Flows- Heel pressure point question

Flow Binding question-


I figure this is just an adjustment since everyone has said it has taken
them a few days to get their flows on the mark.

I have a lot of heel pressure on my rear foot. It is heel pressure,
yet my heel still moves a bit and I get a little lift. It almost feels
like it is bruising my heel bone and/or about to cause a blister.

Basically, the binding adjustments (not angle) are set up pretty much the
same as my front foot and appears to be centered on the board.

What would make sense to me is that perhaps my boot is not being allowed
to go forward far enough, because of a tight strap setting?!?, and therefore
i get pressure on the highback. I'm thinking if I loosen the front strap
the boot will go forward more and I won't get the heel pressue. ?

Anyway, curious to hear your suggestions since it does seem that my foot
fits under the strap fine as-is. Although I do get some of the strap
crinkle when I engage the high back. I have the Pro-S bindings with the
tension cord set at the 2nd setting underneath the binding.


For the most part I'm liking the convenience of the Flows. Negatives so
far as I work through adjustments (6.5 days on them);
- do get a little heel lift
- do not have the ability to ratchet down a little tighter like i got used
to doing when i approached a particularly steep drop or mogul field.
may have been psycological, but i used to really like to crank myself in
if approaching something hairy and then loosen up at the bottem. can't
do that with the flows.
- have to start with a looser setting for the first couple runs and tighten
the bindings as my boot warms up. so far it seems i can do this with the
convenient highback adjustment. strap adjustments are awkward on hill if
it becomes a regular occurrance.

Open for any tips to really dial these things in right. Thanks,

-todd

"toddjb" wrote in message
om...

What would make sense to me is that perhaps my boot is not being allowed
to go forward far enough, because of a tight strap setting?!?, and
therefore
i get pressure on the highback. I'm thinking if I loosen the front strap
the boot will go forward more and I won't get the heel pressue. ?

I posted this a few weeks ago, but in case you did not see it try this tip
http://www.snowgo.com/archives/2003/...itting_tip.php it
certainly helped me get a better fit with my Flows.

Luke

-------------------------
http://www.snowgo.com

"Playdreamer" wrote in message ...

I posted this a few weeks ago, but in case you did not see it try this tip
http://www.snowgo.com/archives/2003/...itting_tip.php it
certainly helped me get a better fit with my Flows.

Luke

Thanks, Luke. I did see this tip last week, but was leary to try the
heat molding just yet. I could see this helping with pressure points on
top of my foot, but I'm not sure about the heel pressure. Let me know if
I'm wrong on this. After reading it again, you did say it helped with
your heel lift which is an issue for me.
I figured once I got things pretty much dialed in, then I'll try the
molding to seal the deal.
-todd

"toddjb" wrote in message
om
Thanks, Luke. I did see this tip last week, but was leary to try the
heat molding just yet. I could see this helping with pressure points on
top of my foot, but I'm not sure about the heel pressure. Let me know if
I'm wrong on this. After reading it again, you did say it helped with
your heel lift which is an issue for me.

Your guess that your foot is not far enough forward in the binding sounds to
me like it could be the issue. If that is the case then it is easy to
resolve by loosening the front ratchets. This may make the fit over the
instep too loose though and this is where the heat moulding trick may help
by fitting the shape of your footstrap to the shape of your boot.

- do get a little heel lift
- do not have the ability to ratchet down a little tighter like i got used
to doing when i approached a particularly steep drop or mogul field.

- have to start with a looser setting for the first couple runs and
tighten
the bindings as my boot warms up.

Generally, I have found all the same issues with Flows (and some more) but I
still love the convenience (I never got on with any of the step-in systems I
tried). I especially miss the ability to quickly adjust the position of the
higback from the original Flows which had a webbing strap rather than the
cable/lever arrangement.

"Playdreamer" wrote in message ...

