2014 and 2015 Flux DL Review

Days: 5
Riders: James, Peter, Jimbo,

Flex: The DL has a snappier and liver flex than the DM and it can be called stiffer than the DM’s high back despite the same shape. It’s got a great medium to medium/stiff feel that is responsive but still has some give.

Adjustability: Flux has a very easy to use tooless set up for everything on the binding except for the disc which is really good. It’s very easy to customize this to your boot and board.

Comfort:Very Comfortable and the binding conforms to just about any boot really well. The ankle straps are very cushy and very comfortable. Also the toe strap does a good job of keeping things in place without pressure points.

Turn Initiation: This is quick good edge to edge and it’s pretty responsive. The carbon throughout the binding make it a pretty snappy type of ride edge to edge. It’s snappy in a fun lively way and you can feel a difference from the DL in terms of response.

Buttering: One of the only real places that the binding isn’t great or excellent. The entire base plate has contact with the board where many have a reduced dead spot. That being said it still does well because of the big ankle strap and the little wing in the high back helps a little tiny bit with flexing the board laterally as well. Mainly this binding kind of overpowers the board under foot instead of allowing it to continuously flex from tip, to under the bindings and then to the tail. The result is similar even though its a different feel than most mini disc bindings and burton Re:Flex bindings. This is if you take the rubber stoppers at the binding. If they are in it’s not as easy to flex tip to tail.

Boot Support: Flux bindings have a great hold on your boot and they really support it well. It’s got a really locked in secure feel for a few reasons. The ankle strap is mounted on the inside of the heel loop where most are on the outside. The ankle strap is also pretty big and it has a good hold throughout the entire contact with the boot. Also the entire foot bed is pretty firm so when you crank it down it holds firm.

Ratchet System: Very good ratchet system. Over all the years of riding Flux I’ve never had a ratchet issue with them. It’s very smooth and easy.

Shock Absorption: This is the one weakness and it’s a common occurrence with all flux bindings. There is a very thin layer of EVA foam in the heel and a little bit thicker layer in the toe. You don’t have the shock absorption that many bindings have these days but they are damp at higher speeds and offer little chatter. They just don’t absorb shock with a hard landing and aren’t good with bumpy uneven terrain. If you have a good shock absorbent boot it might counteract some of that.