snowboard geeks: Ride CAD or Drake Podium?

[SchralphMacchio]

I like really responsive bindings that feel like they are dialed in. I currently ride the 2006 Drake Podiums, but both (left and right) carbon fiber highbacks have cracks and I worry that they will explode at some point ... trying to find replacement highbacks but I don't think it's gonna happen.

So I found some Drake Podiums from last year online and also some Ride CADs online that are around the same price ... any votes either way? Anyone know which are lighter?

For you Burton junkies out there, save it. I have Cartels on my BC setup and they don't touch the Drakes in terms of response. CO2's are cushy too but still not as dialed in as the Drakes.

I'd get Cateks if I had the dough or Nidecker Carbons if I could find em for the right price, but I don't want to spend any more than $240. Sheet, preferably I'd spend $200 but killer deals on non-Burton high end snowboard bindings are just hard to find.

[arild]

I´d go with neither of the above. (Except might be fun to try out Cateks)

Rome Targas sound just like what you´re after. Even new, they fit into your price range.
I´ve put mine through hell through two tough seasons, and with some parts exchanged, they´re still ripping it on their third.

Highback: Decently stiff, but not absolutely rigid. Very responsive.
Straps: On the ankles, you get to choose between two foam inserts - one soft and one stiff. I like the soft for the extra cush, and the straps can be moved backward or forward depending on how much response/support you want and need.
Heelcups: Actually a heel hoop, going as far as to where the toe straps are. Solid stuff.
Toe straps: Can be rocked as a cap, semi cap or a regular strap. Never cared for the full cap strap, but it rides very well semi cap.

I love these bindings. For super solid stuff, you can never go wrong with Union binders (actually started by former Drake employees), especially the Force. It has a deceivingly soft highback torsionally, but very responsive still. Allows for some tweak..

I´m sure there are plenty of other good binders out there, but Rome has never failed me. Great customer service. The only thing I´ve managed to break on more than one occasion, is the mounting discs. I sent them an e-mail about well into the 06/07 season, and I had a pair of discs with stickers on my door after three days, shipped from VT. I live in Norway.

Again, can´t recommend Rome Targas enough. Great binders. If you look past the lack of torsional stiffness on the Union Forces, those might fit your bill too. Heel edge response on these is actually almost as good as on the Romes.

Hope that helps somewhat!

Arild.

EDIT: I noticed you looked for weight differences. For me, that´s not important. If the board, boots and bindings fit well together and make for easy response and hucking, weight is no longer a factor.

[SchralphMacchio]

Thanks arild.

The Drake connection with Union would explain why their buckles look so similar (I love the Drake buckles) ... but those Force bindings look too flexy for me. They would look fun if I was setting up a dedicated resort board ... but even my solid boards end up on my back and out of bounds hence the weight issue. (And the old Podiums are pretty freaking heavy.) I don't think I'm gonna really be able to compare weight before buying though ...

Those Targas look pretty solid for the money and I see solid reviews about getting the stiffness and response that I want. Good to hear about your customer service experience with them. I've heard some good anecdotal customer service about Ride too, and we'll see how this highback thing goes with Drake.

I think I'll definitely throw those Targas into the mix as well. After looking at the Rides some more, those toe straps look kind of dinky, I'd rather have the ones that come on the Targas. Only problem with the Targas ... couldn't they have made a non-blingy color scheme?

I mean I rock skinny MHW pants with full sidezips inbounds ferchrissakes, my steeze is all about simple anti-bling nerd tech!

[advres]

Are those Ride CAD bindings aluminum baseplates like most Rides? If so, I wouldn't touch em with a 10' pole. I second the Targas though. I rode buddies board last year that had them and I really dug 'em. I have Forces on all my boards (except one has cartels) and I love them. They have a little give to them, that you may not like, but they are great for me.

[SchralphMacchio]

Are those Ride CAD bindings aluminum baseplates like most Rides? If so, I wouldn't touch em with a 10' pole.

I was thinking about that too ... they are aluminum, and so are the discs. So aluminum won't fracture like a composite baseplate, but it will deform. Not sure if that's really any worse?

Both the Drakes and Romes have similar designs with full-length aluminum heelcup/trays connecting down to a glass-filled nylon baseplate. Romes are probably lighter due to the slotted tray.

After seeing the Targas I'm leaning less toward the Rides ... they just looked of initial interest to me as a potentially lightweight, techy, stiff binding.

