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NOW IPO Bindings

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hello:

Does anyone have any experience with Now IPO bindings or NOW technology in general.
They seem attractive but I'm dubious as they require a complete change in riding style which after years of riding I'm not prepared to do.

Do they actually work and is the sales blurb correct in that they reduce fatigue and make everything better ?

your thoughts are appreciated.

R,


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 4-03-14 0:21; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Haven't used them. Know a few people who do (because they got them free).

Let's just say I'm unconvinced. Gimmick.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I've got a set, although haven't taken the backs off to ride so maybe that defeats the object of having them!

I have them set up with the medium pads right now and TBH can't feel any difference to my old Burton Custom bindings. I did also have a problem with them in that the ratchet strap kept sticking shut (apparently this can happen if you over tighten them). Elis Brigham did replace the straps and I'm off on my final trip next week so will test out the new straps then. In the meantime I had to look like a right plonker asking for people (thanks Steve Angus for this shot) to help me out of my bindings.....it looked like they were trying to bum me!

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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Hello, Thanks for that. I'll be interested in knowing how you get on with them.
The blurb says that they reduce fatigue and make everything better.
I guess they need to be tested properly for at least a few days in real conditions.
Which is hopefully what you'll be doing next week.

Do keep us posted.

R
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I've ridden them for a week (in Jan) so far and I had a good week with them (until the ratchets stuck!) I then swapped back to my old Burton Customs (thank god I didn't throw them out) for a long weekend in Feb. I can't say I noticed any difference in fatigue between the bindings and we went pretty hard (with the Customs back on) on the long weekend (first lift up, no breaks apart from 45 min lunch and boarded till around 3:30 - 4pm every day for 3 days).

I'll report back after this long weekend as I will be able to give a like for like comparison across 2 weekends
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
I rode them for a week recently with the backs off. I liked it. However I'm prbly not the best person to ask for a review as I'm not an experienced boarder, these are the first bindings I've owned.
At first it feels a bit more like surfing, your ankles are quite free. This may make little sense but I think it kinda forces you to balance, you feel a little bit 'perched' at first, but that passes.
The main thing I'd say is that they are just very responsive, which is great.

With the backs off I think most people would find it feels considerably less different than they'd expect.

I did get a bit of fatigue on the soles of my feet, but I've had that before. I wouldn't attribute it to the bindings. It's probably smthng to do with my stance that I haven't worked out yet.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Any updates on this? I've just ordered a new board - Arbor Watchtower, mainly for hammering around on the groomers and good powder days, and in the market for some new bindings to put on it.

They look interesting, some reviews say they are responsive, others say they aren't. I usually ride fairly stiff bindings, union or flux the last few years.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I got some last year. They are a bit different to regular bindings and you can feel the slight movement as per a skateboard truck they are trying to emulate as you go into turns. I liked them on flat pistes, powder, they seem to absorb high speed chatter on flats too, but struggled with them in bumps, chopped up conditions etc, bit soft on the heel edge it seemd to me. But i made a modification this year which solved all that so at first i was not overly happy with them but now I am. Also excellent after sales service.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
hsdee wrote:
I got some last year. They are a bit different to regular bindings and you can feel the slight movement as per a skateboard truck they are trying to emulate as you go into turns. I liked them on flat pistes, powder, they seem to absorb high speed chatter on flats too, but struggled with them in bumps, chopped up conditions etc, bit soft on the heel edge it seemd to me. But i made a modification this year which solved all that so at first i was not overly happy with them but now I am. Also excellent after sales service.


What was this modification? I've read about mixing the hard and soft bushes? I've got a set of Drive's on my new board but wont get to try them properly until Jan.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Not sure if I should answer this one, i would not like to upset Mr Pelchat, seems like a very decent chap, but if it helps others why not. So at first I was having quite some trouble with them, great in nice conditions but kept landing on my bum in the bumps and choppy stuff, could n't really understand why as normally this was not usually ever happening to me with regular bindings, kept finding heel edge too soft and spongy to stomp a fast landing and turn. Also i found that occasionally they seemed a bit sticky on turn initiation in some circumstances.
After some inspections and reverting back to the 3 years i spent at big school learning mech eng i found that under the binding plates it pulled the board up about a mm (visual, as i had no micrometers with me) when you put a rule across the base and that when you sit the ipo on a flat surface there seems to also be a gap under the mounting rim (the bit around the plate) of about the same. Lessening the screw pressure did solve this but then the screws were loose (and yes i know a small amount of positive pressure is required here)
Anyway to cut a long story short i found a thin rubber bar mat, about a mm thick , cut a circle to put under the mounting plates and slots for screws and this seems to work, behaves far more like a regular binding but with a little more give.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Sorry for delay in responding to this thread. I am an intermediate boarder so these bindings are probably not designed / meant for me. By intermediate I mean, I can go down anything up to red without thinking about it, I can go switch down easy greens, I have to work hard at blacks, eg went down Face in val Di in March and fell over twice. Crap offpiste.

Hopefully that puts some context to my comments.

I got sold these and I'm sucker for being sold to especially as I was looking to upgrade my Burton Customs which were my starter bindings. I wear my IPOs with the medium rubbers.

Being brutally honest, I can't tell the difference between them, but that's probably testament to my (poor) riding ability compared to who these are aimed at. This is with the backs on, I have never tried them with the backs off and when I went back to the shop to get them repaired (they got stuck on my boots hence swapping back to the Burton's) they couldn't really tell me, at least in a way that I understood, the advantage to taking the backs off, except they are 'more skateboard like' which quite frankly holds no appeal to me as I've never skateboarded before.

I have them now and for the price I paid will get my money's worth, however I've kept my Burton's complete with new discs and ratchet straps as back ups just in case the IPOs fail again.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
trainee snowboard jedi, I wouldn't say it's just you, there just isn't any significant difference!

Riding with the highbacks off is a personal preference thing. It does give a nicy surfy/skatey loose feel, nice in powder, nice for jibbing. Not great for high speed riding or kicker/pipe riding.

Everyone should try it at least once though - you'd be amazed how little difference there is.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
stevomcd wrote:
trainee snowboard jedi, I wouldn't say it's just you, there just isn't any significant difference!

Riding with the highbacks off is a personal preference thing. It does give a nicy surfy/skatey loose feel, nice in powder, nice for jibbing. Not great for high speed riding or kicker/pipe riding.

Everyone should try it at least once though - you'd be amazed how little difference there is.


Will go low risk at a smowdome with backs off then to give it go.

I'm going to out the hard pads on next time as we'll to see if I can tell the difference.
snow conditions
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
trainee snowboard jedi wrote:
I'm going to out the hard pads on next time as we'll to see if I can tell the difference.


The harder the pads the closer to traditional bindings or so I've read. I've also read that removing the high back forces the use of 'proper' technique - using the heel of the foot to pressure the heel edge rather than cranking over on the high back. Soft snow is slightly different in that the softer the snow greater the surface area of the board is in contact with the snow when turning (all of it in powder).

So far I've only ridden the rug in the front room whilst the Mrs was down Asda. So not great conditions.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

I've also read that removing the high back forces the use of 'proper' technique - using the heel of the foot to pressure the heel edge rather than cranking over on the high back.


Very true - when making a heelside turn with good technique, it's likely that your calves will actually lose contact with the highback anyway. Just leaning on the highback is an ineffective way to turn - riding with no high-backs will help you learn better technique, but it's no harder to learn to ride the right way with them on!
snow report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've got a set of these on my new board, haven't got to try them yet, but looking like a bit of snow coming this weekend, so hopefully will be able to give them a go next week
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