Salomon Reley Pro or Chiefs?

Hewi

Snowboard Virgin

Total Posts: 2 Joined 2011-01-16

Posted: 16 January 2011 10:46 PM

Hi

I’m after a new set of bindings and have narrowed it down to either the Salomon Relay Pro or the Salomon Chiefs.

After working 3 seasons in Whistler and the alps between 2002 and 2006 I’m a fairly decent rider and am mainly into free ride, hiking, tight trees and riding fast but also spend a bit of time jibbing.

I’m after a fairly stiff, responsive binding as I like to ride fast but want something a bit more versatile and not quite a stiff as the Salomon Caliber. Has anyone ridden either of these bindings and if so what would you recommend out of the Relay Pro or the Chief? I like to crank my bindings pretty tight so that I feel securely attached to the board and, having never ridden a Relay binding, would worry that the soft heel cup would feel “wallowey”. However the Chief is described on the Salomon site as being a Freestyle binging.

The bindings are to replace my Nidecker F800’s from a few years back and will be going on my Option Signature and also my Nitro T2.

I ride with Salomon F24’s in a 28.5 (2005 I think) which is why I want Salomon bindings but I’m also not sure what size to go for, Large or Medium.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers

Steve Medeiros

Video Section Hero

Total Posts: 408 Joined 2010-01-08

[# 1]

Posted: 17 January 2011 03:23 AM

I had a pair of Salomon Relays last season and it took me a while to get used to them. This season I sold them and purchased Ride Revolts instead. It is a really unique binding and I definitely think with it’s design more suited for freestyle riding, having that much mobility in a binding for freeriding was strange in my opinion.

I can’t comment on the Chief.

With size 10.5 US boots you’ll need a large binding I believe.

Rich Ewbank

Administrator

Total Posts: 1567 Joined 2009-03-04

[# 2]

Posted: 17 January 2011 05:54 PM

I’ve ridden a friends pair of relays too. In my honest opinion I wasn’t a massive fan. I like the idea, but in reallity they felt quite baggy and unresponive. I like to crank up the ratchets and be stuck to the board. Tom our head of testing (that’s what he calls himself), rode the Salomon SPX pro bindings until this year when he bought a set of Chiefs. He uses them for everything from freeriding on his Rossi Experience to jibbing around on his Stepchild Headless Horseman. If you’re not going to try them first I think the Chief is a safer bet.