# Will I be happy with Rome 390 bindings?



## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

Ok so I haven't been in the game for MANY years...my old Lib Tech Matt Cummings is being replaced soon with a Lib Tech T.Rice C2 BTX and now I need some bindings as the ones on my MC are the archaic 5 bolt mounting system. The only experience I have with new equipment is my son's Burton Chopper with Custom Smalls bindings. I heard the Burton Customs are low end and get slammed by many but WOW are they nicer than my old K2 bindings.

So anyway I have been looking around for a deal on a good set of bindings...I am an advanced rider and do mostly free riding. One option I have found is the Rome 390 which I think gets decent reviews...will I be happy with these? Should I go with a Flow M9 or M11 instead? I would like to keep it under $200 which is an issue with the Flows but if they are superior...maybe we go there. I think I like the entry system of the Flows but have always used the standard 2 strap system so no problem there either.

Thoughts appreciated.


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## kMc (Oct 24, 2008)

if you do mostly freeriding, you should check out the rome targas, they have a stiffer highback and are more freeride oriented. or you could check out the union force or datas. im sure you'll get lots of opinions though!


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

i would look into rome targa, or ride Spi/NRc


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## AWNOW (Sep 12, 2009)

Go with targas over 390 for freeride.


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

Hmm ok so everyone says go Targas...but my local shop doesn't have them  They do have 390s for $145 so I am looking at an extra ~$70 or something like that for the Targas...plus the time to get them here.

So they are worth it?


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

what other bindings does your shop have available? while I love my 390's, they are on my jib deck, they are pretty soft.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

I like the M9's or 11. If you can, find last year's NXT-AT and you'll be even happier.

Other than that, the 390s are a really great choice. Go with that if you really don't want to stretch your budget too much.

EDIT: I searched for you...

New Flow NXT AT White Mens M snowboard bindings 2009 - eBay (item 380163262129 end time Jan-26-10 23:12:44 PST)

New Flow NXT FS Red Mens M snowboard bindings 2009 - eBay (item 360193790890 end time Jan-26-10 23:13:00 PST)

NEW Flow NXT FS Freestyle MEDIUM Snowboard Bindings - eBay (item 230424079862 end time Feb-13-10 01:54:35 PST)

Flow NXT AT Men's Medium 2009 White Snowboard Bindings | Overstock.com

Flow Men's NXT FS 2009 Snowboard Bindings (Medium) | Overstock.com

Flow M11 Men's Medium 2009 Black Snowboard Bindings | Overstock.com

Flow M9 Black Men's Medium Snowboard Bindings | Overstock.com

Dunno your size, but eBay has a lot of great deals for Flow NXT AT/FS bindings.


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## DC5R (Feb 21, 2008)

redlude97 said:


> i would look into rome targa, or ride Spi/NRc


If your shop doesn't have the Targas, look at the SPi or NRC as Redlude stated. You should be able to find last year's models for pretty cheap right now.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Ride SPI Snowboard Bindings 2009

Ride NRC Snowboard Bindings 2009

:thumbsup:


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

redlude97 said:


> what other bindings does your shop have available? while I love my 390's, they are on my jib deck, they are pretty soft.


Snowsports > Snowboarding > Snowboard Bindings

This shop is in my town and I have been buying gear from them for >20 years so I would like to keep it local if possible.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Loyalty +1

Get the Rome 390s then. Flexy, but a great binding nonetheless. It is the one I would pick out of that bunch. Unless I had more dough to burn on the Betas


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

In the words of Hanibal from the A-Team "I love it when a plan comes together."

So I go down to Apphouse to but the Rome 390 buindings and while the guy is in the stock room I notice that on the shelf next to the 390 display model they have a Targa....I also notice they are both marked at retail when the site had the 390 at $146. SO the guy says tomorrow they are starting their year end closeout sale and all snowboard equipment will be 30% off but that he can give me that price tonight. I say great...get me the Targas in a L/XL and I am out the door for $186 (after 6% PA sales tax). So I got the suggested AM/FR binding and saved $75 over retail on new 2010 bindings...I am pretty happy.


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

It was meant to be!


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## DC5R (Feb 21, 2008)

Awesome buy! Congrats!


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## JeffreyCH (Nov 21, 2009)

It's the kharma from being loyal to your local shop


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Awesome bro! You're going to love those bindings no doubt.


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

Well I mounted them up last night and I couldn't believe how many more things you have to pay attention to now...these things are so much more adjustable than what we had in the old days.

I will say though that the Burton Custom Smalls (smaller version of the Custom) were MUCH easier to setup...I am sure they aren't as durable and may have other drawbacks but installation was a breeze.

Having found out about the sale my wife is going to go down and buy an Arbor Eden today as well as boots and I would guess bindings as well.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Arbors are so nice. Mmmmmmmm... Bamboo...


