# Flow Bindings(&boots)



## Nitrogen (Feb 10, 2010)

not to thread jack, but i've sorta in the same condition? 
I've bought some flow boots, and quattro bindings. 

Flow is supposed to be consistent feel and ride, with the bonus of getting in and out quickly.

However, i find it really tough to slide my boots in (on dry land). I know flow says that when you're in the snow, it'll be easier. But i'm not to certain. Can someone shed light on this as well?

Thanks


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## ATOTony76 (May 26, 2009)

this thread is about to turn into the ultimate fail.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2010)

ATOTony76 said:


> this thread is about to turn into the ultimate fail.


Why? O__O;


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

Ok I have experience coming from burton custom bindings to flow nxt-at. Its not a direct comparison with the products you are talking about but is should be close. As you did I threw together a setup last year and rode it all year without knowing any better, the burton customs seemed fine to me at the time. Then I got the flow bindings. WOOAH these things rock in every way compared to the burton customs which I now believe are very stiff uncomfortable bindings that cause pressure points due to how tight you need to do them up. The flows can be a lot looser and still have a better hold on your boot compared to the burton. And of course getting in and out is much easier with the flows IF the bindings are sized correctly to your boots. I found I needed to go up a size with the flows to gain extra width at the heel area so flipping up the highback was a simple task rather than something that had to be perfectly aligned every time.
I rate the flows 9/10 and the burtons 2/10.

Now as for you nitrogen, If you cant get in easy on your bedroom floor nothing is going to change at the snow, infact snow build ups on the bindings and your boots will usually make it slightly harder to get into.
There can be 2 main problems with setting up your flow bindings.
The first is that you cant physically get your foot into the power strap far enough to be able to pull up the highback, to overcome this you need to back off the ratchetsso that the powerstrap will actually move forward towards the toe of your boot, this will give you heaps of room and it compensated by moving the highback in a bit if needed. Remember they dont need to be uber tight like traditional strap ins do.
The second is that once you you have your boot in the powerstrap your boot heel is too wide for the highback to pull up. In this case you need to go a size up in bindings.


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Sundays said:


> If anyone can shed light on how the Flow bindings feel and the response it has.


This has been beaten to death and death and death. Use the search. You'll be up to your eyeballs in Flow posts.


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## Nitrogen (Feb 10, 2010)

thanks ETM, i was doing it wrong because i was thinking of the old traditional toe/ankle strap, and was making the bindings too tight for my boot to fit in.


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## ATOTony76 (May 26, 2009)

Sundays said:


> Why? O__O;


because alot of people think flows suck, which they do, then some one like munkyspunk is going to get on here and bitch at you for not knowing anything cus he thinks they are the greatest things in the world.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

ATOTony76 said:


> because alot of people think flows suck, which they do, then some one like munkyspunk is going to get on here and bitch at you for not knowing anything cus he thinks they are the greatest things in the world.


The closest this thread went to failing was when you made that generic post trying to round up some flow haters to come and shitbag this thread, that didnt happen and this thread didnt fail and you just earned 10 douchebag points.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

If you completely back off the power strap ratchets and gradually tighten them up whilst your boot(with your foot in it lol) is in the bindings you will find a point where the boot stops moving around in the binding, this is as tight as they need to be and you will find its a lot looser than you originally had them set up. PS once you have one set up count the teeth on the ratchet strap and just convert the same setup onto the other binding.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2010)

MunkySpunk said:


> This has been beaten to death and death and death. Use the search. You'll be up to your eyeballs in Flow posts.


I posted in hopes to get feedback from everyone who posts. It was obviously more specifically for girls since Flow bindings seem to be more specific for "All mountain/Freeride" rather than park/freestyle. They have only one binding thats specific and it's mountain/freestyle sooo... again, wanted feedback because there isn't much to choose from.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2010)

ETM said:


> Ok I have experience coming from burton custom bindings to flow nxt-at. Its not a direct comparison with the products you are talking about but is should be close. As you did I threw together a setup last year and rode it all year without knowing any better, the burton customs seemed fine to me at the time. Then I got the flow bindings. WOOAH these things rock in every way compared to the burton customs which I now believe are very stiff uncomfortable bindings that cause pressure points due to how tight you need to do them up. The flows can be a lot looser and still have a better hold on your boot compared to the burton. And of course getting in and out is much easier with the flows IF the bindings are sized correctly to your boots. I found I needed to go up a size with the flows to gain extra width at the heel area so flipping up the highback was a simple task rather than something that had to be perfectly aligned every time.
> I rate the flows 9/10 and the burtons 2/10.


