# Nitro Review / Walkaround - 2020 Team Pro vs. 2021 Phantom (non-Carver)



## buller_scott (Jun 10, 2018)

Hi all, hope you're doing well and staying safe. 

Okay, this is a novice review of the aforementioned bindings. Note that I am not a novice rider, but rather a novice reviewer, so forgive me in advance, if the review seems a bit all-over-the-place. 

My binding background consists of Burtons, Flux, Flows, Technines (wayyy back in the day - MFM and Ali Goulet days), as well as dipping into the Now / K2 / Salomon pools. Previously, I had NEVER been interested in anything Nitro, however a couple of years ago I had a few hundred $$$ lying around, felt like getting a new pair of bindings (even though I had 3x pairs of Burtons that I was absolutely content with), and this time around I figured I should take a leap and try something new - this time based on which bindings had the features I was looking for, EVEN IF those bindings came from companies I previously held no interest in. 

I guess my thinking in doing this review, has a few things in mind:
1) provide some insight into Nitro bindings, for people who might be curious about them
2) compare the Team Pro vs. the Phantom, for people who would use them in various applications 
3) share my thoughts on which binding would work better for which application

*Okay, a bit about me:*

*age*: approaching 40, but in nightclubs I tell people that I'm a DJ and I'm 28
*skill level*: others would say I'm advanced, I don't think so but I have been riding for 26 years so I've got SOME experience
*riding style*: formerly kicker rat and side hit hunter, turned casual carving enthusiast who loves wide, mellow open groomed runs - I don't Euro carve (not good enough to abrade my doodle tip and bumbum on the corduroy, but I do get low and lay in solid lines, and I love carving uphill and changing edges whilst heading uphill)
*weight*: fatter than I should/want to be
*boot size*: Burton EEE width 10US
*binding size*: M for both bindings

*Preliminary thoughts about both bindings:*

both seem fairly simple, modest adjustability, and VERY well constructed
weight: both seem not-so-heavy, i'd almost say they were light, except for the fact that in hand, bindings like Flux and K2 Liens felt lighter (that's me speaking from personal experience)
it was quite interesting to note that with my size 10US Burton Rulers (yes, a softer boot but nice and light and I find them to serve me well), I had to adjust the heelcup out in the Team Pros (in order to be centred on-board whilst still allowing to use the minidisc to get accurate side-to-side stance width adjustment), WHEREAS with the Phantoms, I didn't have to adjust the heelcup / chassis frame out.
both bindings have 3 degree canting in the footbed - some people hate it, some people love it, I don't personally really notice it on either of these bindings - both are very comfortable when riding.
both bindings use the forged aluminium oversized buckles at both heel and toe - and I find them to be fantastic to use - solid climbing, reassuring audible "click" with each tooth climbed, never slip, don't randomly come undone.

*PICS AND DIFFERENCES - LOTS OF RANDOM NOTES









Phantom on the left, Team Pro on the right.* 

You'll note that the Phantom is a teenie bit wider, both in the base plate and the high back. Also, you will see the toe ramp airbag in the Phantom, whereas the Team Pro doesn't have that.
sorry for the poor quality images, but hopefully you can also see that the Phantom's highback is notably taller than the Team Pro. I feel this is well calculated on Nitro's part - whilst the Team Pro is more cupped and directly supportive in its own way, the Phantom has a flatter highback profile which allows more lateral movement, yet STILL offers great support via that extra highback height.

