# 390 Boss vs Union Contact Pro



## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

guys im back with one last question.. the time has come for me to pick up some new bindings. They're gonna be paired up with an Arbor Blacklist. I ride mostly park with occasional runs through the mountain. 

Which bindings would be better for overall freestyle?

I wanted the 390 bosses at first but i heard people are having trouble adjusting them to their boots. I'm gonna be using size 11.5 Burton Hails. I guess it's a 10.5 with the "shrinkage tech." 

convince me to get one or the other


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## azw131 (Nov 5, 2012)

Check out the Union atlas instead of the contact pros. they would be your best bet if you are going with union


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## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

azw131 said:


> Check out the Union atlas instead of the contact pros. they would be your best bet if you are going with union


Scratch the contact pro.. I heard good things about the atlas and the stores near my house have them in stock so i could easily pick them up. 

For a freestyle board setup..

390 bosses vs Atlas? either one will be the 2013 model


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

You want the 390 Boss in the L/XL size. Way better than the competing Unions.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Short answer: I've ridden both, liked them both, but LOVE my atlases.

Long answer:

I've heard rome has addressed the "staying strapped in" problem they had on my 2011 390 Bosses, but I just found them to be really "fussy" to set up. The foam padding you can change out is really cool, but was ...not hard, but seemed unneccesarily complicated. More so than Ride's Wedgie and Obviously more than burton's AutoCant.

My Atlases feel at home on my short 149 board and my longer 158 board. They're super easy to set up, wild comfy, easiest to adjust the forward lean (something that's important to me), damp, and just....work. they're my favorite binding of all time. I also like the way the highback is set up. Taller for more response, but flexier at the top so it's still really comfortable.


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## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

Triple8Sol said:


> You want the 390 Boss in the L/XL size. Way better than the competing Unions.


I've heard the same exact things..i actually had my mind set on the 390 bosses.. but idk what happened lol



phony_stark said:


> Short answer: I've ridden both, liked them both, but LOVE my atlases.
> 
> Long answer:
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback. I might go to the shop and check the atlases out and see how i like them. Im usually one to go with Union but 2013 Rome Bosses have really good reviews on them


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

We just got shipment of Uinions so I finally got to get my hands on some Atlas's. To me they seem to be the most promising Union to date. I have a bit of worry that the heel area may ultimately collapse under hard riding and or heavier riders over time (like 100 days maybe) but thats it other than the toe area. The straps are literally impossible to get to fit right. I spen 2 hours playing with all the settings you can on the binding with both the K2 Maysis and 32 Lashed. No matter what I did it will pop up on top of you toe if you wash out toeside or take any kind of digger. With a less than ideal fit, they'll just pop up under hard riding.

If you go Atlas see if you can wrangle some Burton caps. The ratchets seemed to fit on the Union ladders (but I have not ridden or know anyone that has to confirm long term pheasability) so you can just use the whole strap and ratchet. Which s good casue the Union toe ratchet is sub par.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> We just got shipment of Uinions so I finally got to get my hands on some Atlas's. To me they seem to be the most promising Union to date. I have a bit of worry that the heel area may ultimately collapse under hard riding and or heavier riders over time (like 100 days maybe) but thats it other than the toe area. The straps are literally impossible to get to fit right. I spen 2 hours playing with all the settings you can on the binding with both the K2 Maysis and 32 Lashed. No matter what I did it will pop up on top of you toe if you wash out toeside or take any kind of digger. With a less than ideal fit, they'll just pop up under hard riding.
> 
> If you go Atlas see if you can wrangle some Burton caps. The ratchets seemed to fit on the Union ladders (but I have not ridden or know anyone that has to confirm long term pheasability) so you can just use the whole strap and ratchet. Which s good casue the Union toe ratchet is sub par.


Man, two hours seems like a REALLY long time. How did you set up the bindings? Can you post photos? 

I got mine set up on my Nikes and my Burton Hails after one tall can.


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## camosunsnowboar (Oct 11, 2010)

There's some great PK videos on youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c7JAK8Wf1g

Absolutely bombproof from my experience with them. I think I mentioned their straps in a previous post, best asym strap IMO out there right now.


