Ride Optimo Contraband Snowboard Binding - 2010

so it says it will mount on a 3 hole pattern, no it won't, i called coustomer service twice, the first time they said they will only fit on a chanel not a 4 hole or a 3 hole, i put them on my 4 hole board, i then called again they said they will not fit on a chanel or a 3 hole pattern but only a 4 hole pattern. DO NOT BUY IF YOU HAVE A 3 HOLE PATTERN BOARD!!!!!

I'm feeling a lot more secure about this binding. The added piece on the toe instead of the webbing makes me feel a lot more secure about it not breaking. The binding itself is a little bit on the stiff side and that could be good depending on your style of riding. I like my bindings a little softer and that is the downside to this binding. Endless setup options. You can configure these bindings to fit practically any boot (in the size range) I'm feeling pretty confident with this binding, not to mention the purple and blue colorway looks sick!

Pros : Stylish, Lightweight
Cons : Bad V-Strap Connection, Loose on the Board, Bad V-Strap, Poorly Labeled, Highback Aesthetics Peel
Best Uses : Trash Bin
Describe Yourself : On The Mountain
Was this a gift? : No

I rode these bindings almost 10 times, and I'm sending them back. Here's why, with my Pros and Cons. I'll start with the pros, and then go to the Cons.
snow
Pros:

-Good-Looking. The light blue/purple color looked sick, especially on my board. The Spacecraft graphics look sick, except the black part on the back of the highback starts peeling off.

-Lightweight. These bindings are incredibly light, which on a light board like mine made for some good pop and air time.

Cons:

-V Strap Connection: This is my least favorite thing about this binding. For some reason, the material that connects the V Strap to the main part of the binding is Velcro. Velcro does not work on snow at all. I would have to lick the Velcro after every run so that the snow would melt off of it and I could reattach the V strap to the main part of the binding. By this time the V Strap would be hanging loosely on the end of the binding, making for an incredibly non responsive ride. The Velcro had also started to rip from the connector, so soon there would have even been no Velcro. I resorted to using rubber bands to hold the V Strap and the ankle strap together.

-Highback- The random non plastic piece on the baack of the highback peeled of after a couple days on them. No affect on the performance, but it didn't look good.

Wedgie Footpads- The Wedgie Footpads worked great. Unfortunately, the footpads weren't labeled at all, so during my whole time riding I never knew if I was riding the 2.5s or the 4.0s.

V Strap Adjustability- No matter how much I adjusted the V Strap, it never got just right on the toe of my boot. And I'm using a Ride boot, so they should be pretty compatible. It was always loose and didn't evenly cover the toe.

I wanted these bindings for 7 months, and I ordered them in September. When I finally got them in December, after months of estimated ship date set backs and information that kept falling through, I got my bindings. I was excited to use them, and finally try the bindings I had dreamed about for so long. I was not biased against them, if anything, I was biased towards them. I tried my best to like them, but I just couldn't. Unresponsive, and with tons of design flaws, these are terrible bindings. When I pay $300 for bindings, I want them to ride like I paid $300 dollars for them. But they didn't. I'm returning them and I'll buy some Alpha MVMNTs, and hope for better results. With the exception of these bindings, I love Ride, and have always known them to make great stuff. So keep up the good work on everything but these Ride!

I wanted to love these bindings. The materials and look of the binding are superb. All of the adjustments allow for a snug fit. The wedgies are great for improved pop and shock absorption. However, Ride totally botched the "new and improved" V-strap. I had issues with the velcro on the V-strap. On my second day of riding it would not stay fastened, resulting in the V-strap becoming loose and sloppy while riding. Did Ride even test ride these bindings?

For years I've tried to test new technology in bindings. I've had two pairs of Flow's that have failed and now these Optimo's. I have finally learned to go with what works, instead of trying to save 30 seconds on the slopes with a trendy technology. Thanks to Dogfunk, I can return these bogus bindings no questions asked, and pick up a pair of Union Force SL's.