*FOR THOSE OF YOU, LIKE MYSELF, WITH INSTEP ISSUES - *there is a definite difference between the two ankle straps. Both are plush, stitched jobbies, but:
-Team Pros - feels like the ankle strap sits higher up, actually ON my ankle, and lends itself to a slightly more "locked in" feeling. If you look at the bottom of the strap, you will notice a nice bit of curvature there, which wraps nicely around my boot - accommodating my instep, rather than pressing down on it. Very comfortable, supportive, and honestly it's got a classic "set and forget, not on my mind" feeling, the best feeling when it comes to snowboard gear.
- Phantoms - the ankle strap feels noticeably different here - still plush and supportive, but not quite as "can't notice it there" feeling. I understand that the Phantom Carver has a solid, more aggressive ankle strap, and the standard Phantom has that centre cutout, as you can see. For this reason, _thank God_ I didn't get the Carvers - If it weren't for this cutout, I don't think I could last too long on these - the bottom part of the strap really sits on top of your foot when cranked down, and there is noticeable pressure to the point that halfway through the other day, I had to swap out my full-length Footprint Gamechangers for my 3/4 length TreadLabs insoles, just so as to release more boot volume (which made things much more comfortable). 

*VIBRAM TOE STRAPS ARE THE SHIT, BUT THEY'RE DIFFERENT FROM YEAR TO YEAR









Left is Team Pro 2020, Right is Phantom 2021*

I gather that between the two years, Nitro and Vibram have gone with a more enviro friendly option moving forward.
both of the above straps are resting on the ladders - no bias in this pic.
i feel that the previous Team Pros had more in-built curvature to the toe strap, VS the new recycled stuff which is a bit more flap-around-y (my Phantom toe strap flapped around enough on my first run out with them, that the oversized toe buckle actually hooked onto my dad's ski binding clip).
despite the visible difference in curvature/profile, they are both excellent at doing their job - locking your boot in and staying there, allowing you to ride without ever having to think about them.


















*Phantom top, Team Pro bottom - airbags and base plates *

as you can see, the Phantom has airbag dampening in both the toe and the heel, whereas the Team Pro only has it in the heel
whilst different to the polyurethane bushes in Now's Skate Tech, I feel that these guys still do a fantastic job of ironing out micro vibrations, in their own way. My analogy would be putting a fizzy little Renaultsport Clio up against a Mazda MX5/Miata - very different in their approach, but both very effective in putting a smile on your dial.
I admit that I was initially skeptical of these airbags in terms of durability and ability to withstand hard riding at my weight, but I've gotta say, these airbags provide a fantastic amount of comfort, whilst at the same time not sacrificing on reactivity, support, and my perception of how well put together and durable they feel.
you access the baseplate by unscrewing the #3 bolt in the centre of the foot pad. Underneath the foot pad, is the mini disc. A small thing, yes, but one thing I like about both of these guys, is Nitro's "Angle Lock" feature - there are two little clips on the bottom of the mini disc, that "snap" into the female side of the baseplate. Yes I know that getting your angles dialled in a binding isn't rocket surgery, but this snap-in feature makes locking in your angles that much more reassuring, so that you can then e.g. focus on side-to-side micro adjustments for stance width, without the disc popping out into a different angle whilst shuffling things around.










*Team Pro left, Phantom right*

highback forward lean adjustment - on the Team Pro, you need a #3 driver to set your forward lean angle, whereas on the Phantom it's a more traditional flip-lever setup
on the subject of forward lean, I've not ridden the Team Pros with any so far, as I feel it's not needed for how I've ridden them (duck stance, all mountain setup - on both Option Dufficy and Marhar LJ). For the Phantoms however, the forward lean adjustment is a MASSIVE hidden gem, in transforming the binding's utility. Yes, I know that you can put forward lean on ANY binding and it will have an effect, however it's been a while since I've added forward lean to a binding, and noticed such a dramatic difference - the bindings were great on my Rome Pow MT157 (set up at +21 +6, 54cm width, party carver setup), BUT when I applied approx 80% of max forward lean to both front and rear, OH MY LORD - instant response, no slack or lag, and my heel edge is laying sure-footed lines in the snow with more authority than the board has any right to, given my being above the weight range for this board.
to shamelessly repeat myself: these bindings are great in stock form. Adding forward lean turns them into edge holding trench digging weapons. I have not ridden the Phantom Carvers, however with the (to my mind) more instep forgiving ankle strap, the lower price point, the still-very-supportive highback - I honestly don't find myself wondering "what if I had plumped for the Carvers?" - I don't find myself wanting for anything, in a party carving application. In fact, I'd love to try these on a 2D, camber dominant, tight-radius directional carving/pow deck, in future.
interesting to note the difference in heel cup heights - I cannot definitively say that one is more aggressive than the other, as they both offer fantastic heelside support and response, both when changing edges and also whilst mid-turn. If anything, I'd say that the extra height of the Team Pro heel cup, lends itself to a more "wrapped up" feeling, whilst the Phantom feels a bit more free, medially and laterally.