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## Nose Dradamous (Jul 19, 2010)

Nivek said:


> We just got shipment of Uinions so I finally got to get my hands on some Atlas's. To me they seem to be the most promising Union to date. I have a bit of worry that the heel area may ultimately collapse under hard riding and or heavier riders over time (like 100 days maybe) but thats it other than the toe area. The straps are literally impossible to get to fit right. I spen 2 hours playing with all the settings you can on the binding with both the K2 Maysis and 32 Lashed. No matter what I did it will pop up on top of you toe if you wash out toeside or take any kind of digger. With a less than ideal fit, they'll just pop up under hard riding.
> 
> If you go Atlas see if you can wrangle some Burton caps. The ratchets seemed to fit on the Union ladders (but I have not ridden or know anyone that has to confirm long term pheasability) so you can just use the whole strap and ratchet. Which s good casue the Union toe ratchet is sub par.


Kevin, you need some help. Really.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

phony_stark said:


> Man, two hours seems like a REALLY long time. How did you set up the bindings? Can you post photos?
> 
> I got mine set up on my Nikes and my Burton Hails after one tall can.


grab the front of the toe strap and pull. It will slip up without much effort. Get any other brand set up right and try the same thing. Its either much harder or doesn't happen at all. The front of the toe strap just sticks out way too fuckin far. It'll get caught on the snow and ripped up.

I tried every hole on the toe strap and all the positions where the straps meet the baseplate. I even did all that at every adjustment of the heelcup. 0, 1, and 2. That's why I spent 2 hours doin it. Trying literally every single configuration with 2 boots takes time. CAUSE NOTHING IS FUCKING TOOL LESS. K2's absolute baseline binding for men is completely tool less. The most expensive binding from Union still requires a driver for the toe strap.


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## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

Nivek said:


> We just got shipment of Uinions so I finally got to get my hands on some Atlas's. To me they seem to be the most promising Union to date. I have a bit of worry that the heel area may ultimately collapse under hard riding and or heavier riders over time (like 100 days maybe) but thats it other than the toe area. The straps are literally impossible to get to fit right. I spen 2 hours playing with all the settings you can on the binding with both the K2 Maysis and 32 Lashed. No matter what I did it will pop up on top of you toe if you wash out toeside or take any kind of digger. With a less than ideal fit, they'll just pop up under hard riding.
> 
> If you go Atlas see if you can wrangle some Burton caps. The ratchets seemed to fit on the Union ladders (but I have not ridden or know anyone that has to confirm long term pheasability) so you can just use the whole strap and ratchet. Which s good casue the Union toe ratchet is sub par.


The atlas sound pretty good.. i guess i'll have to go and check out the toe straps for myself. Do you recommend these over the 390 bosses?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Gyounes said:


> The atlas sound pretty good.. i guess i'll have to go and check out the toe straps for myself. Do you recommend these over the 390 bosses?


Just the opposite.


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## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

Nivek said:


> Just the opposite.


Sounds like the 390 bosses get the win..looks like ill be getting those


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## Rookie09 (Sep 5, 2012)

I never had a problem with Union straps. I've owned the 2011 DLX and the 2012 Contact Pro. I used them with 2006 DC Super Park boots. They fit perfectly and I didn't have to adjust at all. I found it works best if you strap the upper part of the strap directly over top as you would the old classic style toe straps. When you do this, the lower part of the strap tightens up real nice on the front of the boot. It has never slipped on me before. I honestly don't see what people hate about them, unless I just got lucky with the size/shape of my boots.


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## camosunsnowboar (Oct 11, 2010)

Gyounes said:


> The atlas sound pretty good.. i guess i'll have to go and check out the toe straps for myself. Do you recommend these over the 390 bosses?


This

......


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> grab the front of the toe strap and pull. It will slip up without much effort. Get any other brand set up right and try the same thing. Its either much harder or doesn't happen at all. The front of the toe strap just sticks out way too fuckin far. It'll get caught on the snow and ripped up.
> 
> I tried every hole on the toe strap and all the positions where the straps meet the baseplate. I even did all that at every adjustment of the heelcup. 0, 1, and 2. That's why I spent 2 hours doin it. Trying literally every single configuration with 2 boots takes time. CAUSE NOTHING IS FUCKING TOOL LESS. K2's absolute baseline binding for men is completely tool less. The most expensive binding from Union still requires a driver for the toe strap.


