# Flow, comparing features of 2012 Five, M9, M9 SE



## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Big difference in baseframe. The H-frame on the Five is going to be inherently a little softer. If it were me I would be putting M9se's on the Blacklist. I'm riding mine tomorrow on my Park Flat. Good bindings. I like the Urethane tip aluminum bottom highback. Good forward back performance with a more skate feel side to side.


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## flapjack (Mar 12, 2011)

I figured that, They're the ones with the most features, most comfortable, cream of the crop, but if you didn't have the cash: would you be ok on the Fives? Or would you regret not waiting/saving a few extra bucks for the M9's?


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## C.B. (Jan 18, 2011)

If I were you I would wait for next years flows.


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## flapjack (Mar 12, 2011)

I was thnking about that, its a neat design, but I'm afraid they will be expensive.
I can probably get this years on sale soon.


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## eek5 (Jan 5, 2011)

flapjack said:


> I was thnking about that, its a neat design, but I'm afraid they will be expensive.
> I can probably get this years on sale soon.



None of the bindings you're looking at will be NX2 (raised strap when lowering the back) next season. It looks like the M9SE's will get the hybrid toe-strap, urethane highback, and full sized ratchets though. I think it'll worth the wait


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

M9 and M9SE have the rockered baseplate.


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## flapjack (Mar 12, 2011)

hpin said:


> M9 and M9SE have the rockered baseplate.


Nice, thanks, missed that.

Really what I'm asking is which of these flow binding has the best bang for the buck?
I know the most expensive one is good, and next years will have more neat features.

Assuming I can figure out how to set up a flow binding properly: Is the Five a solid binding without the bells and whistles? OR is it a cheap piece that will annoy the hell out of me?


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

My wife got me a pair of fives, used them 10 days this season and they worked great. I didn't notice excess flex from them and the mini ratchets are easy to use on the strap. I will upgrade next year to to nx2 design though


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

flapjack said:


> Nice, thanks, missed that.
> 
> Really what I'm asking is which of these flow binding has the best bang for the buck?
> I know the most expensive one is good, and next years will have more neat features.
> ...


Best bang for the buck, get a deeply discounted Five.

Basically you are comparing H baseplate vs M baseplate, I have no personal experience with the H baseplate, I've only seen them used by my friends. I can tell you though that the M9-SE is snug and stiffer side to side than my NXT-AT


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## aj327 (Jan 16, 2012)

I have the NXT FRX bindings and I'm returning them. I'm not sure if it's a problem with all the Flow bindings but I couldn't mount the bindings enough toward the toe side. I had them mounted as high as they could go and my heel still sits much farther off the board than my toe. Plus they weren't all that easy to strap into. Maybe they'll loosen up down the road but I still found myself sitting on the ground and wrestling with it to get my heel in. So I figure if I have to sit on the ground anyway I might as well get regular (more responsive) bindings.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

aj327 said:


> I have the NXT FRX bindings and I'm returning them. I'm not sure if it's a problem with all the Flow bindings but I couldn't mount the bindings enough toward the toe side. I had them mounted as high as they could go and my heel still sits much farther off the board than my toe. Plus they weren't all that easy to strap into. Maybe they'll loosen up down the road but I still found myself sitting on the ground and wrestling with it to get my heel in. So I figure if I have to sit on the ground anyway I might as well get regular (more responsive) bindings.


Have you seen 2013? You'll love it.


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

aj327 said:


> ...sitting on the ground...


That is why they're hard to get into, you probably have the strap too tight also, they'll break in and loosen up after a day or two. If you can't get in 'em standing up then get on your knees and kick your foot down, never sit down to try to get in them.

I had to rotate the center disc and mount the whole binding closer to the toe edge to get my boot centered, couldn't get my boot in unless the highback/heel cup was all the way back.

Returning them and waiting for the 2013 isn't a bad idea though...


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## shifty11 (Jan 19, 2012)

hpin said:


> Best bang for the buck, get a deeply discounted Five.
> 
> Basically you are comparing H baseplate vs M baseplate, I have no personal experience with the H baseplate, I've only seen them used by my friends. I can tell you though that the M9-SE is snug and stiffer side to side than my NXT-AT


Whats deeply discounted? Regular MSRP is $$200.
Evo has 2011 for $90


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

shifty11 said:


> Whats deeply discounted? Regular MSRP is $$200.
> Evo has 2011 for $90


Yeah that's what I meant. $90 for Fives is a good deal.


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## shifty11 (Jan 19, 2012)

hpin said:


> Yeah that's what I meant. $90 for Fives is a good deal.


Do you think the 2012s will go down to $100ish by the end of the season or next fall?
I only started boarding last year so i dont know how much they get marked down...


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

Really depends on how overstocked they are. Usually I see year to 2 year old flow bindings in the low 100's, you'll be lucky if you find the model and size you want though. Why would you want the 2012 over the 2011 The Five?


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## shifty11 (Jan 19, 2012)

O its strictly a money and timing thing, I've spent more cash on snowboarding this season than I thought I would(worth every penny). I missed the ski show in toronto this year so I dont know how much the prices are discounted. I know with my current financial situation I cant see myself spending more than $100 on new bindings. The price of the five on Evo is looking very good. 

Do you think there's any chance of getting the M9 for around $100 either at the end of the season or in the fall? I know size and stock will be limited. I just want to know if retailers would mark down their prices that low if the MSRP is at $250.
Sorry for the redundant question...