*Team Pro top, Phantoms bottom - a few things going on here*

I hope the picture depicts the difference in highback profiles - the Team Pro is definitely more cupping/hugging, and really follows the backstay of your boot, whereas the Phantom allows for quite a bit more lateral and medial play.
Highback rotation - I'm a guy who typically rotates highbacks where I can (thank my first pair of Drake F50's for that). I have not rotated the highbacks on the Team Pros as I ride a duck stance with those, however even on the Phantoms at +21 / +6, I have not felt the need to rotate the highbacks to line them up with the heel edge - the highback is quite wide, and the structural design and rigidity has me feeling supported every time I lean into a heelside turn, whilst still being able to move around on the board (laterally, medially), to adjust my line when I want.
Ease of entry - probably not a thought to most, and I know that different companies have their own technologies to afford ease of entry (Rome's autostrap, Burton's flex slider, K2's hinged slider), but I thought I'd put this in here anyway. As you can see, the cable reinforced ladders on both, are pre-curved out of the way initially, then back inwards at the top of the ladder. The inner sliders that host the straps, are NOT curved outwards. Combined with the weight of the straps themselves, this has a number of benefits, I feel: 1) very easy to step into the binding without accidentally stepping on ladders (something that was a bit of a theme with me and Burtons) ; 2) straps fall aside and away to add to this ease of entry, and yet; 3) because of the inner sliders being straight rather than curved, they stay out of the way when getting off the lift - they don't flop around and risk getting under your boot when one-footing.

*CLOSING THOUGHTS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER*

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION - both are very, very solidly constructed. I know it's not hard these days, to get bindings that are functional and durable, however I really feel that these could take a beating. Case in point - I HAVE accidentally stood on the toe ladder, and even at my weight there was no stress discolouration in the plastic. Also, the incident the other day where my dad's ski binding prong got hooked into my toe buckle, I was shitting myself that all the wriggling around to get it out, would most certainly break the buckle. Nope. Still good as new. The aluminium heel cups are thick and solid, and I have no fears of cracking them like I did with a couple of pairs of Drakes and Technines (which put me off metal heelcup bindings for a LONG time).
ADJUSTABILITY - being quite simple in design, this also has implications for adjustability. They're no Romes. You can adjust heelcups for centring, forward lean, highback rotation, strap length, and that's pretty much it. I do like how the straps are mounted on flip-cams that lock onto teeth on the underside of the inner side sliders - this allows for micro adjustments on the fly, which I find myself changing from day to day, more than I thought I would. It WOULD be good if Nitro introduced the ability to adjust strap height somehow - a Rome Pivotmount style addition would do the trick.
APPLICATION - whilst both being very supportive and responsive bindings, I feel that the Team Pro is more locked in, whereas the Phantom is more playful, what with the extra airbag in the toes, the lateral play afforded by the flatter highback, and the ankle strap sitting lower down the boot. I will keep running the Team Pros on daily all mountain / freestyle / side hit setups, and the Phantoms on any carving setups I use.
WHICH, FOR WHO? - if you're reading this and choosing between the two for a versatile all around setup, I would be inclined to recommend the Team Pros. This is not to say that the Phantoms are inferior in any way (I absolutely fell in love with them on Thursday, after slapping on a dose of forward lean, and carving the shit outta my local), but rather that the Team Pros feel just that little bit more comfy, that little bit more locked in and wrapped up, for broader styles of riding. I don't mean to contradict myself - for the carving skills I'm still working on, I am only interested in mounting up the Phantoms, but then that is a style of riding that is very specific - lay solid lines on groomed, find side hits next to the groomed, back onto the groomed for more trench digging. THAT'S IT. Milder carving + black runs + some park + hunting every side hit I can + practicing flat land spins? It'd be the Team Pros.
FINAL THOUGHT - I love both of these bindings, for various reasons. At the risk of contradicting myself yet again, I have given it some careful thought and I reckon that my ideal binding would be a Phantom chassis with the dual airbags, Team Pro straps and highback, with Phantom style forward lean adjustment built into the Team Pro highback. For me, that would be the perfect, super-versatile, do-everything Nitro binding.

