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.
Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.
Latest posts by Angrysnowboarder (Posts)
- Snowboard Training Wheels - May 22, 2013
- Follow Me Down FULL MOVIE - May 21, 2013
- We Out There TEASER - May 21, 2013
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?
Rode with them for 7days, the weight wasn’t the major prob, nor the flex, nor the fitting…. well … abit for the fitting, the dumbest thing is that, the design of the wire lock at the back sucks!!!! When you loosen the high back and push it forward for riding chair-lift, the wires under high-back always pop out from the clips which lock the wires in , they don’t go back as easy though, everytime my friend was tightening up their regular bindings , i gotta knee down, reposition the 2 wires, clip them back in before i can pull back the high back and put my foot in. What the hell?!!!! so disappointed with them now, should I aim for the later CTX????? I may switch to Gnu instead.
Anybody trying to circumvent physics because they don’t have time to strap in on the 4 days a year they ride deserve what they get. Go ahead switch to GNU – lmao!
If you are hell bent on easy bindings I don’t know why your not looking at FLOW as they seem to be the only ones that work.
WTFever I still know how to tie my laces and use my binding straps – no biggie.
Hahaha, I ride A Basin all the time with Cinch CTC’s and have no complaints at all. I ride the Double black moguls, chutes and park there. I’ve even done 50 degree backcountry couloirs off of 14ers with the same set-up. Angry snowboarder just can’t handle A-Basin.
Internet claiming real hard aren’t we?
Isn’t your entire website based off of Internet claiming?
Nope we make actual observations that are fact based off people with real hands on experience.
So what rear entry is the best for the K2 fastplant? I kite as well and that’s why I need the ease of a rear entry.
None.
Hey I ride 5 days a year and love rear entry bindings that have a dead flex., or I think I might, I dunno yet but my wife skis (skiis? how do you spell that?) so I really want to get into a faster entry binding. I like the idea of the Cinch for the room the hinge looks like it will give and the fact the rachets are still there if you want to use them but yours is the first bad review I read and it’s got me asking questions. anyway I have no idea what lateral flex is – can you explain that? What about this harshmellow bullshit – none of my other bindings have had the plate covered up, whats that like? I’m not exactly a high level rider but I do like to go fast and do indys in the pipe. Please elaborate on whether these bindings flat out suck or if they just aren’t your cup of tea and the anger prevents you from eloquating. I am also angry at things but I have many questions.
No these things flat out suck. Lateral flex is the side to side flex you get in a binding, by having the hinge there doubling up the layers it creates a pinch point on the boot impeding that flex. Harshmellow is a dampening foam created by K2, I’m a firm believer in it as I’ve ridden it in my boots, boards, and bindings for years. Covering the plate just makes for a level binding and less snow getting in there.
“Hell yeah I would these things suck ass what more do you want me to say?”
Ouch, harsh, did you not get laid last night or what? I installed a new pair on my board last night and without even riding them I can tell they are going to be better then the Ride bindings they replace. So many adjustments, even fine tune front to back placement, so much more that what I had. The build quality looks really good (even thought it’s made in China) and unlike the Ride bindings, mounting instructions were included. (when I bought the Rides I got “hey dude, just slap them on an go, don’t need no instructions” Last time I go to that shop.
I talked to boarders with rear entry binding on the mountain all winter long and everyone said they loved them and I heard a lot of “I wish I had done it sooner”
Maybe angrysnowboarder is a homophobe over the rear entry thing….
A comment about homophobia? Seriously? Some of my best friends are gay. Why don’t you take that small mind of yours that obviously can’t comprehend how to adjust a set of Ride bindings, some of the most basic on the planet and suck on the end of a shotgun. These bindings suck ass due to the design faults that I’ve listed. But alas as you’re hung up on gay jokes your mental capacity is so deficient you might as well go crawl back into the cave with the rest of the troglodytes and look at your pictograms. Then again someone your age from Dallas Texas I shouldn’t even question the fact you suck.