Hold on....you tried every permutation and could NOT get them to work with a 32 Lashed boot? I'm finding this really hard to believe. I rode my contacts and DLXs with my first boot, a 32 Lashed, and had to take maybe 15 minutes to get the toe strap right (old style) with the contacts, and way less than that on the DLX toe strap. The new toe strap is better than both. I'm willing to bet if you got your average shop kid to help you set those up, they'd get it done. If set up properly they won't drag on teh snow 50 days during a season of learning Eurocarves and my toe strap looks tits.

Also, 2 hours?!?! Because it's not toolless?!?!? C'mon, fella. There's one of two things at work here.

1. You're not setting up your boot properly before you ride, so you are using the "shop tables" on the hill, which have crappy tools. If that's the case, you're doing it wrong, because you're not dialing your gear in before you ride.

2. You are missing thumbs, or have problems using a screwdriver if it's taking that much longer to adjust a toe strap.

Again, maybe ask your local shop dude for help. Or I can help if you post pics.

Camo is a shop guy(I think), so maybe he can help you out.


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## camosunsnowboar (Oct 11, 2010)

Shop guy I am, special ed teacher, I am not.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Two questions for ya both. How many days do you have so far? And how many different bindings have you ridden the last 2 years?

Cause I have 6 days already and 2 more before the weekend and have probably ridden more bindings in the last 2 years than you'll ever ride. 

Not to mention I have a few large brands looking at me for prototype testing.

Nice try though.

And still, even taking 15 minutes is too fucking long to set up a toe strap for a company that ONLY makes bindings. Union toe strap 2.0 was their best. It didn't work on smooth rounded toe boxes but at least it worked on boxier boots.


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## camosunsnowboar (Oct 11, 2010)

Nivek said:


> Two questions for ya both. How many days do you have so far? And how many different bindings have you ridden the last 2 years?
> 
> Cause I have 6 days already and 2 more before the weekend and have probably ridden more bindings in the last 2 years than you'll ever ride.
> 
> ...


Uh huh, who?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

camosunsnowboar said:


> Uh huh, who?


Like I'm going to tell you.

There is a very good reason people here listen to what I have to say.

I tell you what, at work tomorrow I'll take a shot of the Union strap properly set up and one of a Salomon properly set up and you tell me which one you think fits better. Oh right, I'm a shop kid too jackstack.


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## Rookie09 (Sep 5, 2012)

Nivek give us a pic of what it looks like when you try to strap your boots into the bindings


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## camosunsnowboar (Oct 11, 2010)

Nivek said:


> Like I'm going to tell you.
> 
> There is a very good reason people here listen to what I have to say.
> 
> I tell you what, at work tomorrow I'll take a shot of the Union strap properly set up and one of a Salomon properly set up and you tell me which one you think fits better. Oh right, I'm a shop kid too jackstack.


You whine a lot. Anyway, I think your full of it.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

camosunsnowboar said:


> You whine a lot. Anyway, I think your full of it.


Sounds good. I'll remember that when I'm on 2014 product before Christmas.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> Two questions for ya both. How many days do you have so far? And how many different bindings have you ridden the last 2 years?
> 
> Cause I have 6 days already and 2 more before the weekend and have probably ridden more bindings in the last 2 years than you'll ever ride.
> 
> ...


Better questions.

1. How have you done all of this AMAZING shit and rode all of these bindings, and I can set up a union binding better than you can?

2. Are you protoing bindings for toddlers and small children who aren't allowed to use screwdrivers?

3. How many Red Bull sponsored movies have you made?

If we find out the company, and tell them you're having problems setting up bindings from certain companies, they may drop you...


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

How is it I can try every setting possible and they don't fit right, but that means I don't know how to set them up right. Is there some secret setting you have to unlock with a passcode? I didn't try left, right, left, right, up, down, A, B, start... Should I try that next time.

Not to mention I am not the only one who finds the toe straps terrible.

How do I get these bindings? They send them to me for review? Yeah that.


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## henry06x (Feb 16, 2011)

I have not tried unions yet, but Just picked up some 2012 390 boss. I've read what people said about setup and listened to Leo when he said to read the setup page first, then try to fit them to your boots. Helped out a lot understanding the adjustments first then getting into it. I think it took me an hour or so to set them up but that's because I mounted them to my board and noticed something was off and had to take them off and re-adjust it a second time. They seem solid so far although I have not gotten to ride them yet.