Thanks for reading!
Scotty


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## Yeahti87 (Jan 17, 2019)

That’s a really good and well-structured review.
My 5 cents - I have’t ridden any of these but owned Nitro Machines. My experience was very similar to yours with the Phantoms, I’ve seen the same advantages, just didn’t like:


Ultra stiff and tall highback with only 2 forward lean settings. The lowest FL option was still crushing my boots if I wanted to keep the whole boot backspine aligned to the highback surface. I need to mention that Adidas has probably the least built-in forward lean though so this is probably not an issue with most brands. Riding Burton X-base that also has that full stiff carbon highback when I can actually align it is super comfortable.
The ankle strap. Exactly what you say.

Once Nitro upgrades the ankle straps to mold-injected ones in a model that offers some more adjustability, I’ll definitely give their bindings another go.


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## toaster (Jun 12, 2021)

Not bad for a NOVIE!

Really appreciate the SUBJECTIVE components of your review. Most reviews just look at the technical, objective specs, and don't really give an opinion, especially comparing one model/brand against another.

That being said, I feel that certain brands (ie. Nitro and Nidecker) put out an OUTSTANDING product, but tend to get lost in the brimming fish pond full of bigger or trendier brands.

Initially, I was leaning towards Phantoms/Genesis/Cartel X on a yet tbd quiver of 1, a forgiving all-mountain surfy freeride board for carving groomers most days, then not leaving me wanting on a powder day, where you'll find me in the trees (carvy, surfy, slashy, powdery -- is this even possible?!?). Like you, I've ALWAYS used Burton bindings... Because they just work.

But your review has me leaning more towards the Team Pros for a daily driver, quiver of 1 board.

1. It's 2021-22... Why the heck isn't Nitro using mold-injected ankle straps?!?

2. So how would you compare the Team Pros to the Cartel X?

3. And mini-disk vs ReFlex?


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## mjayvee (Nov 18, 2015)

Thanks for this review.

Definitely will keep these Nitro bindings in mind for future consideration. Pricing is also very reasonable & not overly expensive (USD), which makes the Nitros even more attractive.


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## buller_scott (Jun 10, 2018)

Yeahti87 said:


> That’s a really good and well-structured review.
> My 5 cents - I have’t ridden any of these but owned Nitro Machines. My experience was very similar to yours with the Phantoms, I’ve seen the same advantages, just didn’t like:
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, I reckon with a bit of tweaking, they could definitely open themselves up to a more broad, people-with-instep-needs market. 

Whilst I do not find myself wanting for anything with the Team Pro straps, I think you're right - if the Phantoms had something like a flippable Malavita mould injected ankle strap, oh wow, that would be a serious heavy hitter (from the point of view of accommodating more foot and boot shapes), I reckon.



toaster said:


> 1. It's 2021-22... Why the heck isn't Nitro using mold-injected ankle straps?!?
> 
> 2. So how would you compare the Team Pros to the Cartel X?
> 
> 3. And mini-disk vs ReFlex?


1. NO MOULD INJECTED STRAPS? I suspect it has to do with their overall approach to binding design, as far as MY perception: evolve and perfect the little things, improve that which works and doesn't need a total overhaul. Not too long ago, padded and stitched straps were commonplace, and I suspect that due to these having worked well on their Raiden bindings for a long time, Nitro have sought to improve these (in multiple aspects - construction, quality, durability, rigidity), rather than perhaps re-tooling production which has been putting out good quality stitched straps for a long time, to mould injection style. (Just my own personal thinking there). 

