How Do I Pick Ski Bindings To Buy?
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- čas přidán 3. 12. 2023
- Elliott Get's Ready for Ski Season with new Snow and trail openings on the horizon. Talking about bindings and safety. How I buy ski bindings and what to watch out for.
My affiliate link for the bindings I own Look SPX 12:
www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...
I've skied on Solomon's for 47 years for no real reason other than familiarity. Just purchased a new pair of Elon Ripstick 97 Blacks skis that came with Tyrolia's as a package deal and didn't even flinch at the thought of another brand of bindings. They are all good. Most of you will never push your bindings to 10/10ths or be sponsored to use a particular brand so just pick which ever one has a color that matches your skis.
I don't know that they're all the same, but I think they're all mostly good at this point like you said.
I've got Tyrolia's on my 2022/23 Salomon Stance no complaints, they hold the edge when required, and released yesterday when I was trying to catch up w/my friends in deep soft spring moguls, crossed my tips, and tomahawked while my rt ski shot 7 ft upwards. All to the hoots of KT22 chair riders! I got smoked had to meet the boys at the bottom 😂
Good question and agree with what you say. I would suggest making a few more points, feel free to use as you see fit.
1. The things noticeable about bindings are the step in force, the delta angle (toe height vs heel height), how to set forward pressure, and if grip walk, touring, or alpine standard for your boot sole. Salomon had WTR (walk to ride) which is not offered anymore. Until recently all bindings were Alpine stand sole (flat on bottom) and a non factor.
2. Look pivots are high performing, costly, complicated to initially adjust properly and for future changes, and have pretty even toe and heel heights.
3. You can group bindings by DIN range (max setting or weight capability) and within a group there are at least 6 bindings that are all relatively equal.
4. The higher DIN bindings have more metal and less plastic to handle the increased weight capability, and they weigh more. Buy a binding with some room on your DIN setting on both upper and lower range for future adjustments.
5. As Elliot said, buy bindings offseason on sale and keep in the box until needed, works for skis as well.
6. Binding mount point on the ski is important, but if you don't have insider info, mount bindings so boot center is on ski Mfg's recommended line. This is the norm for a ski shop
7. Different bindings space you off the ski a lot or a little. And that can be different for your toe versus your heel. Different toe vs heel can mess with your stance and forward lean. You typically don't notice it until its out of whack. People have different preferences so not one size fits all. Most race bindings are close to equal toe and heel (delta), which is my preference. To change you either need shims under your binding and then longer screws, or get different bindings. If sensitive to this, check before buying
8. Demo bindings can be used to move binding mount point on any skis, not just for rental or demo skis. If you suspect you will want to move mounting point, then consider them, downside is heavier and usually raises you higher off ski (which can be good or bad, depends on the ski)
9. Lastly, I like Tyrolia Attack 13 bindings (or Attack 11) because they are light, work well, are low priced, come in lots of colors and seem to always be on clearance in the summer for $100 or less. One buying tip is look at Corbetts website in Canada for bindings and gear in general. They ship to the US free and one US dollar is worth 1.35 Canadian, so a 35% discount due to the exchange rate on all their prices. They had two year old Attack 13's for $80 US recently.
In good old days all bindings were metal, Tyrolia had rear binding openin diagonally sideways, and even the name was Diagonal. And Salomon had forward binding opening upwards. And Marker har pivoted forward claws with own springs, and my one has the whole under boot plate sliding sideways too. All those to one binding and I'm in! Btw. I very rarely have had bindings opening on skiing prematurely, and I keep my bindings quite loose, so not the numbers my weight says, I just tune those by opening them. I think I made a video of try-opening bindings. Yes -in our kitchen ;-)
Yeah what's interesting too is the look pivot has been around for years and years, obviously changed a bit, but very interesting.
