New Snowboard Binding Design
Posted: 24 December 2010 03:15 AM
I’ve been working on a snowboard binding design and am looking to see what people think of it. The binding has a hinge which allows it to pivot along the length of the board (tip to tail) about 5 to 10 degrees. The hinge allows a shin strap to be put on the highback which gives support on toe edge turns (without the hinge you can’t shift your weight tip to tail). Toe edge support is taken out of the board and your leg and is put in the binding. I’m not sure if you can but pictures here but have some up at www.rockerbinding.com . Let me know what you think.
Posted: 24 December 2010 10:24 AM
Wow, that’s some serious engineering going into those!
So if I’m getting this right. The Rocker binding allows the user to use a strap that goes from top of the highback across the cuff of the boot essentially removing the toeside flexibility of the boot for super duper carves (much like the Burton Freeride binding of the late 90s). The pivot at the centre of the board allows the user to tweak the board fore and aft as if the shin strap wasn’t there in the first place.
When I’m carving I tend to power through the front of the board and as I’m completing the carve I’m shifting my weight back to wards the tail of the board powering the weight through the tail of the board to pop me out of the carve (at least that’s the deal on a cambered board), would this not cause the bindings to cant towards the tail and the board to stay in the direction it was going at the apex of the carve? How much travel does the hinge allow?
Do you have any footage of the binding working? Is this binding primarily designed for powder?
Rich
Posted: 24 December 2010 11:08 AM
Oh just though of another couple of questions.
Does the binding ever sit flat without any movement or ar you constantly balancing on the hinges on flat sections like cat tracks?
Also I’m guessing the hinges move with the angle adjustment. What happens when I have +20 degrees on my front foot and -12 on my back foot. When I cant the 10 degrees into a turn, won’t my knees will be pointing in completely different directions?
Posted: 28 December 2010 12:04 AM
The 3 straps are the same as the Burton Torque of the 90s. The hinge and the shin strap provide rigidity and flexibility in different directions. The hinge provides flexibility along the length of the board to shift your weight while the shin strap provides rigidity along the width of the board for carving.
As for coming out of a carve, as you shift your weight back coming out of the turn, the binding will rotate towards the tail of the board a little bit but then it will hit the rubber stops. I usually run the stops so they hit when the binding is perpendicular to the board. Once the binding bumper hits your weight is shifted into the board and you pop out of the turn. The binding rotates from perpendicular to the board to about 5-10 degrees inwards. This rotation is fairly minimal. It’s similar to the amount of rotation in a ski boot. A lot of ski boots have ankle hinge which allows them to rotate toe to heel. Rotation is usually around 10 degrees.
When I’m riding on flat areas, I find that I usually am on the rubber bumper of the rear binding. It gives a sort of “home” position feel to the binding.
You’re right about your knees rotating in different directions, but it’s not significant with only 10 degrees of rotation in the hinge. The binding can move to a maximum of +/-20 degrees for duck or pigeon stance. I’ve ridden it with both bindings 20 degree out in a pigeon stance. Your knees to move in different directions but since there is only 10 degree of rotation it is minimal and doesn’t cause any problems. Other designs that I have made, had more rotation in the hinge (45 degrees). When you get into rotation that large, having your knees in different directions becomes an issue.
I don’t have footage now but I can see about getting some. Is there anything in particular you are looking to see?
Posted: 19 February 2011 02:31 AM
I have bindings made up and available for demo now. Let me know if you are interested at general@rockerbinding.com.
http://www.rockerbinding.com/The_Rocker_Binding.html
Posted: 19 February 2011 08:40 AM
So if I understand this correctly this allows the rider to feel more flex in the board from nose to tail by allowing the baseplate to bend with the board in those directions?
Posted: 19 February 2011 09:32 PM
Not quite.
In a traditional binding (anything else out there) the baseplate and board flexibility are linked together because the baseplate and board are connected directly to one another.
With the Rocker binding, a hinge sits between the baseplate and the board. This decouples the board and baseplate allowing the motion and in baseplate to be independent of the board.
Would a video of the binding rotating help?
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