# Your a Flow binding expert when....



## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

I got out today with both my kids. Dr released oldest to ride in his new cast, so we took one of our planned trips to a bigger hill 1 1/2 hours away. Who knows how long the snow will last so we decided to hit it up.

I was coming off the lift and kicking in, when I saw a fellow Flow binding rider, sitting in the snow putting on his bindings. I asked, kindly & jokingly, why you sitting to put on flows??? He replied that is the only way he can get his foot in. I'm like "that's not right". He told me this was his 2nd time out and was having trouble getting into the bindings and something else about an instructor telling him to sit to put them on :dunno:

I asked if he would mind if I helped him as I have set-up several pairs many times. He said "please... that would be great" He didn't know how the ratchets worked and he had the I-strap way to tight. I got him all fixed up right there on the hill and he was able to kick in and go. 

Thanking me, and me saying have a safe day riding, we rode our separate ways. Felt good to help a fellow rider enjoy his equipment and time on the hill. Not that it matters, but he was a rider about my age and new to the sport.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Snowolf said:


> Flows are just horrible for first timers. Hold on! put the torches and pitchforks down; I am not ragging on flows here, just talking about one application where they are not ideal....


Y'know, I love my NXT-AT's but I'd be the last person to try to claim they're perfect. There are times and places when they aren't the best binding to have. Let's face it, if one binding (or board or boot) design was _that much_ better, it would dominate the market until everyone started copying it.


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

slyder said:


> I got out today with both my kids. Dr released oldest to ride in his new cast, so we took one of our planned trips to a bigger hill 1 1/2 hours away. Who knows how long the snow will last so we decided to hit it up.
> 
> I was coming off the lift and kicking in, when I saw a fellow Flow binding rider, sitting in the snow putting on his bindings. I asked, kindly & jokingly, why you sitting to put on flows??? He replied that is the only way he can get his foot in. I'm like "that's not right". He told me this was his 2nd time out and was having trouble getting into the bindings and something else about an instructor telling him to sit to put them on :dunno:
> 
> ...


I've worn flows since I learned how to ride 3 years ago and I take the 2-3 seconds it takes to stop on my knees and put my back foot in....I used to do the put your foot in while you're still moving thing but I found that my bindings aren't tight enough for my liking when I have them loose enough to do this 

...hopefully N.A.S.T.Y. next year solves that though


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

Snowolf said:


> Every instructor I work with feels the same way. Until a rider has learned balance to be able to strap in standing up, flows are real pain in the ass. Nothing worse than trying to "click in" while seated.....:laugh: I just dread it when I see a first timer with the board "a friend loaned them" with flows on it.


just tell them to drop on their knees instead of sitting on their butts...makes it infinitely easier :thumbsup:


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

Donutz said:


> Y'know, I love my NXT-AT's but I'd be the last person to try to claim they're perfect. There are times and places when they aren't the best binding to have. Let's face it, if one binding (or board or boot) design was _that much_ better, it would dominate the market until everyone started copying it.


I love mine too, they're the most comfortable and the best if I'm riding all day. I keep mine snug, gotta kick to boot into them a bit, but my ride ex's hold my boot a little more solid and feel better on a stiffer board. I can ride one footed and get into either binding standing up, the easy entry part of flow makes no difference to me, I just love how comfortable they are and they feel perfect on a softer park board.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Never rode flows yet but I would just go to the nearest bench, no?


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

i love my flow 5 and i know its not the high end one but,after having mine set(ladders marked with paint stick)strapping in and out and so much easy and feels so comfortable riding all day.my union force has been sitting down the basement since i switched the funny thing i do intentionally is when i get off the chairlift and i skate by some boarders(newbies,or middle age people)while they strap down their binding,i just put my back foot in then lock it then go BUT.. i do a quick turn to look at them and they are pointing at my bindings and saying" we should get those ones" i know its cheezy but its funny.


