# Best step in alternative



## Guest (Mar 7, 2010)

I'm getting back into boarding after many years off, I used to use Switch bindings & boots, but my old boots are too tight now and needed to be replaced. I ended up getting some Salomon Savage boots (which I like), and some Ride EX bindings which work well but are too much trouble to get in and out of. My GF skis, so it would be nice if she didn't have to wait while I wrestle with the strap bindings. I am considering Flow NXT AT bindings, any brands or models I should consider?


----------



## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

I love my Flow NXT-AT's.

K2 Cinch's are another option.

I hear a lot of good stuff about the K2 Auto Ever's too.

You'll find a LOT of opinions on all of them with a search here.


----------



## CoopersTroopers (Feb 24, 2010)

There are also the Ride Contraband line of bindings if you're looking at convenience binding alternatives. The 2011 Optimos are even fully adjustable on board (a knock again previous iterations).


----------



## PATKOUG (Mar 28, 2009)

Speaking of Contrabands, I've got a pair of hardly-used 2010 Contrabands for sale...

Click here to view my classified advertisement for them:

http://www.snowboardingforum.com/bu...ent/26309-sale-bone-white-2009-2010-ride.html


----------



## Guest (Mar 8, 2010)

I think the Ride stuff is pretty well made, the 2011 Contrabands look like a good improvement over the '10 ones.
I really want something I can have my foot in off the chair, and engage w/o sitting down. Looks like the Flow and K2 are the best bets, still leaning toward the Flow given it's simpler design and positive customer feedback.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Why would you need to sit down to put your bindings on?


----------



## Guest (Mar 8, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> Why would you need to sit down to put your bindings on?


 Is that in reference to strap bindings or Flow type bindings?


----------



## jputtho2 (Jan 14, 2010)

In all honesty, I could strap up in conventional bindings without sitting down but it took a lot of balance, HOWEVER my flows ('10 NXT ATSE's) are 10X's easier to do that. Infact now I just kick my rear foot in on the lift and ride off and as I'm riding off I throw the back up and tear down the hill. At the bottom I don't even stop (well I slow down of course) but instead just keep riding over to the lift and as I'm riding over I reach down and pull the back down and go right up to the pick up zone. It's nice when it's a week night late b/c there aren't many people there so I literally don't have to stop until I need to when the chair is swooping in to pick me up. 

I have yet to see ANYONE using conventional bindings do that. In fact when I do that, the lifties comment every once in a while sayin it's pretty cool to be able to do that when they notice me doing that.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

PassTheDutchie said:


> Is that in reference to strap bindings or Flow type bindings?


To any binding...


----------



## Guest (Mar 8, 2010)

jputtho2 said:


> In all honesty, I could strap up in conventional bindings without sitting down but it took a lot of balance, HOWEVER my flows ('10 NXT ATSE's) are 10X's easier to do that. Infact now I just kick my rear foot in on the lift and ride off and as I'm riding off I throw the back up and tear down the hill. At the bottom I don't even stop (well I slow down of course) but instead just keep riding over to the lift and as I'm riding over I reach down and pull the back down and go right up to the pick up zone. It's nice when it's a week night late b/c there aren't many people there so I literally don't have to stop until I need to when the chair is swooping in to pick me up.
> 
> I have yet to see ANYONE using conventional bindings do that. In fact when I do that, the lifties comment every once in a while sayin it's pretty cool to be able to do that when they notice me doing that.


_THAT_ is exactly what I'm after. Like I said, after using step-ins, straps just don't seem logical to me. 
How do you like the ATSE's, I've narrowed it down to ATSE or FSE Flows...


----------



## Guest (Mar 8, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> To any binding...



Not many people have the balance to do so


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

puffnstuff said:


> Not many people have the balance to do so


Then they don't have the balance to take advantage of a hybrid binder either...


----------



## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

Look into K2 Cinch and Gnu Fastec binders too.


----------



## Guest (Mar 9, 2010)

Triple8Sol said:


> Look into K2 Cinch and Gnu Fastec binders too.


I ended up ordering Flow NXT FSE's. The K2's looked nice, but I'm concerned about the plastic construction, same for the GNU, which I couldn't find any feedback on either. I'm 230 lbs and felt an aluminum base was the way to go. Of coarse as soon as I ordered these my Bro tells me I should have bought the Flow NXT FRX.


----------



## redsuns (Feb 25, 2010)

ive got the gnu ag with the aluminum base and i love it. i switch from k2 cinch to ride ex and now the gnus and i think the gnu are the lightest fastest step ins ive tried.


