# Just Got Union Contacts



## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

What are people's obsession with buying these. :dunno:

And relating to your post. The toe straps on Unions are infamous, but I'm sure you'll see that below. :laugh:


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

I got a shit ton of recommendations from at least a good 30 people. Like I said I don't dislike the toe strap its just a bit different than what I'm used to having just come from Burton bindings. The only real way I can form an opinion on it is to take them riding which wont be for another month. (winter cant get here fast enough)


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## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Yea, I'm not saying they're bad. They have been a huge 50/50 split about them. You should be fine though. They are really light too, so that's worth it alone.


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

I cant wait to take them on the mountain. I liked what they changed in the toe strap though. I was very skeptical about the previous designs but am a lot more comfortable with my purchase with the way they are now and they are INSANELY grippy better than the getta grip capstrap on my old Burton cartels.


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## fattrav (Feb 21, 2009)

OP- Looking at the design of the toe strap, is there anyway that you can unscrew the ratchet and the "non-ratchet side ladder" and rotate the strap 180deg? So what was the bottom part of the toe strap now becomes the top. You may find that having then mounted "upside down" might fit your boot better?

Not saying that the above is a solution...but hey, it might work?

I'd congratulate you on the purchase of some bindings...but im not really a fan of Union. Happy shredding though.


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## Gangstatalk (Nov 23, 2011)

*Contacts*

I have the new contact pros and it took me a little while to figure out the toe strap and now I have no problem with them... I adjusted the toe strap on both bindings and use the toe strap as a Cap Strap.... As for problems getting the toe strap UN-buckled, I originally was having problems but then realized I wasn't pushing down on the buckle I was only pulling it up, once I started pushing down the inside part while I was pulling up the outside part I had no problems..... I rode in Vermont this past weekend and am very happy with the bindings. 

I have ridden Burton Missions and Burton Cartels the last two years and both of them had a lot of problems towards the end of the season. They wouldn't get as tight as they did earlier in the season and they both chattered a lot.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Just please don't become one of those hardcore Union fans that go into all binding threads and tout Unions as the best binding in the world when you only other experience are older Burton bindings.

You have the option of frankensteining the toe straps if they give you problems. The most popular frankenstein toe strap is the one from Ride.


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## SnowSource (Aug 21, 2011)

Off subject - but enjoy the PLY! It kills. The Union Contact is a sick combo. Ignore the fools


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

SnowSource said:


> Off subject - but enjoy the PLY! It kills. The Union Contact is a sick combo. Ignore the fools


I love the PLY got lucky to have some early season back country with that last snowboard and it shredded. Unfortunately the Contacts are not for the PLY I just used it to get my bindings adjusted. The base plate on the contacts is too big (They are a L/XL) There is a pair of Burton Missions on the PLY which is still a pretty nice combo if you ask me. The contacts will be for my Rome Artifact Rocker.


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

Got the toe strap issue fixed


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## xDOTY (Nov 29, 2010)

EWW WEE!! That doesn't even look comfortable!! :cheeky4: 

Sincerely,
Guy who owns Flux bindings....


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

xDOTY said:


> EWW WEE!! That doesn't even look comfortable!! :cheeky4:
> 
> Sincerely,
> Guy who owns Flux bindings....


HAHA! TRUST me these babies are super comfy. Nice flex to them and even when they are cranked tighter than a virgins thigh they feel like they arnt there.


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## xDOTY (Nov 29, 2010)

Same. The Flux's are the BEST


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## jyuen (Dec 16, 2007)

I have a pair of contacts... i really like the leather straps, they're super comfy but union makes the shittiest ratchets ever... they get loose all the time and then there's the odd time where they freeze up on you and you can't take them off.. plus they take forever to set up because the high back, straps and some other adjustable part of the binding are all connected by 1 single screw... and they aren't really all that light, just the same weight as any other plastic molded bindings...

now the force MCs... those are light but i'm not spending $500 on bindings anytime soon :S

rode my contacts for 1 season last year and gave up on them, gonna try flux sf45's this year.


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## xDOTY (Nov 29, 2010)

You. Will. Love them. Flux has the smoothest ratchets ever and the tool-less adjustment is a breeze. Also, OVERLY COMFY. After strapping in, you think of how the weather will be, and you have nothing strapped in. Amazing.


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

xDOTY said:


> You. Will. Love them. Flux has the smoothest ratchets ever and the tool-less adjustment is a breeze. Also, OVERLY COMFY. After strapping in, you think of how the weather will be, and you have nothing strapped in. Amazing.


Flux is def where Im going for my next bindings anyway. I wanna replace my burton missions on my ply.


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## xDOTY (Nov 29, 2010)

Sweettt! You will love them. So nice at the bottom of a run when still skating to just pop off the straps. I see everyone else come to a complete stop, and have to start kicking over to the line. NOPE. Not me.


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## Gangstatalk (Nov 23, 2011)

Leo said:


> Just please don't become one of those hardcore Union fans that go into all binding threads and tout Unions as the best binding in the world when you only other experience are older Burton bindings.
> 
> You have the option of frankensteining the toe straps if they give you problems. The most popular frankenstein toe strap is the one from Ride.