On first take the ratchets feel good and they made me realize instantly how bad rides ratchets really are. I'm not sold on the toe cap, I think rides and Burton's (when I looked at Burton's) are a lot nicer, but if they stay put and hold well theres no problem. from all you ear about union it sounds like all are better. The 2 peice canted footbed I think is much more complicated than it needs to be, but if your not planning on changing the cant angles or to putting them on other boards you don't need to worry about it. They also seem narrow compared to my ride bindings. My old ride deuce boots do not fit them width wise, but my new Ride Triads barley do. I'm thinking its because I'm on the large end of the S/M binding and if so they need a M/L 3rd sizing option.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> How is it I can try every setting possible and they don't fit right, but that means I don't know how to set them up right. Is there some secret setting you have to unlock with a passcode? I didn't try left, right, left, right, up, down, A, B, start... Should I try that next time.
> 
> Not to mention I am not the only one who finds the toe straps terrible.
> 
> How do I get these bindings? They send them to me for review? Yeah that.


Dude, We don't KNOW how you managed to mess it up. That's why we're trying to see pictures.

We're trying to help you, bro.

Also, the original poster is asking about 390s vs Atlases. I've ridden both and like my Atlases better. I'll bet if he buys Unions he'll be able to set them up better than you can.

I don't care how you get your bindings. I buy mine from a store. At the end of the day, we can only ride one binding and one board at a time. My bindings are Unions. 

PS. All this internet celebrity silliness, doesn't make you look superior, it makes you look small. Are you small, Nivek? (I've ridden 4 days, btw)

Henry, I had the same problem, it took me a long time to set them up and they just seemed fussy and were kind of a hassle to move from board to board. I'm sure if I got it down though, I'd be able to set them up more quickly. 

They ride fine though, have fun on those things!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

For 2013 Ride is now using a 3 pin ratchet. Smoothy smooth.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> Like I'm going to tell you.
> 
> There is a very good reason people here listen to what I have to say.
> 
> I tell you what, at work tomorrow I'll take a shot of the Union strap properly set up and one of a Salomon properly set up and you tell me which one you think fits better. Oh right, I'm a shop kid too jackstack.


I didn't see you were going to post a pic, sorry about that.

In other news.
Lemme get this straight.

You're a shop kid who can't set up all the bindings in the shop.

You're a shop kid who says they couldn't set up the bindings on a different boot from the poster's boot. So, somehow, they won't fit on his.


Original poster, I had burton hails and had no problem dialing in my contact pros, DLXs and Atlases. Nivek, please get some 11.5 Hails off of the shelf and attempt to set them up on there. okthxbbye.


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## Supra (Jan 11, 2012)

duh, 6 days> 4days you moran!


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Bro, that's like....only...like......38% better. How much of those six days spent setting up Unions?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

phony_stark said:


> I didn't see you were going to post a pic, sorry about that.
> 
> In other news.
> Lemme get this straight.
> ...


Hails aren't too different in shape from Lashed. So there's that.

Why can't you get through your head that I tried every position you can put the binding in? They didn't fit the way a toe strap should no matter the position.

I know how Union wants me to set them up. I spent that long to see if I could find something better that didn't suck. Oh and with say a pair of K2 Formulas, running through ever setting would take 15 minutes per boot. Cause everything is tool less. Funny how a brand that makes boards, bindings, boots, bags, probes, shovels, splits, goggles, helmets, and more can figure out how to make a toe strap and make their baseline binding completely tool less but a brand that just makes bindings can't do either.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> Hails aren't too different in shape from Lashed. So there's that.
> 
> Why can't you get through your head that I tried every position you can put the binding in? They didn't fit the way a toe strap should no matter the position.
> 
> I know how Union wants me to set them up. I spent that long to see if I could find something better that didn't suck. Oh and with say a pair of K2 Formulas, running through ever setting would take 15 minutes per boot. Cause everything is tool less. Funny how a brand that makes boards, bindings, boots, bags, probes, shovels, splits, goggles, helmets, and more can figure out how to make a toe strap and make their baseline binding completely tool less but a brand that just makes bindings can't do either.


No, I'm getting that, what I'm NOT getting is how I made it work on my Hails and you cannot. 

Also, what's with this tool-free rant and what does that have to do with you not being able to dial in a pair of bindings? My Burtons are tool-free and, for the most part do you know the mechanics it takes to adjust them? 

