# Freeride/Charging Bindings



## I need a name (Mar 5, 2009)

It's about time that I get a complete new set up... Bindings will be mounted on either a Ride Highlife or a Neversummer Heritage. 

I'm between Ride El Hefe's, Burton Diodes, and Union Force MC. Comfort, response, and weight are my top priorities. 

I love my Ride NRC's for freeride and Cartels for park. My only complaints with the NRC's are the sticky ratchets and their weight. It looks like ride corrected this over the years.


Any suggestions?


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

diodes on my Heritage.. they're the last burton product i'm running but they're sick. 

featherlight and very comfortable straps


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

Go with the Union SL's. I upgraded from the Force to these on my all mtn board and they friggin' charge. They're extremely light and responsive. Toe ratchets and straps are an upgrade over previous years.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

Extremo said:


> Go with the Union SL's. I upgraded from the Force to these on my all mtn board and they friggin' charge. They're extremely light and responsive. Toe ratchets and straps are an upgrade over previous years.


goddamn dude... you need to ask them for a paycheck... no one is a bigger fanboy


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

And watch out, Union flamers are everywhere...panties all in bunch.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

I had normal SL's. Couldn't drive into the highback cause it just twists and folds. Landed on my jibstick and stayed there till I sold them, and now they're on a Nitro Subzero. Which the kid likes them there. So yeah, good park binding on a super soft jibstick...

If you're really willing to drop the money I doubt you'll really find anything more responsive than Diodes. Very slim chance Flux DMCC's might be, might. El Hefe's are probably going to be the more beefy of the three, maybe able to take a beating better.


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

The SL's are SOFT? Bahahahahaha...


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## oefdevilvet (Feb 4, 2011)

El Hefe's are bulletproof and extremely responsive, I have them on a 2012 NS Raptor, might be overkill for a Herritage.


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## DrnknZag (Feb 7, 2010)

If you like your NRC's, I think you could look at the Ride Capos. They're about the same in terms of stiffness and response. If you want to step up in response and stiffness, the El Hefes would be a good option. Personally I'd put a set of Capos on a Heritage, but it's all personal preference.

Diodes are good, Rome Targas should be given a look too, I'll pass on Unions.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Extremo said:


> The SL's are SOFT? Bahahahahaha...


Go grab your highback and twist it. Soft. Not my fault.


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## Mel M (Feb 2, 2012)

Nivek said:


> I had normal SL's. Couldn't drive into the highback cause it just twists and folds. Landed on my jibstick and stayed there till I sold them, and now they're on a Nitro Subzero. Which the kid likes them there. So yeah, good park binding on a super soft jibstick...
> 
> If you're really willing to drop the money I doubt you'll really find anything more responsive than Diodes. Very slim chance Flux DMCC's might be, might. El Hefe's are probably going to be the more beefy of the three, maybe able to take a beating better.


That doesn't make any sense. I have a buddy that has an Atlas on a Heritage and I put in on my SL. We don't have any problems with heelside initiation at all. Did you rotate your highbacks? They flex laterally, but are very stiff longitudinally.

The SL's have a very similar highback.


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## IvanoftheNorth (Feb 23, 2012)

Hi, first post here, long time lurker. 


You know, I've been looking at some of the reviews here and I find it quite hilarious that certain people here are trashing Union bindings. You know the ones. It seems like they are trying to establish a quasi-guru like reputation for themselves. (Don't you think there are better ways to seek validation than the internet?). 

When you cut the bull, it remains that Union bindings are good value for the price.

Just recently, I bought a pair of Union Force for me and a pair of Union Milan for my wife. Why? Good reviews, they look like they won't be out of style in a season or two, and my son's coach, a formerly internationally ranked snowboarder and one of just a handful of people in the country where we reside that is qualified to judge international competitions, told me they'd be a great buy when I asked (and he uses Flow NXT-AT bindings). If someone who knows so much about the sport thinks so highly of them, they aren't crap despite what the pseudo-gurus will have you believe.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

How about K2 Evers?