----------



## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

PassTheDutchie said:


> _THAT_ is exactly what I'm after. Like I said, after using step-ins, straps just don't seem logical to me.
> How do you like the ATSE's, I've narrowed it down to ATSE or FSE Flows...


If you can afford it, go with the FSE. They are a lighter version of the ATSE basically. Better cushioning too. They are around the same stiffness.

| Snowboards.net

I have the FSE and absolutely love them. They've been very good to me this season and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I did run into a slight issue with part of the leather on the top ripping due to my boots getting caught on it as I stepped out, but Flow has more than made up for it. They sent out a generic pair of tops overnight to hold me over until the actual tops came (also overnight).

I have also demoed the 2011 ATSE and loved that binding as well. You really can't go wrong either way. :thumbsup:


----------



## Guest (Mar 9, 2010)

lol too late with my answer, congrats with the buy of your flows!

grtz Danny


----------



## Guest (Mar 10, 2010)

flowrida said:


> lol too late with my answer, congrats with the buy of your flows!
> 
> grtz Danny


Your input is still welcome.


----------



## Guest (Mar 10, 2010)

Leo said:


> If you can afford it, go with the FSE. They are a lighter version of the ATSE basically. Better cushioning too. They are around the same stiffness.
> 
> | Snowboards.net
> 
> ...


I did end up ordering the FSE's, was really worried I should have got the FRX's. I spoke with Flow and found there is minor differences between the 2. The FSE has lightening holes machined into the base, the FRX has a stiffer top-strap and highback. The guy at Flow thought I might be a little better off with the FRX, so I called Sierra to change the order and the Rep there talked me into keeping the FSE's. His bases was they are both going to be durable, but he felt strongly that the FRX would be too stiff for my ability. He claims to be a pretty good rider and said bindings that stiff really work you over. Not sure it's the same, but I once bought a really hot waterski that was twitchie and nervous, it wasn't much fun for a mid level skier. The Flow guy also mentioned the AT & ATSE aren't a great choice for heavier guys because of the nylon highback not being as rigid as the 2 peice design found on the FSE and FRX. I hope I like my new FSE, and I hope the size L fits my 10's.


----------



## nzboardlife (Mar 25, 2008)

puffnstuff said:


> Not many people have the balance to do so


most people i ride with do it standing unless its steep and icy


----------



## ready2shred (Feb 1, 2010)

if it takes you longer than 8-10 seconds to strap in one foot...you should be skiing. And if your girlfriend is too impatient to wait 8-10 seconds for you...you should get a new girlfriend.


----------



## mrpez (Jan 29, 2010)

edit: ^^^ lol, you said almost the exact same thing as me...didnt see that when i posted. 

is your girlfriend so impatient that she cant wait 10 seconds for you to put your bindings on? it shouldnt take more than 10 seconds, and thats if you have to stop/sit down to do it.


----------



## Guest (Mar 10, 2010)

mpdsnowman said:


> :laugh::laugh::laugh:
> 
> Im sorry but Ilove the screen name:laugh:
> 
> Let me guess. Vanilla???



I suppose it's a little telling of my age, but I thought it was funny


----------



## ready2shred (Feb 1, 2010)

mrpez said:


> edit: ^^^ lol, you said almost the exact same thing as me...didnt see that when i posted.
> 
> is your girlfriend so impatient that she cant wait 10 seconds for you to put your bindings on? it shouldnt take more than 10 seconds, and thats if you have to stop/sit down to do it.


riiiight??? he acts like strapping in one foot is like disarming a bomb. just kick your heal edge in until your stable, move the strap and put your foot in, lean down and crank until they're tight, ride away. it may add another two seconds if you have to get snow out of the foot bed but its not a big deal. to each thier own though i guess.


----------



## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

ready2shred said:


> riiiight??? he acts like strapping in one foot is like disarming a bomb. just kick your heal edge in until your stable, move the strap and put your foot in, lean down and crank until they're tight, ride away. it may add another two seconds if you have to get snow out of the foot bed but its not a big deal. to each thier own though i guess.


 I'm probably gonna regret feeding the troll, but... We can agree the majority of riders don't have the ability to put on a strap binding while standing up. Like most, I fall into this catagory, so from my standpoint I can choose a binding that has me sitting down everytime I get off the chair (why?), or I can leverage technolgy and go with another system that I don't have to. If there is technology that allows you the convenience of not sitting down or taking extra time to monkey with straps with no degredation of performance, wouldn't that seem like the logical choice?
Lets take all the points of your argument of strap bindings, but instead of strap snowboard bindings lets switch the product to a car with the door handle on the bottom of the car. I think this is a decent comparison, because with good enough balance a small number of people could open the door without actualy sitting down, and for those who do have to sit to open the door from under the car, it shouldn't take more that an extra 10-15 seconds, and you only have to deal with sitting down to get into the car.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Again, if you can't get into strap bindings standing up, you are going to have problems with the hybrid models too. Just sayin'...