Thank you thank you!  Glad to hear it! I guess I'm going to see if there are any more other feedback on the two and choose.
By the way which boots did you get with it? I'm trying to figure out which of the three I should get since all two out of the three are all mountain and the one that's mountain/freestyle is laces... I hate laces I gave those up as soon as the speed laces came out.

I would really hate going back.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

I ride thirty two boots cause I have a wide foot, this part of the reason I needed to size up cause I have wide boots and they fouled on the highback when I tried to lift it.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2010)

ETM said:


> I ride thirty two boots cause I have a wide foot, this part of the reason I needed to size up cause I have wide boots and they fouled on the highback when I tried to lift it.


Thanks so much. I'm going to try to find a place in NY that deals the Flows, gotta try them on or find boots that will do.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

Yeah make sure you get the boots first, ones that fit really well regardless of the brand and then get the flows to fit those boots and make sure that highback folds up easily, I cant stress that enough lol.


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

ATOTony76 said:


> because alot of people think flows suck, which they do, then some one like munkyspunk is going to get on here and bitch at you for not knowing anything cus he thinks they are the greatest things in the world.


Nah, I'll just take your approach and cry to the admins when people are being meanie-pants to me. :laugh:


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## CoopersTroopers (Feb 24, 2010)

ETM said:


> Yeah make sure you get the boots first, ones that fit really well regardless of the brand and then get the flows to fit those boots and make sure that highback folds up easily, I cant stress that enough lol.


+1. Boots first, then everything else. Whatever boots fit your properly (snug to the toe, as little heel lift as possible) and comfortably are the right boots for you, whether they are the cheapest boots in the store or the most expensive. More than anything it's your boots that will dictate whether you have a good riding experience or not, and a bad boot choice can make even the most incredible setup ride like trash.


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

I have never tried Flows, so I can't comment there.

Stilettos were my first bindings and I literally threw them away after 10 days. I just couldn't handle the terrible straps any more. For the money Burton charges for those things, consider spending the same amount of money and getting a product that actually works. If you want to stick with Burton, upgrade to the Lexas. Or check out Ride Vxn, Ride Dva, Rome Madison, Union Milan, Union Trilogy, K2 Virtue. Anything but overpriced Stilettos. Really.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2010)

lilfoot1598 said:


> I have never tried Flows, so I can't comment there.
> 
> Stilettos were my first bindings and I literally threw them away after 10 days. I just couldn't handle the terrible straps any more. For the money Burton charges for those things, consider spending the same amount of money and getting a product that actually works. If you want to stick with Burton, upgrade to the Lexas. Or check out Ride Vxn, Ride Dva, Rome Madison, Union Milan, Union Trilogy, K2 Virtue. Anything but overpriced Stilettos. Really.


Just have to ask, what was wrong with the straps?


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Sundays said:


> I posted in hopes to get feedback from everyone who posts. It was obviously more specifically for girls since Flow bindings seem to be more specific for "All mountain/Freeride" rather than park/freestyle. They have only one binding thats specific and it's mountain/freestyle sooo... again, wanted feedback because there isn't much to choose from.


My wife had the Essence (M series) for a couple of years. She loved them. We recently found the Prima's (NXT series) for a steal, so she picked them up. She isn't a hard charging boarder, she likes to just coast the groomers and enjoy herself. 

She can't tell the difference. She just likes the way the Primas look (2009 model)... I have to agree with her, they're sharp.

I use the NXT-AT's for bombing, hitting small-medium jumps, 180's, and recently, to get my ass kicked by deep powder glades at Jay Peak. My avatar is of me getting spit out after being chewed up by The Ugly Tree... for what it's worth, my NXTs are in the shot too. I like them, they serve me very well.

I'll tell you what BA told me: You're probably not hitting Peak 5 at Silverton or turning 1260's in the halfpipe.... The all mountain M or NXT series will do just fine by you. It takes a bit to get them dialed in for a new pair of boots (watch the video on their site), but you'll know it when you hit the sweet spot - easy in and out, great response... Use nail polish to mark where the ratchets are and you'll never have to dial in again.

EDIT: BTW, if you ARE turning 1260's in the halfpipe, it's worth noting Scotty Lago brought home the bronze on his Flow bindings.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2010)

MunkySpunk said:


> My wife had the Essence (M series) for a couple of years. She loved them. We recently found the Prima's (NXT series) for a steal, so she picked them up. She isn't a hard charging boarder, she likes to just coast the groomers and enjoy herself.


Yeah the Primas, I was just looking at those, the Prima SE though not the NXT. I think I prefer them over the Minx SE. Dunno I guess I'm going to have to try them out. I just found a place that might have them, it's a bit of a travel but yeaup. 
What kind of rider is your wife?


