# Make a wish!



## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

Wow that’s pretty scary when you think about. How old are those bindings?


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## Manicmouse (Apr 7, 2014)

No lifetime warranty on the baseplate?


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## Crusty (Nov 8, 2018)

Hardware looks odd... Are you running some 4x2 pattern? Extra flex lead to plastic fatique?


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## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

Unions? 

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk


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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

Cleavers? That really is a bummer, hope it's not a trend and they lose the bomb proof reputation of the Targas. 

How'd it happen? Are you okay?


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## Schoobang (Nov 4, 2019)

drblast said:


> View attachment 157601
> 
> Bummed about this. Time to lose the Covid weight I guess.


oh that sucks. Since it is a new binding I am sure Rome will replace it, but still scary. Also it looks like pre-production based on that ankle strap.

i also though about mounting the screws like that for adjustability. Could that be the cause? please keep us updated on what Rome says.


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## Kijima (Mar 3, 2019)

I ran my screws like that for 1 run and immediately felt the bindings flexing too far. 
Get your new baseplate and use the 4x4 holes to reduce the leverage the bindings are subjected to. 

I'm glad you didn't get hurt man.


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## NT.Thunder (Jan 4, 2020)

Should buff out!


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Are they/bindings using mini disc? The local tech guru notes that mini discs are crap for a couple of reasons which basically is too much torque for too little material....resulting in too much flex that leads to failure. He sees discs, baseplates and inserts are blowing up.


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## Kijima (Mar 3, 2019)

wrathfuldeity said:


> Are they/bindings using mini disc? The local tech guru notes that mini discs are crap for a couple of reasons which basically is too much torque for too little material....resulting in too much flex that leads to failure. He sees discs, baseplates and inserts are blowing up.


Yeah it is a mini disc but because its slotted you can micro adjust by using 2x4 holes as the good Dr has done. Unfortunately that leads to excessive leverage and here is the result


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

If those are Cleavers, we have two threads running, both with broken base plates, one rider for the second time. Something very bad going on here.

New Rome Cleaver bindings?


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## Rip154 (Sep 23, 2017)

Does it say anything in the manual about mounting 2x4 vs 4x4 and which direction to use the adjustment?


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

That sucks... I'm sure it will be warrantied but like others said, something seems to be off when the base breaks that much that cleanly.


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## supern00b (Jan 27, 2020)

Hmm the only reason I'd run my screws like that is if my stance is super super narrow...


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

They're new this year but I got them used so no warranty. Gonna check anyway to see if I can buy a new baseplate or something. Otherwise I'll franken-binding the parts onto my older Katanas.

This happened when I was on a steep mogul run, went over a mogul into a low spot between them and the board flexed but the binding base didn't. I heard a pop and thought I had broken the board. I wasn't going fast and I continued down the run slowly thinking my board was snapped in half but still together enough to ride, and when I got to a flat spot I checked everything out and this is what I found. Nothing wrong with the board.

I've always mounted my mini-disc bindings like this and have never had a problem until now. Unfortunately with mini-discs this is the _only_ way to adjust the stance width; 4x4 mounting is possible but means you're stuck with the insert defaults. I've preferred non-mini discs in the past for this reason.

I think the mounting pattern, run I was on, and the very stiff carbon-infused base all contributed to the failure. It's a shame because I was just starting to really like these bindings a lot, but I'll probably stick with the Katanas now. Pretty sure they would have flexed instead of breaking.


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

Bummer about the warranty but at least the parts are some of the best around. 

I've been meaning to pick up the last of Romes with D30 and was leaning toward Cleavers, but I'll look at Black Labels or Katanas now.


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## Manicmouse (Apr 7, 2014)

Used gear can still be under warranty even if you have no proof of purchase. Go to Rome rather than the retailer.

I did this with Union for a heel cup replacement.


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## SoaD009 (Jan 9, 2020)

My Katanas on my Lib Tech Orca are mounted 2x4 in the very middle holes. Is there a better way to mount them? There is no indication of the reference stance or mounting spot on Orcas.