2. I have not ridden the Cartel X, but have owned previous (2020) Cartels. To my mind:

ANKLE STRAPS - Cartel's mould injected is more conforming, TeamPro is plusher yet more supportive (there is some real meat built into those straps)
TOE STRAPS - it's hard to argue with the Vibram insert in the toe straps of the Nitro bindings. VERY grippy, comfortable, no pressure points. I'd take these over anything Burton, which are still very, very, VERY good.
BUCKLES AND LADDERS - hands down, TeamPro - the pre-curvature of the ladders, combined with the fact that they're all (ladders and sliders) cable reinforced, yes it's placebo but it adds a level of psychological reassurance, definitely. Buckles are oversized and VERY easy to use, and as good as Burton stuff is, the Nitros are more audibly and tactile-y reassuring when climbing teeth.
CUSHIONING - both are well cushioned - Cartel with the B3 gel in the heel and thicker foam underfoot, TeamPro with the airbag under the heel.
RESPONSE - keeping in mind that I only had the standard, old-highback Cartel, I feel that the TeamPro is more responsive both heel to toe, and laterally/medially. The Cartel was definitely a bit more accommodating of moving around on top of the board, whereas the TeamPro follows you around when moving around on top of the board, if that makes sense.
BASE PLATES - not able to speak in terms of stiffness, however the TeamPro is properly solid and rigid. I would take the TeamPro baseplate on the basis of having that air bag, as well as the fact that on previous Cartels and Malavitas, I've had to file down some of the Burton baseplates at the corners, in order to allow the binding to roll a bit more freely, rather than having those sharp design points cause creases in the topsheet of the board (have had Cartels and Malavitas do this on a couple of boards - the board flexes when buttering/landing, but the outer corners of the Burton bindings are designed in such a way that when weight is applied into the flex point of the board, the corners of the binding dig in and cause a dimple in the topsheet).

3. MINI DISC VS REFLEX? I didn't think I had any issue with ReFlex, until riding a mini disc for the first time. MANY people would rebut me, and that's okay, however I personally feel that mini disc is superior to ReFlex. For the following reasons:

being able to adjust the heelcup out and thus exploit the ability to micro-adjust stance width, has been a god send. Ironic, given that my stance used to be in the realm of 59-62cms wide, however nowadays my feet get sore if my stance is 56cms. 54cms? PERFECT. With minidisc, I can centre my boot on board, and still have my perfect, comfortable stance width, bindings placed where I like on the board, rather than selecting one sacrificial binding to move down to the next set of inserts, and away from the reference points. Not a big deal for most I'm sure, but for me, it's something I really do appreciate.
Nitro's "board saver" tech, i.e. the way the base plates are rolled up slightly so as to allow for board to flex more naturally, is akin to Burton's ReFlex - different approaches to achieving the same goal. I feel that whilst both effective in their own way, the Nitro pips it here - per above, I don't get any dimples in the top sheet like I did with e.g. Malavitas (which I understand is the base tray being used for the new Cartel and CartelX).

I guess the best way to illustrate my opinion is to say the following: I've got a cambered all mountain deck, and my party carving deck. I don't need many more setups than these two, however of course I've gone and bought another board just the other day (softer, cambered twin all mountain freestyle). 

I'm happy to swap bindings around between my two all mountain decks, however at end of season when the sales are on, I'll be hunting down another set of TeamPros to go on my new deck, rather than Burton bindings (PLEASE don't get me wrong, I LOVE Burton bindings, I think they are amazing and they have done a gobsmackingly good job at designing high end, durable, quality bindings that fit the needs of most people - I simply feel that Nitros are more in tune with ME, at this stage of my riding life). 

Hope that lends some insight!





mjayvee said:


> Thanks for this review.
> 
> Definitely will keep these Nitro bindings in mind for future consideration. Pricing is also very reasonable & not overly expensive (USD), which makes the Nitros even more attractive.