I've got Marker Griffons on my Volkl Revolts so far so good. I popped out once when I landed flat in deep pow, otherwise fine. My buddy has Jaspers on his Volkls and has to yank up the back w/his pole to lock in the boot! Jens likes the Griffon too. I had the red & white old Markers on my old Machete Sins, that whole PoS setup belongs in histories dustbin!
Haha
Salomon have been the most solid and reliable for me. The tyrolia attack are good but i had some pre-release at recommended din setting. I reset them myself and now they are good…at least i know they release. Marker let just say i have history with them but i have 2 Volkl system ski with marker on them and them work fine. If you want the best go salomon and be done with. My experience.
Have liked the Salomon bindings I've come across so far! My kids have some of them and they've been good so far.
Using lighter bindings feels good on the feet at the end of the day.
For this season i swaped bindings on all my race skis to Look SPX15s on R22 raceplates 🤑😭 The (mostly) Marker XCells they replaced probably werent the worst bindings in the world but the SPXs just feel soo much better (which you can already tell when stepping in, or trying to wiggle the unloaded heel-/toe-pieces).
Only thing to look out for in (S)PX or Pivot bindings is imho to always get the 15 or 18 versions, even if you wont max out the DIN: they all have the same serious metal toepiece while 12 and 14 come with that system-binding-type plastic toe.
If weight wasn't a thing, thats probably the only bindings i'd ever buy... but on some touring and freeride skis i will absolutely stick with Alpinst12/Kingpin12/Tecton 13/Shift13 ^^
Agree 100%!
ramp height matters a lot!
I’ll echo the newer Marker praise! I’ve put about 30 days with some good use on some Griffon 13s between last and this season and have had no problems.
I rode Tyrolia demo bindings this past weekend and they really didn’t have a significant clunk when I locked in. I trust they were set up well and are good bindings, but my monkey brain was less sure. (Louder click = more secure obviously) Going to have STH16s on my powder skis but waiting for better coverage and a big dump to take those out.
omg same! Back when I raced the look clunk vs old marker was sketchy especially if you had snow on your boots. Will have to check out new Markers.
Cast + look 15 on every ski
How do you find the weight penalty? Have you tried pin bindings by way of comparison?
Look Pivots are very popular but they do sit more flush with the top of the ski. Great for your powder skis or park skis, but not so great for carving. I like to cheat a little and get a binding that sits 25mm or more up from the topsheet of the ski for carving. That extra leverage makes a huge difference, in my opinion. People put down demo bindings, but they do sit higher than most off of the ski. Unless you are an expert at bindings, always get them checked out at a trusted shop when you buy used skis or get them professionally mounted when buying new equipment. Don't overlook binding integrity. A binding failure while skiing can be extremely dangerous, or at the very least, ruin a day of skiing.
Totally agree, it's a terrible way to ruin your winter.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on stand height. In the past I’ve been using either the pivot or attack 13, both of which have a stand height of approximately 18 mm. I’m interested in the new Tyrolia protector binding, however, not sure what effect the 33 mm stand height would have.
My take is that unless you do a lot rails and acrobatics, you might like a higher stance. But I'd say their is as much chances you might not really notice it.
I do notice it initially, but I would say try it out and see if it's something you can get used to. For me, after a half day of skiing I can usually adapt to bindings pretty quickly.
Nowadays you don't really move bindings from ski to ski! At least I don't anymore. Some skis come with integrated system binding those are are usually solid, some come with plates. Agree with you to buy a higher end "DIN" binding even though you may have it tuned between 7-9. I had Marker , Tyrolia, Look, Salomon. All of them were great, it's the least ski equipment you buy that you have to be selective! (Not like Boots that I would rate the highest important piece) don't get me wrong the race plates below the bindings can make a great difference, especially if you are into casual racing or carving!
By the way you are way too late to put snow ❄️ tires on you car, especially if you are a serious skier😮.
. . . .and the way the industry is headed, lighter choices are coming with everything ( boots, bindings, skis)
Agreed, you might as well keep them on too if you resell them so the next owner has less holes in the skis.
