Blax SI binding, good or bad?

[Surf Quebec]

Hi,

blax step-in binding , good or bad ?

I want to used them on a board not used often, mainly on soft snow (which is not often around here.
I'm tired of unscrewing/screwing my td2.
My weight is 162 pounds.

[ibrussell]

HI I'v run Blax regular bindings for five years on powder boards with no problem. I'm 180# and have some with center disk and some with pastic. Charlie

[b0ardski]

all metal base plate & toe block with intec receiver?? Should be fine for your weight if so.

[Surf Quebec]

I have no idea if they're all metal, I'll ask.

b0ardski, I think your signature should say "Vive la glisse"

[anke]

that's funny! this is the exact same binding that i use. i also weigh about 160 pound.

unfortunately i can't contribute a lot to this thread since i just started hardbooting past season.

what i noticed, and i don't know if this is supposed to be like that:

i can wiggle my foot in the binding a lot, wiggle left and right. i rode it a few days and it felt great, but i am wondering if this wiggeling is just what some here call "flex", of if the binding is actually loose and unsafe. i checked all srews and they seem to be tightened.

much looser (more flexible?) then the TD2s i just ordered (and only sofaboarded so far).

sorry, that's all i can say.

overall, if this "flex" is normal, then i like the bindings, it was very easy to learn riding in hardboots and i hope the TD2 will give me the same feeling.

[anke]

and no, they are NOT all metal. the base plate is plastic.

[BlueB]

I have a pair, but bail version. It is plastic base, but seems well engineered - I wouldn't be too worried about it. However, I broke the bail itself. I used it as my favorite freeride binding (great flex), for steep bumps, etc. I'm 180 lbs, aggressive.
Toe/heel blocks and bails are identical to F2s.

[anke]

so i assume the wiggling is actual what's called "flex"?

[BlueB]

Anke, if the wigling is more like free movement of the boot within the bails, then your bails are not tight enough. There should be a bit of effort to close the bail, so the tension remains even as the boot moves a bit. In other words, the boot should move with the bails, i.e. flexing the bails or the base itself, but not moving freely witin the bails.
Hope it makes sense...

[Titan]

I beat the pi$$ outta mine for over 7 years...never a problem.

[b0ardski]

looks the same as F2 carve, I wouldn't worry about them and I'm 185#


excuse my (bad) french

[Surf Quebec]

I just bought used SI blax binding at a very good price.
Since the seller is now racing , she was a junior racer at Copper this weekend, her coach forbids her to use step in. So including in the deal there are intec heels with brand new cable :biggthump

No more unscrewing / crewing :biggthump:biggthump

[Titan]

I know what I'd tell her coach....If I were her,that is.....:argue:

[Bordy]

I know what I'd tell her coach....If I were her,that is.....:argue:

Step ins have issues on race courses, There is a reason she pays her coach?:freak3:

The Blax bindings are just fine, some time You will also see them labeled as Head bindings, Many of the light weight girls rode them for a few years at the FIS level, the do break, but so do metal bindings, there are several center disk options including custom metal to stiffen up the system, however it seem most falures happend while using the metal disk, the Japanese Team were rocking them for several years, now everyone pretty much rides F2s...

Should be a fun binding for any rider looking for some board feel.

[Bordy]

Anke, if the wigling is more like free movement of the boot within the bails, then your bails are not tight enough. There should be a bit of effort to close the bail, so the tension remains even as the boot moves a bit. In other words, the boot should move with the bails, i.e. flexing the bails or the base itself, but not moving freely witin the bails.
Hope it makes sense...

Nailed it,

Anke if you have play in your bindings you can post up pictures and some on here will help you adjust them if there is slop without resestance then you can create shock loading which breaks stuff..... Lets us know.

[Surf Quebec]

Anke,

I'll mount the bindings on a board tonight and do the final ajustments this weekend as my boots are at the bootfitter.

I'll you know if there is any wiggling .

[Surf Quebec]

Anke,

I've installed the blax bindings on a board and there is no wigling with my boots (head stratos pro).

[Surf Quebec]

I bought this recently, people are almost giving alpine stuff on kijiji around here..

There are Blax bindings
Any pros/cons on these Blax bindings ?

[Titan]

Stephane.....I've had those exact bindings for years....never an issue.Not as rigid as my TD3's....but sometimes a little flex is a good thing!

[kieran]

those toe blocks look like they may have been heel blocks from non-intec bindings. usually there are adjustment screws to tighten the bail down.

[Chris Houghton]

Yes, that looks like the wrong curvature for a toe bail. Good call.

[b0ardski]

Looks like the same curvature as my blax stepin bindings. The only difference between the stepin toe and clip in heel will be the height of the side legs of the bail.
Just put a boot toe in the bail and you'll know if the bail sits flat on the ledge of the boot(if it's a heel block the bail will be too tall to use as a toe).
I believe only the high end f2 toes have the adjustable height bails.

[jacopodotti]

I use Proflex Free Carve, wich are the non stepins but has the same base plate.
I've never had a problem and I weight 265 lbs :rolleyes:
And I like that little more flex, like Burton Race, that other plates doesn't have.

[BlueB]

I also thing those are heel bails...

Blax / Proflex / F2 RS Carve are my favorite freeride and teaching bindings. Probably the most sideways flex out of all bindings, except maybe Burton Carrier. There are 2 generations of bails, older 5mm and newer 5.5mm. I managed to brake an old one, but it was already abused by a racer.

[Titan]

Those are the standard Blax toe-bails I'm familiar with....not as beefy as some,may have a different curvature than other types, but fit like a glove on Head and Deeluxe boots.

[kieran]

it's their fold-down ability that makes me wonder.

[Bobby Buggs]

That toe piece was offered on the F2 titanflex 5 years ago.

[benttech]

That toe piece is not a heel piece, mine looks like that and it does fold down . I have an almost identical set of step-ins, just in blue and made completely out of plastic (baseplate too).

Good bindings in my opinion. I like to use them for freeriding or where I feel Ill need the most flex possible as they are very flexible but strong. I weigh 90kg (200pds) and "try" to ride aggressively and have never had a problem. Plus you can get them for cheap. Some cant/lift mods are possible with special shims, but surprise surprise I ride them completely flat, not unlike my TD2/3s which for some reason I always have to dial in with all sorts of tweaks.