Yep. Same as a screwdriver. 

Better question, because I guess you do have thumbs.

When the screwdriver that you pick up is in your hand, is another hand over your hand helping you use the screwdriver? If that's the case, I could see how that could take a long time. Just let them do it for you.

At no point did Gyounes mention a Salomon or K2 binding. Why are you setting up a Salomon binding to show us a pic. Why are you mentioning K2? Aren't you trying to sell the OP on Romes? Set up the rome. Are people reading for you too?

This is getting tiresome.


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## camosunsnowboar (Oct 11, 2010)

How to Use a Screwdriver | eHow.com


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

camosunsnowboar said:


> How to Use a Screwdriver | eHow.com


Bro, is that screwdriver toolfree? 

No?

Nivek isn't fucking with it then.


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## camosunsnowboar (Oct 11, 2010)

Just throwing down some education


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

You're damn right it's getting tiresome.

We don't deal Romes so that's a no go. No way for it. 

You bitched about it taking me forever to change things. K2 uses a ladder system which is infinitely faster than screws. That's why I brought that up. And Salomon on the Arcade and up is using a screw and ladder system that is also faster. A binding only company should be better. Every other major player is doing tool less, seems a shortfall to me.

Again somehow your sub human brain power can't comprehend that I ran through every single combination of adjustments. At some point it was exactly where the fucking engineers designed it to be. It was a sub par fit. On a couple of the most common boots on the market, it was sub par.

But I'm done arguing.

OP. Here's this to read.

"From Nose in the C3 Thread:

*"Contest time. Got a pair of coveted TEAM bindings, you pick the size, for the dude that best hijacks any and all threads in the Snowboarding Forum. Yep, I said it. Not looking for anyone to be pro C3, COAL, Union or CAPiTA, just looking for educated people to get in there and drop some knowledge.

Contest runs til Monday November 12th, you PM me a list of your threads in on the 13th, winner announced on the 14th. I don't give a shit if your pro Burton, Union, CAPiTA, DWD, Airblaster, whatever, just as long as there is a bombardment of knowledge thrown in that forum, enough to rattle the cages of the establishment and get people thinking outside of the God damn box that they live in." "*

So there's that. Take there bitching and arguing for what it is. Pandering for free shit. 

Classy mother fuckers.


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## Peyto (Mar 21, 2012)

Nivek knows his shit. Screwed some Machines onto my Raptor thanks to his good advice.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> You're damn right it's getting tiresome.
> 
> We don't deal Romes so that's a no go. No way for it.
> 
> ...


I know about that post.

PM Nose, I don't want the fucking team bindings. I just think he's right. It's time to stop some of the misinformation.

Readers at home can check the stats on my posts. This is NOT the first or even the second time we've gotten into it (maybe you don't remember because you're an internet superstar with LOTS of bindings that don't need mom's help to set up). 

I come over here about every week or two. Look for stuff SnowWolf has written (unbiased imho). Someone asks about something I've ridden, I post about it to help out. When it's about Union, you say something SILLY or antiquated, I respond that you have been misinformed. Then you drop a bunch of insane stuff that makes no fucking sense under the guise of "industry knowledge" when there are a lot of people out there that are not experiencing the same problem, or have a solution to said problem that you had a hard time finding so gave up.

Post the fucking picture of your problem and relax, man.


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## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

Reading through the arguments is time consuming haha. Although people say union has bad toe straps.. I again can't see why they won't fit over the hails considering they're overall profile is smaller. I'm most likely gonna pick up the atlases because they're at the store.. Much easier for me. 390s seem great but I
Think I'll have more trouble getting the boot to work the binding


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Dude, you'll love your Atlases, my fave binding of all time, some others agree.
Regarding Rome, seriously, I rode 390 bosses and liked them, they're fine bindings, I just like my Atlases more.

Post pics when you get them set up!

edit: sorry about the shitstorm on your thread. Nivek knows a LOT about snowboards and is, often, constructive, and knowledgeable, but Union is an exception. H really really REALLY doesn't like Union for some reason or another....


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## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

phony_stark said:


> Dude, you'll love your Atlases, my fave binding of all time, some others agree.
> Regarding Rome, seriously, I rode 390 bosses and liked them, they're fine bindings, I just like my Atlases more.
> 
> Post pics when you get them set up!
> ...


