# why no step ins



## Guest (Nov 27, 2007)

Why did they stop making step in bindings. A long time ago I had a pair of switch step in bindings that I liked a lot, but you don't see them anymore. What happened?


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

They sucked...

Really what happened is they improved to a point, but could not keep up with strap setups. There were some durability issues too. People that used step in's started going back to straps and the market shrunk. Manufacturers quit pouring research into something that had a dwindling demand and they pretty much died. I am not 100% sure but I think clickers are still made and sold in Japan, maybe New Zealand. The riding performance of them just does not match up to today's bindings though.

About the best binding out there for the quick and easy step in convenience is going to be a Flow setup. In fact their line this year is top notch. The Flow team binding (though most expensive) was probably the top binding I demo'd this year. I was very impressed with it. The K2 ratchet was another fairly quick and easy to use binding. Though not as quick as the Flow. 

And yeah, step in's suck...


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## Guest (Nov 27, 2007)

Agreed.

Step ins suck. I had a pair and managed to twist my ankle in them and tear my ligiments (sp?). Depending on the setup, most step-in boots/bindings are dead weight, bulky, not responsive, don't fit correctly. 

Some people swear by Flows... try them out and see if you like them.


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## T.J. (Aug 28, 2007)

i used to have the burton SIs and i liked them. i used to ride solo (or with skier friends) a lot so i could take a ton of runs without having to stop at the top. i never had and performance or reliability issues. then i started riding with friends so i was sitting at the top waiting anyway so i went back to straps.

like KC said, people stopped riding them. and companys stopped taking their pro riders advice on them so the R&D went down the tubes.

if you still really want to ride them look on ebay, they are still floating around there. in fact i still have step-ins and boots floating around a closet somewhere.


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## Guest (Nov 27, 2007)

On the flow bindings, do you still have to adjust the straps every time, or is it really step in and go. It seems like it would be hard to get your foot in there without loosing the straps a little.

I'm trying to find something for my wife, that makes it a little easier to go. Right now I have to strap her in each time. Not like she needs top of the line, since she is still on the bunny slopes.


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## Guest (Nov 27, 2007)

If you pay for shipping, I'll send you mine. They're Burton Moto SI size 8.5. I don't want any money for them, I just want them out of my house.  On the bunny slopes they should do... but as she progresses she'll need something different. 

Let me know, I'll be glad to send them out to you.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

the strap on the flows lifts up as the highback declines so it make entry/exit really easy. Best option of looking for something quick and easy. And no you don't have to adjust the straps every time. They can be a bit of a pain or at least the old ones were in terms of dialing them in perfectly but once you do get it set right you don't have to touch them again.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Flows are pretty easy to adjust now. They have mini ratchets, making it fairly quick to set them if you need to. That should only be once or (to fine tune the first adjustment)twice for the day. Once the they are dialed you leave them alone. Slip on slip off. Pretty freakin' easy to use for sure.


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## Dcp584 (Sep 10, 2007)

To me it sounds like she needs to learn to strap herself in. If she can't strap herself into regular strap and rachet bindings I think she'll have the same problem with the flows. The only sure fire way are the step ins but you have to find a set and the boots to make them work for her.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2007)

I think it's mainly because you have to have matching boots, and people don't like being limited like that...


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2007)

Zodi.... that's very nice of you, but I don't really want Burton step ins, thanks again though.

It's not that she can't do it, it's just that to make it as fun and easy for her that I can I usually do it. 

Just thinking about my options.....

Thanks for all the input. 
Aloha


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2007)

i used step ins a few times when i first started up. i wasnt good enough back then to tell the difference between the performance of the step ins and strap ins. but i do remember having a huge problem with ice getting caught up in the mechanism and i couldnt get clicked in at all. at the time i was only like 12-13 years old so it was a pain in the ass. i see no real advantage to step in bindings when i really think about it. i mean, why sacrifice performance and feel for maybe an extra 30 seconds of riding? it doesnt take that much time to sit down and strap up.


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## Dcp584 (Sep 10, 2007)

Who said anything about sitting down to strap in. you have one foot in when your on the lift once you get off just put your foot in the binding and strap it and go.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2007)

rightguard said:


> Zodi.... that's very nice of you, but I don't really want Burton step ins, thanks again though.


I don't blame you, I don't want them either.  I just can't bring myself to throw them away. 

Try the Flows, that might work for her. I know many people that are very happy with them. At first it takes a little while to set them up but after that it should be like slipping your foot into a slipper, added bonus = no pressure points.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2007)

i started and rode on burton si's for a while. can't say they were absolutely garbage considering the level of snowboard tech at the time. the main problem is that it relies so much on the boot retaining it's stiffness in order to retain proper feedback (aka going toe-edge was sluggish or performed out of sheer luck by the end of the day)... that and the boots were heavy as hell. i tried the k2 cinch and had a hell of a time getting in/out of them. now i'm on flows and love em. they really are "set it and forget it".


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## rrrtx (Aug 18, 2007)

xenster said:


> i started and rode on burton si's for a while. can't say they were absolutely garbage considering the level of snowboard tech at the time. the main problem is that it relies so much on the boot retaining it's stiffness in order to retain proper feedback (aka going toe-edge was sluggish or performed out of sheer luck by the end of the day)... that and the boots were heavy as hell. i tried the k2 cinch and had a hell of a time getting in/out of them. now i'm on flows and love em. they really are "set it and forget it".


lol that reminds me... we got one of those Set it and Forget it machines. In the instruction manual on the 1st page says "Do NOT set it and forget it" :laugh:


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