Rome Targa Snowboard Binding Review |
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The Good Ride TakeThe Rome Targa Snowboard Binding Review by The Good RideDays Used- 30+ Boards Tested with- Lib Tech Phoenix The Rome Targa has been around for a while and although it keeps improving there are a few general themes that stick with the binding from year to year. These are varied response and lots of adjustabilty.
For 2011 Rome really stepped it up when it came to the canted base plate and the extra padding across the length of the binding. If you want one pair of bindings for a few different boards the Targa is one of the only options. You can ride a cambered freeride focused snowboard one day and then ride a park focused rocker snowboard the next. The Targa's are Rome's top of the line bindings and they give you a lot for $250. Some things are just convenient like the rubber attachment that pulls the ankle strap back so you can get in and out of the bindings. Others are more performance oriented like the ankle strap adjustability. For 2012 the Targa added a canted and slightly asymmetrical high back that keeps up with the Jones'.
Here is a quick look at the 2012 Rome Targa
Flex- These bindings have a medium/stiff back. It is not as stiff as the Burton C-60 but closer to the Cartel or Union Force. The ankle strap with the stiff insert really holds your boot from bending and gives you unreal toe side response. It makes turns incredibly easy and can bend any board to its will. Before riding these we were riding the Co2's and on the first toe side turn two of us over turned and almost washed out because the bindings were allot more responsive. There are 3 options for ankle strap stiffness. No insert in the strap for super soft response, the soft insert for medium response and the stiff insert for super stiff response. When you put in the soft insert it makes it like most all mountain bindings. This would be the preferred choice if you do a little of everything and don't like to change your inserts all the time. If you take those out you have a very soft forward leaning ankle strap that is super park friendly. The straps are hard to manage and if your that kind of person that loves to play around with your stereo system then here is the non electronic equivalent.
Comfort- You have choices of a toe strap or traditional strap, You have a soft, uniform plate that goes over your inserts and ankle straps that fit perfect for us. There was enough around the sides and a decent taper in the middle where you flex that was good for us. If you play around with the multiple adjustment options this will be one of if not the most comfortable bindings you can get. The only complaint is if you use the toe strap over the toe instead of along the top it can cause the sides of your boots to collapse and possibly put pressure on your outer toes. What they should do next round is make the toe strap a little bigger so this doesn't happen.
Response- Heel side response is perfect. The back holds you in place any way you lean. The Toe side varies according to the inserts. With the stiff inserts you barely have to lean to make a turn. If your coming from softer ankle straps it takes a few turns to get use to. After a while it gets addicting and reduces the effort it takes to make a turn. Set this up for a stiff freeride board. The soft insert is like most binding straps and matches the response of most good bindings out there. If you remove the inserts it takes allot more to transfer from edge to edge. The ankle strap inserts although a bit of a pain to carry or keep really change up the game. You can ride a stiff board one day and a soft board the the next. The 2012 Targa is just a little more responsive than the 2011 and 2010 models due to the new asymmetrical high back that also allows for more freedom of movement and the same support as the old one.
Adjustability- There isn't anything this binding can't do. You can shift your backs to work with anything from a 0 degree stance to a 15/-15 degree stance. We'd like to see more adjustability like the Burton's have but most bindings are like the Targas instead of Burton. We also noticed that with the curvature of the back's you don't really have to angle them like you would some bindings. The toe straps can go over your toe or the top of your foot. The toe strap, aside from being small, is intelligently made and works very well set up traditionally or over your toe. The ankle strap has the standard 2 position set up. What is cool is they have attached a rubber band like strap to the ankle strap so when you hit release it flies right off. Its removable so if you don't like it take it off. The one issue with the Rome Targa is it's not easy to get everything dialed out. The biggest pain is adjusting the bindings to your foot size. You have a metal piece connecting to a metal or plastic piece that isn't easy to allign so you can get the screw in. Also when there are a lot of parts there are a lot of possibilities for those parts to break. They aren't easy to change from binding to binding and the screw that holds the 2 padding pieces together seem to be propriatery. This is not good if you loose these. We have to say though that we haven't had any issues so far or lost anything.
Dampening/Shock Absorption- There is dense foam padding on the heel that goes all the way to the board. There is also a rubber liner on the bottom of the binding. This tech can absorb allot of shock and If your having speed issues it won't be from the bindings. We really like the rubber on the base plate because it leaves less damage on the your board when you take the bindings off. For 2011and 2012 there is much more shock absorption in the front and back than there was in 2010. It makes for a smooth damp ride that can offer a lot of cushioning if you need it.
Board/ Boot Integration- With a little work and allot of adjustments this can be a perfect link between a wide variety of boots and boards.
Overall we were very impressed with the Rome Targa bindings. They are well made and damp but the thing we liked the most was the versatility.
The Good Ride Take on Rome
A Good Ride Take on Binding Tech
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Rome Targa Snowboard Binding Review
Bindings - Binding Reviews
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3.5 (2) |
User reviews
Average user rating from: 2 user(s)
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Unrealized Potential
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
I tried this binding for the canted footbed. It has excellent potential but in my opinion is limited by poor build quality. Here's what I found:1. Footbed has three different options for degree of cant: 1, 2.5, and 3.5. Loved this. 2. Footprint of baseplate is narrow. Good or bad depending on your fit. 3. Elastic bands to hold straps aside work great. 4. Response is the best I've experienced so far. However... The build is poor, and creates these problems: 1. Almost impossible to adjust properly due to poor hardware design and instructions. If you accidentally disassemble the nut/bolt holding the front elastic in place, you probably won't be able to get it back and and will have to forgo it. 2. Highback lean adjustment simply unscrews itself during use. 3. Almost impossible to keep toe strap in place over my boot. Would slip back or forward despite adding more and more pressure. (Size 8 Burton Imperial in a S/M binding, which should be a very good fit). 4. After initial setup and one use, paint started flaking away in several spots. The frame is painted metal. 5. Almost impossible to get rubber mat on bottom to stay attached to binding. The small rubber studs would keep coming loose - if I could get them inserted to begin with. 6. Neither I, nor the shop I bought them from (a dedicated board shop with several locations), could get the ankle strap inserts changed without damaging the soft rubber 'guts' of the strap. This resulted in a warped bulge that was permanent, creating a pressure point over the boot. Very awkward design that negated the benefit of adjustability. The response on these bindings was so good, however, that if they change it at all for next year, I'd be inclined to try another pair. Also, the 3.5 degree cant option seems to be the most aggressive in the industry, and if you want or need that, these might be the way to go. The Solomon Chief (and probably the Caliber as well) have 2.5 degrees, which I'm using now and help my ankle issue enough. |
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Reviewed by Steve Card
January 25, 2012 |
this binding is actually pretty heavy
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Good binding with great features but this binding (and that means just 1 of the 2) is 11 ounces heavier than Malavita. The new highback is what makes it significantly heavier. Maybe you should re-adjust your weight rating for it.
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Reviewed by Hey Thought you should kn
August 28, 2011 |