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## lilfoot1598 (Mar 7, 2009)

Sundays said:


> Just have to ask, what was wrong with the straps?


The ankle strap was really stiff, not padded at all. I found myself having to apply a lot of force to just get the ankle strap close to the ratchets. The ladders were stiff too, so much so that it took solid concentration and effort to get the ladders and the ratchets lined up. The ladders and ratchets are also pretty sticky, so it took some finesse and patience to get them to release. And my toe straps fell off after every single run. Bottom line: they were extremely difficult to get in and out of. Not worth $160. Can you tell that I hate them? :laugh:


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2010)

lilfoot1598 said:


> The ankle strap was really stiff, not padded at all. I found myself having to apply a lot of force to just get the ankle strap close to the ratchets. The ladders were stiff too, so much so that it took solid concentration and effort to get the ladders and the ratchets lined up. The ladders and ratchets are also pretty sticky, so it took some finesse and patience to get them to release. And my toe straps fell off after every single run. Bottom line: they were extremely difficult to get in and out of. Not worth $160. Can you tell that I hate them? :laugh:


With a passion. Thanks for the tip! The Burton Citizens I threw onto my board last year (last minute setup) sucks It worked out a few runs and then later my toe strap kept coming off, I thought my toe strap was broken. I was planning on getting new bindings since those were only temporary. I'm probably going to head out tomorrow to hunt down some new bindings, I'll definitely be heading to the Burton store and checking the Lexa out. 

Thanks


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Don't get the Minx. They are re-dressed Flow Flites which are crap. Get the Prima especially if you go with the SE version. The Prima's are modeled from the male NXT line of bindings. My wife uses the Essence which is based on the M series which is another great binding.

Now, let's talk about Flow's tech. They are, *IN MY OPINION* (shut up ATOTONY), great bindings. However, I still feel that traditional strap bindings give you better response. Here's the thing though, by no means does this mean that Flows give you no response. They still get the job done and it does it quite well. Aside from the ease of entry/exit (which will be even easier with the SE versions), my favorite aspect about these bindings are the pressure points. As in they have none. I have 0 pain no matter how long and hard I shred (that's what she said). This is not the case with traditional bindings for me. I get foot pain with traditionals after aggressive sessions. Mainly from presses. No, it's not my boots ATOTONY, as I have stated, the same boots with Flows nets 0 pain.

I cannot account for the female bindings, but my NXTs have great dampening and a really good flex to them. I can do anything on my Flows that I can do with traditional bindings. So do traditionals have better response? Yea. Do they have MUCH better response? Nope. Sacrificing debatable response for obvious comfort is a no-brainer to me.

I do have one warning for you though. Flow is notorious for having less than quality parts. I'm talking about the screws and bolts. Although, for 2010 they have been improved. And if you are going for the SE, that means you are getting a 2010 model. Simple solution to this anyways. Contact Flow and have them send you an extra set of hardware. They'll happily oblige. Keep em in your pocket along with your tool and you're all set.

To the person having trouble getting into your Flows... Yes, it is easier on the mountain since you will be digging your edges into the snow. However, you might also have the tops too tight. That is one of the beauties of Flows, you do not need to have them as tight as you would do straps on traditionals. You could have them snug though (I do). Just takes some getting used to. I simply kick my foot in and use some elbow grease to lock the highback. Once you get used to that, you'll be as fast as any other Flow user.

By the way, my wife uses the Flow Lotus boots. She loves them. Can't speak for flex though. She doesn't care about that stuff. She just wants comfort and those provide ample comfort for her so she's happy.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2010)

Leo said:


> I have 0 pain no matter how long and hard I shred (that's what she said).


^ Had to quote that.

Thanks a bunch really helps! I do really like response but I love being able to walk and not feel pain.. HMMM..

Hopefully the Prima SE will do me some good with response. It's really difficult findings reviews on it so you can see why I'm having trouble. So far it's down to the Burton Lexa and the Flow Prima SE.

I take that back I forgot the Essence bindings were also mtn/freestyle, gotta look those up too xD


I heard about those baseplate issues. By them sending me hardware do you mean they'd be sending me extra baseplates too?


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Sundays said:


> ^ Had to quote that.
> 
> Thanks a bunch really helps! I do really like response but I love being able to walk and not feel pain.. HMMM..
> 
> ...


I've never had any problems with baseplates. Hell, I haven't even had a problem with screws and bolts even on my old crappy Flites. I just hear a lot of customers complaining about bolts and screws coming loose. Although, a lot of that probably has to do with customers not checking their bindings thoroughly before use. If you ask for extra baseplates, they will send some. However, they might charge you for that unless you actually end up having a problem with them. The screws and bolts will be free though.

