Binding Model: Rome D.O.D.
Binding Size: S/M
Stance and Angles: Goofy, 21in wide, 15/-3
Board Used: Rome Agent Alek 155
Boot Used: DC Tucknee
Boot Size: 8
Rider Weight: 155lbs
Location: Breck
Conditions: Bonus late spring. It had snowed a little overnight but was already pretty baked by the time I got there. Slush fest in the sun, frozen slush in the shade.
Binding Adjustability: Flip cams on the straps with Rome’s strap bungie on the ankle adjuster. As you lock down the ankle adjuster cam you place the bungie so it gets pulled tight and it keeps the strap out of the way as you step into the binding. They’ve been doing it for years and it still works great. They do come out of box with both zero and 2.5 degree canted footbeds. I rode with the zero degrees which is what I personally prefer on anything that isn’t rocker dominant. There’s a standard cam for your highback forward lean and you can adjust the rotation with bolts down on the heelcup. The whole heelcup can move front to back to center your boot in the binding. Two bolts at the back, and two at the front, loosen them up and move as needed.
Straps: They haven’t changed the straps at all since I last rode these, and that’s a good thing. The ankle strap is solid dense foam with a plastic skeleton structure on the outside. It works really well conforming over your boot and offering a progressive feeling flex. The more you push into it the more support it gives back. The toe strap is a thicker flexible but grippy rubber that stretches nicely over your toe so you can’t feel it, and locks in and stays put.
Ratchets: Nothing all that special really, which is a good thing. Didn’t have to think about them at all.
Highbacks: The DOD highback is built on a flex hinge that wraps around the forward lean adjuster. It provides just enough flex to keep the highback from feeling too obtrusive as you ride and provides a bit of shock absorption as well. It’s on the more supportive stiffer side of average and matches well to the feel of the rest of the binding.
Binding Flex: The full aluminium underwrap frame, more supportive ankle strap, and above average stiffness highback all put the DOD at above a mid flex into the beefy freestyle kind of feel in flex. It’s supportive and as responsive as you need it to be and would match well to just about 99% of boards out there except possibly the absolute stiffest or the noodliest of noodles. The underwrap frame does a great job transmitting your efforts on your heelside turns and the whole binding just feels really solid and bomber.
Ride: The ankle straps are comfortable and supportive, the highback is smooth and supportive, and the full underwrap frame is responsive and powerful. The footbeds are decently thick providing a smooth ride underfoot as well. It’s the type of feel that makes a great ride all day binding.
Rider in Mind: Just about anyone. They build the DOD to be the workhorse in the Rome lineup. It is what most of the team rides and is at home in the streets, on huge jumps, on pow decks, or down sketchy couloirs.
Personal Thoughts: This is one of my favorites for a one binding do anything option. I can comfortably put these on any board I own and know that they’ll perform and be comfortable all day. If you just can not decide what bindings to get, you can’t go wrong with the DOD.