Sounds good. You'd still recommend them
As a soft freestyle binding right?

Don't worry about it man, it gives me something to do when I'm bored as hell in class lol


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

The thing about the Atlas, no bullshit, is they, like the contact pro, will work on any board you put them on.

I've ridden them on something as soft as my arbor draft and as stiff as my charlie slasher and the response seems to be whatever you want it to be. 

It seems weird, but it's true.


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## Gyounes (Dec 1, 2011)

phony_stark said:


> The thing about the Atlas, no bullshit, is they, like the contact pro, will work on any board you put them on.
> 
> I've ridden them on something as soft as my arbor draft and as stiff as my charlie slasher and the response seems to be whatever you want it to be.
> 
> It seems weird, but it's true.



Sounds good. They should pair up nicely on my arbor blacklist. How do you think they compare to the forces?

I used to have the forces but sold them to pick something new up.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

They'll be tits on the blacklist...in fact that's probably the perfect match as, I've heard the blacklist is on the softer side of medium, flex wise. The Atlas is the same.


Compared to the Force, lighter, a little softer, and more lateral flex but still responsive. I also prefer the on the fly forward lean adjuster, I think it's the best in the industry.


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

sup bitches.

i heard there was a party.


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Nivek said:


> For 2013 Ride is now using a 3 pin ratchet. Smoothy smooth.


and Ride bindings still are terrible.

You're bashing Union and then turn around and hype up Ride bindings??? :dunno:
fuckin lulz


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## sxdaca (Oct 5, 2012)

Alkasquawlik said:


> sup bitches.
> 
> i heard there was a party.


Yeah it's over, bye


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

sxdaca said:


> Yeah it's over, bye


What?

I heard someone was going to be on 2014 product before Christmas. I want in.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Alka, leave before he asks for his shit on your dick!!!!


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

You know me, I'd gladly give it.

Now to get red baron involved...


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

I was gonna make a Baron joke, but I am a gentleman and preferred allow you to score and take the primary assist.

Also Red Baron's girlfriend/wife is hot....you are, clearly, hotter though. It's nice that she doesn't mind. 

CA ALLLDAY!!!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

phony_stark said:


> Post the fucking picture of your problem and relax, man.


Here you go. You be the judge on which straps seem better designed. That's a 32 Lashed.

Union

















Salomon

















K2


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

hahahhaha holy shit union sucks. pathetic company.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

MAN! You set those up all wrong! 

What are your settings?


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Don't see what's so funny. 

That's how they're supposed to fit.

Let me ask you a queston, could you go out on a hill, riding a pair of those Atlas bindings, and at the end of the day legitimately tell me that you didn't have a fun day riding (pending conditions) because of a pair of toe caps that didn't fit you personally as well as some other bindings?

Please answer haha


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Mine aren't cranked down that much. I have about 4 teeth showing.

Is this a preference thing?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Alkasquawlik said:


> Don't see what's so funny.
> 
> That's how they're supposed to fit.
> 
> ...


Sure if I had to ride those I'd still have fun. That's not the point. The point is everyone else is doing better straps. Why support a brand that refuses to address user concerns?


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Nivek said:


> Sure if I had to ride those I'd still have fun. That's not the point. The point is everyone else is doing better straps. Why support a brand that refuses to address user concerns?


Define "better".

I love those straps, they work perfectly for me, which is why I chose to support them. I've owned and ridden a ton of bindings before, and I really Unions. I didn't like the straps on my Malavitas. They felt too cushy and unresponsive for me. Does that mean those straps don't work for other people better than Unions? Sure.

But there's obviously a ton of people who have seen what the market offers, and chosen to support Union. 

Like I said, define better. Snowboarding isn't about quantifying "riding experience", it's about having fun. And if those bindings don't work for you, then that sucks, but good thing there's a fuckload of other companies out there that you can choose from and find something that fits you and your riding style.

But just because you personally don't like how Unions ride, doesn't make them a terrible binding, or have "worse" straps.


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## matty19 (Nov 19, 2010)

Alkasquawlik said:


> Define "better".
> 
> I love those straps, they work perfectly for me, which is why I chose to support them. I've owned and ridden a ton of bindings before, and I really Unions. I didn't like the straps on my Malavitas. They felt too cushy and unresponsive for me. Does that mean those straps don't work for other people better than Unions? Sure.
> 
> ...