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

Usually 50% off in the fall, up to 70% off if they're two season old. Like I said it's a matter of timing and luck to find the right binding and size you want on sale. If you are minimizing spending right now and have a decent binding, keep that for a while. I'd save up and get the 2012-2013 flows. What size are you?


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## shifty11 (Jan 19, 2012)

large
i realized after shipping, taxes, us conversion and credit card fees i'd be spending close to $150 on the five. Do you know of any canadian online retailers?


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## hpin (Feb 11, 2010)

they're all here http://www.snowboardingforum.com/boards/7719-canadian-online-snowboard-retailers-e-tailers.html

I think that's cheaper than getting it from a canadian online site, I suggest you shop locally and see what they have on sale. I have not found any good sale on canadian online stores. Sometimes shopping the local shops is better.


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## shifty11 (Jan 19, 2012)

Thanks! I never thought of using a package receiving company in the states! that just saved me 40 bucks!


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## flapjack (Mar 12, 2011)

I got M9 SE's for $180, which is within a few bucks of what I expected to pay for the fives, so it was an easy decision.
Flow Bindings, Flow Snowboards, Flow Boots | Flow Snowboarding 2012
All they sell is Flow.
They've got Fives for $150


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## shifty11 (Jan 19, 2012)

flapjack when did you get them and what year are they from?


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## flapjack (Mar 12, 2011)

received them yesterday, they're the 2012 model like this:


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

flapjack said:


> received them yesterday, they're the 2012 model like this:


That's what I'm currently riding. I like them.


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## flapjack (Mar 12, 2011)

Got to ride them Saturday. These bindings are great. Wish I had tried Flows earlier. I tightened the straps a couple of clicks at a time over the course of 2 or 3 runs, making sure my boot went in and came out easily each time. If the boot didn't come out easily, or I felt too much pressure on my toes, I backed off on the ratchet a click or 2. They are now super comfortable, responsive and easy to get in and out of. 

I'm teaching my 7 year old son to snowboard so I was in and out of them quite a bit. The kid can barely turn , but he loves to go in and out of the trees, which usually leads to getting stuck. 

Thanks to Nivek and Leo for repeatedly pointing out how good Flows can be and how to dial them in.


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## Eack (Dec 15, 2011)

So I shouldn't have to struggle to get my foot or highback into or up?


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## flapjack (Mar 12, 2011)

Right,here are a few posts i found that helped me:


http://www.snowboardingforum.com/bindings/41802-flow-5-vs-k2-cinch-other.html

Set each of the 4 strap adjustments to the very last tooth on the ladder strap (largest position). Insert your foot (must be tightly laced in the boot-do not set up with a loosely laced boot). Position your foot so that the highback can clear the heel (but just clear it-as far back as possible). Now rathet the strap down to your boot. The binding is now ready to ride.*When you go to kick in again, your boot will not get all the way in.*It will be resting on the highback. That is correct. From this position, pull up on the high back, and stand down on your heel. The boot will "shoehorn" into place. As your boot will always be moist from snow when riding, this is very easy when riding, a bit harder when dry.


http://www.snowboardingforum.com/bindings/43508-finally-tested-my-new-flow-5-a.html


Flows take a ton of dialing in and getting used to at first. It took me a full day when I first made the transition to*Flow*bindings.

You really have to try different levels of snugness on your caps as well. Even at the most snugness on my Flows, they were still looser than traditional bindings. You just aren't supposed to crank them down that tight. The point of the*Flow*cap design is to distribute pressure evenly over the top of your feet. This means no pinching like traditional bindings.

Also, once dialed in properly, you will notice that edge to edge response on Flows are superior to traditional bindings. The department that*Flow*lacks in is lateral flex.

Kicking in also takes experience. You'll eventually get the hang of it and be able to kick in and lock up in almost any condition minus powder. In that case, you just strap in like a normal binding. Remember, you aren't supposed to try to kick in all the way before locking up. The trick is to kick in and use the highback to push your boot in all the way. It's definitely hard at first with any new set of Flows as the lock and cable are stiff. There's a break-in period with that as Donutz mentioned.

This is probably a big reason why a lot of people have a misconception about*Flow*bindings. They just don't give them the time they need to dial in. Once you figure it out though, every other*Flow*binding from that point on will be easy for you to dial in.

http://www.snowboardingforum.com/bindings/41802-flow-5-vs-k2-cinch-other.html

Also, the point about the tightness of Flow's cap. You really don't need to crank them down like you do with your traditional straps. Yes, this definitely feels odd at first. Hell, even when you have them cranked down, you're going to have this awkward feeling for a few runs coming off traditional bindings. My first switch to Flows had me falling like I was a noob again. Once I got the learning curve down... beautiful.

You'll also eventually learn techniques to kick in easier. I was able to have my caps fairly tight and still kicked in easy. I was also at the point where I could kick in while skating off the lift. Even kick in at an incline. Definitely takes time to learn all the little tricks like that. No doubt Flows also take a long time to set up and dial in properly. If you're lazy, they might not be the best option.*

And yes, they do create wear on your boots. Mainly on the back of the boot in the heel area. This is due to the highbacks constantly rubbing on them as you lock up. This is why*Flow*boots have this harder rubber on this area.


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