If you want reviews on the Prima SE's, you can look up reviews for the Mens NXT-ATSE. Those are what the Primas are. If you look at Flow's tech specs for the Prima, it shows the ATSE and Primas having the same hardware. 

http://www.flow.com/PDF/NXT-ATSE_Prima-SE_exploded.pdf

Same goes for the Essence and Mseries.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2010)

Leo said:


> I've never had any problems with baseplates. Hell, I haven't even had a problem with screws and bolts even on my old crappy Flites. I just hear a lot of customers complaining about bolts and screws coming loose. Although, a lot of that probably has to do with customers not checking their bindings thoroughly before use. If you ask for extra baseplates, they will send some. However, they might charge you for that unless you actually end up having a problem with them. The screws and bolts will be free though.
> 
> If you want reviews on the Prima SE's, you can look up reviews for the Mens NXT-ATSE. Those are what the Primas are. If you look at Flow's tech specs for the Prima, it shows the ATSE and Primas having the same hardware.
> 
> ...


Thanks a bunch, really helps!:laugh::laugh:


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2010)

I've got some M9-SE's and they are wicked. Seriously flow bingings are they way to go fo sho. 

One tip i have if you get them, start off each day which them tight nothing drastic just tighter than you would, as they loosen up a fraction when wet, then by your 3rd run you'll be laughing... or something like that...

ps: don't listen to any flow haters


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## dnguyenaz (Feb 10, 2010)

Ive gone through quite a bit of bindings trying to find some that didnt hurt my feet(not the boots.)
I went through:
Rides
Burton
K2 chinches

with those, they all hurt my feet after a few hours from pressure points. Then I got some flows and I was able to ride all day without having to stop and rest my feet.

Personally I havent noticed a drop in control or response. They worked so well I just ordered another pair of new flows.


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## Pyrofeed (Feb 4, 2010)

I think the biggest issue people have with actually getting into the flows is that even when they watch the video on their website (which is a absolute must) it doesn't really demonstrate how tight the bindings should be. So people wrench them down (possibly breaking them) and go at it. Then it is difficult to take them out, and even more so to get your foot back in. There is no precise way of telling anyone how tight to make them, but they should be significantly looser than standard strap bindings. And yes they are really tacky and sticky when dry (to the point where I've tried kicking in standard sneakers in one go while the flows were sized to my boots, still needed to push more than once) but when they are wet the only thing that will hold back your boots is the bindings being too tight.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Again, that's due to your wrong set up. I've never once had a problem kicking my boots in. Not even with the crappy Flite 1.


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## gls:maverick (Jan 15, 2010)

I like this thread. Because of it, I have no quams about buying some flow M9's this season. Thanks everyone for the killer input.


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## Pyrofeed (Feb 4, 2010)

If I were you I would get the SE version, because they look slicker, and the ratcheting system is a little more handy and in my opinion, less prone to breakage.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

gls:maverick said:


> I like this thread. Because of it, I have no quams about buying some flow M9's this season. Thanks everyone for the killer input.


Flows will be so much better for Michigan riding because of the constant lift riding lol.


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## gls:maverick (Jan 15, 2010)

Leo said:


> Flows will be so much better for Michigan riding because of the constant lift riding lol.


And that is the exact reason I am getting them! I only plan on heading out East/West probably once the whole year so Alpine/Holly/PK riding definitely calls for quick exit entry to get the most out of my after work rides!

Plus I plan on utilizing my 2 acres this winter and building a slick little jib park on the hill. So a lot of back and forth will make the flows a nice touch.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

One word of advice with Flows though. Make sure you thoroughly check the hardware. Make sure nothing is loose like the screws.

I also always call them up and ask for extra set of hardware to take with me on the mountain in case I can't get my hands on any when needed.


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## gls:maverick (Jan 15, 2010)

Leo said:


> One word of advice with Flows though. Make sure you thoroughly check the hardware. Make sure nothing is loose like the screws.
> 
> I also always call them up and ask for extra set of hardware to take with me on the mountain in case I can't get my hands on any when needed.


Already made a mental note of that.


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## Yukon172 (Feb 5, 2011)

*Men's flows*

Just saw this post. I have ridden flow bindings for the last 4 years mostly in Tahoe. I absolutely loved them but they did have some hardware issues. The screws connected the highbacks constantly loosen now and I will have to retighten throughout the day. I have just recently bought some union force's so I will get a true comparison to newer strap ins. I am thinking about getting some flow's for my wife because I think she would prefer the comfort and quick strap in of flow.


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