Hello and welcome to my Flux R2 bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the R2s as freestyle snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the R2’s a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Flux R2
Price: $229 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle/Park
Other Uses: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 83.7/100
Compared to other Freestyle Bindings
Out of the 17 men’s freestyle bindings that I rated during the 2016-17 season:
- The average price was $204 (USD)
- The average score was 75.8/100
- The highest score was 94.7/100
- The lowest score was 50.0/100
- The R2 ranked 7th out of 17
These rankings are for the 2016-17 season. For the latest review and the latest top 5 freestyle bindings, check out the following:
>>Flux R2 Review (Latest Model)
>>My Top 5 Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Sizing
Check out the table below for the available sizes for the 2016-17 Flux R2
| Size | Fits Men’s US Boot Sizes | Euro Boot Sizes | UK Boot Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 4.5 - 7.5 | 35.5 - 40.0 | 3.5 - 6.5 |
| Medium | 7.0 - 10.0 | 39.0 - 43.0 | 6.0 - 9.0 |
| Large | 9.0 - 13.0 | 42.0 - 48.5 | 8.0 - 12.0 |
Who are the Flux R2s Most Suited to?
The Flux R2s are great for riding the park – or for hitting natural features around the rest of the mountain. They butter really well and are great for tweaking grabs.
They have quite a loose surfy feel. So, if you’re after a park/freestyle binding with that kind of feel, the R2s would be right up your alley.
When rated as other types of bindings the R2s scored:
Freestyle: 83.7/100
Beginner: 81.6/100
All mountain: 79.0/100
Freeride: 68/100
The R2s in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the R2s are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Flux R2 2017, Large
Date: April 16, 2016
Conditions: Hard packed with icy patches in the morning, then turned slushy in the afternoon but still quite firm conditions underneath with slush on top.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Flex & Butterability
They are flexible and easy to butter and they have a slightly shorter highback than usual. All of this amounts to more freedom for tweaking grabs, hitting jibs etc.
They have a surfy kind of feel to them too.
Adjustability
Typical of flux bindings they are really adjustable, so you can find the perfect fit.
They have adjustable toe and ankle straps, adjustable highback lean and both the toe ramp and the heel ramp are adjustable so that you can get these bindings edge-to-edge on your board perfectly for maximum leverage.
All adjustments (apart from the disc) are tool-less too, making it really easy to adjust most things anywhere you are.
Shock Absorption
The only thing that I would like to see improved on these bindings is the shock absorption.
If they had better shock absorption, I think these bindings would be a contender for being the best freestyle bindings on the market.
Entry/Exit
The ratchet system is smooth and they’re generally easy to get in and out of.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Comfort
Despite the lack of shock absorption, these bindings are still pretty comfortable. A bit more shock absorption in the foot bed would bring the comfort level up even further. The only other improvement that could be made for comfort is a canted footbed.
But all in all very comfortable bindings.
Responsiveness
They were actually more responsive than I expected. They won’t respond like a stiffer flexing binding but they do respond better than their medium-soft flex would suggest. I would say they respond more like I would expect from a medium flexing binding.
Changes from the 2016 Model
The R2s are new for the 2017 year. Though they are somewhat similar to the old RLs which are no longer made.
Though definitely not exactly the same as the RLs (the most obvious difference being the highback) and, in my opinion, the R2s are a definite improvement on the RLs – which were nice bindings but the R2s are just that bit better.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 3.0 | 15/25 |
| Butterability: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Responsiveness: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Entry/Exit: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 83.7/100 |
Overall the R2s are great freestyle bindings that also have the response to be able to ride all-mountain when you feel the need.
They are one of the better freestyle bindings on the market, IMO, and would possibly be the best (or at least very close to) if they had better shock absorption.
Some people (probably those younger than myself!) won’t care as much about shock absorption but I do like to have a good bit of it personally – especially in a freestyle binding.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
For the review of the latest model R2s, check out the link below.
>>Flux R2 Review (Latest Model)
If you want to check out some other great freestyle bindings or want to see how the R2s compare to other freestyle bindings, check out the next link.
>>My Top 5 Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Recent Comments