speede541 wrote:

I relatively new to snowboarding (started last winter), and mid-season
went the route of a conventional Burton for my front foot and a Cinch
for my rear. Can't say I notice a difference in control of the board,
and love the ease of getting in/out.

I haven't tried the Flow design, but have been led to believe that
while more comfy, it's not as precise as a conventional binding (or
Cinch, for that matter) -- especially for us bigger guys.

So clue me in: what's the gripe?

Compared to any strap binding I've ridden, the Flow bindings don't respond
as well to brute force. Pushing fast and hard on the toeside can lead to
heal lift. Relatively minor heelside falls can open the highback, creating
interesting circumstances if not noticed. The newer designs definitely
do better in this regard.

They don't appear to suffer when finessed.

Oh, one Cinch negative for me: it's wearing the crap out of my boot at
the toe!

I get this a little bit (with Flow CFRs), and much more at the heel. A little
shoe goo strategically applied worked well.

Jeremy