A Detailed Breakdown Of How the Bataleon Atom Rides And Who It Is For Review by The Good Ride

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The Bataleon Atom Written Review

How It Was Tested:

I borrowed the   for an extended demo and sent it back. 1-day demo. A few laps at a demo. I liked it so much I asked to keep it (only do this with favorites).  I liked it so much we bought it.  Precious Good Ride dollars were spent to buy this and review it.

I was not paid by to do this review and this comes from an honest objective perspective with no brand oversight.

Size: M/L
Days: 6+
Conditions: Varied late spring conditions, and I was lucky enough to get a little pow with some early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards & Union Rovers
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards, over 180 bindings, and 100+ boots.
Davey (Size 12, 240lbs, 6’4”)
Boots: Ride Deadbolt, Bataleon Acid BOA, Ride Torrent, Ride Fuse, Nidecker Rift Lace, Burton Ion
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Skyline Fuse Jacket, Skyline Fuse FL Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Skyline Faze FL Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout, Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

Boards: Many

Similar (but not the same) Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force, Union Ultra, Union Strata, Union Falcor, Rome Katana, Rome Black Label, Salomon Quantum, Salomon Highlander, Salomon Hologram, Salomon District, Nitro Team Pro, Nitro Team,

Weight

2.2lbs per foot with screws and discs, which is on the heavy side of normal like the Union Force I ride. It’s a little heavier than the Rome Katana and Black Label at 2.0lbs. If I were to guess, I’d say the extra weight is in the ankle strap vs. the very similar Rome bindings.

Highback Flex

The Bataleon Atom’s high back has a stiff binding flex with little surface area. It runs medium-stiff, but it looks like it would be soft.

I forgot to mention this in the video review, but I felt the top bite a little into my calf if it’s not rotated properly. With most of the middle of the high back missing, the top felt like it had more forward lean than you want and added extra pressure in the top area of my calves; I prefer high back like the Black Label, Katana, and Astro a lot better. This was the deal breaker for me when it came to using this binding as a daily driver.

Flex Underfoot

The Bataleon Atom has near-excellent flex underfoot even though the disc is larger than most mini discs. It is all closed-cell foam around the hybrid-sized disc, so it butters as easily as most of the best mini-disc bindings. If you have a medium-ish flexing board, it will feel softer underfoot torsionally and a little easier to turn, but as the board gets stiffer, it doesn’t help as much.

Turn Initiation/Response

The response has two settings with the Bataleon Atom. I actually like this better than Rome’s adjustable feature because there isn’t another point of failure and a tighter wrap around the boot. It takes more work and only has 2 settings, but it helps me not geek too hard, so I don’t try every setting that Rome’s high-end straps have.

So you have a more medium response setting and a medium-fast response setting on the ankle straps, and it blends well with various boards.

Shock Absorption

The Bataleon Atom has top-notch shock absorption. The Adidas Boost-like tech underneath not only gives good shock absorption but it helps the board ollie better. What I like, though, is the rubbery top, which gives it a little dampness and keeps the boot from moving too much under the straps. It’s a very shock absorbent binging but is still pretty damp. I wish Rome used the rubber-like top on their high-end bindings.

Boot Support

I like the toe straps better than the Rome Straps, but they still stretch a bit too much. I had to set them up off-center because they would stretch that much when I tightened the toe strap. The ankle straps are very supportive but also comfortable and have a super locked-in/Supportive setting for more response. Then, they also have a more mellow support/mountain freestyle setting. I love having 2 options, and I never feel like my ankle is too exposed in the mellower setting when in uneven snow.

Ratchets

The Ratchets were smooth and never felt sticky. They seem well-built and should last a long time.

Boot To Binding Adjustability

I was really impressed with the thought Bataleon gave to making sure the boot fits centered in the Atom. It’s just like how Rome does it, as well. Using Rome’s factory, they might have cut corners here like many brands do when they start making bindings, but Bataleon didn’t. You have excellent adjustability with a gas pedal and heel loop that slides to fit almost every boot in the suggested size range perfectly.

Stance Width Adjustability

I was impressed that this hybrid mini disc fits 40mm spaced/setback inserts. You can’t adjust your stance, but at least they fit where mini-disc bindings don’t. As a mini-disc, you can get any stance width you want if you have inserts that are 20mm apart.

Conclusion

So overall, I was very impressed with the Bataleon Atom, and while I wasn’t a fan of the stretchy toe strap or the stiff no material in the middle highback, I felt neither was a deal breaker for recommending this. It does so many other things well that I think many can also look past that. It’s a very well-built and versatile binding. I said in the video that it’s like a combo between the Rome Katana and Cleaver, but it’s really more of a combo between the Black Lable and Katana.

Ethics Statement: This review has zero brand oversight. This is our best effort at an honest, objective review to help you, the consumer.
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