Hello and welcome to my Ride Rodeo snowboard bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the Rodeos as freestyle snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Rodeos a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle bindings.
NOTE: The 2020 model was the last model of the Rodeo, so this review will no longer be updated.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Ride Rodeo
Price: $249 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 84.7/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Out of the 23 Men’s Freestyle bindings that I rated:
Overview of the Rodeo's Specs
Check out the tables for the Rodeo’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $249 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-edge: | Medium |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts to: | 2 x 4 | Channel |
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
M | 5-9 | 36.5-42 | 4-8 |
L | 8-12 | 40.5-46 | 7-11 |
XL | 11+ | 45+ | 10+ |
Who is the Rodeo Most Suited To?
The Rodeo's are great for anyone wanting to hit the park doing jibs, jumps, tricks, tweaking grabs etc, the Rodeos are an awesome tool for the job.
They also hold their own on the rest of the mountain – particularly if you are riding freestyle on the rest of the mountain – but where they really shine is in the park.
Suitable for beginners too.
The Rodeo in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Rodeos are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Ride Rodeo 2017, Large
Date: April 16, 2016
Conditions: Hard packed with some icy patches in the morning, turned more slushy in the afternoon.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Flex
The Rodeos have that nice medium-soft flex that’s great for hitting jibs, tweaking grabs and generally being pretty forgiving and flexy for park riding.
They have a flex rating of 4/10 which is just what you want for park riding really – maybe a bit stiffer if you’re hitting extra-large jumps but for everything else 4/10 is awesome.
It’s also a great flex for beginners.
Butterability/Board Feel
The Rodeos were really easy to butter. They flexed nicely and they’ve got a mini-disc and you really feel them flex with the board. There was really a very minimal dead zone because of those mini discs.
Adjustability
They’re pretty standard in terms of adjustability – but pretty standard is pretty good these days. You have tool-less adjustability of the toe strap, ankle strap and high back lean.
You can also adjust the heel cup, which is great for centering boots.
Shock Absorption
Shock absorption is so important for freestyle riding – and that’s where these bindings really come to the party. They’ve got awesome shock absorption – which is really nice when you’re landing tricks and jumps all day and hitting jibs.
There’s plenty of EVA padding in the base and this is the main reason for the great shock absorption – also the canting in the footbed helps with this.
Entry/Exit
The Ratchet system is pretty smooth, making it pretty easy to get in and out of them. It’s not the best I’ve seen but as good as you need it.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Learn more about the tech in the Rodeo in the video below.
Comfort
I found these bindings super comfortable. Which is always nice, right!
That comfort comes down to a few different factors:
- The straps wrapped nicely around my boots with no pressure points
- The EVA padding that helps shock absorption also makes these bindings really comfortable
- The Canted footbed (what Ride calls their Wedgie Footbed) helps for better alignment of your ankles, knees and hips making things more comfortable – particularly when you’re riding for long periods of time.
Responsiveness
Whilst there’s plenty of flex in the bindings side to side, the responsiveness isn’t actually too bad. Part of that is down to the high back being stiffer towards the base. It’s softer the higher you go so you can really get that tweakability but then stiffens up towards the bottom so you still get decent response heel to toe.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
BOARD FEEL | 4.0 | 24/30 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 5.0 | 25/25 |
RESPONSE | 3.0 | 9/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
COMFORT | 4.5 | 9/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84.7/100 |
The Rodeos are awesome for freestyle riding – for any level of freestyler. I had a blast on these bindings in the park.
They’d also make great beginner bindings if you’re just starting out on a snowboard.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in the Rodeos and want to learn more, or are ready to buy, or want to research prices and available sizes, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freestyle options or see how the Rodeos compared to other men’s freestyle bindings check out the link below.
Hey Nate, i just got the Nitro Team Gullwing, and now im looking for a pair of bindings. Since i board all mountain i was looking at the union strata or the burton cartel, but i recently found the rodeos on sale for around 100 euros cheaper. Do you think ill be fine with the rodeos as a do it all type binding, given i like to bomb the hill or carve occasionaly, or should i spend the extra money on a stiffer more all mountain focused binding?
thanks in advance!
Hi I bos
I like the Rodeos, but since you like to bomb and carve, I would definitely spend the extra on something a little stiffer. Rodeo’s are great as a park/freestyle binding – or cruising the groomers – but it sounds like you’ll want something a little more.
Hope this helps
I currently have the Rodeos on a Never Summer Funslinger. Love the set up. Mostly park but it can handle some all mountain as well. I’m considering the K2 Lien FS for something new. How would they compare to the Rodeos? Would they still be responsive enough to handle some all mountain here and there?
Hi Lou
Thanks for your message.
In my experience the Rodeos are a little more responsive than the Lien FS, but not by a huge amount, I just felt a little more from the Rodeos, not much in it though. I’d say they could still handle some all-mountain stuff, but maybe not quite as well as the Rodeos. Check out:
>>Top 5 All Freestyle Bindings
Hope this helps