----------



## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> Again, if you can't get into strap bindings standing up, you are going to have problems with the hybrid models too. Just sayin'...


Perhaps your right, I should be taking the Flows out this Saturday (weather permitting), we'll see how it goes.


----------



## whiskaz (Feb 10, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> Again, if you can't get into strap bindings standing up, you are going to have problems with the hybrid models too. Just sayin'...


Somewhat agree but there's a little more effort involved with traditional strap-ins. Might just be my bindings but I often have trouble getting my foot back far enough into the heel of the binding - ankle strap is kind of short and there's sometimes not enough to latch onto so I can start cranking. I have to kick my foot back in the binding and then wind up loosing my balance  

The Flows seem like they'd take care of that predicament since you slide your foot forward and just pop the back up (as far as I can tell, never used them). Seems like a lot less effort to me. 

On the other hand, the old-style step-ins didn't always work well since you had to get everything lined up just right (blind, for the most part)... on ice, forget about it. The Flows appear to give you some leverage at least...


----------



## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

whiskaz said:


> Somewhat agree but there's a little more effort involved with traditional strap-ins. Might just be my bindings but I often have trouble getting my foot back far enough into the heel of the binding - ankle strap is kind of short and there's sometimes not enough to latch onto so I can start cranking. I have to kick my foot back in the binding and then wind up loosing my balance
> 
> The Flows seem like they'd take care of that predicament since you slide your foot forward and just pop the back up (as far as I can tell, never used them). Seems like a lot less effort to me.
> 
> On the other hand, the old-style step-ins didn't always work well since you had to get everything lined up just right (blind, for the most part)... on ice, forget about it. The Flows appear to give you some leverage at least...


I had very little trouble with Switch step ins, at times you had to clear the boot so it could fully engage, but a quick swipe across the board cleat was usually all it took. I had little to no trouble with engagement using the Switch system. If it was still available I would choose it over straps or Flows. IMO it was more user friendly with no performance downside, at least not at my level.


----------



## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

whiskaz said:


> Somewhat agree but there's a little more effort involved with traditional strap-ins. Might just be my bindings but I often have trouble getting my foot back far enough into the heel of the binding - ankle strap is kind of short and there's sometimes not enough to latch onto so I can start cranking. I have to kick my foot back in the binding and then wind up loosing my balance
> 
> The Flows seem like they'd take care of that predicament since you slide your foot forward and just pop the back up (as far as I can tell, never used them). Seems like a lot less effort to me.
> 
> On the other hand, the old-style step-ins didn't always work well since you had to get everything lined up just right (blind, for the most part)... on ice, forget about it. The Flows appear to give you some leverage at least...


I had very little trouble with Switch step ins, at times you had to clear the boot so it could fully engage, but a quick swipe across the board cleat was usually all it took. I had little to no trouble with engagement using the Switch system. If it was still available I would choose it over straps or Flows. IMO it was more user friendly with no performance downside, at least not at my level.


----------



## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Switch will have a performance downside once you progress, however. There's a reason everyone abandoned strapless step-ins en masse over the years. With the Switches your response is directly controlled by how tightly you lace into your boot. With straps, you can crank it down - how firmly you strap in becomes the factor. Granted, how well you lace in is still very important. 

I swear by my NXT-AT's, and I liked my Cinches when I had them, but they both had straps over the boot. My very first board I bought as a used package and it had the Burton SI's with matching boots. I loved them.... until I progressed.


----------



## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

MunkySpunk said:


> .... until I progressed.


looking at your default just made me chuckle


----------



## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Oh yeah, I forgot, you're the boarder that never falls. :laugh:


----------



## ready2shred (Feb 1, 2010)

PassTheDutchie said:


> I had very little trouble with Switch step ins, at times you had to clear the boot so it could fully engage, but a quick swipe across the board cleat was usually all it took. I had little to no trouble with engagement using the Switch system. If it was still available I would choose it over straps or Flows. IMO it was more user friendly with no performance downside, at least not at my level.


alrite dude sorry im not trying to be that guy and cause trouble in your thread. you're just lookin for advice, my bad. flow makes good bindings and anything is better than step-ins. they have no highback so theres no heal edge support(i learned with them). whatever floats your boat dude as long as you're having fun, thats what shredding is about.

later


----------



## Guest (Mar 13, 2010)

there is a company thank still makes click in bindings in japan

edit: the company is Yonex http://en.item.rakuten.com/juiceinc/10yn073-076/


----------



## Guest (Mar 13, 2010)

I've boarded a total of 8 years over the past 11 years. Granted I was a little one for the first 5 years (7-13), I still road enough to know a good amount about the different kinds of bindings. 

