My street queen now has no straps, since my fall 5 months ago that put me in hospital. So with Trampa to Haero, came Straps to Freedom.
Still getting used to sucking at toe-side turns on channel trucks though, need to build up my slow speed turning confidence / balance.
Carving at speed is no problem though.
My point? I’m on an MTB (some would say ATB) with a half-shell, but some other things needed fixing first, like getting rid of RC ESCs.
Yeah dude. I just have the regular straps on my mountain board and so far I keep them really loose with the concept that if I fall my feet will come off…
I’m not sure if that is a flawed concept or not.
I ride very tentatively on the MTB so far because I really don’t want to fall.
But I’m wanting to get more into it this spring… And actually get on some trails
I used to ride my Trampa on bitumen without heel straps, so I could just slip my feet in and out for convenience and safety. It didn’t keep me out of hospital or prevent concussion when I had signal interference. It’s false security, closed bindings are closed, S2’s or YoBis for example are fundamentally different.
I always wear my full face helmet nowadays, safety first! Glad you didnt really get injured… So in general with heel straps is safer than without?
It gives you more control in turning, but in a case of an accident, you’re fucked. There is a risk of twisting your knees, but not as high as on skis, but there is still a risk.
Heel straps are safer off road since it makes it more difficult to twist a knee.
The problem is using heel straps when riding on road around traffic.
When riding my MTB on road around traffic, I never wear heel straps but in general bindings are to be avoided in such situations.
So for me at least:
Off road, road without traffic = heel straps
Riding around cars = use a board without bindings or if using bindings no heel straps and pray nothing happens.
I think with proper bindings you are fucked anyway, as there is no way to step out of them during a real crash. Heel straps don’t make this worse, they help as they reduce the risk of twisted knees (because otherwise it is likely that one foot will come lose and the 15-20kg board will turn the other leg 180°). 
This. Also you have to realise the heel straps give you an increased probabiliy of not bailing/crashing in the first place. Always heel straps, no matter if I’m around cars or not - I want the best control (and it’s nice for hopping up and down curbs!)
My mom tells me that all day. I must get some training (also build some muscles) with my board and to get a feeling riding it safely. I must trust my life to it. 
Yeah, I immediately got myself heel straps after the first few rides because it just felt unsafe, I always thought I’d slip out of the bindings when going fast on a rough path. Which would be very painful.
I used to ride without them but the catalyst for me was smart reverse. Once I could stop on a hill then my worries about heel straps were gone and I immediately started using them and never looked back… you really do not want to be in a situation where one foot stays in and one comes out like you said. You get so much more control with them and once you are over the fact that if the board goes down you go with it you realise there are only upsides to using them
Once i tried the haero deck with jumping in a indoor hall during a meetup with Phil from Haeroboards, I jumped without heelstraps and during the jump I threw of the board and it flew on my head after I landed. I’m glad, that I had a helmet on.
Ive been waiting to buy heelstraps for a while now, better buy some soon.
I got mine from my santee. 
Caring santa! 
Holy crap Rich, my neck would not survive what you just described there 
should we start wearing those neck braces I see motocross folks wearing
So kids, what you are saying is that I really need to get me some heel straps huh…???