- do get a little heel lift
- do not have the ability to ratchet down a little tighter like i got used
to doing when i approached a particularly steep drop or mogul field.

- have to start with a looser setting for the first couple runs and
tighten
the bindings as my boot warms up.

Generally, I have found all the same issues with Flows (and some more) but I
still love the convenience (I never got on with any of the step-in systems I
tried). I especially miss the ability to quickly adjust the position of the
higback from the original Flows which had a webbing strap rather than the
cable/lever arrangement.

Yup, I tried that last night (moving foot farther forward) and it didn't
work. The heel lift was so extreme that it affected my control. So, I
decided to move the cable on my rear binding to the loosest setting
(underneath). This made me realize that adjusting the forward lean on
Flows is just a pipe dream, since doing so just increases my heel pressure.

With this done the boot was better, although I still had some pain which
could have been leftover bruising that has to heal. Still had too much
lift in my boot...could be the boots. That's the one nice thing about
conventional straps...your boot lacing can be looser because the straps
hold your foot in place.

I haven't given up on Flows yet as I do like the convenience. But for
my situaion (my feet, my 32 lashed boots) it should have come together sooner
since I've been on them for 7 trips. I can't imagine pros using these
things, although I see that they do have a Team and all. It just seems
like these issues wouldn't be acceptable in competition where performance
far outweighs convenience. However, pros also have people from Flow to
custom fit everything and they probably don't have the same issues I do!

-todd

toddjb wrote:
"Playdreamer" wrote in message
...=20
=20
- do get a little heel lift
- do not have the ability to ratchet down a little tighter like i
got used to doing when i approached a particularly steep drop or
mogul field.=20
=20
- have to start with a looser setting for the first couple runs and
tighten
the bindings as my boot warms up.
=20
Generally, I have found all the same issues with Flows (and some
more) but I still love the convenience (I never got on with any of
the step-in systems I tried). I especially miss the ability to
quickly adjust the position of the higback from the original Flows
which had a webbing strap rather than the cable/lever arrangement.
=20
Yup, I tried that last night (moving foot farther forward) and it
didn't=20
work. The heel lift was so extreme that it affected my control. So,
I=20
decided to move the cable on my rear binding to the loosest setting
(underneath). This made me realize that adjusting the forward lean on
Flows is just a pipe dream, since doing so just increases my heel
pressure.=20
=20
With this done the boot was better, although I still had some pain
which=20
could have been leftover bruising that has to heal. Still had too
much=20
lift in my boot...could be the boots. That's the one nice thing about
conventional straps...your boot lacing can be looser because the
straps=20
hold your foot in place.
=20
I haven't given up on Flows yet as I do like the convenience. But for
my situaion (my feet, my 32 lashed boots) it should have come
together sooner=20
since I've been on them for 7 trips. I can't imagine pros using these
things, although I see that they do have a Team and all. It just
seems=20
like these issues wouldn't be acceptable in competition where
performance=20
far outweighs convenience. However, pros also have people from Flow
to=20
custom fit everything and they probably don't have the same issues I
do!=20
=20
-todd

Have you tried custom footbeds - I have had *lots* of foot pain/heel =
lift problems with my setup (FL-11's and 32's). As soon as I had custom =
footbeds made and heat moulded the inners, most of my heel lift has gone =
(along with the pain).

--=20
cupra (remove nospam please to mail)

I haven't given up on Flows yet as I do like the convenience. But for
my situaion (my feet, my 32 lashed boots) it should have come together
sooner
since I've been on them for 7 trips. I can't imagine pros using these
things, although I see that they do have a Team and all. It just seems
like these issues wouldn't be acceptable in competition where performance
far outweighs convenience.

you said it right. if performance is compromised then it's not acceptable.
that was the reason i gave up on them.
although i might still have had them if my boots would have fit like a
glove.

juani

Have not used flows bindings before but at one time my boots
(step-ins/burton) had so much lift that the heel of my back foot was
actually bleeding (funny how boots always fit you nicely in the store;
but my technique at that time was pretty bad anyway). I don't think
you can avoid some small heel lift but one thing that basically
removes the heel bruise for me was a pair of dr schols insoles (u can
get them for like 8 bucks and cut them to fit your boots). I'm
guessing they lift your feet towards the boots tongue and cuts down
the amount of lifting. Try them out, worse case you can still use the
insoles later on for your next pair of boots
" cupra" wrote in message ...
toddjb wrote:
"Playdreamer" wrote in message
...

