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Fontana Sports Sage Flight Rod 4 Pc . 3 Wt . 7 Ft . 0 In .... $349.99 Check Availability AlsSports.com Smith Flow Polarized Sunglasses (Spring 2010)... $149.99 Check Availability Berg's Ski and Snowboard Shop Flow Flite 3 Snowboard Bindings - Men's Black... $135.99 Check Availability DepartmentOfGoods.com Sugoi Flight Arm Warmer... $15.98 Check Availability TightBoards.com Fly High Flow Rite 3/4" Straight Quick Connect Socket... $3.95 Check Availability ParagonSports.com 2-D Flights Assortment (3)... $1.99 Check Availability

The Good Ride Take

A Good Ride Take on Binding Tech

Metal vs Plastic Bindings

This is a Goodride breakdown for all you that are having a tough time choosing your bindings and what to make of the material you are looking at.  Most bindings are Metal, Plastic or some combo of the 2.

Metal Bindings have a lot of great aspects.  Almost all-metal bindings are made from aluminum.  Aluminum is great when it come to weight to stiffness ratio and also pretty durable.  There is one key issue with metal/aluminum bindings; they transfer all the vibrations from the board right into your feet.  This is the same principle that pelage “bass-less” bindings, your feet got totally tired or fatigued.  The newer generations have much better/damp bases so this problem has been minimized and in some cases eliminated.   There are some companies that make great bindings despite the vibration issue with Aluminum.   Some that come to mind are Ride and Rome.

Plastic Bindings also have many great features but let’s address some technical stuff first.  Most plastic bindings are really hardened glass plastic mix.   The high-end stuff tends to have a more carbon, and carbon fiber added for extra stiffness and weight savings.  Plastic bindings really dominate the market right now and most top bindings these days are mostly or all plastic.  They can be really stiff and react well to your commands.   The new bindings finally dialed in the carbon/ fiber integration to the point that the bindings will perform with the stiffness of metal and absorb more chatter.  Most industry leaders have limited or completely eliminated metal from their bindings and we feel that with the materials used right now this is the future.  Some mostly plastic companies that we feel rock are Burton, Flux and Union.

What kind of binding should you buy?  It’s a tough call.  Both Plastic and Metal bindings offer freestyle, freeride and all mountain styles.  At this point we feel that plastic bindings are edging out metal bindings when it comes to the very high end $300+ category.  However it is a tough call in the below $300 category as to which material has the advantage.

Company Info & Specs

With the new Flite 3, you get both and a whole lot more. This model provides a stable but forgiving ride with our durable POM plastic baseplate and hiback. Plus, the four easy-to-adjust MINIratchets will guarantee precise tension and comfort of the luxury PowerStrap to fit any type of boot and allow for the micro-adjustments you need, when you need it. With additional performance features like our new, comfy CI-Flex PowerStrap, the Single-Dial forward lean adjusters, and EVA cushioning in the baseplates, you’ll feel like a pro, rather than an amateur.

• Ultra-lightweight POM baseplate and hiback
• Single-Dial forward lean adjustment
• EVA cushioning pads
• CI-Flex PowerStrap
• 4 locking MINIratchets

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