# Micro/Mini Disc Worth it?



## MozeyMo

Alot of companies now are offering micro or mini discs with their bindings. There is very little info as to actual benefits of a regular disc vs a micro disc. Can anyone speak to a noticeable difference between the two? I find it hard to imagine how the size of the disc has any major impact over riding


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## phillyphan

When I was in the board shop buying new bindings I noticed the discs on my new bindings were a lot larger than my old ones. I mentioned this to the board shop owner that was mounting them and he said it was good to have a larger disc because the larger disc allows for more response since it has more surface area bound directly to the board and that's what is anchored to the board w/ the screws.


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## Apex Sport

I am really not a fan of mini-discs. They cause more stress on inserts and I have seen board damage from them. I don't see any significant advantage to them.


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## zc1

I have Contact bindings on one of my boards. I was concerned about the smaller footprint/surface area, but my searches and discussion with shop staff didn't bring up any overwhelming reason to believe that they would damage my board if installed properly. I decided to give them a go. They've been fine so far.


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## Parkerross

They are great they allow the board to flex more like it should. All my bindings are mini I like them and I have never heard of inserts ripping out because of mini disks. I also I don't believe the response is any better with standard vs mini nitro has them on all there stiff bindings union is putting more bindings on mini disk.


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## SGboarder

phillyphan said:


> When I was in the board shop buying new bindings I noticed the discs on my new bindings were a lot larger than my old ones. I mentioned this to the board shop owner that was mounting them and he said it was good to have a larger disc because the larger disc allows for more response since it has more surface area bound directly to the board and that's what is anchored to the board w/ the screws.


That explanation is so obviously wrong. This guy is seriously clueless and should not be giving advice.


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## phillyphan

SGboarder said:


> That explanation is so obviously wrong. This guy is seriously clueless and should not be giving advice.


Yea, I don't know if he was full of it or not. Dude did own the shop, boarded w/ T. Rice and had a wall full of medals. He could be wrong. But it kinda makes sense. Similar to what parkerross said. A larger disc will cover more surface of the board. Allowing less flex. More response. A smaller disc covers less board and allows more flex. More playful.


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## SGboarder

phillyphan said:


> Yea, I don't know if he was full of it or not. Dude did own the shop, boarded w/ T. Rice and had a wall full of medals. He could be wrong. But it kinda makes sense. Similar to what parkerross said. A larger disc will cover more surface of the board. *Allowing less flex. More response. A smaller disc covers less board and allows more flex. More playful.*


Nonsense. A larger disk actually means more flex in the binding and less flex in the board, both of which reduce response. Fairly simple physics.


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## linvillegorge

Minimal difference. Mostly marketing.

If you rode one, then rode the other and didn't know which was which, you'd probably have a 50/50 chance of identifying one from the other.


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## SGboarder

linvillegorge said:


> Minimal difference. Mostly marketing.
> 
> If you rode one, then rode the other and didn't know which was which, you'd probably have a 50/50 chance of identifying one from the other.


Mostly agree with. The difference is very small and a similar effect can achieved in other ways (reflex or hinged disks etc).


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## najrock

literally the exact opposite is true in my experience


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## Rip154

They can be worth it with the right binding, if it matters to you. If you're into jumping and jibbing. Some like stiff and restrictive bindings too, but they usually don't stress them out as much. Not talking about the highback.


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## MrHonshu

I have never used mini discs, but do they work on all boards with a 2 x 4 hole pattern?


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## timmytard

mini discs ONLY work on 2x4 hole patterns.
They will not work on 4x4 hole patterns

So if you have any older boards with 4x4 (which I have a tonne of)
You are shit out of luck.

I think the mini discs are stupid, that's just my opinion.


TT


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## boardingschool

timmytard said:


> mini discs ONLY work on 2x4 hole patterns.
> They will not work on 4x4 hole patterns
> 
> So if you have any older boards with 4x4 (which I have a tonne of)
> You are shit out of luck.
> 
> I think the mini discs are stupid, that's just my opinion.
> 
> 
> TT


I have some brand new ride capos on a brand new heritage and I took them off as I needed some edge work done, turns out the damn Inserts that the bindings bolt into have been pulled slightly up and the whole core and top sheet is slightly risen around and in between the bolt holes.