I feel that they're somewhat underrated, given my recent experience with them. No offence to anyone whatsoever, as I was until recently in the same boat - it's very very easy to go with your trusty Burton or Flow or Flux (albeit, those non-padded baseplates), and they'll get the job done. 

If you can demo a pair of Nitros, I would suggest doing it. You might be as pleased as I am.


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## mjayvee (Nov 18, 2015)

buller_scott said:


> Yeah, I reckon with a bit of tweaking, they could definitely open themselves up to a more broad, people-with-instep-needs market.
> 
> Whilst I do not find myself wanting for anything with the Team Pro straps, I think you're right - if the Phantoms had something like a flippable Malavita mould injected ankle strap, oh wow, that would be a serious heavy hitter (from the point of view of accommodating more foot and boot shapes), I reckon.
> 
> ...


On the Team Pro- 
How is the base plate when it comes to snow/ice buildup under your boots? 
Does snow stick to the base easily or is it easy to wipe off with your glove/mitten? 

This is literally a “sticking” point for me because of the wet & heavy coastal snow we get here in the PNW region of the U.S.

If the Team Pro’s base is fairly resistant to snow buildup, I will likely just buy this binding and give it a try. 
All that you have already mentioned and what I have seen/read elsewhere make the Team Pro a very compelling and value-packed purchase. 
I love great gear at great pricing, especially if the MSRP is already low and not having to wait for an offseason sale price. 
In other words, I love it when pieces of my kit are the most “bang for the buck.”


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## toaster (Jun 12, 2021)

Nitro Team Pro overview:


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## buller_scott (Jun 10, 2018)

mjayvee said:


> On the Team Pro-
> How is the base plate when it comes to snow/ice buildup under your boots?
> Does snow stick to the base easily or is it easy to wipe off with your glove/mitten?
> 
> ...


Argh, this is one area I might not be able to lend any insight, for a couple of reasons:

I shamelessly have Crab Grabs on all my boards, not to use as a stomp pad but rather placed near my front binding, as a pad to kick snow off my boots before strapping in. Onlookers would think I'm superstitious or something - kick kick kick 3 times, THEN step in, every time I get off the lift
we don't often get THAT much new snow here, for me to test snow buildup - I don't go up on days when it's blizzarding, and usually if it dumps overnight, everything has been groomed by the time I rock up the hill the next day
I "treat' all my bindings with car detailing plastic protectant (303 Aerospace Protectant) just because it keeps bindings looking newer for longer, I've found it to reduce wear (e.g. fraying on the edge of the foam toe ramp on Burton bindings), and this adds a sheen to contact surfaces such that snow tends not to stick to footpads etc.

Riding in the conditions that you do, I wouldn't be able to tell you which bindings have footpads that are good at avoiding snow buildup, but I _would_ suggest trying the above out, to see if it solves your ice buildup headaches


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## Yeahti87 (Jan 17, 2019)

I haven’t noticed any issues with snow sticking to the footbeds in Nitro Machines. I also don’t recall my gf asking me to help her wipe the footbed on her Nitro Ivys.


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## Salt Shaker (Sep 13, 2017)

@buller_scott This is a really good review/comparison. Funny you mention the Drake F50 and T9 Ali Goulet as I had both and Rode the T9's for years. Drakes were ahead of their time but I recall them being super unforgiving! Their 2022 line looks halfway decent.

I have been looking at Nitro bindings for a while and recently considering the Zero's to replace my aging Contact Pros. Not quite sure about the Zero's super slim ankle strap, but everything else looks good.

I was also checking out the Flux DS, and was curious what size Flux you ride with your 10's. I only get unibody bindings if my boot is relatively centered so I dont have to turn the discs horizontal for heel/toe adjustment. With my 9.5US Ride Fuse boots, I think i'd have toe hang with Flux medium, but be swimming in larges.


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## Demi9OD (Dec 23, 2014)

I picked up a pair of Nitro Team Pro for my yet unridden Blur 162.

