Flux RK30 2013 - 2010 Review by The Good Ride

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The Flux RK30 is one of the better soft flexing urethane bindings.  It is a fun jib to even all mountain freestyle binding for those who like a softer high back but also as a supportive ankle strap.  If it wasn’t for the lack of padding in the heel this binding might be perfect.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  No one is perfect and we do make money from the “Where To Buy” links below, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

Days: 20+
Size- Medium and Large
Riders: James, Stephen, Peter, and Won
Boards: Arbor Westmark, Never Summer Proto, Never Summer Evo, Arbor Blacklist and many more.

So the Flux RK30 competes against a lot of good freestyle bindings but this is right up there with all of them. The all-around ride is just a lot

 

2013 Flux RK30 Overview

http://vimeo.com/56748298?autoplay=1&quality=720p

For 2011 the Toe strap was changed from an over the toe specific to a hybrid. The high back has urethane in it to make it softer than in 2010. For 2012 the RK30 is lighter, has a new base plate and has new straps. The big thing for 2012 is the Urethane high back is nowhere near as soft as the 2011. The 2011 is rubbery but the 2012 feels more like a normal soft freestyle binding. The 2013 Flux RK30 has been fine tuned a little more and they added a new high back with no forward lean (check the vid below). The 2013 and 2012 are far stiffer than the 2011’s while still providing a soft freestyle flex. The 2011’s were very rubbery.

Flex- The 2012 and up models offer a soft flex that is a little closer to the noodle side of things. The High Back is a nice ballance of support and freedom of movement. The 2011 model is more of a rubbery noodle of a high back. The base plate isn’t super firm either and it’s a little softer than the likes of the DS30 model.

Adjustability: Flux is really good when it comes to helping you dial out your bindings. Everything is toolless above the disc so it makes life easy to dial things out. You have an adjustable heel cup, toe ramp, and high back rotation. It’s very intuitive and user-friendly to make it right for you.

Comfort: The ankle strap is often the biggest culprit when it comes to comfort and this is one of the best ankle straps out there. You can crank this tighter without as much pressure you would experience with a normal strap. It’s also just a good fit for almost any boots you would have.

Heel-Toe Response: This soft flexing binding offers a smooth but better response than you would expect.

Tip-Tail Response: When it comes to buttering or pressing this is pretty good. Flux doesn’t really have a reduced dead spot. The whole binding underneath is plastic/urethane/fiberglass or something like that so there isn’t much flex underfoot longitudinally but the ankle strap helps you leverage the binding when it comes to butters, presses, ollies, nollies and such.

Boot Support: The ankle strap has amazing support and offers an almost locked in feel but the soft high back is going to give you a little tweakability. We all are in love

Ratchet System: The ratchets are almost there with Burton so that’s really good. The ratchets are really smooth. They can be cranked down and come loose really easy at the bottom of the hill. It’s so good you almost don’t think about them because they hardly ever get sticky or stuck.

Shock Absorption– The base plate and what little dense EVA foam on top of it handles chatter rather well for a freestyle focused binding. It’s a smooth ride at moderate speeds but if the terrain is uneven or hard and rough it will feel a little harder underfoot if you don’t have a lot of shock absorption in your boot. It isn’t much here and it’s almost poor. It’s not the binding I’d like to have a bad landing on if I don’t have a boot with a lot of padding underneath. I really noticed the difference if I rode bindings with EVA foam all the way to the board and then switched to these. Some people do love the low profile skate like feel that they provide so it’s not necessarily a 100% bad thing.

So all in all these are good bindings and they work with a wide variety of boards and riding preferences for such a soft flex. If it wasn’t for the semi-rough shock absorption these would be top notch. If you don’t mind the lack of shock absorption you might be pretty happy with them.