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Which 'all rounder' pin binding?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@fixx, which boots were you prescribed?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@AndAnotherThing.., Scott Cosmos II. Technically a men's boot - but it was the best fit, for my needs. Technica Cochise Women's was also very good for me, but lacking quite as much heel retention - i doubt you'd be looking at women's boots anyway Smile The Scott's are a bit lighter and stiffer anyway, and have been a revelation.

Edit: but just to repeat, my last boots were soft beginners type boots (although properly fitted, and with walk mode - I did tour on them) that I'd spent far too long on due mostly to money factors. It's nice to have better boots now Smile
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Weathercam, very true! Some work to be done, but I'm up for it Smile

I'm only in Chamonix for another week, but hoping for at least another couple of longer skins, depending on conditions... Annoyingly the damaged ankle that has kept me very sidelined for most of the year is throwing a fit tonight - definitely needs to be strapped down for downhill only tomorrow (hopefully not longer) until it stops complaining...
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@fixx, cool Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Interesting discussion.

I have beast 14s on one pair of skis and alpine bindings on another. I have a third set of skis with freerides on which are semi retired (available for guests who might want to dabble in a little touring).
When I bought the skis with beasts on, the radical 2 wasn't really available or I might have gone for that. But actually Beast 14s still make a lot of sense to me for a ski that I want to use in all soft snow conditions plus day tours and some hut to hut use.
I do buy the idea that having two pairs - one lighter/narrower ski with lightweight pin bindings plus a wider pair with say F10s might be even better but I cant really justify the pure touring rig for the amount of hut to hut that I do. A modest investment in the Beasts vs F10s gives me something that climbs better with I suspect minimal compromise on the downhill (as I'm not in the habit of jumping off cliffs). Last week I was on my alpine set up so can't make a recent direct comparison but the week I skied on Beast 14s at the end of last season they seemed to feel as smooth and solid as alpine bindings. Beyond price, I'm not sure what's not to like? (and on price I can't really take lectures from people who have 6 pairs of skis or who are in the business of making beautiful but distinctly reassuringly expensive handcrafted skis Very Happy )
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
With Very limited touring experience, though about to gain more...
Spent the last two days trialing Look HM12 Bindings (Believe re-badged Rad 2's), entirely on-pieste.
Rock solid regarding confidence! Day two skiing 100% as alpine binding.
Bring on the soft stuff!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I recall a while back some one suggesting some of these would be good enough to run GS gates.

Any takers ? It would prove their piste potential. Thinking back I've done that on my fritchies Toofy Grin
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@jedster, my answer to this conundrum is to have my 2 pairs of skis that are currently in use quiver killered so they take both Marker F12s and Dynafits (I use some TLT Speeds myself). Only takes about 10 mins to swap over Cool

Back to the discussion, I *much* prefer skiing with the Markers. I simply don't trust the release on Dynafits (and other tech bindings, with the possible exception of Beasts) fully - I have had (and seen) enough pre-releases that I generally ski with the toes locked out. I'm ok with the risks associated in circumstances where I think Dynafits are appropriate (ie days when I am not using lifts at all). But if I am riding lifts, I'll probably ski about 5 times as far and the risk of me doing something which might knack my knee is at least 5 times as high.

Some might say the pre-releases are down to user error. They may be right, but if I'm too stupid to operate ski mode properly, I just have to work around that through a judicious use of locked out toe or other bindings
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Dynafits are a league above the old Fritschi frame bindings in terms of stiffness/feel/responsiveness (and by old I mean 2012 - I doubt things have improved since then).
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@AndAnotherThing.., I've run gates in the past with my Beasts & did a few GS runs on the open stad in Baqueira over Christmas on my Brahma's with Rad 2 ST's but I'm no racer. However, it's variable terrain IMO, that prove their worth. The Rad 2's & Kingpins ski as well as any of the mid range alpine bindings. The heels on the Beast are torsionally stiffer so they ski as well as the top end alpine bindings like Pivots, Vists, Jester Pro's etc. The direct metal to metal contact in many cases gives a more direct feel but the rotary/elastic toe (on the Dyna's) takes the harshness out. Any of the freeride bindings (Beast 16/14, Rad 2, Kingpin) will 'do it' when monted on the right ski with the right boot & a handy pilot. Seeing the likes of Horizon ripping it on variable snow on the old model Rad FT (unlocked toe & mid range din) with Maestrale RS's a few years ago dispelled any nagging doubts I had & the latest models have moved on a lot since then. They need a bit more TLC than alpine bindings (ie keep them clean/lubed) but that's a good excuse for a some time in your man cave with a beer Toofy Grin
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Cheers all snowHead

In that case it may be a question of what comes up at a tempting price !
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Quote:

@jedster, my answer to this conundrum is to have my 2 pairs of skis that are currently in use quiver killered so they take both Marker F12s and Dynafits (I use some TLT Speeds myself). Only takes about 10 mins to swap over


actually that makes a lot of sense - and given the price of Beasts, the cost of that option isn't so much more.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread, but it's pretty on-topic I think. I'm trying to decide on my first pair of pin bindings, which will be mounted on a pair of touring skis (probably BLack Diamond Carbon Aspects) for proper multi-day tours - the first being the Haute Route this year. (I already have some heavier/fatter skis with frame bindings for hike and ride).

I was originally going to go for the Fritschi Diamir Vipec 12 Blacks, as I've had a bad knee injury from a non-releasing ski in the past, and like the idea of the certified DIN release. However, having read the above posts, I had a more detailed look at the Dynafit TLT radical 2.0 and they also appear to have a proper toe release, plus being c. 400g lighter.

As a pin binding newbie, can anyone explain in words of one syllable what the differences would be between them aside from price and weight? I'm especially interested in ease of stepping in/use, and any sort of clarity on the toe release question. Thank you!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@jedster, pretty sure the bindings cost less than Beast 16s although the QK work added up a bit
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Arno, yeah I was totting it up in my head and got to the same conclusion. Good thought though, particularly if you want to ski in alpine boots from time to time. Which I'm a bit undecided about.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
jedster wrote:
Good thought though, particularly if you want to ski in alpine boots from time to time. Which I'm a bit undecided about.


Swappable soles help in this respect but I did read a prediction suggesting that this type of boot is in the decline from manufacturers. For the skiing I'm doing the Freedom SL works very well so I hope they will stay in production for a while yet.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
A quick update -

In the end I went for a pair of Radical 2's from spyderjon who mounted them on my old Karma's. I skied then a couple of days in mixed conditions last week and was impressed.

On piste, skiing hard over a mix of fast long turns & grippy short turns they felt very good with no particular difference in feel to an Alpine binding. Off piste, it was the same. In terms of release I think I only popped once, when I crossed a ski on a traverse but otherwise they stayed on. I may knock the DIN back a little to see of they pop more (just to see, as I generally prefer lower release values) but all in all they seem to perform very well.

So far, so recommended. It will be interesting to see how well they wear with regard to davidof's comments.

The only down side is that the mounting holes clash with the Markers on the ski's I intended them for.

All that remains is to find / decide on some new ski's for the Radicals. Thinking Dynastar Cham 97s at the mo, but did see some Movement Trust's that looked plausible.

Thanks to spyderjon for supply and fit (including a lesson on QK'ing) snowHead
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