- do get a little heel lift
- do not have the ability to ratchet down a little tighter like i
got used to doing when i approached a particularly steep drop or
mogul field.

- have to start with a looser setting for the first couple runs and
tighten
the bindings as my boot warms up.

Generally, I have found all the same issues with Flows (and some
more) but I still love the convenience (I never got on with any of
the step-in systems I tried). I especially miss the ability to
quickly adjust the position of the higback from the original Flows
which had a webbing strap rather than the cable/lever arrangement.

Yup, I tried that last night (moving foot farther forward) and it
didn't
work. The heel lift was so extreme that it affected my control. So,
I
decided to move the cable on my rear binding to the loosest setting
(underneath). This made me realize that adjusting the forward lean on
Flows is just a pipe dream, since doing so just increases my heel
pressure.

With this done the boot was better, although I still had some pain
which
could have been leftover bruising that has to heal. Still had too
much
lift in my boot...could be the boots. That's the one nice thing about
conventional straps...your boot lacing can be looser because the
straps
hold your foot in place.

I haven't given up on Flows yet as I do like the convenience. But for
my situaion (my feet, my 32 lashed boots) it should have come
together sooner
since I've been on them for 7 trips. I can't imagine pros using these
things, although I see that they do have a Team and all. It just
seems
like these issues wouldn't be acceptable in competition where
performance
far outweighs convenience. However, pros also have people from Flow
to
custom fit everything and they probably don't have the same issues I
do!

-todd

Have you tried custom footbeds - I have had *lots* of foot pain/heel
lift problems with my setup (FL-11's and 32's). As soon as I had custom
footbeds made and heat moulded the inners, most of my heel lift has gone
(along with the pain).

" cupra" wrote in message ...


Have you tried custom footbeds - I have had *lots* of foot pain/heel
lift problems with my setup (FL-11's and 32's). As soon as I had custom
footbeds made and heat moulded the inners, most of my heel lift has gone
(along with the pain).

Got 'em. And I agree...that is the best thing you can do for any
boot fit. I'd put a disclaimer on that by saying you should only by
boots with a footbed in them. That way you can rip their's out and put
yours in. I bought 32 boots this year that come without footbeds. So,
you can make it work, but you're shoving it into a boot that wasn't
designed for a footbed and it takes some space away. Heat molding the
liners helped out with this.

On the Flows...
I took my whole setup back to the shop today and had him "professional
fit" my flows if that means anything. He did make some changes I hadn't
noticed. So...I'll get them out there this weekend and hope for the best.

" cupra" wrote in message ...


Have you tried custom footbeds - I have had *lots* of foot pain/heel
lift problems with my setup (FL-11's and 32's). As soon as I had custom
footbeds made and heat moulded the inners, most of my heel lift has gone
(along with the pain).

Got 'em. And I agree...that is the best thing you can do for any
boot fit. I'd put a disclaimer on that by saying you should only by
boots with a footbed in them. That way you can rip their's out and put
yours in. I bought 32 boots this year that come without footbeds. So,
you can make it work, but you're shoving it into a boot that wasn't
designed for a footbed and it takes some space away. Heat molding the
liners helped out with this.

On the Flows...
I took my whole setup back to the shop today and had him "professional
fit" my flows if that means anything. He did make some changes I hadn't
noticed. So...I'll get them out there this weekend and hope for the best.