# Ride NRC's



## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

Ok, so I'm usually one of the people helping give advice but I haven't yet had the chance to get my hands on a set of these even in the store. I was curious what other people who have had a chance to ride these think of them. To give you an idea of what I'm riding and what i'm looking for, I am currently riding a Rome Flag 168 w/Union Data's. I also have a set of Raiden Phantom Eero's and Ride SPi's from a couple of years back. I've ridden or played with most of the bindings out there over the last couple of years so I have a pretty good grasp of what I like.

What i'm curious about is the flex of the binding. Is it closer to an SPi or one of their MVMT series bindings? How functional is the custom balance footbed? Is this similar to what Forum has out with the Shaka binding? What's the weight like? How wide is the base? I ask because I know with my SPi's I always had issues with certain boot companies fitting properly...

I appreciate the input


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

I have the '09 NRC's which I reviewed and there is also at least one other review on the site. I am basically sold on Ride bindings from here on out. The footbeds are awesome, the straps amazingly comfortable and secure, they are slightly on the heavy side though. I believe Ride calls them an all mtn freestlye type of binding but I think they tend more towards the SPI//CAD level of stiffness. If you really want something with more flex go for the MVMT series (which are also lighter). Bottomline is wedgie footbeds and their straps are too good to pass up, no matter the binding.

I use Salmon F22's and found the fit to be perfect, total control but felt like I was not even strapped in, no pressure points at all.


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

I have the 09 NRC's and I like them a lot. The canted footbeds are the real deal, they help with knee angles and overall comfort. As far as the flex, the highbacks are inbetween the MVMT highbacks and the SPi/CAD highbacks. The ankle strap feels ~the same as an 09 Delta strap in terms of stiffness, but the '10 has a new ankle strap which I can't comment on. They are a bit heavy, and if I were purchasing new gear this year, I would opt for the SPi's or Delta's instead depending on if you are leaning freeride/freestyle, which are lighter bindings with the wedgie footbeds. Pretty the NRc is the most adjustable of the freestyle orientated all mountain Ride bindings. I would put them into the category as the Rome Targas which I've also had previously.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

redlude97 said:


> I have the 09 NRC's and I like them a lot. The canted footbeds are the real deal, they help with knee angles and overall comfort. As far as the flex, the highbacks are inbetween the MVMT highbacks and the SPi/CAD highbacks. The ankle strap feels ~the same as an 09 Delta strap in terms of stiffness, but the '10 has a new ankle strap which I can't comment on. They are a bit heavy, and if I were purchasing new gear this year, I would opt for the SPi's or Delta's instead depending on if you are leaning freeride/freestyle, which are lighter bindings with the wedgie footbeds. Pretty the NRc is the most adjustable of the freestyle orientated all mountain Ride bindings. I would put them into the category as the Rome Targas which I've also had previously.


First off thanks to both of you for your input. I'm gonna have to see if I can get my hands on a pair at some point this season and give em a couple of runs. I loved my SPi's but after riding them a couple of years my knees and back were starting to pay the price from the overall stiffness. Redlude, your assessment that they're similar to the Targas is about what I was expecting to hear. I'm not concerned with the weight as I weigh a huge amount so an extra couple of ounces isn't going to make a shit of difference! I was very close to picking up the Targas when I got the Data's but I felt like they were too similar to SPi's at the time and wanted something a tad bit softer but not as soft as the MVMNT series was when I demoed which is why I went with the Union's. I love the unions and may also go the Force MC route but after dealing with the PITA of the Union cap strap and it sliding off the toe on a regular basis I'm leaning to going back to Ride


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

If you are not concerned about weight and want the best toe strap go with the NRC. That toe strap is ridiculous, I was skeptical of it at first but that rubbery material is so damn grippy without applying any pressure or being to stiff.


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

lisevolution said:


> First off thanks to both of you for your input. I'm gonna have to see if I can get my hands on a pair at some point this season and give em a couple of runs. I loved my SPi's but after riding them a couple of years my knees and back were starting to pay the price from the overall stiffness. Redlude, your assessment that they're similar to the Targas is about what I was expecting to hear. I'm not concerned with the weight as I weigh a huge amount so an extra couple of ounces isn't going to make a shit of difference! I was very close to picking up the Targas when I got the Data's but I felt like they were too similar to SPi's at the time and wanted something a tad bit softer but not as soft as the MVMNT series was when I demoed which is why I went with the Union's. I love the unions and may also go the Force MC route but after dealing with the PITA of the Union cap strap and it sliding off the toe on a regular basis I'm leaning to going back to Ride


The NRC footbed is super thick, and combined with the "suspension" system they use they provide a lot of cushion. If you only issue with the SPi was stiffness, then the NRC's or CADs would be a great choice


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

redlude97 said:


> The NRC footbed is super thick, and combined with the "suspension" system they use they provide a lot of cushion. If you only issue with the SPi was stiffness, then the NRC's or CADs would be a great choice


So the SPi is actually stiffer than both of those? Which one is stiffer b/w those 2?


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

The CAD is the stiffer of the two.


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

Triple8Sol said:


> So the SPi is actually stiffer than both of those? Which one is stiffer b/w those 2?


stiffness used in this context was referring to the relative dampening ability of the bindings since he was saying that the SPi's stiffness led to knee and back issues. The cushioning of the NRC/CAD style footbed is much thicker than the SPi's, that is what I meant. In terms of "responsiveness", the CAD has a slightly stiffer highback, and both use the same ankle straps, so the difference between the two shouldn't be huge


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

redlude97 said:


> stiffness used in this context was referring to the relative dampening ability of the bindings since he was saying that the SPi's stiffness led to knee and back issues. The cushioning of the NRC/CAD style footbed is much thicker than the SPi's, that is what I meant. In terms of "responsiveness", the CAD has a slightly stiffer highback, and both use the same ankle straps, so the difference between the two shouldn't be huge


Sorry I did not realize that. I agree though, SPI=more responsive while NRC and CAD are more forgiving with CAD being slightly more responsive. In my experience the thick footbed does not really take away from performance but makes the ride super cush, supportive and comfortable.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

So now that I'm sold on these I have to decide whether to wait for mid-season sales on the 2010 model or if I should just try and find a set of last years on sale now. 

With regards to the toe-strap, I actually had the SPi's that had the first convertible toe strap on it. Even 3-4yrs ago their strap was the shit. Everyone talks about how good Rome's is, the funny thing is they copied Ride's idea. 

With regards to the stiffness of the SPi's there were a number of factors that made them too stiff for me. 1 was the straps, the one's I had were incredibly stiff and not very well padded. They looked sick with the black bandana print on them but were really not very comfortable. I know they've fixed this since then. Also the overall feel of the binding was very stiff in general. That definitely helped with responsiveness but it was brutal on my knees and back after a long day. Especially when I would get out west late in the season and have to deal with all the chop and crud. It was a combination of the high-back, the chassis and the footbed together that was just too much.


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

the only new thing for the NRCs this year is the custom ankle strap


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

I would just try to find a set from last season.


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

They are like $130 online. Depending on what I decide to do with the Burton Hero I bought, I might be looking to sell my XL NRC's for like $100. Used them only 2x late last season.


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## AdamBQ (Sep 15, 2009)

Just bought a pair of these. Hope they work out.
Sierra snowboards has them listed at $130, but when you click on the link, it's actually $110, which puts it closer to 70% off.

I can't wait to get em!


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

legallyillegal said:


> the only new thing for the NRCs this year is the custom ankle strap


The also use the low profile gel toecaps as well, but functionally they perform the same as last years


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