PDF | Print | E-mail

Ride Bandita Contraband Snowboard Binding Review

Women's Bindings - Women's Bindings Reviews

 
User rating
 
3.0 (2)

Ride Bandita Contraband Snowboard Binding Review

bandita
$219
Intermediate to Expert All Mountain to Freestyle
You will either love these or hate them.  What we have seen lately is many of these contraband bindings are the only ones left in the shop at the end of the season. The one strap adjustment is what K2, Flow and Gnu are all doing with their bindings are supposed to be easier to strap on but none of us at the good ride really care about getting in and out quick from a binding.  Another problem is the toe strap can not be adjusted when the binding is on the board.  So if the fit needs adjustment you have to take off your bindings and spend some time to do so.  Another thing is the rubber on the toe strap seems like it wont' last a long time and doesn't have the same hold as a traditional toe strap.  We aren't sure on that but feel it's worth mentioning.  The positive side is the padding is good in the base plate and the contact with the snowboard is minimal.  This makes for good shock absorption and turn initiation.  Another thing to mention is the Contraband line takes a lot of effort to dial out and a lot of tools. The instructional video is really elaborate and detailed which could be frustrating.  If it doesn't work right on the hill you have to take the bindings all the way off to adjust the toe strap. For 2012 Ride changed the high back and we like the newer high back over the old because it has a better range of movement. All in all this not for everyone but if you have the patience it might work.

How It Rides

Flex Soft
Response Good
Dampening
Average
Adjustability Rough
Weight
Light
Shock Absorption
Good
Comfort
Good
Lateral Movement
Good
Board/Boot Integration Good

Compare Prices & Buyer Reviews


Sun & Ski Sports
Ride Women's Bandita Contraband Snowboard Bindings '12...
$209.99Check Availability
evo
Ride Bandita Contraband Snowboard Bindings - Women's 2012...
$146.97Check Availability
Dogfunk.com
Ride Bandita Contraband Snowboard Binding - Women's...
$146.97Check Availability
Backcountry.com
Ride Bandita Contraband Snowboard Binding - Women's...
$146.97Check Availability
The Ski Bum
Ride Bandita Contraband SNowboard Binding- Black...
$125.97Check Availability
Snowboard Connection
Ride Bandita Contraband Bindings BLACK...
$125.97Check Availability

The Good Ride Take

A Good Ride Take on Binding Tech

Metal vs Plastic Bindings

This is a Good Ride 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 plague “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.

 

The Good Ride Take on Ride Snowboards
They are from the same parent company as K2 and have many similarities in terms of board design and company policy.  Ride’s customer service is better than K2’s and actually has a # to call on their site instead of just an on-line form.  Ride, like K2 seems almost secretive when it comes to having third party entities like us or end users like you review their gear.  So many companies like Burton, Rome, YES, Arbor ect. are really proud of their gear and try to do everything they can to get you to ride them.  Ride seems to do the bare minimum and despite its large size has very few demo products. Their policy seems to be if you want to try it you have to buy it.  Ride chooses mainly to work with variations of flat/rocker snowboards but has recently started to work with hybrid camber.   Their hybrid camber is different than YES and Rossignol and leans more on the flat camber side of things but we still like to see them go in this direction.  We have found that we like some of their shapes but other boards we weren’t fans of .   Like K2 Ride’s rocker shapes always seem to be pretty flat between the feet and it makes for one of the better rocker set up out there.  Ride makes pretty good bindings and many people swear by them.  They have more parts than most bindings but all in all they do a very good job despite the fact that a lot of the binding is metal.  We are big fans of the canted foot bed but can’t say we are a fan of their Contraband strap system.  They make good boots that last for a long time but boots are so personal all we can speak to is their build and longevity.

 

Company Info & Specs

Ride Bandita Contraband 2012

Bandita Contraband bindings

Hot One-Touch Binders For Her

$209.95
SIZES: S, M
STYLE: All Mountain Freestyle, Park & Pipe
COLORS: Black, Purple

Ladies, the Bandita is HOT. Not hot like bought out of the back of a van hot, but a hot design for your riding pleasure. Built for freestyle ladies ready to rip, the 2012 Ride Bandita women's snowboard binding features the all new SlingBack highback for premium flex, and the ultra secure V-Grip™ strap. Also kitted with Wedgie 2.5 footbeds and Urethane Rollbar™ to provide an added dose of comfort and boost of ollie pop.