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

Well no Arbor...it was too narrow because of her big feet...she wound up with e GNU Carbon Credit which is going to be great IMO. She also wound up with Rome 390s...LOL...the guy there talked her out of Flow bindings (they don't sell them).

I still think she would rather have Flows so I may buy them anyway.


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## AWNOW (Sep 12, 2009)

Grasschopper said:


> I will say though that the Burton Custom Smalls (smaller version of the Custom) were MUCH easier to setup...I am sure they aren't as durable and may have other drawbacks but installation was a breeze.


Yeah, thank God you now have a binding that you don't simply take out of the box and slap on your board like the custom.


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## Guest (Jan 15, 2010)

Grasschopper said:


> Well I mounted them up last night and I couldn't believe how many more things you have to pay attention to now...these things are so much more adjustable than what we had in the old days.
> 
> I will say though that the Burton Custom Smalls (smaller version of the Custom) were MUCH easier to setup...I am sure they aren't as durable and may have other drawbacks but installation was a breeze.
> 
> Having found out about the sale my wife is going to go down and buy an Arbor Eden today as well as boots and I would guess bindings as well.


I'm trying to decide between the Targas and Ride Deltas. I'm checking both out tonight and getting a pair. Did you ever consider the Deltas? 

How do you like the Targas thus far?


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

VanillaEps said:


> I'm trying to decide between the Targas and Ride Deltas. I'm checking both out tonight and getting a pair. Did you ever consider the Deltas?
> 
> How do you like the Targas thus far?


Didn't consider the Deltas...basically I don't know anything about them and no one here was saying to get them. I haven't ridden the Targas yet...I thought they were a PITA to mount/adjust but they look/feel solid and the truth is how they perform on the hill so we will see. I should be getting out tomorrow.


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2010)

just my two cents on the targas, unbelieveible. Tons and tons of adjustiablity, from the high back to the toe ramp, everything moves. There comfy, the only complaint i have thus far, which could just be my boots [32 with the larger than average toe box], but the conformist toe cap/strap, it works well and all, i love how well it works as a cap, never slips, ever. how ever, it pinches the toe of my boot and has actually begun to split, pretty badly.. other than that i love them, the rotateable highbacks are sick, gives such a differnt feeling, but so much more control than anything ive ridden yet.. my only other problem is the white paint is chipping all over ='[ haha seriously recomend

edit: my boot is splitting not the strap lol


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## extra0 (Jan 16, 2010)

love their original aluminum heel hoop design, but the bad thing about rome bindings is their cheap plastic (that's pretty bad, considering that's most of the binding). It squeaks and creaks, it's brittle, known to break and they paint over it, which quickly chips off. Their forward lean adjustment is pretty bad, too.

haven't tried Ride bindings, but they look good. Lot of features like toe-cap straps, aluminum heel hoops, wedged footbeds (on some models)...would probaly give them a shot before rome...if I wasn't already riding rome...which I am


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2010)

haa yep, actually with in two weeks of owning them, ive had a base crack already.. as well as major paint chippage, not concerned about the paint, but the crack in the base of the binding... now thats not so accecptable.. other than that love em lol


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2010)

I didn't want to create a new thread, so I'll add another .02 to this thread. I picked up the 2010 Rome Targas on Friday night. Tweaked them for the rest of the night to my board and boots. Took them out for a ride on Saturday and Sunday. I absolutely love them. Extremely responsive. Comfortable. Easy to adjust on the fly. I adjusted them a couple of times after each run and it took me less than 2 minutes each time. Everything that I wanted to do went straight to my board. It felt like the binding and the boots were one in the same. That's what a binding is supposed to do.


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

VanillaEps said:


> I didn't want to create a new thread, so I'll add another .02 to this thread. I picked up the 2010 Rome Targas on Friday night. Tweaked them for the rest of the night to my board and boots. Took them out for a ride on Saturday and Sunday. I absolutely love them. Extremely responsive. Comfortable. Easy to adjust on the fly. I adjusted them a couple of times after each run and it took me less than 2 minutes each time. Everything that I wanted to do went straight to my board. It felt like the binding and the boots were one in the same. That's what a binding is supposed to do.


Yes I will throw a comment in here as well. I got out for the first time on my new T.Rice C2BTX with the 2010 Targas and I will echo the above comments about how responsive the bindings are. I really hope they hold up because these are very nice bindings...way better than the stuff we rode back in the early/mid 90s.


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2010)

Grasschopper said:


> Yes I will throw a comment in here as well. I got out for the first time on my new T.Rice C2BTX with the 2010 Targas and I will echo the above comments about how responsive the bindings are. I really hope they hold up because these are very nice bindings...way better than the stuff we rode back in the early/mid 90s.


And better than anything I rode as recently as 2004-2005. The technology in bindings has really progressed in multiples as of late.


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