2012 K2 Cinch CTX Binding Used and Reviewed
For some reason people always want an easier in snowboard binding. K2 tried their hand at the Clicker it failed so now we have the Cinch series of binding. A three piece hinge that reclines the highback and you can slip your foot in. Here’s how the Cinch CTX worked out one spring day at Arapahoe Basin.
Board Used: K2 Lifelike
Stance: 22.5
Angles: 18 Negative 15 Goofy
Location: Arapahoe Basin
Conditions: Early morning spring laps that consisted of some of the more firmer snow you’ll see this time of the year. Mix that with high winds and bluebird skies.
Boots Used: K2 T1 DB Size 10
Weight: 160
Binding Compatibility: It’s a K2 on a K2 and designed for easy entry for a hard charging guy.
Binding Adjustability: There’s not as many adjustments on this binding as their are others in the K2 line up. You have your toe ramp, strap placement, and the new top and bottom toe strap adjustments to fit any boot, plus forward lean.
Straps: The straps look like they’re just pulled off other models and shoved on this binding to accomodate it. The heel strap has give in the top and bottom but sits right over the instep to lock you in. While the toe strap can be adjusted to fit any boot and stop you once you’ve slid in from behind.
Highbacks: It’s a stiffer highback not giving it a lot of give for tweaking.
Binding Flex: Stiffer than most due to having the hinge in there making it more rigid. They tried to give it more flex if you look at how the plastic in the chassis looks similar to what is used in their Hurrithane model.
Ratchets: Stick because they shouldn’t be needed to open and close every lap like a standard two strap binding. Other than that they’re super solid and what you would expect when you need to micro adjust your bindings.
Rider in Mind: Someone that wants an easy in and out binding that can still charge the whole mountain.
Personal Thoughts: Possibly one of the worst bindings I’ve ever used in my life. It just doesn’t have the response I wanted for charging or playing around on the mountain. I will say though that the 3 piece hinge that gives these bindings their ease of entry opens up far better than what Flow has and gives more room to get in and out.
What They Say: It doesn’t get any more refined and easy to operate than this. The CTX combines the very best in K2 binding tech with the patented Cinch System. Harshmellow cushioning and canted footbeds add the luxury touch to push the CTX into a class all it’s own.
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Popularity: 8% [?]
I was about to buy exactly this binding this season as I really love the easiness of the cinch tech, yet my old binding, the CTC 2008-09 was soooooo heavy comparing the Auto ever. The CTX seems combining the 2. Yet you said it’s one of the worst binding you’ve ever used, that worries me. is it really that bad? I usually use it for all mountain, is it really that bad??
COming from Cartels I loved my CTXs. You can fine tune thenm untiul they fit perfectly and they ‘are not that heavier than a comparable model. Say..Cartels. Love the easy of entry.
Love my CTXs, sure they are heavier than say a contraband…but not much heavier than a Cartel. Stepping in and riding in 5 seconds? Priceless on a powder day. I don’t feel them as unresponsive. I do mostly free ride and pow.
So you like a dead flexing and heavy binding awesome.
Angrysnowboarder, are these that bad? Would you recommend I get the Ride ill Eagle Contrabands instead?
Hell yeah I would these things suck ass what more do you want me to say?
Are you sponsored by someone or are you just angry in general? I have been snowboarding since sorels and these bindings have to be the best of both worlds; ease of entry and performance. Eat your wheaties before you go out next time.
I’m sponsored by this website and it’s honesty. Don’t cry because you can’t stomach a real honest review of a turd of a product.
muffin!
It takes a bit of adjusting and setting up, not just one angry morning. Patience grasshopper!
Yeah cause I don’t know how to set up anything in snowboarding since you know I’ve only ridden since Sorels and everything.
Mr. Angrysnowboarder seems to have produced a review of the Cinch binding consisting of a lot of puffing and hot air, but unfortunately completely lacking in intelligent or coherent content. I came here for information about these bindings but learned nothing at all from his ranting. Please can your cood dude theatrics and tell us something we did not already know.
So you knew they sucked but still wanted to hear more of how they sucked? Kind of confused.
Sucking is, of course, a rather vague and imprecise term, considering that we are discussing a fairly straightforward mechanical device designed to hold a boot onto a snowboard. Sucking also has a rather negatively incohate emotional overtone, in addition to its literal definition as something a baby does quite precisely with its mouth. So, yes, if you are unable or unwillng to find the descriptive words you need in a dictionary, it does indeed illustrate confusion on your part. By the way, your conclusion that “I knew they sucked” is contrary to any fact or statement I ever expressed, and is an implication you made without a shred of evidence. Wanna try again to come up with something useful in a review that might shed some objective light on the subject of the K2 Cinch?
So let me guess you ride 5 days a year and love rear entry bindings that have a dead flex, a triangle dead spot for lateral flex that actually creates a pointed pinch point, are heavier than other rear entry bindings, and above all else suck. Yes it’s pretty straight forward that I said they sucked I don’t need to break it down into continuous paragraphs about how bad these are when it can be summed up with “they fucking suck”. If you’re looking for good reviews that are biased toward the hand that feeds them I can point you in the right direction but that wouldn’t be right now would it?