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## kpd2003 (Sep 8, 2011)

+1 on the targas


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Mel M said:


> That doesn't make any sense. I have a buddy that has an Atlas on a Heritage and I put in on my SL. We don't have any problems with heelside initiation at all. Did you rotate your highbacks? They flex laterally, but are very stiff longitudinally.
> 
> The SL's have a very similar highback.


Rotate? Doesnt matter. Go push straight back into even like Raiden Zeros or K2 Indys. Straight back they're just as stiff as anything else. That's easy to do. But when you drive through a heelside on anything except full center reverse you drive pretty heavily on the outside of the highback, if you know how to really push through a turn. If they arent torsionally as well as straight back then you get nothing back there to push on. It isn't the initiation where you'll feel it, its the apex where you snap through. I've had the same problem on Flux highbacks like on the DS30 and the new highback on the DMCC light 2013. I'll still back Flux cause they're light as shit and the ratchets work and dont break.

I couldn't give a rats ass how good someone is. I know people that can double cork but cant feel the difference between a 7.4 and 8.0 sidecut. Ability does not transfer into gear quality knowledge.

I love that us "hatred" get called out, all I did was say that the SL's werent fucking gold unicorn hair and the fanboys flip there shit. These Union debate threads normally get their kickstart fram a fanboy freaking shit casue someone said a bad thing about his favorite colorful bindings.

Why am I qualified? I ride more shit than you ever will. I have felt what everyone puts out. I can compare everything to everything. I kno when a board claims biax and is actually triax. I know when the rep tells me its flat then I true it and they for sure were confused cause it was Gullwing (happened last year). Union is sub par.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

I grabbed some Burton Triads for my NS Heritage yesterday. They were dirt cheap and in like-new condition. All smiles here.


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

IvanoftheNorth said:


> You know, I've been looking at some of the reviews here and I find it quite hilarious that certain people here are trashing Union bindings. You know the ones. It seems like they are trying to establish a quasi-guru like reputation for themselves. (Don't you think there are better ways to seek validation than the internet?).


I may have been seen trashing Union bindings recently. I wouldn't consider myself a guru wizard or anything of the sort...just a long time snowboarder. I bought Union Contacts for my 9 yr old (now 10) son and in less than 30 days of use they are falling apart. To me they feel like cheap plastic department store bindings. Now Union is replacing several broken parts at no cost so good on them for their customer service but that's about all I will give them.



kpd2003 said:


> +1 on the targas


Also +1 on the Rome Targa. I run them on my Heritage having moved them over from a Lib Tech T.Rice. Great hard charging all mountain binding. I wish my local shop was still a dealer but they dropped them last year for some reason.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

IvanoftheNorth said:


> Hi, first post here, long time lurker.
> 
> 
> You know, I've been looking at some of the reviews here and I find it quite hilarious that certain people here are trashing Union bindings. You know the ones. It seems like they are trying to establish a quasi-guru like reputation for themselves. (Don't you think there are better ways to seek validation than the internet?).
> ...


lmfao - good thing you came out of lurking to tell us all that. 

personally i have no use for a company that continually puts out a product year after year with out addressing problems that the community that they serve have discovered. toecaps have been standard for what, a decade now? and they still can't - and refuse to - get them right.

some more news for you - lots of pros actually don't really know too much or give a shit about gear or gear tech. they ride what they get for free or have the opportunity to get paid to ride. end of story. i've kicked it with enough of these dudes to know that most of them have a natural ability that is just much higher than you or i, and they would ride better than us on much shittier equipment then the industry as a whole uses now.

i don't hate union. i simply pity the fool who spends their money on them when there are much better options that will fit any snowboard boot well, instead of only fitting 15% of them right.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

I would say K2 Formulas if your looking for conventional 2 strap binding.


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