BINDING FLEX-O-METER:
Binding Flex Rating: 4
CONSTRUCTION:
LSD
ContraBand™ System
Women’s Specific Stance Correct Shaping
NEW! Slingback Highback
Balance Core
EasyEntry Ankle Ladder Straps
V-Grip™
UltraLite
Wedgie 2.5
Urethane Rollbar™
Aluminum Chassis

SETUP OPTIONS

OMG Snowboard Locket Boot Compact Snowboard Sash Boa Coiler Boot

FEATURED TECH

LSD
LSD

All LSD board shapes feature a narrower waist width, a ladies specific flex pattern, sidecut and finely tuned rocker profile.

Wedgie 2.5
WEDGIE 2.5

The ideal angle for advanced freestyle riders looking for that extra pop. If you are riding a rocker board, you’ll especially appreciate getting some added pop with 2.5.

ALUMINUM CHASSIS

Aluminum for a reason; the perfect balance of minimal weight, quick response and unmatched durability.


Ride Bandita Contraband 2011

HOT NEW ONE-TOUCH BINDERS FOR HER

Ladies, the new Bandita is HOT. Not hot like bought out of the back of a van hot, but a hot new design for your riding pleasure. Built for freestyle ladies ready to rip, the Bandita features the new women’s LuxLite highback for premium flex and single ratchet technology with the ultra secure V-Strap™. Also kitted with the new Wedgie 2.5 footbed to provide an added dose of comfort and boost of ollie pop.

MSRP: USD 219.99

STYLE: Mobility

COLORS: White, Limone

SIZES: Women’s 6-8, Women’s 8-10

CONSTRUCTION FEATURES:
ContraBand™ Chassis System
NEW! LuxLite Highback
Balance Ankle Strap with V-Strap
UltraLite Quick-Draw Ratchets
NEW! Wedgie 2.5 Footbed w/ Smooth Ride Landing Pads
NEW! Urethane Rollbar™ Basepad
Forged Aluminum Response Disc

 

Pictures

Ride Bandita Contraband 2012

 

 

 

 

Ride Bandita Contraband 2011

Bandita Contraband

 

User reviews

Average user rating from: 2 user(s)

 

Overall Rating:
 
3.0
 
 

Love these bindings

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2 things to keep in mind- I have really small feet (size 5 1/2-6) and these take quite a few adjustments ( ok a lot) to get the fit right on your boot. That said, I absolutely love these bindings. I find them really responsive and the angled footbed comfortable. Have 2 full seasons and almost no sign of wear. Straps are still in great shape. I was a bit sketchy about only having on strap but they are secure. You really have to spend hours to get the right fit, takes a few tries but worth it. my boyfriend has the men's 2011 and hates them so I dont know if having a small foot makes a big difference. I ride Vermont mainly but great out west in pow too. You might need the right combo of boot/ binding though. They were more comfortable with my thicker lined Burton boots than my old DC's that were more narrow and soft.
Overall Rating:
 
5.0
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Reviewed by Cv
February 15, 2012
 
 

Ride 2011 Contraband- Worst Bindings Ever

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Still have bruises across the top of the foot a week later. That says it all. Rode these for 2 days, they are possibly the worst thing that ever happened to my feet. They are totally unresponsive, painful, and basically useless. Most shops in Vermont even refuse to sell them. I would not recommend these to anyone under any condition for any type of riding style. Ride has A LOT more work to do before these are even plausible for the best rider. Thankfully i was able to return them for a full refund, but if i had been able to find a review from anyone who rode them i would never have bought them. Hopefully this saves someone the trouble and pain that I went through with them. Stay away from them like they have ebola virus!!!!!
Overall Rating:
 
1.0
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Reviewed by BP
January 01, 2011