I remember going to ski shops with my dad in the 1980s and Marker had a huge lineup of the most cutting edge bindings with the best technology, very popular back then. Today they are not my first choice for my skis, not sure why I feel that way, maybe just the Marker aesthetics come across a bit cheap/gaudy looking and with lots of plastic instead of metal. I also like the Look Pivot and SPX (feels solid, lots of metal). One of the most interesting recent innovations is the Tyrolia Protector binding and I'm wondering if I should put that one on more of my skis.
Love my rossi fks bindings for years ago .
Awesome
Using a pair of Salomon Z12 bindings on my main skis right now but I've always had marker griffons as well, never had the actual binding fail but I had the heel piece rip out after getting them remounted one too many times. You can probably get more like 3-4 mounts on most skis comfortably but it depends on the pair of skis and how good your ski tech is, I got 6 remounts before that dismount issue on the old pair of K2s. I wanna get a pair of Look Pivot 14s or 15s but it's hard to justify that price, plus I only run my DIN at 8-8.5 normally.
Wow, that's awesome, yeah I would like to eventually review the pivots, but you're right they're the same price as skis!
@@RicketySkiReviews So far I've refrained from spending more than $700 on a set of skis and bindings, but that feels impossible with Pivots, even when they're on sale in the off-season they're over $300 and in some wack color and size. The question that remains is, who's bankrolling all these hooligans with Pivots? or is there some secret Look club you can join to pay reasonable prices for bindings. 😂
I also fractured my skull at Hunter Mtn on those Atomic bindings that had the heel release problem back in 2001. 4 months of cognitive rehab later and I am retarded for life. Another best ever binding.
Yeah it's hard to forget those crashes even years later.
Long, long time ago Atomic used ESS bindings, but eventually they team up to create own line bindings. In mid 90's Tyrolia bindings would fall apart - bad designs or material. As for Look they were always considered as one the safest bindings, period.
Purchased look Spx for a new pair of Fischer ranger 90. I chose look because I like their cycling cleats and pedals. And maybe a little of your recommendations.
hope you love them!
How do you like the Ranger 90? I have some on order and paired them with the Spx 12, I’m excited to try them out.
Marker Griffon is my default. I have some Salomon 16s on a set of Brahma 88s for going stupid fast. I dont need the 16 DIN but the sound they make when you step in gives me confidence. Also have some Pivot 14s that look awesome (pun intended).
Interesting, Marker Griffon's seems to be super popular
@RicketySkiReviews distribution and scale I guess. They work well and I usually find them on sale for 200cdn.
Yeah, got Alberto Tomba's inspired Forzas. Sorry to say -- for the looks. No other thinking went into it. :oD I am no "tomba-la-bomba"but feel safe on them. 😅
Alberto Tomba, now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time! I used to have his poster
Resort: Whatever MNC binding I can find for cheap. Got a mix of Salomon and Atomics that are all the same binding with different paint jobs and 13 DIN.
Touring: Requires a several hour video
Totally
I’ve been in the Ski Industry on and off my entire life. Previous Rep with Salomon. I agree with most of your narrative. Marker is the most disappointing binding on the market. Look makes excellent product. TYROLIA, is the largest manufacture of bindings worldwide. TYROLIA’s new “Protector” is a game changer!
Oh cool, great insight! Yeah it's funny how it changes over the years, back in 2006 when I was working in a ski shop, the Atomic Bindings were a nightmare, (they needed a special metal clip for the brakes, and the grinder would always melt down the plastic tips of the brakes) now they're pretty solid.
I just bought a qst 98.I was gonna get the Strive 12 100mm to pair with the new skis, but the guy at the shop told me to get the 90mm version instead saying they mounted 90mm on qst 98 all the time. Kind of interesting cuz 100mm seemed to be the better choice as they r closer to 98mm.
That actually makes sense kind of, I think it's easier to bend them out slightly than it is to have them be too wide and catch on the snow. I'm not a binding expert, but I have look spx 100mm bindings on my qst 106's and they said it was no problem when they mounted.
