Straps and Highbacks

Not many bindings in this price range come with an AuxTech toe strap, but that’s exactly what you get here. AuxTech is used by several brands now and is fast becoming the gold standard for straps; it expands evenly around the boot using a clever hinged mesh, with no stretching or deforming.

The ankle strap is a little less high tech but features a good amount of padding and a nice wide shape to spread the load. It also feels tough enough to last several winters – certainly we couldn’t put a tear in ours during testing. There’s not a lot to say about the thematically-named Proton ratchets except that we found them to tighten efficiently and let you out at the end of your run with the minimum of fuss.

The highback is made from nylon, with no fibreglass or carbon added to the mix, so torsionally it’s quite malleable. This makes it very accessible to less experienced riders, and enables park rats to tweak hard. At the same time, heelside response is quick enough for all but the beardiest of freeriders and the jockiest of pipe shreds. It’s asymmetrically designed for a better fit with your boot, and features a tools-free forward lean adjuster that’s nicely incorporated into the overall shape.

“It’s asymmetrically designed for a better fit with your boot, and features a tools-free forward lean adjuster that’s nicely incorporated into the overall shape”

Roundup

The Muon-X is essentially Nidecker’s no-frills binding, but it spares little in performance. They’ve focused on the important stuff here: keeping the weight down, keeping it comfy, and keeping it flexible enough for its target audience. Spot on. Or should that be Muon?