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## Yeahti87 (Jan 17, 2019)

Hmm, just sold my used Katanas XL to get a new M/L Cleavers after downsizing the boots but now I’m thinking if I shouldn’t stick to the Katanas. Thanks for posting and lucky you didn’t get hurt.


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

SoaD009 said:


> My Katanas on my Lib Tech Orca are mounted 2x4 in the very middle holes. Is there a better way to mount them? There is no indication of the reference stance or mounting spot on Orcas.


The Rome mini-disc can be mounted 4x4 if you put the screws at the outermost part of the track. If that doesn't make sense, spin the discs 90 degrees from the way I have it in the picture, put it on the board, and see how you can still mount it that way. There is zero adjustability either way, so this only will work for you if the inserts fit your stance pattern.


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

Yeahti87 said:


> Hmm, just sold my used Katanas XL to get a new M/L Cleavers after downsizing the boots but now I’m thinking if I shouldn’t stick to the Katanas. Thanks for posting and lucky you didn’t get hurt.


The Cleavers ride great, but I'd be careful about landing on the binding in a rut, and if I had to do it over again I'd mount them 4x4 like Kijima said. That 2x4 mounting always seemed fragile to me but I figured the binding manufacturers had tested all this stuff and everything would be well within tolerances. But the base didn't bend as much as I thought it would.

Also, the new fullwrap heel loop might have been a factor. It's now bent a bit forward like you can see in the picture. I don't think the same amount of pressure would have been placed on the Asymwrap bindings because they don't go all the way out to the forward lateral edge.


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## RayzTheRoof (Mar 10, 2014)

Kijima said:


> Yeah it is a mini disc but because its slotted you can micro adjust by using 2x4 holes as the good Dr has done. Unfortunately that leads to excessive leverage and here is the result


But this is standard for Union bindings at least, which is one of the most ubiquitous brands. Wouldn't there be more of an uproar if the problem was a super common occurrence?


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## Kijima (Mar 3, 2019)

drblast said:


> Also, the new fullwrap heel loop might have been a factor.


Completely agree with you. With fullwrap you are certainly increasing the force that can be applied to the base.


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

RayzTheRoof said:


> But this is standard for Union bindings at least, which is one of the most ubiquitous brands. Wouldn't there be more of an uproar if the problem was a super common occurrence?


Maybe it's more common than we realize? I never understood how minidiscs make any difference other than enabling this mounting pattern without breaking. I think of the base+disc as a single functional unit... Doesn't really matter where the interface between the two is for flexibility unless they're made of very different material. My older full size discs flex plenty on their own.

Anyway, these new Rome Cleatanas have risen from the ashes of the Cleaver carcass in a lovely Stalemetal color way.


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## Gladed (Aug 26, 2018)

Yikes! Glad you're okay!


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## SEWiShred (Jan 19, 2019)

Message them directly and be 100% honest with what happened. I had a defect with my Lib Tech Hot Knife, one of the metal edges didn't get pressed in all the way from the factory so there was a gap between the base and the edge. I didn't think much of it, rode it past the warranty, and noticed it was getting worse and worse, like the edge was rusting from the inside a little bit. I took some pictures of what happened, was 100% honest with them, and they would have replaced it if they had extra ones in my size, but instead offered me a discount on my next Lib Tech board. I was really impressed, I was completely honest with them but I didn't think they'd believe me. 

If you try and go through the retailer out of warranty, the retailer is on the hook if they say they'll fix it and the manufacturer doesn't stand by it. I was really impressed with Lib Tech's response and it really changed my opinion, because it wasn't very good once I realized what was happening. 

You will probably have good luck if you do something like offer to send the broken one to them so they can look at it and see what happened.


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

I've had very good luck with Rome in the past and it's part of the reason I keep buying their stuff. Still, not expecting much warranty on a preproduction binding I got used.