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

jdang307 said:


> Never rode flows yet but I would just go to the nearest bench, no?


sitting on a bench actually makes it harder


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

t21 said:


> i love my flow 5 and i know its not the high end one but,after having mine set(ladders marked with paint stick)strapping in and out and so much easy and feels so comfortable riding all day.my union force has been sitting down the basement since i switched the funny thing i do intentionally is when i get off the chairlift and i skate by some boarders(newbies,or middle age people)while they strap down their binding,i just put my back foot in then lock it then go BUT.. i do a quick turn to look at them and they are pointing at my bindings and saying" we should get those ones" i know its cheezy but its funny.


When conditions are right, I can kick in and close without stopping at all. On a couple of occasions as I've glided past the sitters I've heard them say something, couldn't quite make it out. Casserole? Passle? Brass Pole? :laugh:


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

t21 said:


> the funny thing i do intentionally is when i get off the chairlift and i skate by some boarders(newbies,or middle age people)while they strap down their binding,i just put my back foot in then lock it then go BUT.. i do a quick turn to look at them and they are pointing at my bindings and saying" we should get those ones" i know its cheezy but its funny.


I do this too


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## ClevelandSB (Dec 4, 2010)

where I ride the runs are about .1 mile long no joke. Barely any of the other park rats besides myself have flows though for some reason. I really see zero downside to them for a small hill park lapper because they are loose and easy to strap into. I either strap in on the lift or I strap in after i unload from the lift as I skate to the top of the park. I love mine and would never go back to a strap in binding


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

I still really love my Flows...but I do see the other side of the spectrum. 

I spent 2 days riding this last weekend, and they're a real PITA when you're on a steep run and need to get out to help a friend. I've never had any issues that would make me think of switching, but there are times when the rear entry gets frustrating. I could easily ratchet in conventionally, but I don't like to mess with the ratchets when I get them set JUST right.


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## eelpout (Mar 1, 2009)

swilber08 said:


> ...to do the put your foot in while you're still moving thing but I found that my bindings aren't tight enough for my liking when I have them loose enough to do this


The Flow rep actually mentions the too tight factor in the 2013 NX2 video.

We're in the same boat. I am getting annoyed with my NXT-AT's of late as I'm having to reset the mini-ratchets every run on the back foot. I like the strap to be as tight as possible too and I can't get my boot centered across the board without moving the ratchets out a bit first from the previous strap-in (curse of big feet and overhang, it matters more). 

This may be why some people call Flows "loose", because they leave a bit of slack to get the boot all the way in easily.



swilber08 said:


> ....hopefully N.A.S.T.Y. next year solves that though


I believe this will be the first time I buy snowboard gear NOT on sale and pre-season.


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## eelpout (Mar 1, 2009)

Nefarious said:


> I still really love my Flows...but I do see the other side of the spectrum.
> 
> I spent 2 days riding this last weekend, and they're a real PITA when you're on a steep run and need to get out to help a friend.


Check at about the 6:15 minute mark in this Flow setup video and they'll show a guy getting in and out on a hill and in powder. Funny, never seems that easy to me either. 

Video

Now that I've watched the setup vids again, I think it's time to go back and reconsider the basic settings for my Van boots. Maybe the highback position is a bit off and could account for my tightness issues.


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## uh oh a virus 2 (Sep 1, 2011)

Lol never ride Flow.


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

uh oh a virus 2 said:


> Lol never ride Flow.


quiet fool...only input thats worth anything is appreciated here


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

eelpout said:


> The Flow rep actually mentions the too tight factor in the 2013 NX2 video.
> 
> We're in the same boat. I am getting annoyed with my NXT-AT's of late as I'm having to reset the mini-ratchets every run on the back foot. I like the strap to be as tight as possible too and I can't get my boot centered across the board without moving the ratchets out a bit first from the previous strap-in (curse of big feet and overhang, it matters more).
> 
> ...


cant wait....N.A.S.T.Y. + real binding ratchets =  :thumbsup:


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## D1CKER1 (Dec 27, 2010)

i could not seem to get my bindings set right and my boots.. eventually after tuning it for 4 runs it was right... ;9


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

Snowolf said:


> Flows are just horrible for first timers. Hold on! put the torches and pitchforks down; I am not ragging on flows here, just talking about one application where they are not ideal....


I love my flows, but the old-timers on these boards, right here, were able to give me amazing insight into how to set-up and manage my flows. I'm getting a new pair this week after having broken 3 cables, 3 ratches, and two ladders on my 08s. I love em! 



