binding question

[motoxpete]

I'm pretty new to the park but that's pretty much what I want to ride....If I'm looking to be doing mostly park stuff how should I set up my bindings...or how do some of you set up yours? also for rideing switch is there a way I should run my bindings?? any info is helpfull thanx.

[Dan-]

By set up what do you mean? Angles and so forth? Angles are all personal preference. For riding switch, it's easier to ride with a Duck stance. Ie. 15/-15. Other than that, it's all preference, angles, stance width..

[CaptDave]

From what you posted it sounds like some form of the duck stance is what you want. So start with say +12/-12 and then try different angles to see what you like best. Also you might try different stance width. Again its all your personal preference.

 

 

Myself I spend more time freeriding then freestyling and my angles are at +12/-9. I started riding switch last year and want to get better at it this year so I am sure I will try little variations on my stance.

 

 

Have fun

[Tyler]

like they have said, its all personal preference. Start out less ducked and work your way outward. I ride mine at 15/-12

[motoxpete]

thanx alot guys I'm on my way to the mountain right now I'll try a slite duck stance see how that work's...I'll let ya know how it turns out.

[Dan-]

I've been riding 15/-15 for years now.

[method9455]

When you set your bindings there are basically 6 factors.

 

-Angle of each binding

-Width between the bindings

-Setback

-Forward Lean

-Centering

-Boot fit

 

Each of them is important, and each of them can make or break a good binding setup. Most people over look the bindings a lot when in reality properly adjusted and good quality bindings can make snowboarding so much more comfortable.

 

Angle - I ride Duck myself, 21 and -18, which is pretty duck but my feet are naturally ducked to begin with. If you strap me into a board that is 18 and -3 (like 90% of the boards out there because it is the 'standard' setup prescribed in binding manuals) I'll break my knees. How did I arrive at those specific angles? Well it takes a lot of experimenting, I brought a tool up with me for a long time and just kept trying them. The one key I would say is when you are strapped into your board, do a deep knee bend all the way down. Then stand straight up. Your knees should be comfortable in this motion. If you sight down your knee, it should be flexing straight in column with your legs when you go down, rather than twisting inwards when you go down. This is tough to get perfectly right. The reason why my angles are perfectly symmetrical - my knees aren't the same. If you have get a footbed with the Align system, there is a laser that shoots up and shows where your knees should be, and my right one is not there. It made it clear why that boot is always different.

 

Width - This is a personal preference thing. People say 'go really wide' for park. I somewhat agree with that. The closer together your feet are, the easier it is to turn the board, but it looks really bad, and isn't the proper way to ride. The farther apart your legs are, the better you can balance on rails. So it would seem really easy to just put them on the outermost holes and go with it for park. BUT - it might not be comfortable for you. AND, the wider apart they are, the less your board bends in a nose/tail press. The bindings make a flat spot and kill that smooth curve on the nose or tail the closer they are, you will feel a big difference.

 

My personal preference for width is as wide apart as you are comfortable with, and just work out your legs more in the off season for those presses because you will have to push much harder, even if it is only a 1/2" - 1" difference.

 

When you combine the right width and angle, it makes all the difference. A little tip for setting up your board for the very first time, put it on the ground and jump on it naturally, bending your knees deep on the way down. Your feet will end up in a pretty natural place. For a more natural stance than that, jump off something higher so you don't think about it on the way down (not your board becuase you will slip and fall), tape where your feet are and measure it.

 

Setback - this means where are you bindings. For powder, you setback a bit from the front. For park, I would center them on the board. Take a measuring tape and see how setback your inserts are, some boards (true twins like my Ride Kink) are perfectly centered. Others (my Altered Genetics and my Jeremy Jones) are setback an inch, so I move my back binding a little forward to get as close to centered as possible. I would recommend this for all East Coast riding unless your board reacts badly to your center of gravity being forward, but so far all the boards I've owned are find centered, and for powder I move back an inch on my back foot.

 

Forward Lean - This is just the little crank on the back of your bindings. For pipe I have a few clicks of forward lean, and for free riding. For primarily jibs/jumps, i keep my high back straight. When it is cranked forward you get tired faster but ride much better, although I find I can balance a little better when the high backs are vertical because you can push the back of your leg a bit differently. So just play with it.

 

Centering - this has to do with what size foot you have. Mens boards are designed for a 9, if you have a 9 your bindings should be centered between the edges. 11, push them towards the heelside a little bit. 7, move them toeside a little bit. Mid wides are usually for a 10-10.5, wide for 11.5. When in doubt, go too far toeside since heelside turns are easier, just watch for toe drag. Some combinations of bindings can't do this (burton on any kind of board other than a burton for example)

 

Boot fit. This is one of the most important and overlooked steps. Make sure when you have your foot in the boot, and all the straps are cranked down, they are centered on your boot. Also, make sure you have the gas pedal stretched out longer or shorter depending on your boot size. A large size binding is generally a 9-13, but most people just leave the gas pedal where it is, which isn't best for a bigger boot. Also check our your binding, older Ride bindings have adjustments on the heel cup to slide them back for bigger boots. Finally, you might want to adjust the high back inline with the back edge of your heelside so you can tweak sideways better. On burton bindings there are 2 screws in a track. On Ride bindings there are 3 holes on each side to adjust it.

 

 

 

What kind of bindings do you have? I know a few brands and their adjustments pretty well so I can point you to where the screws are to adjust all of this..

 

 

In the end, you could just screw your bindings on there and try to ride, but if you set everything up very well, it is a whole different experiance. When you put your bindings on your board, do you know what every screw does? Every screw on there has a purpose, and if you go over them when you mount it, you will know your gear much better, even if you don't know WHAT to do with them, eventually you'll figure it out. Make sure you take your bindings off for the summer, try to dry them after you ride, and keep them clean so the dirt doesn't get in the screw threads. They will last for years if you take care of them. MAKE SURE YOU BRING A TOOL WITH YOU on the first day after you play with your bindings. No matter how tight you screw it, when everything vibrates, it loosens up. I still haven't found a way around this, I can crank all day with a screw driver but one run, the screws loosen and I have to tighten them, then it never does again for the season.

[librider]

I ride mine maxed on the wide and 15/-15

[motoxpete]

I have burton freestyle binding's witch are pretty adjustable.....I tryed them 15/-9 last time out and liked it...think I mite make my stance alittle wider next time out....and alway's bring a tool but never really use it....thanx for the info guy's will still be playing with it.

[nfgdrummer21]

my feet are as wide as they can go, 21+/18-.

[i ride gnu]

i ride maxed out but still balanced from nose and tail with 15/-12 its ok but riding switch feels pretty sketch

 

anyone ride with 2 bolts?

[method9455]

i ride maxed out but still balanced from nose and tail with 15/-12 its ok but riding switch feels pretty sketch

 

anyone ride with 2 bolts?

 

Its not a great idea, it doesn't gain you much if anything, (I think you lose some control although the board flexes easier), and the chance of breaking your board goes WAY up because they are not designed for it. Although last year the Uninc boards had 2 bolt standard and next years burtons have a completely different mounting system that only uses 2 bolts. It's called EST and the bolts are on the outside of the bindings, and there is a long track to slide the binding on, so the middle of the binding is just padding. Think just like a wakeboard binding.

[i ride gnu]

i think i saw that on a jeremy jones board at the loft a few days ago the top was black rather than white, it must have been a coalition board but it seems like a good idea if it works right

[Dan-]

Not a good idea, the 3 or 4 bolt pattern works fine. Why change it, and add something that will probably break.

Edited January 20, 2007 by KnuckleDragger