2010 Ride Alpha MVMNT Bindings[smg id=57]”Designed exclusively for the top freestyle riders, the Alpha combines the ThinFlex™ ankle strap, UltraLite highback and Convertible Grip™ toe strap for the ultimate in lightweight. Also featuring the new Wedgie 2.5 and optional 4.0 footbeds for the utmost drive and ollie pop.”Thats what Ride says. Now lets break it down.This binding features the MVMNT chassis system which accordingto ride allows the binding to flex in unison with the board to givea greater feeling of connection between you and the snow belowyou. Now I haven't had a chance to test these out on the snow yet,seeing how we just got our first flakes a week ago and the mountainis closed for a month still, but upon playing with these in the livingroom, they do twist and flex nicely to not only keep you in control,but keep the comfort level
2010 Ride Alpha MVMNT Bindings[smg id=57]”Designed exclusively for the top freestyle riders, the Alpha combines the ThinFlex™ ankle strap, UltraLite highback and Convertible Grip™ toe strap for the ultimate in lightweight. Also featuring the new Wedgie 2.5 and optional 4.0 footbeds for the utmost drive and ollie pop.”Thats what Ride says. Now lets break it down.This binding features the MVMNT chassis system which accordingto ride allows the binding to flex in unison with the board to givea greater feeling of connection between you and the snow belowyou. Now I haven't had a chance to test these out on the snow yet,seeing how we just got our first flakes a week ago and the mountainis closed for a month still, but upon playing with these in the livingroom, they do twist and flex nicely to not only keep you in control,but keep the comfort level high too.It comes with 2 choices for footbeds, the Wedgie 2.5 and the Wedgie4.0. The difference in the 2 is not only the ollie power and controllevel, but the angle on the foot beds also keep you in natural alignment,as they are slightly angled to the inside, to make the stance morenatural, as if you were standing in the dead middle of the board.The chassis and heel cup are all made out of 6160 aircraft aluminum, whichis really nice for support and longevity. There is also a gel insert at the heeland the toes that is incorporated into the chassis instead of the footbed, anda urethane base pad that both add to the total movement of the bindings.Of course, if you've ever ridden any Ride bindings, they come with the convertible toe strap, meaning you can ride strapped over the top of theboot, or over the front, or anywhere between. On the alphas, they area weird material. Its somewhere between plastic and rubber, which isdifferent from their usual canvas. Ill have to report back if they're cheapor just really light weight. The highback is almost a soft plastic too,but alot harder than the toe strap. I do like the twists in these, not cheapat all!So far I really like these bindings. As far as the movement part of theMVMNT series, these are on the stiff side, but they still flex withoutstepping feet first into a totally flexible binding like the Forum Shaka.The only 3 complaints are the price, which isnt really bad, I just dontlike how expensive bindings are, even though these are worth it to me,and the weight. If they're light weight, I can only imagine how heavythese could have been. They are slightly heavier than the BurtonCartel, but they also look and feel (and review according to a fewother sites) better than the Cartel. And the footbed covers the adjustmentfor the bindings. If you want to adjust the bindings at all, you have totake the footbed out, which isnt entirely easy in a living room, let aloneon the side of a mountain. But if you dont mess with them much,this isnt an issue after they're set up.I have to say, the Ride site doesn't lie, this is a great binding. If itssomething you're considering but think Ride might be talking it up,or your friends are talking it up, they're not. The pro's of thesebindings outweigh the cons to me. We'll see after this winter if I stillagree with this review.
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