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Bindings

Drake Fifty 2021-2022 Snowboard Bindings Review

  • Price: £146 / €170 / $200
  • Sizes: M, L, XL
  • Flex: 6/10
  • Entry System: Classic

An OG in the Drake line, it’s a numbers game with the Fifty, they’ve been a stalwart in the Italian range for twenty years and with some choice upgrades for 2021/22 they’re back and better than ever.

Value is the name of the game here and clocking in at under £150 is pretty impressive in today’s market, so if you’re a baller on a budget, or you’re just trying to save some extra cash for the apres pot then take a closer look.

“>An OG in the Drake line, it’s a numbers game with the Fifty, they’ve been a stalwart in the Italian range for twenty years and with some choice upgrades for 2021/22 they’re back and better than ever”

MORE INFO:
NORTHWAVE.COM

Who Is The Drake Fifty For?

They’re pretty soft flexing, so we think they’d suit either a less experienced rider looking for a gentle learning curve, or a jibby park rat, looking to tweak and poke around the hill.

Baseplate

The Fifty uses Drake’s Delta Light baseplate, it’s compatible with both 4×4 and 4×2 systems. As the name suggests it’s pretty lightweight but does sacrifice some plush cushioning to keep the weight low. There is still some support underfoot, especially in the heel, helping to soak up vibrations and dampen chatter.

The basepads are canted, allowing your foot to sit in at an angle, which in turn helps to align you knees, ankles and hips. A seemingly small thing, but over time it’s something you’ll grow to appreciate, especially as you start creeping up towards fifty…

“The basepads are canted, allowing your foot to sit in at an angle, which in turn helps to align you knees, ankles and hips”

Straps and Highbacks

Drake’s Honey Straps are still pretty new to the game and take on a honeycomb pattern to really wrap around your boot. The malleable design stops pressure points building across the top of the foot, and once again, you guessed it- cuts down on weight.

Again the toe straps are quite minimalistic, but that’s A) to keep the weight down and B) to keep the cost down. They still do the job though, keeping your foot pulled back into the binding and allowing rapid heel to toe energy transfer. Both are adjustable without the need for a tool, so if you need to sort it out on the fly, it’s easy as pie.

The cutout highback features minimal padding around the top, with some traction by the backstay of your boot to allow for a seamless integration between the two. It’s forward lean adjustable, so whatever your thoughts on cranking down, you’ve got the opportunity to do so if you want.

“The malleable design stops pressure points building across the top of the foot, and once again, you guessed it- cuts down on weight”

Roundup

Drake claim these are one of their best-selling models to date, so they’re not drastically changing them year on year. And sure, they’re not the most high-tech binders in the game, but they do the job and leave you with a bit of cash for the beer fund.

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