# Have you dialed in your Now Binding Bushings?



## DaveMcI (Aug 19, 2013)

I put soft in the heel and hard in the toes. I couldn't really tell a difference. I put medium all the way around NOW. HA, bEast.
I rode it on a burton custom x a capita bsod and yes 420. And maybe a ns heritage, I forget


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## Paxford (Jan 7, 2019)

Any reason why you went with hard bushings in the heels? I was thinking about trying the opposite, med or soft in heels.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

I own 2 pairs of NOW bindings. I just left the bushings all the same (Medium firmness I think). I can't feel the "Skate Tech" but maybe it has an effect ?? Never was motivated to mess around with the bushings.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

I also have 2 pairs of Now.
Haven't really played much with the bushings, except trying hard vs mediums. There is a small difference between them but.... i don't find it makes enough difference to mess around with them too much.

So I basically just go with whichever color looks better on the board they're on.

One thing I have played with is the ankle straps. I prefer BY FAR the straps in the "up" position on the Now Drives, and I put Burton Genesis ankle straps on my Now Pilots. Perfect.


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## Paxford (Jan 7, 2019)

I feel ya if you are talking about keeping the writing on the strap in the "up" position. I'm on JJ drives. Flipping the strap hurt my feet so much it made me wonder why it's suggested as an option.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Paxford said:


> I feel ya if you are talking about keeping the writing on the strap in the "up" position. I'm on JJ drives. Flipping the strap hurt my feet so much it made me wonder why it's suggested as an option.


Well, if it hurts your feet, then do not flip them.

I find it waaaaay more comfortable, supportive and responsive with them pointing up.


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## Canuck (Feb 18, 2019)

F1EA said:


> Well, if it hurts your feet, then do not flip them.
> 
> 
> 
> I find it waaaaay more comfortable, supportive and responsive with them pointing up.




Absolutely on the pilots with the strap up. I tried soft bushings all the way around and did not like it. 

I also got rid of the crappy toe straps that came with. I bought a pair of the the 3D straps off the drives and still slip off my vans infuse boots. Went and bought a pair of Nitro vibram toe straps on and there 100% better. 


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## Paxford (Jan 7, 2019)

I’ve tried hard, med and soft all the way around. While they all work there is something very special about the soft bushings for my style of riding. Incredible really, I’m blown away by this setup on my asym fish. For me there is a difference worth noting from medium to soft bushings.

I also tried hard lateral, soft medial heel and medium medial toe. Just messing around seeing what might work. This was a disaster! The board wanted to track to heelside while flatbasing and catch an edge. I spent half a day trying not to take a nasty spill before switching them out.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

F1EA said:


> One thing I have played with is the ankle straps. I prefer BY FAR the straps in the "up" position on the Now Drives, and I put Burton Genesis ankle straps on my Now Pilots. Perfect.


Agree. Ankle strap up or down is night and day. 
Bushings? (I prefer up, too. More responsive/better fit to stiff boots)


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## Paxford (Jan 7, 2019)

Is this considered up or down?


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

deagol said:


> I own 2 pairs of NOW bindings. I just left the bushings all the same (Medium firmness I think). I can't feel the "Skate Tech" but maybe it has an effect ?? Never was motivated to mess around with the bushings.


That's what I like about skate tech. It isn't a really drastic difference. Where I feel the biggest improvement is on turn initiation. It just feels smoother to me. Heelside turns also feel more locked in IMO. I also stick with mediums. For me, hard basically makes them ride like a traditional binding and soft feels squirmy when flat basing.


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## Paxford (Jan 7, 2019)

linvillegorge said:


> soft feels squirmy when flat basing.


Yes it does. I've been trying to come up with a word to describe the benefit I get from the soft bushings, squirmy works. I do surfy things in that squirmy spot. There's control there for me despite the squirm. If I tried those bushings in the 90's before I surfed I bet I wouldn't like them. But for a surfer looking to carry over board control and flow from surfing the soft bushings are the ticket.


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## Harry Forks (Apr 17, 2017)

Canuck said:


> Absolutely on the pilots with the strap up. I tried soft bushings all the way around and did not like it.
> 
> I also got rid of the crappy toe straps that came with. I bought a pair of the the 3D straps off the drives and still slip off my vans infuse boots. Went and bought a pair of Nitro vibram toe straps on and there 100% better.
> 
> ...


Slightly off-topic but still relevant to the bindings. Hope you dont mind, but this sounds like what i've been after...

