Have you ever felt that your bindings were too stiff and difficult to move around in?
With FLUX, you can change the ease of movement by adjusting the settings, even with the same binding. You can set it to suit your preferences and goals, such as wanting to move your back knee further inward, wanting more freedom of movement when doing freestyle tricks, wanting more stability at high speeds, or making it easier to transfer power when taking big jumps.
At a test ride event held recently at Snow Park Yeti (Shizuoka Prefecture), participants were given the opportunity to test ride a bike with different settings but without changing the model. The results were very positive, so we would like to introduce it to you here.
This time, we will talk about how the position of the ankle strap can affect the way you slide .
Looking at the two photos above, can you see the difference between the left and right bindings?
The ankle strap attachment positions are different for each pair, with the left one attached to the lower hole and the right one attached to the upper hole .
At first glance, you might think that such a small change makes no difference, but this small difference makes a big difference in ease of movement and response speed.
Below is a photo of someone trying out different mounting positions to see how far their rear knee can move inward.
The photo on the left shows a binding with the rear ankle strap attached to the upper hole, and the photo on the right shows a binding with the rear ankle strap attached to the lower hole.
Can you see in the photo on the right that the person's right knee is lowered and in a lower position ?
This is because changing the attachment position of the ankle strap changes the point at which the boot is held in place.
At the time of shipment, it is attached to the upper hole. This tightens the upper part of the ankle, allowing you to transmit force to the board with small movements, but it limits your range of motion.
When you attach it to the lower hole, it tightens from the ankle to the instep.
The result is a more unobstructed upper ankle, allowing for a greater range of motion, but at the cost of some loss of responsiveness.
This does not mean that one is better than the other, but that each user can choose according to their use, purpose, and level.
I've summarized it briefly below.
[Effects by installation position]
■ Upper installation (at time of shipment)
Strap position: Tightens the upper ankle
Expected benefits: You can transfer force to the board with just a small movement.
Improves stability at high speeds, high ollies, increased rotation speed, and stability during landings.
■ Lower installation
Strap position: Tightens from the ankle to the instep
Expected effects: Increased range of motion, making it easier to turn your knees inward.
This makes it easier to maintain balance at low speeds, improving maneuverability during slow-speed gliding.
It improves maneuverability during tree runs and makes it easier to perform style during grabs and freestyle tricks.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but here we summarize the effects of installing both the inside and outside of each left and right side in the same position.
So of course it is also possible to attach the outer one on top and the inner one on the bottom .
This makes it easier to transfer power to the outside and move inward, making it easier to transfer power and bend the board when turning, ollie, or pressing. On the other hand, the range of motion to the inside is wider, making it easier to control at low speeds and to squeeze your knees inward. This setting is recommended for those who want to maintain their style while still achieving a certain level of speed .
In addition to this, some riders have the left and right sides mounted in different positions.
It is possible to set it up to suit each individual's ideal movements, so we encourage you to try out various settings and find the one that suits you best.
This time, we focused on adjusting the ankle strap attachment position, but there are many other adjustments that can be made to the FLUX. I hope to introduce other adjustment methods at another opportunity.
