# Lobster Freestyle:What Bindings to get?



## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Eiki Switchbacks.


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## Edge (Sep 30, 2012)

Nivek said:


> Eiki Switchbacks.


Lobster Board + Eiki Switchbacks = Godliest of godly, aesthetics wise  Anyone actually got any solid facts on the switchbacks performance yet?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

2013 Switchback (NoBack) Bindings Used and Reviewed «


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

Nivek said:


> Eiki Switchbacks.


Any idea how to response/stiffness on them are?



Edge said:


> Lobster Board + Eiki Switchbacks = Godliest of godly, aesthetics wise  Anyone actually got any solid facts on the switchbacks performance yet?


To my understanding they were more along the lines of Jib Bindings.


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## extra0 (Jan 16, 2010)

I replaced my 2011 Cartel (standard disk) with the 2012 reflex last season and I couldn't tell much difference. However, this was on an all mtn/pow board that never touched the park - ymmv.


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## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

Flux rk30 or tt30
Rome 390 boss
nitro zero


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

+1 
If you wanna try something different. Try the switchbacks. Bataleon/Yeah For It makes both switchbacks and Lobster 'Baords'.

Not saying they're optimized, but it couldn't hurt.


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## chad23 (Oct 13, 2011)

If you think about it the mission bindings get cartel hand-me-downs every couple years so if you buy new missions its like buying a year or two old cartel. Pretty sweet i think. I dunno how you ride but cartel highbacks are the standard for responsiveness between jibbing and steeps imo


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## Supra (Jan 11, 2012)

chad23 said:


> If you think about it the mission bindings get cartel hand-me-downs every couple years so if you buy new missions its like buying a year or two old cartel. Pretty sweet i think. I dunno how you ride but cartel highbacks are the standard for responsiveness between jibbing and steeps imo


this.

If you want to save money, the missions or cobrasharks are great value. Cartel reflex vs malavita reflex? I'd get the cartels just because I'm not a big fan of the asym strap on the vitas, and the heel hammock is a weak point (as in, chances are it might get ripped)


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Mine ripped, and, word on the street is that anymountain was up to their ass in ripped Malavitas.

I still like them though.

Supes, are you talking about last year's cartel? I think, for this year, they all have the asymsuperstrap.

(do you call yours the Asym SupraStrap?)

I still say swtichbacks....try something else.


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## Supra (Jan 11, 2012)

yeah phony, in my head cartels have reg straps and vitas have asym. The new strap on the cartels is thinner than on the genesis and it is a little asym. the vita strap is thicker and possibly more asym (but I need to check)


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

I think we need to consolidate threads, because I JUST said over on another thread that aside from the highbacks the feature list on the Cartels vs Vitas are identical (I think, I was being lazy) aside from the highbacks.

I hope the asym react strap is a typo, as I think it would make more sense to be on the "more aggressive" cartel. And the comfy-womfy asym regular strap would be more at home on the parky-warky (but serious when you need them to be) Malavita.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

The Malavita is now stiffer than the Cartel despite what Burton says. And they do have a bit of a different shaped baseplate. Same glass content. Honestly it probably doesn't make a difference. But the highback on the Cartel is much softer than the Malavita now. That's where it gets noticeably softer.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

softer torsionally? or softer straight back? or both?

I've got it on good authority, I think supra does too, that it's 3% stiffer than last years. I had last year's reflex cartels and, yeah, I guess they didn't feel any stiffer than the malavitas, but they definitely weren't softer.


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## Supra (Jan 11, 2012)

this year's malavita base is the same as the genesis, so more light weight than last year's


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

phony_stark said:


> softer torsionally? or softer straight back? or both?
> 
> I've got it on good authority, I think supra does too, that it's 3% stiffer than last years. I had last year's reflex cartels and, yeah, I guess they didn't feel any stiffer than the malavitas, but they definitely weren't softer.


3%? What does that even mean? How do you even measure that?

Softer torsionally. Vastly so. The 2012 and 2013 highbacks are completely different.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

1. You're clearly not proto-ing for burton or union. That's a shame, because I feel like they make the best clamps out right now. Super curious about the NOW bindings though.

2. Aware, but I was using transitive properties. You were saying this year's Cartel Highback is soft. I know it to be stiffer than last year's, so I compared the malavitas to last year's cartel and feel that it's about the same. So perhaps this year's cartel is the unintelligible 3% stiffer than the Vitas.

Anyway, I think torsional softness is a good thing, I only want my bindings to be stiff straight back anyway.


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

My only real worry about switchbacks are the responsiveness of the high back and what if going 45 down the mountain my binding falls apart from the chatter and all of a sudden I have no board.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Pretty sure they've tested this....and someone probably rode faster than you.

I wouldn't worry.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

phony_stark said:


> Pretty sure they've tested this....and someone probably rode faster than you.
> 
> I wouldn't worry.


This. I rode them through the shit rink that is Winter Park. They didn't fall apart.


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## jza (Nov 8, 2012)

the final product came out sick as well. anything that was on mtn last winter was not final product. Highbacks lock into place which gold the ankle strap in tight with its "lock in pins"


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## jza (Nov 8, 2012)

Any Switchbacks that were on MTN last year were proto's and they were a constant work in progress. 

The final products came with a locking highback. If you have a pair in your hand you can get what I am talking about. The straps dont have screw and bolt like most other brands do,.. they feature for lack of a better word a pin that holds the ankle strap into place. Just trying to reassure to anyone who has doubts about these bindings that they are in fact well thought out and executed perfectly. Only thing these are missing is a forward lean adjuster.

Helgason pro models also have permanently attached highback unlike the regular models which are just "clicked in" to the baseplace. I tried to pull one of the highbacks off a binding the other day and couldn't do it easily like I could to a proto pair last year

Word is they have been going NUTS in Europe and they have already done a re-order for THIS season. Colors also carry over into next years line up so you aren't going to have any trouble fitting next years parts onto this years bindings and there will be new colorways added. 

Bataleon has really thought this idea through and it is just another way they are making something extremely exclusive to them that no one has ever done before. It is most definitely a great product and it's better product than some bindings that have been produced by big companies for years


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Phenomenal Knowledge, jza. You're normally the guy I look to for all things "TBT" related.

Yeah for it stoked me out last year. Thanks to Nivek for recommending the Whatever. I'd be perfectly happy if I only had that to ride.


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## jza (Nov 8, 2012)

Helping the local rep has helped a lot with a lot of the stuff that I know. If it is a product I am behind I have no problem doing some research. Far too many people bash bataleons tech for one simple reason... it's different from what the traditional snowboard/binding/outerwear looks/rides/feels like.

I am flattered by that comment, Phony


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