No need for _.bind, just use the closure.

backbone.js

@@ -981,13 +981,14 @@
     route: function(route, name, callback) {
       if (!_.isRegExp(route)) route = this._routeToRegExp(route);
       if (!callback) callback = _.isFunction(name) ? name : this[name];
-      Backbone.history.route(route, _.bind(function(fragment) {
-        var args = this._extractParameters(route, fragment);
-        callback && callback.apply(this, args);
-        this.trigger.apply(this, ['route:' + name].concat(args));
-        this.trigger('route', name, args);
-        Backbone.history.trigger('route', this, name, args);
-      }, this));
+      var router = this;
+      Backbone.history.route(route, function(fragment) {
+        var args = router._extractParameters(route, fragment);
+        callback && callback.apply(router, args);
+        router.trigger.apply(router, ['route:' + name].concat(args));
+        router.trigger('route', name, args);
+        Backbone.history.trigger('route', router, name, args);
+      });
       return this;
     },