Leo, 

Whats up man... I rode 2011 Cartels and 2010 Missions, so they are not that much older. I liked both of them but had some problems towards the end of the season with both. 

I am just giving my opinion on my Unions. I really can not give a honest review until I ride them at least 
8-10 times in multiple weather conditions. So far I do like them though. 

I joined this forum about two weeks ago and have noticed its either love or hate with Unions? So many Union haters, what is the reason for this? Did older Unions have a lot of problems or something?

I am not trying to say Union is the best especially since I have only rode them for one full day. 

Thanks


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

Now that I have gotten the toe cap all worked out I absolutely love these bindings. I know they are NOT the best but they ARE very good and the best bindings I own. next bindings are flux for sure though!


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## Beschatten (Oct 4, 2011)

Yo GangstaTalk, what problems did you incur with your Cartel/Missions?

I demoed the Cartels and liked them a lot and was going to buy them.

I've got Union Forces and they are very heavy. My problem with Union is also they have shitty customer service, and the stupid ratchets freeze up in cold weather. But I don't hate on them. They're good bindings. I definitely wouldn't mind adding some Flites to my quiver.


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

Beschatten said:


> Yo GangstaTalk, what problems did you incur with your Cartel/Missions?
> 
> I demoed the Cartels and liked them a lot and was going to buy them.
> 
> I've got Union Forces and they are very heavy. My problem with Union is also they have shitty customer service, and the stupid ratchets freeze up in cold weather. But I don't hate on them. They're good bindings. I definitely wouldn't mind adding some Flites to my quiver.


I have not gotten to ride the missions yet this year. The only real problem I ever had with the cartels was that one of the ratchets broke when I was in Vermont because of the temp. It was negetive 20 plus wind chill :cheeky4: Other than that they were okay accept the straps would randomly loosen and have to be cranked down again.


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## Gangstatalk (Nov 23, 2011)

*BesChatten*

Beschatten, 

Whats up man... Don't get me wrong I definitely liked the Cartels.... I rode about 30-35 times last year, mostly park up in Northern, NJ. 

Towards the end of the year one of my Ratchets kept getting super loose and they chattered like crazy...

They felt like they were hard to get really tight at the end of the year also. 

Good binding though, I think a little over priced because of the Burton Name. 

I got the Contact pros this year, I have only rode them once so I can not post a full review.... 

So far a couple things that I like.... Super light, the high back is a little bit lower which I like, the contact pros only touch the board with like 40% of the binding which makes my Parkstar feel more flexible than it felt last year, I think the new re-flex Cartels do the same thing...

Definitely can not go wrong with the cartels...

I am just trying to figure out why there is such a hatred with the Unions?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Beschatten said:


> My problem with Union is also they have shitty customer service, and the stupid ratchets freeze up in cold weather. But I don't hate on them. They're good bindings.


I picked up Milans late last season. During research, I emailed Union with a materials question. George Kleckner responded well within 24 hrs. 

As for the ratchets, yeah, mine get sticky and have bitten me a few times - drawn blood and bent back my nail on snow and at room temperature. Other than that, I like them so far.


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## rdot84 (Jan 28, 2009)

Im curious why everyone feels union forces are heavy and why ther is so much hate on this site toward them. I have 2011 forces and they are definitely lighter than my cartels. I agree that the ratchets could be better but at least they dont loosen up like burton ratchets do. I had a bad yard sale when my cartel bindings decided they wanted to loosen up half way down my run. Such terrible memories. I still have nightmares about it.....


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## Damyn (Dec 2, 2011)

what you guys think if Union Contact Pro L/XL would fit into DC Ply Torstein 150.5?


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## haulinbass (Dec 10, 2011)

the biggest problem i have with my unions is that the buckles are magnesium and such are soft, a good milled 7075 aluminum would be a better choice but thats more expensive than cast magnesium. they arnt the lightest things either and my boots really squeeze in(even with the XL baseplate). That being said i ride in -35 to-40C quite often and my ratchets dont stick or loosen. these are also one of two binding pairs ive ever had that didnt break a strap at these temps. i do have to tighten the shit out of them to get the toe to stay but by now BOOT companys should be building cap strap holding features. My favorite bindings of all time are still my old sims bindings from 2000.


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## Beschatten (Oct 4, 2011)

Gangstatalk said:


> Beschatten,
> 
> Whats up man... Don't get me wrong I definitely liked the Cartels.... I rode about 30-35 times last year, mostly park up in Northern, NJ.
> 
> ...


Aight. Well I don't plan on using the cartels for long, just a season. So I guess I didn't do wrong wit my expectations. As long as they ride great while they work.



rdot84 said:


> Im curious why everyone feels union forces are heavy and why ther is so much hate on this site toward them. I have 2011 forces and they are definitely lighter than my cartels. I agree that the ratchets could be better but at least they dont loosen up like burton ratchets do. I had a bad yard sale when my cartel bindings decided they wanted to loosen up half way down my run. Such terrible memories. I still have nightmares about it.....


I have the 2009/2010 Forces. Together they weigh around 5lbs each binding. Thats 10lbs of weight on your ankles when you hit jumps. Feels like sandbags dude. The 2012 cartels Are much, much lighter than that. Especially since they took out like half the baseplate for the re:flex.


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