I ride 21/0 or 18/-3 angles. With my front highback rotated to be parallel with the board, the corner of the highback does nearly touch the left BOA dial on my K2 Thraxis boots. I've decided to simply not rotate the highback and risk the contact damaging the BOA dial. The wider highback should still apply good heel edge pressure even when not rotated.

As far as the bindings themselves they seem very well constructed. Granted I am only hopping around on my carpet but the ankle strap feels mostly transparent, buckles are solid climbing and releasing. I picked up a good amount of stiffness in these torsionally compared to my 2011 Cartels, while seemingly getting a lot more flexibility longitudinally. The sole fit on these is MUCH better than the old Cartels, which were way too wide and allowed my foot to rotate 3-5 degrees when tightening my bindings due to gaps between binding frame and boot sole.

Two small complaints. The plastic bit with teeth that locks in the heel loop depth. Those plastic teeth are already getting chewed up a little bit after loosening and tightening the ankle strap a couple times to rotate the highback, revert the rotation, and line up the overhang. Second the ankle strap pad is a bit too long, preventing you from walking it down the ladder all the way to shorten it quite as much as I'd like.


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## buller_scott (Jun 10, 2018)

Salt Shaker said:


> @buller_scott
> I have been looking at Nitro bindings for a while and recently considering the Zero's to replace my aging Contact Pros. Not quite sure about the Zero's super slim ankle strap, but everything else looks good.
> 
> I was also checking out the Flux DS, and was curious what size Flux you ride with your 10's. I only get unibody bindings if my boot is relatively centered so I dont have to turn the discs horizontal for heel/toe adjustment. With my 9.5US Ride Fuse boots, I think i'd have toe hang with Flux medium, but be swimming in larges.


Size 9.5 Ride Fuze, I have read that they are reduced footprint - ABSOLUTELY get Medium - Case in point, I have Sz 10W Burton Rulers, and this boot on both M Flux DSW and furthermore M Flux SR, is totally on point - I get to enjoy side-to-side micro stance adjustment, none of this Burton "heel toe only" stuff. 

To repeat, my understanding is that Ride employs some boot-shrink tech as well. I've got a EEE width foot, which STILL fits into Flux M size. Don't go L, is my opinion. Hope this helps!



Demi9OD said:


> I picked up a pair of Nitro Team Pro for my yet unridden Blur 162.
> 
> I ride 21/0 or 18/-3 angles. With my front highback rotated to be parallel with the board, the corner of the highback does nearly touch the left BOA dial on my K2 Thraxis boots. I've decided to simply not rotate the highback and risk the contact damaging the BOA dial. The wider highback should still apply good heel edge pressure even when not rotated.
> 
> ...


hey man, thanks for your feedback!

regarding inner "sliders", I am always a bit mindful of these - Burton and Flux have fixed drilll holes, but Nitro have toothed ladders - always a problem as far as additional wear and tear. 

I must say I've not had any issues with these - I am pretty careful with all my gear, get some extra inner sliders, and you should be good!


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## Salt Shaker (Sep 13, 2017)

@buller_scott 
Thanks man, this is the info I have been looking for. I read that Large Flux bindings are the equivelant of Large Unions with the heel loop pulled all the way out. In Medium Union bindings I set the heel loop to the middle notch which gives almost perfect centering. Sounds like Medium Flux is the call for me and I will still be able to adjust stance width.

The Fuses do have a reduced profile, and have a relatively low volume. But their size 9.5 fits more like a 9.75 so the length is a tad longer than other reduced 9.5's.


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## MFBD (Dec 3, 2021)

buller_scott said:


> FINAL THOUGHT - I love both of these bindings, for various reasons. At the risk of contradicting myself yet again, I have given it some careful thought and I reckon that my ideal binding would be a Phantom chassis with the dual airbags, Team Pro straps and highback, with Phantom style forward lean adjustment built into the Team Pro highback. For me, that would be the perfect, super-versatile, do-everything Nitro binding.


Seems like Phanton Carver - ankle strap like Team Pro, Base, dual airbags, forward lean. Only highback is different


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