# Losing faith in flows?



## racer357 (Feb 3, 2011)

Adjust the cables on your bindings to tighten the mechanism. If the mechanism is tight, they cant open or fall off. The cables will stretch and the bindings will Require adjustment after the parts break in. That is expetced out of anything with moving parts.


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## dnguyenaz (Feb 10, 2010)

Ive done that. When my boots are in, the cables are pretty tight. I also made sure my forward lean was past the +5 too.


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## racer357 (Feb 3, 2011)

Tighten them more. I have Nxt fse's and there is no possible way they could come undone while going down the hill. they are hard to get out of at the bottom.


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## dnguyenaz (Feb 10, 2010)

I Did. To the max forward lean and to the farthest notch in the bottom of the baseplates. If only it was that simple


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## pencap75 (Dec 10, 2008)

I too use to a Flow fan for nearly a decade. I love the quick entry, but they always end up malfunctioning. The later models (NXT and above) seem to be less troublesome. Older Flows I have all sorts of catastrophic failures besides the usual loose screws (entire highback snapping in half while riding).

I switched to Ride Contrabands. No quite as fast entry as flow, but a little quicker than traditional straps. I find them to be even more comfortable then Flows, and the canted footbeds makes a huge difference to me.


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## dnguyenaz (Feb 10, 2010)

I might have to try those since I dont think the Contrabands will squeeze my toe box tightly(ha sounds so dirty) like most bindings do. Yea the flows from 2002 dont actually snap into place in the back. Maybe Ill give my quattros a chance before I call quits with flow.


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## HuskyFlip (Mar 2, 2010)

Look, I'm all but a total newb to snowboarding, but the same principles apply to anything you can buy and the products you use. The same company can churn out a poor product and at the same time put out a fantastic one. Yes, they do their best to at every price point and consistently over the years, but design, engineering, production cost and a lot of other influences come into play. You said you have some brand new bindings you've yet to use... did you buy them to sit around or just so you could post on an internet forum that you own them? Of course not. Is an aging binding failing? Just not feelin' good about last year's bindings after you gave them a decent chance? You have a selection at your fingertips. *Use* it. Sell what you don't like or want to recoup some costs and move on. I dunno', if last year's bindings were flawless, but they've failed you this year, I'm thinking it's something else. Did you change your boots, change your riding habits, do any maintenance or disassembly/reassembly? Lots of things it could be other than the manufacturer of the product. And if it is the product, use a different one. It's not rocket surgery.  

FWIW...YMMV...my two cents


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## rgrwilco (Oct 15, 2007)

Flows are junk. There are so many better binding brands out there. Don't be lazy, take the extra two seconds to strap in.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

The lever that flips to tighten them. When you are leaning a hard toe side you take a lot of pressure off the highback. Without that tension it sounds like the lever is flipping down and releasing your high back.
Does this sum it up correctly???

Is there a locking tab or some type of clip that keeps the highback lever in place. I know my NXT's have one. If so, after all those great years of reliable riding that part has worn out, allowing the highback to release unexpectedly.

Just a thought, and I agree with HuskyFlip, why aren't you trying some of the other bindings. You bought them, never use or very infrequently use them, now your looking for a different brand of another new binding. 

Wierd....just sayin....

I love being lazy as the line off the lift is deep with people strapping in, I just jump in, flip lever up and I'm off... I love it...


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## dnguyenaz (Feb 10, 2010)

It has nothing to do with being lazy. Its the most comfortable for my flat wide feet. Ive gone through 15 bindings trying to find the right ones. I have the other bindings sitting cause like I said before. I aquired them in a trade and wanted to try the ones I bought first. I think it has to do with the hard toe sides. Although I dont see any locking tabs in mines. Ill check again. 

Again this has nothing to do with being lazy. Its the most comfortable bindings Ive tried.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

call flow, I guarantee you they will send you a free locking bar. The bar that you snap up on the highback. I bet you the little locking part of it is worn down....


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## dnguyenaz (Feb 10, 2010)

Hmmm must have never got that part. Yea mines are worn but thats why I went to the 2002s where they dont have the locking part. It just flips up and holds it under pressure(which is how I can see my bindings popping off now)


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

this what I said....

My NXT's and M9's both have locking tabs. A lock in the lever and a small tab on the high back. Mine are newer but I would think you would need something to lock the lever's no matter how old they are, like yours.

Or your cable is so stretched that it can't hold proper tension under toe-side carving/turns.


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## dnguyenaz (Feb 10, 2010)

Thats where the realization came from ha. Well I think Ill just sell them off and go with something with a soft cap strap if the problem persists.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Call Flow and talk witha dude named Thunder he is very helpfull and will hook you up !!!


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## TMXMOTORSPORTS (Jun 10, 2009)

2002 Flow bindings do not have the "Snap Lock" highback..They just flip up and are held up by tension only.I have had mine flip down only 2 times in 5 years.I have 2005 Team bindings and 2010 NXT AT's the 2010 have the Snap Lock.


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## Ratsch-Bumm (Dec 24, 2010)

Argo said:


> call flow, I guarantee you they will send you a free locking bar. The bar that you snap up on the highback. I bet you the little locking part of it is worn down....


I confirm this. They sent me a spare strap to Moscow for free.


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## KG29 (Jan 20, 2011)

Look into Gnu bindings


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## craig-b (Dec 19, 2010)

Not to just be a hater.

But, i absolutely HATE my Flows.


Bought them because i was never good at getting up when first strapping in, found it easier to use the Flows, plus they were 75$ off..

But, i noticed a *BUNCH* of heel lift when i trying to go on my toe edge, making it so much harder to control and really taking a toll on my legs having to try harder to carve toe edge.

And yes, i set them up properly, even with the ankle part of the strapping system as tight as it could possibly go, my heel would still lift up at least an inch and a half, if not more. Either, i didnt set them up properly, which, i cant see how you couldnt, they are simple!

Or, they are not for me..


Ordered a pair of 2012 Rome Arsenal(bright Yellow!)

Stoked to get on some traditional bindings.

The convenience of flows was nice, i thought about getting K2 Cinch, but, couldnt find any decently priced online, and when i went to look at them at my local shop(which is HORRIBLY overpriced) i decided to go for the Arsenal. 



/end rant.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Thread digger!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)




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## Steez (Jun 25, 2011)




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## hwa (Dec 2, 2008)

HuskyFlip said:


> Look, I'm all but a total newb to snowboarding, but the same principles apply to anything you can buy and the products you use. The same company can churn out a poor product and at the same time put out a fantastic one. Yes, they do their best to at every price point and consistently over the years, but design, engineering, production cost and a lot of other influences come into play. You said you have some brand new bindings you've yet to use... did you buy them to sit around or just so you could post on an internet forum that you own them? Of course not. Is an aging binding failing? Just not feelin' good about last year's bindings after you gave them a decent chance? You have a selection at your fingertips. *Use* it. Sell what you don't like or want to recoup some costs and move on. I dunno', if last year's bindings were flawless, but they've failed you this year, I'm thinking it's something else. Did you change your boots, change your riding habits, do any maintenance or disassembly/reassembly? Lots of things it could be other than the manufacturer of the product. And if it is the product, use a different one. It's not rocket surgery.
> 
> FWIW...YMMV...my two cents


well said, sir.


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