It was pointed out to me that this is more than likely due to the dumb micro disc design that ride uses and the fact that the bolts are just not supposed to go right next to each other. I am hoping that this is just cosmetic but it definitely is making me a bit leery of using those holes again (which sucks as I am a big guy and like a wide-as-possible stance) and at this point I almost want to go get some other bindings. Is there any way to use a normal bolt spacing with these dumb micro disc setups? It almost looks like I could get it to work by just using the micro disks and putting the bolts all the way in the corners but I need to get my board back first to try it. God this mini or micro disc thing is dumb.


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## Rip154

I kinda think this whole thread is useless and mini vs normal disc just means adjustability, all the rest is up to how the binding is designed. If you can't get your stance right with 4x4, try 2x4 and the other way around.


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## timmytard

boardingschool said:


> I have some brand new ride capos on a brand new heritage and I took them off as I needed some edge work done, turns out the damn Inserts that the bindings bolt into have been pulled slightly up and the whole core and top sheet is slightly risen around and in between the bolt holes.
> 
> It was pointed out to me that this is more than likely due to the dumb micro disc design that ride uses and the fact that the bolts are just not supposed to go right next to each other. I am hoping that this is just cosmetic but it definitely is making me a bit leery of using those holes again (which sucks as I am a big guy and like a wide-as-possible stance) and at this point I almost want to go get some other bindings. Is there any way to use a normal bolt spacing with these dumb micro disc setups? It almost looks like I could get it to work by just using the micro disks and putting the bolts all the way in the corners but I need to get my board back first to try it. God this mini or micro disc thing is dumb.


Cut that little metal strip.
I had to to fit my capos on an old Hooger Booger Blaster 159

Just cut them so they are circles


TT


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## boardingschool

timmytard said:


> boardingschool said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have some brand new ride capos on a brand new heritage and I took them off as I needed some edge work done, turns out the damn Inserts that the bindings bolt into have been pulled slightly up and the whole core and top sheet is slightly risen around and in between the bolt holes.
> 
> It was pointed out to me that this is more than likely due to the dumb micro disc design that ride uses and the fact that the bolts are just not supposed to go right next to each other. I am hoping that this is just cosmetic but it definitely is making me a bit leery of using those holes again (which sucks as I am a big guy and like a wide-as-possible stance) and at this point I almost want to go get some other bindings. Is there any way to use a normal bolt spacing with these dumb micro disc setups? It almost looks like I could get it to work by just using the micro disks and putting the bolts all the way in the corners but I need to get my board back first to try it. God this mini or micro disc thing is dumb.
> 
> 
> 
> Cut that little metal strip.
> I had to to fit my capos on an old Hooger Booger Blaster 159
> 
> Just cut them so they are circles
> 
> 
> TT
Click to expand...

Sick. Gonna do this as soon as I get the board back.


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## steveM70

phillyphan said:


> Yea, I don't know if he was full of it or not. Dude did own the shop, boarded w/ T. Rice and had a wall full of medals. He could be wrong. But it kinda makes sense. Similar to what parkerross said. A larger disc will cover more surface of the board. Allowing less flex. More response. A smaller disc covers less board and allows more flex. More playful.


So, I've been thinking about this. I think you are right in that larger disc give a stiffer interface and quicker reactions and the minidiscs allow more play for floaty " surfy" feel like you said phillphan. Guys at a board shop may say there is deadspace under a larger disc meaning less motion at the board/binding interface. I wonder if the more play is why Union seems to be having troubles with minidisc bindings loosening with use. Happened to me after about 5 runs. Weird.


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## Mr.Sonne

Guys, basic question. Also I think basic physics. It seems all high end bindings now are minidisc. I pretty much only like Bent Metals, Union or Amplid bindings and I like them stiff cause I am a big guy (100 kilos), not fat just big. I had the Union Falcors with the mini disc but noticed they kept loosening so I gradually began to tighten them more. I butter a lot and when in Utah for 5 weeks this past winter, I noticed the inserts on my Lib Twin Rocket were starting to pull and were raised slightly above the topsheet. I think I got to it in time and shaved it down but I immediately went and got the Union Force Forged (NOT minidisc but a great, super stiff binding) because I think for someone my size that's a lot of force spread over a smaller area and whether it's the bolts loosening or the inserts pulling (a bit of chicken and egg here) it's due to the mini disc. I can imagine a big guy buttering a lot on that small disc is tough on the inserts. So back to the question, anyone else having insert damage from the mini disc's? I saw one guy above but wanted more views before putting the Falcors back on one of my other boards. Thanks.


