K2 Snowboards Cinch CTC Snowboard Binding - 2008 BCS

I was intimidated by those Flow riders when I first started learning. I realized what I had been missing by not getting this style of binding from the beginning. The time you waste fumbling around after you get off the lift... the awkward steering with a loose rear foot... all gone. You just roll off the lifts and GO. After a few practice runs you start to feel like a skier rolling off the lift... and you get your lift ticket's worth of runs real quick. If you get stuck on some flats and have to walk, you don't seethe with frustration because you have take forever to stop and strap back in. I have last year's model. Would really like to find out how to get the canted footbeds on the old model. Anyone?

Well I got these bindings a couple months ago and so far they have held up fairly well with significant abuse. I was really concerned about the other reviews bad ratings on this binding until I realized they were all from the same guy that was just saying the same thing over and over again. These bindings feel great and respond great and so far I have had no problems with the quality of them.

On pow mornings, when it's first chair up on the mtn and there are 300 mixed riders behind you, the cinch gets you off and going and down 3200 vertical without sitting and foolin'. Just insert boot, reach down and....gone!

Also great for teaching, when it's in and out of the binding, more than you'd like... Mine lasted almost two seasons and still going strong...that's over 250 days on snow.

I bought a pair of the K2 cinch in '05 and they are awesome. My old boots rubbed when i tried to put them in, so I got new boots. They provide a lot of support compared to Flows and they save a lot of time strapping yourself in.

cons: the ones I got in '05 are a little heavy and bulky it seems like the newer ones are a lot more light weight. I'll probably have to get myself a new pair.

Bought these as an alternative to the flows, as they have a bit too much lateral flex for softboot carving. Great concept, but materials leave a lot to be desired. After only one day of riding, one of the toe straps was showing significant fatigue (leather cover was coming apart at the stitches). A few days later, the ankle straps were doing the same. There is some sort of padding material on the inside of the highback, and that is showing major signs of wear after only about 10 days of riding. It's just coming off the highback. I guess that's kind of cosmetic, but with the price of these, you'd expect better quality. Also there doesn't appear to be an easy way to replace the toe straps should tyhey break. Definitely disappointed in this product.