 Poster: A snowHead
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Any thoughts on these? I’m just about to get some new skis - Line Vision and I do fancy a bit of touring but realistically 90% of the time downhill.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have them exactly for the same use-case. Because of Covid only had a chance to use it one week last season. It worked great for that purpose. For a reasonable 200-300 m vertical it worked well for me (I am used hiking in mountains with 10-12 kg backpack)
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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?
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@Guernseyfreerider, Used mine off-piste for around 25 days last season of which most involved some skinning. I think they are excellent for what you are proposing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Guernseyfreerider, use the search function. There is a thread of epic proportions covering their operation, function, what to pair with, predisposition to failure or not, boot compatibility, weight, colour, love, dislike and anything else you can think of.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Guernseyfreerider, they're excellent for what you require.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've had them since 2019 as my main bindings and would generally recommend them. I've toured 1000m on them (on 2kg skis as well!) several times and been fine - if a bit knackered. They ski very well, just like regular downhill bindings.
Issues are their tendency to pre-release though this might have been fixed as I got the very first batch. Also, the heel piece of one of mine tends to fall off while I'm skinning which could be an issue if you don't notice. You can re-attach it fairly easily if you have a screwdriver with you but it's a pain.
Would I get them again? Yes. Could they be improved. Also Yes. For occasional tours they are exactly what you want.
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Yep the brake mechanism slides off the plate. The hooks go back in but don't seem to 'click' into place. I did think something might have snapped off but can't see anything in particular. I was speaking to an Atomic rep last winter who said I should email in and ask if they have any replacements.
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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.
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@Guernseyfreerider, My son's got a pair on his main pair of skis, and now his wife, and my daughter, both have them on their only pairs of skis. The girls use them on piste and off piste on skis that have a waists of 96 - 100 and have no problems at all. My son has managed not to break his, which is something of a miracle given his track record of trashing bindings.
So they seem to give them the thumbs up for the sort of thing you describe.
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I had similar use-case when I bought them but at times I wished I had lighter bindings as my touring trips, the 10%, got longer and involved more climbing. I've had a few niggles at first with the locking mechanism unlocking due to the lever being stiff and some icing. They are also an excellent downhill binding which I now use on my daily ski, but annoyingly the brakes are made of thin metal (weight saving?) and can easily bend stopping them from deploying correctly if you lose a ski, or when unclipping. I have now switched to Fritschi Tecton 13 for the same 90/10 use-case when I purchased another set - they have pins at the front but feel normal when skiing fast downhill and on uneven terrain as well as having a DIN release at the front and rear.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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.
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@spyderjon, and all, a penny for your thoughts. I am 6.3, 93-95kg, an aggressive dynamic skier both on and off-piste, I have been doing 2-4 weeks off-piste with guides for the last 20plus years, I have my DIN set to 11 on Salomon Guardians mounted on Salomon Rocker 2 115s at 188cm length. I am 100% confident on these bindings for the downhill but they are a dog for Freerando and such like, I bought the set up pre-Shift. I know I am probably repeating stuff here and I have delved into various threads and I am researching new bindings and I understand the importance of correct set up on the Shifts. I have broken both Salomon STHs and STH2s, and cracked my Salomon Falcon CS pro boots (7 years ago.) I am really twitchy about pre-release issues with the Shift and I just cannot risk it happening, would they be an option for me? Thank you for your thoughts people.
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@JayDub, get Duke PT's.
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You know it makes sense.
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@spyderjon,
Thank you for the clarity - it is much appreciated.
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FAQ
The only way the upper heel can come off its lower base is if the forward pressure screw is completely undone 
. Do you mean that the brake mechanisim has slid forward off the base plate? If so then then the little teeth on the end of the locating hooks have been broken off (user error when installing/removing them incorrectly by people that don't know they're there).