If Drake's customer service is absolutely crappy, I'll probably get the Targas. If they're helpful but can't get replacement highbacks I'll prolly stay with Drake cause I really like my current bindings.

[arild]

The new CADs have the alu baseplate, and I´m fairly sure the older versions have them as well. The new CADs have a cantable footbed, but in my experience that patent is junk. I have the NRcs, and while the idea of the canting footbeds is good, it just doesn´t work in real riding situations. Even less so if you actually give them some punishment. And about the alu baseplates - not a fan. Too rigid and dead feel to them.

By the way: The Targas are much, much lighter than the Drake Matrix 04/05s I had a couple of years ago. There is spraypaint, too you know. Subtlety is not a quality Rome endorses.

[advres]

And about the alu baseplates - not a fan. Too rigid and dead feel to them.

That was what I was getting at. Too rigid and they create an uneven flex pattern in your board.

[SchralphMacchio]

By the way: The Targas are much, much lighter than the Drake Matrix 04/05s I had a couple of years ago.

Yeah, I think those old Matrix bindings had the same heelcup and plate as the old Podium, but less padded straps and no carbon fiber highback - otherwise similar to the Podium ... and, yes, heavy!

There is spraypaint, too you know. Subtlety is not a quality Rome endorses.

That's problem ... my setup is seriously so anti-steeze (black boots black pants black jacket black gloves black goggle frame/strap grey helmet) that those bindings (even the black model!) will stand out like crazy.

[SchralphMacchio]

That was what I was getting at. Too rigid and they create an uneven flex pattern in your board.

Good to know, thanks.

[arild]

That was what I was getting at. Too rigid and they create an uneven flex pattern in your board.

Which is what´s so great about Unions (and Romes for that matter).
Also, the alu discs have me a bit worried on the Rides. When I´ve shattered plastic discs on any other binder, the board goes unharmed. I´m seeing a scenario with the alu discs actually ripping out inserts. That would probably require a lot of force, though.

[SchralphMacchio]

I´m seeing a scenario with the alu discs actually ripping out inserts. That would probably require a lot of force, though.

Seeing as how I've actually cut through those inserts with a saw ... yes, that would require a lot of force. They are basically a T-nut. I can't see those pulling out unless the core is rotten to the point of rancid butter. In which case you've got other problems.

[Turd Ferguson]

I have no recommendations, but since I'm riding '06 Podiums too, I'm curious about the cause and location of the cracks.

Simple wear and tear? How many days?

[SchralphMacchio]

I have no recommendations, but since I'm riding '06 Podiums too, I'm curious about the cause and location of the cracks.

Simple wear and tear? How many days?

it's on the inside side of each highback (meaning toward the center of the board) where the carbon fiber starts to get thinner ... kind of where the red plastic pad comes out to the side of the carbon fiber. Much bigger crack on my back foot binding (almost 2 cm and cracked all the way through the thickness of the carbon)than my front (~1 cm and not cracked all the way through). Looks like the crack started at the edge of the carbon fiber than worked its way in.

Probably about 60 days over 2.5 seasons? Probably a combination of wear and tear from hard riding and beatering off boulder drops. I work the highbacks pretty hard cause I like to pretend I'm on a hardboot setup and dig trenches when I'm on groomers ... but I'm sure the beaters have been just as stressful. Mostly been used on my two Burton T6 boards.

Other than the highbacks, the bindings have been really solid ... worked well from -20F to 65F and never broke a ratched or strap or anything. The thing is that the highbacks still work, so they haven't failed catastrophically ... (yet) ...

[SchralphMacchio]

Just a quick bump ...

Drake mailed me replacement highbacks within 4 days of me emailing warranty@drake.com. So that was good of them.

And the discretionary funds I was gonna blow on an extra set of bindings got blown at the Patagonia Outlet in Reno on Saturday ... Primo Flash shell for $175

[arild]

That is sick customer service. Congrats!

[Turd Ferguson]

Good to hear that they did the right thing.

[arild]

I currently ride the 2006 Drake Podiums, but both (left and right) carbon fiber highbacks have cracks and I worry that they will explode at some point ... trying to find replacement highbacks but I don't think it's gonna happen.

Good to hear that they did the right thing.

Looks like Drake went beyond their warranty on this one, but yeah, that is pretty fkn awesome.

[idiot]

i've riden ride spi binders for a couple of years and have found them to be bomber. it is fairly stiff and could be found pretty cheap i'm guessing.

edit: problem solved