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## Rip154

The disc is somewhat irrelevant when the frame is wrong, mainly the heelcup nowadays. That is what's creating the <insert whatever> effect. The board and screws jump up and down and twist, while the heelcup stays put. Now you could say that a bigger disc makes a smaller lever, but there are solutions for that aswell, and big discs had the same issues on older bindings. That Union put foam in between the screws and inserts doesn't make it a whole lot better, on some bindings you gotta struggle to get the disc to touch the topsheet. A rigid binding can work just as well as a flexible bindings, but can't be made the same way. Deadspots are overrated, but fucking uneven density footbeds are painful.


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## Rip154

Not all meant as a rant towards Union though, as they are one of the driving forces behind evolution, but sometimes they get things wrong.


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## Yeahti87

The mini disc/normal disc is the least important factor for me when I get some new bindings. I have the Falcors and I haven’t noticed any damage to the inserts. If you have a proper screwdriver (a Phillips one) there’s no problem with tightening them properly once in 2-3 days.
If I think about the downsides of the Falcors the main one is the lack of (or a very clunky) highback rotation. No issues with the hardware or insert damage.


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## JuggyFreak

I strongly recommend NOT BUYING bindings with a minidisc ! Let me tell you about my experience with union strata bindings.
Don't get me wrong, i love these bindings - they are excelent for buttering, but that may also be the reason to the problem.
Guess the surface is too small to handle that much stress on the baseplate.

Union claims a lifetime warranty on the baseplate, a service i needed to rely on twice in a 2 years after purchase.
1st time was after 1 year riding, the minidisc broke through the left baseplate, made me crash, luckily without any injuries.
Got in contact with the shop, who contacted union for replacement baseplates - this took 2 months and meanwhile i had to buy new bindings to keep riding.
2nd time was 1 year later, again same story - this time, it took 5 months (yes 5 months !) until they send me replacement baseplates.
In both cases, one minidisc broke through the baseplate and after inspecting the other baseplate, there was clearly a crack in it.

I will try to upload some pics ... anyway my advise is to stay away from minidisc, especially when you'r into buttering.
Also union support sucks big time - five f**cking months !!!


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## tacohero

Mr.Sonne said:


> Guys, basic question. Also I think basic physics. It seems all high end bindings now are minidisc. I pretty much only like Bent Metals, Union or Amplid bindings and I like them stiff cause I am a big guy (100 kilos), not fat just big. I had the Union Falcors with the mini disc but noticed they kept loosening so I gradually began to tighten them more. I butter a lot and when in Utah for 5 weeks this past winter, I noticed the inserts on my Lib Twin Rocket were starting to pull and were raised slightly above the topsheet. I think I got to it in time and shaved it down but I immediately went and got the Union Force Forged (NOT minidisc but a great, super stiff binding) because I think for someone my size that's a lot of force spread over a smaller area and whether it's the bolts loosening or the inserts pulling (a bit of chicken and egg here) it's due to the mini disc. I can imagine a big guy buttering a lot on that small disc is tough on the inserts. So back to the question, anyone else having insert damage from the mini disc's? I saw one guy above but wanted more views before putting the Falcors back on one of my other boards. Thanks.


I avoid minidisc at all cost because have seen so many people pulling the insert out from the board. yeah, simple physics: lever principle. A bigger disc will give you a more lock-in feel and response as long as your binding baseplate is stiffer than ur board.


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## drblast

I think minidisc is mostly marketing BS. Extra funny when Union puts mini discs on ultra stiff huge base plates as if that's going to matter at all.

Given the same screw pattern, I doubt anyone can tell much difference between a full disc and a mini disc. Once they're mounted they essentially become part of the baseplate. I don't buy that full size discs are somehow stiffer than the baseplate they're connected to. Maybe if they were made of aluminum like the Spark R&D pucks you could feel that - but usually it's easier to bend plastic mounting discs than it is to bend baseplates. I have a few U shaped full sized discs that no longer sit flush with the baseplate that tell that story. If anything, full sized discs flex more than mini discs because you get more leverage on them at the thinner edges.

