Being a snowboarding lover will open you a door to many possibilities. One of them is an opportunity to experiment with your outerwear and snowboard bindings color combinations.
Some people don’t find this type of choice very important when it comes to their equipment, but others love to make diverse clothing and gear blends. So if you’re one of them, you’ve probably come across the famous white question.
Many people who practice snowboarding occasionally want to change their gear elements, such as the color of snowboarding pants or bindings. One tricky color is white. The question that often appears is whether white snowboard bindings get dirty easily.
White snowboard bindings can get visibly dirty more easily than some darker color versions. So, if you are a neat freak, you should skip the white bindings as they are harder to stay spotless clean.
So, today we are going to discuss if it’s practical to have white bindings, and how to easily clean, choose, and install them. Therefore, the overall look of your gear will look nice and be functional at the same time.
Table of Contents
How to Pick the Right Bindings Color
First things first, you must be aware that choosing the color of the bindings is not important from a technical point of view. But, when we talk about snowboarding fashion, it is very relevant.
So, are there any tips for choosing the right bindings’ color? Well, not really.
The color variations are a matter of personal taste. Of course, there are some basic color rules (based on color wheel theories) that can help you make your bindings stand out more, but they are not sealed in stone.
So if you want to know more about color combinations, check out some basic tips for color harmony. They may give you some nice ideas for your bindings’ colors.
- Analogous color scheme. These are any three colors that stand side by side on a 12-part color wheel. For example, yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. In this case, often one of the three colors predominates.
- Complementary color scheme. These are the colors that are directly opposite to one another. For example, red and green, red-purple, yellow-green. That’s how you make maximum contrast, with maximum stability.
- Nature-based color scheme. When in a color dilemma, look into nature. It can provide you a really nice example of color harmony. Sometimes the nature shades don’t even have to fit into conventional color harmony.
So, when choosing the right color combo for your new snowboard bearings, keep in mind these easy color tips.
Do White Snowboard Bindings Get Dirty?
If you’re not really a diverse color person and would like to stick to the classic white. We got you. You are probably wondering can your white snowboarding bindings get dirty.
The answer is yes. All clothes get dirty, it’s just more noticeable on white ones. Although some snowboarders say they don’t have a problem with their white bindings, others claim that white binders get visually dirty very quickly. Also, some of them emphasize that bindings can get a yellowish tint.
So, if you don’t like seeing spots, and marks on your clothes, you might want to skip the white color. But, on the other hand, if you don’t mind a bit of visible dirt here and there, you may opt for some white color bindings.
How to Clean Snowboard Bindings
Cleaning your snowboard bindings is quite easy. The least expensive bindings you can buy use a plastic base plate. On the other side, the more quality ones are made from aluminum or composite base plates.
Composites may differ depending on the brand, but they can include materials like glass/nylon, carbon fiber, or fiberglass. Although, some people say you can clean bindings with Windex and similar products.
It’s best to stick to the water, cloth, and some mild baby shampoo. That way you’ll be sure nothing too aggressive is used for cleaning, but still would get nice results.
Note: Bear in mind that you’ll be using bindings during snow activity, so the snow itself will help you clean them.
How to Choose Snowboard Bindings
If you decided what color you want your bindings to be, you should take care of the more technical, and most important part of your snowboarding preparations – choosing the bindings.
It’s essential to do this right, as the bindings present a vital link point between you and your snowboard. You should consider what type of snowboard bindings best match your riding style. So, check out some tips to have in mind when choosing your new snowboard bindings.
Bindings by Riding Style and Flex Level
The right bindings flex should match your abilities and the terrain you will ride on. It should also suit the flex in the boots. It’s common for beginners and freestylers to choose bindings with short and flexible highbacks.
That way they can land softer and have easier recovery when doing tricks. On the other side, advanced snowboard riders often prefer bindings with tall and stiff highbacks. That gives them a more precise control on steep terrain.
So, take a look at the most common snowboard riding styles, they may help you choose your bindings more easily.
All-mountain
These types of bindings are good for any terrain. That includes groomed runs, powder, park, and pipe. Flex level of bindings may vary though. As they are based on your skill level and favored terrain. Most riders often choose soft to medium flex, and racers love to indulge themself with some stiff flex.
Freestyle
Bindings that are best for jumps, spins, tricks, and park features like a half-pipe, rails, and boxes. These bindings usually provide soft flex that adds to greater turning ease and maneuverability.
Freeride and Splitboard
These are best for unmarked backcountry, and some side-country terrains. Also, the bindings are stiffer, so you will have better control.
Powder
Bindings are stiffer and provide greater control on wider and longer boards that hover in deep powder.
Types of Snowboard Bindings
Strap Bindings. These are the most common kinds of snowboard bindings. They feature straps and ratchet down, so they can secure your boots nicely. Bear in mind that the highbacks don’t move. But, strap bindings can provide various adjustment options, great support, and cushioning.
Downside? You’ll need to manually buckle and unbuckle the straps, which is not so great in very cold winter conditions. But, these bindings are generally suitable for soft and firm-flexing boots.
Speed-entry Bindings. This version of bindings looks very similar to the strap one. But, it has reclining highbacks, which can allow you quick and easy boot access. So, many casual riders love this option.
These bindings can stabilize your feet because they have uniform pressure across the forefoot. The downside is that they are usually heavier than strap bindings, and performance-focused riders say it might make them feel like they have reduced board control.
These bindings can be suitable for both soft and firm-flexing boots.
How to Install Snowboard Bindings
When you’ve chosen your favorite bindings color and the type of bindings, all that you need to do is to properly install them. Setting up your bindings is not a hard job, and you’ll need just some basic tools to do it. So, we created a list of basic steps you should consider when installing your new bindings to your skateboard.
Have the Proper Tools
It’s good to know that for most boards you will need only a #3 Phillips screwdriver and a wrench. If you need to do quick changes on the mountain, be sure to have a multi-tool by your side.
Choose Your Lead Foot
If you wondered how to know what is your lead foot for the board, there is a simple task. You’ll need to stand still and let yourself slowly fall forward, or ask someone to push you nicely a little.
The foot you use to lean on and catch yourself is considered a leading foot. So, if your left foot goes forward, you have a “regular” stance, and if your right foot goes forward, you have a “goofy” stance.
Choose the Binding Angles
You can position bindings on a snowboard so that your feet and boots can be angled forward, backward, or somewhere in between. If you are a beginner, you should mount the snowboard bindings in the “duck stance” position.
That way both your feet would be angled away from each other. A lot of snowboarders position their front binding at a 15° angle, and the rear binding at about 0° and a -6° angle.
These positions are great for learning to snowboard because they force you to learn the correct technique and to distribute your weight correctly. Many riders don’t like changing and adjusting their stance angle every time they go for a ride, so “duck stance” seems to be the solution.
Once you become more experienced, and your riding technique is solid, you can try changing the angles.
Bottom Line
If you decided to try snowboarding, always have in mind that having the right gear is much more important than the color. But, if you like trying out different bindings color be free to experiment.
If you love contrast colors, you can opt for some complementary bright colors, that way your bindings can really stand out on the slope. On the other hand, if you love white color, it’s okay to buy yourself white bindings, but remember, the dirt will be visible sooner than on some darker color variations.
Of course, don’t forget all the technical points when it comes to snowboard bindings. So, we hope you are ready to hit the slopes with your new bindings, whichever their color is.