I'm intrigued by the Nitro Vibram Toe Strap. I've got size 13 feet and the Now Drive 3D toe strap fits my boot perfect, but it adds extra bulk to the front of the boot where the sole wraps up over the toe, meaning extra overhang when there's already too much. I'm sure they'll wear out fast too.

https://s1383.photobucket.com/user/HarryForks/media/edited-image_zpsaxrh2px3.png.html?sort=3&o=0
https://s1383.photobucket.com/user/HarryForks/media/edited-image_zpsu1wahkpq.png.html?sort=3&o=2

I'm thinking the vibram toecaps would sit above the sole wrap-around section. Can anyone suggest any similar toecaps/straps that might work for me?

Did you need to buy any other hardware (ladders or ratchets), or just the toe straps themselves and bolt them onto the existing straps and ratchet?


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## Canuck (Feb 18, 2019)

I bought everything ladders and ratchets to make everything more user friendly. Even still I had the ladder straps when you pull the Now ones out have little round nubs that hold them into the binding. The Nitro ones are thicker so I just had to slightly file ever so slightly to fit. 

You could make the ratchet and one ladder work but you still need the ladder that is attached to the strap itself. But I would just buy the all Nitro ones if you can there way better IMO. 


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## Harry Forks (Apr 17, 2017)

Canuck said:


> I bought everything ladders and ratchets to make everything more user friendly. Even still I had the ladder straps when you pull the Now ones out have little round nubs that hold them into the binding. The Nitro ones are thicker so I just had to slightly file ever so slightly to fit.
> 
> You could make the ratchet and one ladder work but you still need the ladder that is attached to the strap itself. But I would just buy the all Nitro ones if you can there way better IMO.
> 
> ...


Awesome, thanks, I'm struggling to find the Vibram Ubergrip toe straps here in the EU, but if I can, I'll go for it. Thanks for the advice.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

linvillegorge said:


> That's what I like about skate tech. It isn't a really drastic difference. Where I feel the biggest improvement is on turn initiation. It just feels smoother to me. Heelside turns also feel more locked in IMO. I also stick with mediums. For me, hard basically makes them ride like a traditional binding and soft feels squirmy when flat basing.


Yep, Turn initiation and edge power. Very smooth, so you can use them on softer boards without getting overpowered. For example, my Diodes feel like too much on some boards. Drives never do. 

Yet, you feel that it takes less effort to get more edge hold.

And of course, the footbeds. Maybe not a big deal in soft snow country, but man what a difference in chop and mixed hardpack and crappy snow.



Paxford said:


> Is this considered up or down?


I think that is down. Up would be when you swap that strap with the other binding...



neni said:


> Agree. Ankle strap up or down is night and day.
> Bushings? (I prefer up, too. More responsive/better fit to stiff boots)


The stiffer bushings make a little difference, but I've never found that difference to be crucial... i prefer the little extra dampening the mediums give.

In the end, Now bindings give you a few customization options without making the binding complicated. Rome bindings offer amazing customization, but are quite complicated with a lot of nuts and bolts and so on....


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

F1EA said:


> Yep, Turn initiation and edge power. Very smooth, so you can use them on softer boards without getting overpowered. For example, my Diodes feel like too much on some boards. Drives never do.
> 
> Yet, you feel that it takes less effort to get more edge hold.
> 
> ...


100% agreed on them never feeling like too much. I've ridden my Drives on everything from softish park boards to stiff planks and they've never felt out of place. I've been riding them a decent amount on a Sims Juice this season and I have them mounted up on a NS Shaper Twin for today.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

linvillegorge said:


> 100% agreed on them never feeling like too much. I've ridden my Drives on everything from softish park boards to stiff planks and they've never felt out of place. I've been riding them a decent amount on a Sims Juice this season and I have them mounted up on a NS Shaper Twin for today.


I'd agree but to me they feel like not enough on a stiff board like my Darker Series. I notice a huge difference between my stiffer Union Factory vs the Now Drive in terms of lightening fast response. The Drives feel fine on my 420 however. 

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## Canuck (Feb 18, 2019)

While we’re on this topic Has anyone compared the pilots to the brigades ? I love my pilots but there’s a good deal on the brigades and was looking to add another pair of bindings. Long as there fairly close in response and comfort. The only thing that I don’t like about the brigades is there’s no padding on the high-back 


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## snowman55 (Feb 17, 2012)

Paxford said:


> Is this considered up or down?


That's the down position. The word "Drive" should be upside down when it's in the up position.

Edit: I guess F1EA already posted the answer. The strap will sit higher on the ankle when flipped and in the "up" position.


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## Legendaryl (Mar 31, 2020)

F1EA said:


> Yep, Turn initiation and edge power. Very smooth, so you can use them on softer boards without getting overpowered. For example, my Diodes feel like too much on some boards. Drives never do.
> 
> Yet, you feel that it takes less effort to get more edge hold.
> 
> ...


Hi, do you mean you can use NOW Drives (rated 8/10 or feels 7/10 flex) on a board that has 4/10 or 5/10 flex and still feel that it does not over power the board?


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