adjustment and highbacks can be set parallel to the board nice and easy without too much twist.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Burton-Cartel-Snowboard-bindings-size-large-UK-9-black-/300644646128?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Skiing_Snowboarding_Bindings_CV&hash=item45ffd13cf0#ht_1350wt_1240 size 9 and in Leeds

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2010-Burton-Cartel-EST-Bindings-Large-Great-condition-/190621000889?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Skiing_Snowboarding_Bindings_CV&hash=item2c61e5a4b9#ht_500wt_1258

Ta Paul 😀

Avoid Flow

I like Drakes / had old skool Rides and currently on Nitro / Drakes

once did half a season on Burton step ins – now they were crap… rather have had flows!

Burton are ok – I did did see a lot of cracked heel cups on them in Fernie in 08…

Honestly you prob wont get a bad strap binding nowadays….

Ahhh…step-in bindings, they would have been great if it wasn’t for all that pesky snow!

Anyone remember Switch step-ins?

Why do people not like Flow’s?

Admittedly they occasionally can be a faff if you need to get them on/off in deep stuff but otherwise they are so much quicker and hassle free.

Anyone remember Switch step-ins?

Yep. I had em. Team X Switch bindings with Vans Switch boots. Loved them. Pretty much immune to being clogged by snow (unlike the crappy Burton SI jobs).

Sold em on eBay last season 😀

having ridden, thrashed and sold all of the above – burtons, drakes, flows (eww!), ride, switch (back in the day!) at independent shops and the big 2 in the UK – Custom or Cartel and be done.

if they do break, easy to find bits.

if you can’t find exact bit, usually the bit for the one up or down the range will fit instead.

at least one store in every resort wherever you go to ride will have burton stock, so you won’t be stuck, unlike some other stuff.

I have a spare pair of Burton Cartels – some wear and tear, but pretty decent condition overall. Make me a silly offer and take both bindings with you…

Thanks folks.

Lots of Flow haters, out there! Mine have been faultless. Comfy, tough and like Burton there are spares everywhere.

But I like the idea of this toe strap thing, I presume the moment you introduce pressure, they react?

Igm – please drop me an email at mugboo@gmail.com

Why do people not like Flow’s?

Admittedly they occasionally can be a faff if you need to get them on/off in deep stuff but otherwise they are so much quicker and hassle free.

I pulled a hamstring on my recent trip and couldn’t ride in my Flows as I couldn’t pull my leg out. Hired some cheap Salomon bindings and wow! What a revelation. The board was half the weight and the bindings were infinitely more comfortable. First run I had to keep checking I was actually attached to the board!
Flows are going on Ebay!
Been looking at Ride and Drake on bargainboards.co.uk or theboardbasement.com
Probably go for Ride as I like the canted footbed idea.

Flows all the way for me. Love ’em! So much faster in (as long as all your mates are using them!)

Salomon bindings and wow! What a revelation. The board was half the weight and the bindings were infinitely more comfortable.

Really! Mine are a few years old, as are the other ‘strap-ins’ I have (can’t remember the model) and there is not much noticeable weight difference. I find the Flows more comfy as the pressure is distributed over the hole foot, assuming they are adjusted properly.

Burton P1.1 here – so comfy, adjustable and lifetime guarantee. Very easy to get spares in any resort. The prophecy looks like the new version.

Salomon bindings are nice too.

Ebay (especially from the US) is very good for bargains.

Noticed P1, one or two on eBay.

Also spotted some very nice Salomon bindings.

Don’t you have to have a specific hole pattern for Burtons?

I’ve got a pair of 1994 Burton Custom Freestyle bindings that are still going strong. Bombproof.

Mainly ride Forum bindings now but the Burtons are legendary.

No Burton bindings come with 4×4 plates as well as their own 3 hole versions. Easy to get hold of if they don’t. The 4×4 ones aren’t padded though.

I have never seen a decent snowboarder using Flows, unless they were being paid. Straps take a couple of seconds to do up and are infinitely adjustable.

One thing to consider is the shape/brand of the boot and binding. For instance Drakes seem comfiest with Salomon boots, and if you have Burton boots you know Burton bindings are more likely to be comfortable.

I made the switch a couple of years ago to APO Espresso bindings and I love them. They’re similar to the K2s above, with a flip down highback AND normal straps for minute adjustment and taking on and off in powder etc. They could be a bit hard to find in the UK though..

One other option is the new(?) Fastek binding from SP. They look really well engineered and I will probably try a pair next time I need new bindings..
SP Fastek

Don’t get hung up on the easy access thing, in real terms it does not take long to do 2 straps rather than 1. But saying that all the major manufactures have some sort of easy access on offer now.

It’s best to talk to a respected snowboard shop as there are so many choices out there.

Had a look at these Gnu bindings in France – look like a good system.
They were a bit pricey in resort though!
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iMhJZcHIDA[/video]

Flows take a while to setup properly – this is the key to a good experience, but once done, I reckon the offer more support and are more comfy than traditional bindings. They have also been around for years, so cant be that bad. Whereas other systems have been and gone.

“Never seen anyone decent riding them”? Well, I’m not sure where you ride, but I’ve seen plenty of people at a very good standard using them. They are a bit of a niche I suppose, as there are far less available, plus you need to find a boot that fits well. Thats why I only swapped to them 4 years ago, when I last changed my boots – I’d been wanting them for years!

Salomon high backs get my vote. Comfy & gives loads of control. Can’t fault em…

Thanks to igm I am now the proud owner of a pair of Cartels. Cheers dude 🙂

Follow up report.

6 days in and I love my new set up.

Endeavour Live RC 2012 with Cartels.

My previous boards are ex rental Custom, Palmer Honecircle, Santa Cruz true twin with Flow Pro2.

My new set up is very forgiving and just feels FUN! Its also very light.
Although I am missing just walking into my Flows…