Donutz said:


> When conditions are right, I can kick in and close without stopping at all. On a couple of occasions as I've glided past the sitters I've heard them say something, couldn't quite make it out. Casserole? Passle? Brass Pole? :laugh:


I sometimes feel all bad-ass when I walk-up to a lift with board in-hand. I drop the board, kick it in line, and while I'm in line, I step-in with my front foot, and use my back foot to snap the high-back in-place. So slick, no sitting down, no bending over....just like butter, baby!



swilber08 said:


> ...hopefully N.A.S.T.Y. next year solves that though


WTF is N.A.S.T.Y.?


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

neednsnow said:


> WTF is N.A.S.T.Y.?



http://www.snowboardingforum.com/bindings/45319-flow-binding-2013-q-6.html

Flow is redesigning some of their bindings for 2013. Fair bit of drool coming from the Flow Fan Club.


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## designfemme (Mar 12, 2010)

Snowolf said:


> Until a rider has learned balance to be able to strap in standing up, flows are real pain in the ass. Nothing worse than trying to "click in" while seated.....:laugh: I just dread it when I see a first timer with the board "a friend loaned them" with flows on it.


*Ding! Ding! Ding!* That was me. 

My first time wearing them, I was out on hard (icy?) snow. Cursing at my husband, cursing at the flows, cursing at myself. I could NOT dig my edge in, I was still very unbalanced in the early stages of learning, the highbacks were still very stiff and impossible to keep down, and I kept sliding all over the place the minute I lifted my foot up. :laugh:

But riding in them? Oh boy, the pain I used to get across the top of my feet went away! 

I've finally broken into them and I can ease into them without assistance (sometimes). The only bad thing now is that I get a black and blue bruise streak across my palm from trying to pry them open.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

designfemme said:


> I've finally broken into them and I can ease into them without assistance (sometimes). The only bad thing now is that I get a black and blue bruise streak across my palm from trying to pry them open.


I think something still isn't quite right. It shouldn't be that had to open the lever. Try leaning forward a tad to just take some pressure off the highback. This might help...



swilber08 said:


> quiet fool...only input thats worth anything is appreciated here


Love this, ya I started this as a helping a stranger on the hill with his Flows


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## designfemme (Mar 12, 2010)

@slyder: thanks for the tip. I thought maybe it was just me? I'll have to try the leaning thing next time…


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

Donutz said:


> http://www.snowboardingforum.com/bindings/45319-flow-binding-2013-q-6.html
> 
> Flow is redesigning some of their bindings for 2013. Fair bit of drool coming from the Flow Fan Club.


yessir  haha


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## Sudden_Death (Mar 23, 2011)

designfemme said:


> *Ding! Ding! Ding!* That was me.
> 
> My first time wearing them, I was out on hard (icy?) snow. Cursing at my husband, cursing at the flows, cursing at myself. I could NOT dig my edge in, I was still very unbalanced in the early stages of learning, the highbacks were still very stiff and impossible to keep down, and I kept sliding all over the place the minute I lifted my foot up. :laugh:
> 
> ...


If you get into the too slippy situation, take your glove off and put it in front of whichever edge is facing downhill. The board won't slip around after that.


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## Ryan_T (Oct 18, 2011)

My buddy and I sometimes trade boards just for the hell of it. He's seen me use Flows and know exactly how they work, but he was having trouble getting in/out or staying put while standing up trying to kick it in. I'm trying to sell him on Flows, I don't think it's happening. 

:dunno:


I'm also reminded why I hate straps whenever we do this.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

I'll check them out again when the new "K2 Cinch" like clamshell models come out next year, never had an problem with my Cinch's and my next pair of bindings will be Spark R&D's for my splitboard anyways.


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## Black_dragon (Mar 19, 2014)

Ryan_T said:


> My buddy and I sometimes trade boards just for the hell of it. He's seen me use Flows and know exactly how they work, but he was having trouble getting in/out or staying put while standing up trying to kick it in. I'm trying to sell him on Flows, I don't think it's happening.
> 
> :dunno:
> 
> ...


i agree ! my friend have the same reaction when i try my flow ! and me the same with is board. I love my flow


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