I started with regular strap in bindings. Liked them, but didn't have the balance at first to really stand up and strap in. Then I moved into the craze of the strapless step ins. They were about the only ones that I never had to sit down to get in, however I would inevitably sit down when they would unlatch from my boot. Now I'm using K2 cinches. Very smooth to use, although sometimes I tighten my streps a little too tight and end up loosening them so I can lock the binding. Occasionally I end up sitting down simply because I loose my balance, but not often.

Long and drawn out: I guess what I'm saying is that Yes, balance has a lot to do with whether you need to sit down with any binding. However, step in's require less balance to "strap on" then regular strap ins. Experience also goes a long way too.

Also, about the plastic design of the Cinches: I wouldn't fret too much about them. Even though its plastic, its not chinsy plastic in the least. It honestly "feels" as strong as aluminium, even though it may not. Compared to my friends burton bindings, the plastic feels of a lot higher quality.


----------



## Guest (Mar 14, 2010)

I rode the Flows for 7 hours yesterday, here's my experience. I had adjusted them at home and spent quite a bit of time getting them just right. That was worthwhile as I only had to add a click or 2 more on a couple buckles. I had very little trouble getting into the Flows standing up, felt like I wrestled with the a bit more early on, and got much smoother after an hour or two.
Performance wise I felt like these were kinda vague feeling compared to the 2010 Ride EX's I ran last week. That feeling of vagueness wore off after a couple hours, they just feel different than strap-ins IMO. I suspect there is a little feedback you give up to run Flows, and even at my beginer level I could feel it. However, as the night progressed I got used to the feel and I don't think they were holding me back at all.
The comfort on these are superb, many Flow reviews talk about how the pressure is distributed accross the large top-strap, which IMO is very true. Absolutely no pressure points and I was boarding for 7 hours.
So at the end of the day, these bingings accomplished what I expected them to. Get in and out of them easily w/o having to sit down, all day comfort (more so than straps in my experience), and don't cost me much (if any) performance. If maximum performance was my main concern, I would likely look to some kind of strap binding, but for what I've got going on, I like these.


----------



## Guest (Mar 14, 2010)

ready2shred said:


> alrite dude sorry im not trying to be that guy and cause trouble in your thread. you're just lookin for advice, my bad. flow makes good bindings and anything is better than step-ins. they have no highback so theres no heal edge support(i learned with them). whatever floats your boat dude as long as you're having fun, thats what shredding is about.
> 
> later


That's big of you to say so, thanks. I agree, we're all just looking for ways to leverage technology to improve.


----------



## Guest (Mar 14, 2010)

Marshmellow said:


> I've boarded a total of 8 years over the past 11 years. Granted I was a little one for the first 5 years (7-13), I still road enough to know a good amount about the different kinds of bindings.
> 
> I started with regular strap in bindings. Liked them, but didn't have the balance at first to really stand up and strap in. Then I moved into the craze of the strapless step ins. They were about the only ones that I never had to sit down to get in, however I would inevitably sit down when they would unlatch from my boot. Now I'm using K2 cinches. Very smooth to use, although sometimes I tighten my streps a little too tight and end up loosening them so I can lock the binding. Occasionally I end up sitting down simply because I loose my balance, but not often.
> 
> ...


I may try Cinches down the road, they look very nice. K2 is obviously very strong on engineering, so I'm sure it's a very sound design.


----------



## Nitrogen (Feb 10, 2010)

puffnstuff said:


> there is a company thank still makes click in bindings in japan
> 
> edit: the company is Yonex Rakuten - 09-10 YONEX YAB-XTR STEP IN BINDING ACCUBLADE binding step Akyubureido Yonex


LOL Yonex? Seriously? I always thought these guys were in the badminton department.


----------



## Guest (Apr 19, 2010)

About strapping in standing up: i've done this for years and it always works: Face *uphill*, board at right angles to the *fall line* and in front of your free foot. Lift the board with your strapped-in foot and whack the heelside edge in the snow a few times to make a shallow groove or trench the length of your board. Then put your *toe-side* edge in the trench. You can now stand on your board and bend down and strap in your free foot. If you've dug the trench right, your board will be flat and stable, and present no problems with balance. It may take a little experimentation to get the trench right, but it sure ain't rocket science.

I'm considering changing to a Cinch binding anyway, just to make it faster.


----------