Can confirm that Cleatanas are sick though. They should make those.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

drblast said:


> Maybe it's more common than we realize? I never understood how minidiscs make any difference other than enabling this mounting pattern without breaking. I think of the base+disc as a single functional unit... Doesn't really matter where the interface between the two is for flexibility unless they're made of very different material. My older full size discs flex plenty on their own.
> 
> Anyway, these new Rome Cleatanas have risen from the ashes of the Cleaver carcass in a lovely Stalemetal color way.
> 
> View attachment 157625


The design is like an old pair of Drake Corsca Limited (iirc early 2000's) had the full metal heel wrap and tangs that ran along the sides. Anyway had a similar incident where I hit a windlip, bending the board so much that my rear binding popped right off, blowing up the disc leaving the parts of the disc still attached to the board and one of the screws ripped right out of the insert. Needless to say went airborne and flying 1 footy with the rear binding still attached to my foot but not the board. Eventually also broke one of the metal tangs that run along the side due to too much flex. My only pair of bindings where the baseplate and disc act as one unit is a pair of old Ride spi's with the metal frame/baseplate and metal disc (stiff ass bombproof...but might take out your leg!)...the stiffest binding I ever rode even more so than solid Sparks (still have them with upgraded burton ladders/ratchets). Anyway point is that its a balancing act between flex, rigidity and durability of the binding...along with the additional factors of boot, rider and terrain/snow conditions.


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

drblast said:


> Can confirm that Cleatanas are sick though. They should make those.


Can concur they sound better than Katavers, too +1 to making them. Maybe as a limited Stale line?


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

My wife said "Cleatanas" sounds dirty. Mind in the gutter, that one.


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## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

drblast said:


> My wife said "Cleatanas" sounds dirty. Mind in the gutter, that one.


Rub N Tug


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## 16gkid (Dec 5, 2012)

I exploded the baseplate on my Now Drives two seasons ago about 1k feet from the bottom of the lift in about a foot of powder in a mogul field, WORST WALK DOWN EVER!


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## Manicmouse (Apr 7, 2014)

16gkid said:


> I exploded the baseplate on my Now Drives two seasons ago about 1k feet from the bottom of the lift in about a foot of powder in a mogul field, WORST WALK DOWN EVER!
> View attachment 157666


Tell me you tried to ride it with one foot in!! 😬


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## 16gkid (Dec 5, 2012)

Manicmouse said:


> Tell me you tried to ride it with one foot in!! 😬


tried, it was the front foot, bailed a few times, tried sitting on the board, ran into a tree, walked the rest of the way lol


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## Manicmouse (Apr 7, 2014)

16gkid said:


> tried, it was the front foot, bailed a few times, tried sitting on the board, ran into a tree, walked the rest of the way lol


No fun at all...

I've ridden down missing my rear ankle strap once on groomers. That was weird but it worked at least.


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

Cleatanas totally sound like an adult toy that doubles as a nunchuck. Fairly certain there's a market for such things somewhere...


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

So all's well that ends well. Rome is replacing the baseplate for a nominal fee even though they're second hand. This is the third time their customer service has gone the extra mile for me so I'm impressed.

I'm kinda torn though - the Katana base with the Cleaver highback and straps is _really_ good.


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## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

drblast said:


> So all's well that ends well. Rome is replacing the baseplate for a nominal fee even though they're second hand. This is the third time their customer service has gone the extra mile for me so I'm impressed.
> 
> I'm kinda torn though - the Katana base with the Cleaver highback and straps is _really_ good.


I've only had one experience with their customer service, but it was very similar. Not sure how so many other companies miss how important that is for customer retention?

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## Phedder (Sep 13, 2014)

I've got spare parts through warranty twice with Rome on 2nd hand targas. Haven't had to do anything for the Katanas I bought new, and I'm trying to track down some black and white DODs on sale to cover all bases. It's nice to know they've got your back that's for sure!


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

drblast said:


> I'm kinda torn though - the Katana base with the Cleaver highback and straps is _really_ good.


Seriously, if I had a choice I'd rather buy this combo than the Black Label at that money. Rome, if you're reading this.... _hint hint_

Great to hear they stand by their product.


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## Rip154 (Sep 23, 2017)

Could you get another Katana base instead?


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