Gear Whore: Ride Bandita

Ride Snowboards Bandita

If you’ve ever looked at the straps on a binding, technology has stayed relatively the same for the last twenty-plus years.  They may have gotten fancier and cushier, but the same basic concept of toe and heel strap hasn’t changed.  Last season we showed you the K2 Auto Agogo and how it changed the strapping in process.  Well for next season Ride introduces the Bandita the Women’s counterpart to this years Contraband.  Say goodbye to your toe strap and welcome in the V-Strap.

Here’s what Ride has to say about the Bandita:

Ladies, the new Bandita is hot. Not hot like bought out of the back of a van hot, but a brand new hot design for your riding pleasure. Built for freestyle ladies ready to rip, the Bandita features the new women’s LuxLite highback for premium flex and single ratchet technology with the ultra secure V-Strap™.  The Bandita is also kitted with the new Wedgie 2.5 footbed to provide an added dose of comfort and boost of ollie pop.

The concept behind the V-strap is a simple one.  If you’ve ever had someone step on your big toe and try to lift the front of your foot up, you probably noticed that it wasn’t going anywhere.  This is how the V-strap works.  By locking the big toe down you lock the foot in place and minimize the amount of material in the toe.  Since it is connected to the heel strap, you only have to deal with one ratchet giving you a quicker in and out time, and reduced binding weight.  Just note that when adjusting these it may take a bit more time to fully dial it in, but once you have it on lock down you’re golden.  The strap itself is made similarly to Ride’s their slimewalls, so no fear of it breaking.

In addition to the V-strap, the binding has the Wedgie 2.5, a canted footbed in the baseplate (meaning the footbed is at a slight angle). With 2.5 degrees of lean, you can rock a wider stance but keep your legs aligned in a neutral position.  Just think of how much easier this is going to be on your knees.

The LuxLite highback is designed to allow for the right type of flex in all the key positions you need it.  If you want to get jibtastic,  the binding will flex on the inward parts of the highback, but if you’re driving through a carve the mesh at the top will help give some added stiffness.  These are key properties for the lady that wants a binding that she can still go make some turns on groomers when its not a park day.

Posted by Dee Stroyer on 02/04