2x4 vs. 4x4 mounting though - there's definitely a difference. The most obvious is 2x4 gives you that extra leverage to break baseplates. If baseplates are breaking then they obviously aren't bending with the board, so I can't see how that's an advantage in any way. 

Re:flex bindings are the only tech I've used that actually flexes laterally with the board enough to make a difference, and those are full size 4x4 only. Much better for flex than making the mounting disc smaller, but you do sacrifice some heel/toe response to get that, and again, the rest of the base plate still has to flex with the board too.

With Rome mini-discs you can use a 4x4 mounting pattern, so I just do that now and don't notice a difference. I've also just given up getting an exact stance width - 22" vs 22.5" is just not that big a deal. Forward lean, stance angle, highback canting and rotation, strap tightness and position, all make a much bigger difference than mounting disc size and pattern as far as how a binding rides.

If you can't butter or jib on a park board it's your technique - not the size of the mounting disc.


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## Rip154

The discs that work on 2x2, 4x4, 3d and channel are so nice, at least when you have adjustable heelcups, but need to be able to adjust ankle strap independently. Baseplates breaking is just an issue they need to fix.


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## Manicmouse

JuggyFreak said:


> Also union support sucks big time - five f**cking months !!!


It probably depends on your region. Also, sometimes individuals make mistakes and it's not that the whole service is bad, just that you are unlucky.

I received replacement Union heel cups out of Australia, shipped to NZ, and it was a fairly quick turnaround.


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## GWoman

I don`t like the minidisks, because they suck out the inserts (not sure if this is the right word, however, I`ve seen this on Gnu carbon credit and Lib skate banana). Consider this - a lot of boards have carbon stringers in the binding area making the board more responsive. Not just freeride boards, but also all-mountain and freestyle boards. And with the mini disc, you can twist your binging more, that`s not logical. If you are a jibber, then ok, but in any other situation, a mini disc is a bad thing - especially for your inserts.


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## mjayvee

I think the comparison between mini vs standard disks should be based on preference. Factors that can go into choosing between standard vs mini: board type, boots, style of riding, terrain, etc. 

Have now been exclusively on the mini disk for the past 4 seasons and I (somewhat) prefer them over the standard disk.

I like the feel & flex of the mini disk. 

And that’s coming from my all-mountain/freeride style.
I love to carve and I am blessed with riding powder every season. I spend very little time in the park & I don’t jib. 

Ever since I started using clear nail polish and slightly changed my binding angles this season, I have not had any issues with my binding screws loosening on my front foot. I also inspect my bindings and tighten them if needed, before every trip to the mountain. 

After being on only Union mini disks, I finally tried something new and got Bent Metal bindings (also with mini disks). And so far, so good with the Logic model and mini disk. 

I have considered going back to standard disks for my stiffer boards, however. Or, if I give in and buy another snowboard & binding setup this fall. 😆


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## Rip154

GWoman said:


> I don`t like the minidisks, because they suck out the inserts (not sure if this is the right word, however, I`ve seen this on Gnu carbon credit and Lib skate banana). Consider this - a lot of boards have carbon stringers in the binding area making the board more responsive. Not just freeride boards, but also all-mountain and freestyle boards. And with the mini disc, you can twist your binging more, that`s not logical. If you are a jibber, then ok, but in any other situation, a mini disc is a bad thing - especially for your inserts.


The insert thing is common and I think it's more a manufacturing issue than bindings. I have it on boards from all brands, and some I've never used minidiscs on. Doesn't seem to matter at all.


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## mjayvee

For those riders that use both mini and standard discs, which do you prefer for powder & free riding? And why?


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## Snowghost

mjayvee said:


> For those riders that use both mini and standard discs, which do you prefer for powder & free riding? And why?


I don't notice much difference maybe slightly more surfy in minidisks.


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## Eivind så klart

mjayvee said:


> For those riders that use both mini and standard discs, which do you prefer for powder & free riding? And why?


Minidiscs all the way! Never ripped a insert, no problems what so ever. Tried stiff freeride characteristic bindings (though not the same brand) with both normal and minidisc on two boards and minidisc wins in my eyes.

Makes the board respond quicker and less vibration. I’m sold on the minidisc, not going back. Honostly.. how much preassure do you have to give for a insert to rip? Either there is something wrong with the board or the rider must be doing something wrong like not tightening all screws with equal force?


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