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Locking Highbacks, the bane of my existence.

Can someone please explain to me the point of a locking highback? I have never seen such a pointless idea marketed to extensively. The lock prevents the highback from moving forward toward the toe-edge, but why? If you lean forward and the back moves with you, so what? Once you go to turn heelside, its right back in place doing its job. These things just add weight, add more moving parts to break, make them to susceptible to chairlift breakage, and come unlocked at the most inopportune times. I pulled the flads off my Cartels and replaced them with a regualr bolt. I saved weight, don't have to worry about the chairlift crushing them, and its one less step to put them bindings down on my roof rack. When I rode Ride bindings I never once thought "Man, these bidnings are sweet, if only the highbacks would stay locked to my heelcup." I have yet to hear and actual benefit to these stupid fockers. Anyone interested in buying some gold plated Burton FLADS?

FLAD no more.

Looking at the 06/07 stuff that Exile had posted the new line of Burtons don’t have the FLAD anymore, I say good riddance.

i think flad was to increase

i think flad was to increase strength while increasing flexibility. i dont buy it. and i never did. go technine or flux or union. even salomon makes a solid binding.

FLAD without the lock?

I agree the lock is pointless and risky with lifts. Had my locked highback recently crushed at killington (see my recent post in the North East forum). Got rid of the lock but I'm still playing with the FLAD to see if it really can add faster heel edge response though.

will you take $20 a piece???

just kidding. i agree, they're a pain in the ass. however, i've noticed when i don't have the flads locked down it affects my toeside turns. i get some heel lift because the highback pivots forward when the toeside turn is initiated. but then, what the f*ck do i know.

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the point of the locking flads was to increase the torsional rigidity of the highback, try it yourself, grab the top part and twist it with it locked and without, you can tell the difference

however, there are no more locking flads anymore, 07 has either a dial in combo with the living hinge or P1 still ratcheting forward lean adjustments