Quoted as an example of reasoning and truth. Personal preference is just that.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Exactly, also I define "better" as "kept my toes strapped into the boot regardless of circumstance/condition" ...in case anyone is wondering.

With their cored out strap, Union does that, for me, better than any other company I've tried.


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## matty19 (Nov 19, 2010)

What matters to me in a binding is all about feel, responsiveness, comfort, and durability. The toe strap has a minimal role in all of those categories. All I want the damn thing to do is not be overly complicated and keep my toe in place. I have yet to find the two strap binding that doesn't do that, but I certainly haven't tried all of them. Not even close...


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

WORD! I want my toe strap to keep my toe strapped in and be released, Unions do that better than the other bindings I've tried, but, like Matty said, it's not like these other companies have FAILED in some way, if I were "stuck" with a burton or a rome it would be fine.

I just like the way Unions get the fuck out of my way better than any other company, but if they keep you grounded for 2 hours, Nivek, I say move on. The original poster did a while ago.

Will post pics tomorrow. Hail or Danny Kass?


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## Red baron (Nov 8, 2012)

phony_stark said:


> I was gonna make a Baron joke, but I am a gentleman and preferred allow you to score and take the primary assist.
> 
> Also Red Baron's girlfriend/wife is hot....you are, clearly, hotter though. It's nice that she doesn't mind.
> 
> CA ALLLDAY!!!


I feel special....I got people talking about me on message boards I don't even go on..... 

FUCK ME IM FAMOUS!

Phony you need to come kikit with Alka and me


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

I will sooooooooon! My daughter is getting big enough to safely hand off to other adults.


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## Red baron (Nov 8, 2012)

we're family friendly....


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## Derp (Feb 3, 2012)

phony_stark said:


> WORD! I want my toe strap to keep my toe strapped in and be released, Unions do that better than the other bindings I've tried, but, like Matty said, it's not like these other companies have FAILED in some way, if I were "stuck" with a burton or a rome it would be fine.
> 
> I just like the way Unions get the fuck out of my way better than any other company, but if they keep you grounded for 2 hours, Nivek, I say move on. The original poster did a while ago.
> 
> Will post pics tomorrow. Hail or Danny Kass?


Stark do you have your toe strap set "traditional" or as a cap? Just curious if you had a preference. I have a pair of '12 Force that I just put on my board and haven't found out yet if one way is better than the other. My '11 Force were set traditional and I never had a problem, but with the new toe cup design this year I'm curious if I should try it.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

I run mine as a cap, always have and always will. I feel like it keeps my boot more secure and gives me more control. 
Give it a go, you may like it!

Off topic (this whole thread is off topic as the OP has already bought the Atlas)

Is that your Husky? Love those dogs.


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## Derp (Feb 3, 2012)

phony_stark said:


> I run mine as a cap, always have and always will. I feel like it keeps my boot more secure and gives me more control.
> Give it a go, you may like it!
> 
> Off topic (this whole thread is off topic as the OP has already bought the Atlas)
> ...


Thanks. I believe I will give it a try this year and see how things go.

Yeah, that is my Husky, Loki. Name fits him perfectly.


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Derp said:


> Thanks. I believe I will give it a try this year and see how things go.
> 
> Yeah, that is my Husky, Loki. Name fits him perfectly.


That's the great thing with Union toecaps, you have the personal choice to decide whether you want to run them over the top, or over the toe.

Although toe caps are the norm now, some companies' (ie Burton, Flux) toecaps do not allow you that choice, you HAVE to run them over the toe, and in my experiences, the Burton's slipped off my boot a few times throughout the day.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

LOL Word! My husky was a pain in the ass...in the most endearing way possible.

Best.
Bad.
Dogs.
Ever.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Derp said:


> Thanks. I believe I will give it a try this year and see how things go.
> 
> Yeah, that is my Husky, Loki. Name fits him perfectly.


I think you'll love it. After riding that way for a day or two, the strap seems wraps around the boot perfectly and, as you know, you can just go convertible again if you don't like it.

Here are some photos of mine, in a burton hail 8.5.

Remember to use the back slot...,man I suck at taking pics so one is upside down.


