This week I'm reviewing the Burton Custom Bindings. These are some of the most popular bindings out there and they are a nice middle-ground between quality and economy in a pair of snowboard bindings. These bindings are a nice step up from the Burton Freestyles but are still relatively cheap (about $160) compared to the Burton Mission or Cartel bindings (around $190 and $230 respectively) I rode these with my Ride Kink on a pretty even mix of all-mountain and park riding (mostly rails and jibbing) and they felt great for both.
The Burton Custom bindings are mostly plastic, which is a blessing and a curse: they are nice and lightweight, however they are also less durable than metal binders. This did not pose much of a problem until the very end of my second season with them. I was riding at Okemo Mountain on closing weekend and around lunch time I realized the knob connecting my highback and baseplate had broken off. As long as I had the foot strapped in I was fine because the pressure of my boot being in the binding prevented it from twisting too much. Once my foot was out, the highback was loosely held on by a single thin plastic piece. Being the visual person I am, this is difficult to explain the exact part of the bindings without showing you.
As I said, this minor break didn't affect my riding, but the handling of my board. If my highback was pushed too far to the inside, or right side (I'm regular, by the way), of my left binding, it could have snapped right off. Simply by being careful with my board when it wasn't on my feet saved me from the need to replace these entirely, so it still isn't that big of a deal.Other than the issue with the mostly-plastic construction, I loved/love these bindings. One of my favorite parts of these bindings (or pretty much all other Burton bindings) is the capstrap. I was a skeptic at first of the change these strange curved toe straps; how could moving the toe strap in front of my foot possibly make riding better? In short: it did. No more pressure points when I felt the need to lock it up and no more wiggle-room when I felt like getting nice and loose. Think about it, how do two straps over your foot hold your boot in place? You crank them down until they're tight enough to hold your foot down. What about two straps that pull in different directions? They hold your foot in. Now I know I'm starting to sound like a Burton rep, but I truly love the concept of a strap that hugs around your toes instead of crushing them. Let's not forget the nice and smooth ratcheting straps as well the ease of on-hill highback adjustment (after all, they are the "Customs"). I could go on for a while about these, but now I'm technically two days late with this posting, soooo...
The Bottom Line:
Pros
- Lightweight, flexible, easy to adjust
- Good value (especially at post-season prices!)
- Plastic construction increases chances of breakage
- Honestly, the weak points were my biggest gripe
Posts
I've also been riding with the burton customs for awhile now and I couldn't agree more! I had the misfortune of my board being stolen mid season and needing a middle of the road set up as far as price and quality was concerned. I haven't experienced the same breakage as you have but unfortunately this comes as a little surprise to me.
ReplyDeleteNow don't get me wrong, the breakage wasn't that big of a deal and based on my experiences it doesn't sound like a common occurrence by any means. Other than the break, my Customs provided me with nothing but a great ride for a solid two seasons plus several post-and preseason rail jams. Unfortunately my bindings were past warranty, but if they weren't I'm sure Burton's W48 warranty program would have at least provided me with a replacement piece for the part that had broken off. If you are a Champlain student, feel free to stop by the IDX student center tomorrow (Thursday October 8th) between 11am and 2pm to check out my bindings and see exactly what I'm talking about with how they broke.
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