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## bpowder (Nov 5, 2012)

Hi there, cool conversation you had here ^^

well.. some time ago i wrote a thread about buying new setup, was 100 % sure about buying new cartels, but since im waiting for cash i started to check some other bindings and here i am.. 

i see some good opinions about atlas bindings here, but i like Sl's / Rome 390 boss/targas as well.

im intermediate rider, doing FR/FS + i want to try park, so i need all mountain stuff, if that matters im big boy, 14 boot size. 

board im getting is Volkl Dice 62W 12/13 Völkl International | Snowboards | *Dice probably, as one helpfull guy from here recommended it, i dont know about boots but was thinking about ambush/rulers.. still dont know

so for my riding style, would atlas/SL bindings be good? how about other rome bindings that i mentioned? or maybe some other unions like contact pro? 

hope you can help me some, thanks


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Any of those bindings will work for the riding you want to do.
What's going to make a difference is your personal choice/preference in flex and added tech featues on the bindings.


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## bpowder (Nov 5, 2012)

well it will be my first good setup, dont have so big knowledge about tech.. it all seems to be good for me you know, everything seems to be perfect. in my case its like riding a bike and then changing for maybach  good to hear to every of those bindings will be good for me, but still dont know which should i take  what would you suggest?

about flex i know a bit but still dont have any real comparison


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

bpowder said:


> well it will be my first good setup, dont have so big knowledge about tech.. it all seems to be good for me you know, everything seems to be perfect. in my case its like riding a bike and then changing for maybach  good to hear to every of those bindings will be good for me, but still dont know which should i take  what would you suggest?
> 
> about flex i know a bit but still dont have any real comparison


OK cool, to be honest, any of these bindings will work for you, especially if you have no preconceived notions or preferences on flex or technology.

I ride the Union Atlas and I really love them. A solid, all mountain binding that is a little softer than the Union Force. It uses a different base plate and highback than the Force, but it's still responsive enough to ride all over the mountain. It's perfect for my kind of riding, I'm in Northstar's park for most of the day, but I still will ride fast and jump off shit at Squaw on these.
The Contact Pro is going to be softer than the Atlas, but still an all mountain binding. It was designed by Gigi Ruf, who kills it in the backcountry, so although it is a softer binding than the Atlas and Force, it will still take care of you all over the mountain. A little more flex from side to side, but the response when you lean straight back into the highback is there.

The one great thing I like about Union bindings is their simplicity. They are bomb proof, solid binding that have everything you need/want in a binding, and nothing you don't need. 

I personally do not have any first hand experience on the Rome bindings, but I have heard really good things about the 390/390 Bosses. The 390 is going to be a solid, all mountain binding, similar to the Atlas. I think the Bosses have a canted footbed (correct me if I am wrong someone), so if you're not a fan of cants, stay away from them. I think the Targas are a little stiffer than the 390s, but I'm not too familiar with Rome product, so someone may have something else to say.

Like I said, you can't really go wrong with any of the bindings you've listed. Pick the one that you visually like the best, or the one that fits within your price range. Once you begin riding, and rising different types of egar, you'll be able to differentiate beween your preferences and whatnot, and zero in on the type of products you really like riding.


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## bpowder (Nov 5, 2012)

thanks, thats almost everything i wanted to know.

well from unions i love atlas blue/white cause they will look not bad with volkl dice board, but those targas look sick as well..

Rome Targa 12/13 available online at the Blue Tomato Shop

i just have a feeling that they are like 5 kg each haha, muscle bindings

i will wait if someone can tell me something about targas bindings maybe, for now atlas are my favorites.

btw what boots do you ride with those bindings ? i read somewhere that not every boot fit perfect with them.
i guess you have some softer boots , but im just curious


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

Alkasquawlik said:


> I personally do not have any first hand experience on the Rome bindings, but I have heard really good things about the 390/390 Bosses. The 390 is going to be a solid, all mountain binding, similar to the Atlas. I think the Bosses have a canted footbed (correct me if I am wrong someone), so if you're not a fan of cants, stay away from them. I think the Targas are a little stiffer than the 390s, but I'm not too familiar with Rome product, so someone may have something else to say.


Pretty much right on except, the Bosses come with 3 canting options, or 9 (?) if you mix them up for some reason. So you can run them flat if you want. 

I prefer bindings with cant, it's been a huge help with knee issues. You can always rig up non canting bindings yourself though.


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## bpowder (Nov 5, 2012)

gotta check what canting on bindings is, cause i have no freaking idea


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