1:33 Habit. I buy Marker Griffon bindings. They work better for me than other bindings I've tried. I don't even shop or read about bindings any more...it's so hard to care about this, but I'll still watch the rest of this video.
I can totally appreciate finding something you like and sticking with it!
🤘🤘
What about Frtschi Diamirs? They have that automatic telemark mode when you ski bumps or carve your turns too hard. Best AT bindings ever!!
Not familiar but appreciate the recommendation!
look pivot
I continue to set them at level 2, even though I can ski on more advanced trails. I don't feel like I'm aggressive enough or doing anything crazy, like jumps, to go to level 3, and I'd rather save my knees. IDK if that's the right thinking, but I've never been accidentally ejected
I feel like as long as you aren't releasing when you don't want, there's no reason to go up a din
Yeah I think with bindings follow the charts and do your best to make them match up with your needs. I agree don't over crank your dins
Been using the armada strive 14s so far this year and really liking them. Worked great in pow at Crested Butte yesterday when I hit a buried log and double ejected! 😂
Just got these with my Declivity 82 TIs. Glad to know they’ll eject when needed. Out of curiosity what DIN are you skiing?
Got the same. Never ejected yet. Mine is fixed at 9
That's awesome, are they the same as the atomic /salomon bindings?
@@RicketySkiReviews Yes, same binding different brand name and colors. All three brands have been bought by Amer Sports.
Stepping up the video production / editing. Are you using a GoPro now? Doing a review on action cameras for skiing might be a good idea
Great idea! Once I use it more maybe I can review it, I just got a go pro max on black friday.
You are so lucky to have not lived through the development of ski bindings. There were so many terrible designs. In the 70's and 80's bindings coming off in moguls was at least once a day thing. It was the standardization of boots that finally allowed bindings to work reliably. For me, 90's versions of Markers were the first binding I owned that did not come off in moguls with sane release values. So I stuck with them for 20 years. I think it's hard to go wrong with any of the major vendors these days. If you're having problems with bindings, I'd look at the boots first these days.
I used Ess bindings in the late 80s early 90s and had good results in moguls with them but they were spendy. At one point the brand got bought out by atomic when they got into bindings, I'm not sure how the atomic bindings are these days.
I had some pretty rough bindings in the 90s especially if you didn't clear snow properly.
I remember those, very well thought of at the time. @@teknik12k
You could be practicing ski ballet -- so that you have some expertise on that topic too... I pretty much think any modern binding works well -- they'd be sued out of existence if they didn't -- and it's about personal preferences and ski style.. I've got lightweight / plasticky Markers on my fronstide carving skis and more solid (mostly Salomon bindings) on the free-ride and all-mtn skis and Looks (with leashes) on the powder skis.. Why? I can use lightweight bindings on carvers since they don't get beat up, and there's no worry about them fouling in deep snow, I need heavier duty bindings on skis that get beat up and thrashed more and need better lateral resistance to release and ease of entry and clearing snow in deep powder... I see no reason to have expensive, heavy, bindings on skis that don't need them.
You never covered the most important differentiating feature of a binding; heal travel elasticity and re-centering force at the toe. As equally important as a release function is the retention function. A pre-release can be more dangerous than a late release, especially when skiing steep (no fall) terrain and at speed. DIN range should never be a worry for the recreational skier. Unless you weight 300 lbs, are 6' 7", Type 3 with a size 8 foot, you'll never push a spring past a 10 DIN.
I used your review of the Blizzard Rustler 10 to help choose it as my first new pair of skis.
What do you think about putting a Pivot? I'm 16 and growing into the 180s for next season. Come on 2"! 😂.
Please advise.
Oh, I have a ski channel too and need subscribers.
Thanks....
Okay, The Pivot is well built, it's great for freestyle skiers, and you can find it on sale right now, BUTTT, the big caveat is that it doesn't adjust, meaning once it's mounted, that's the only size boot that will fit. SO, at 16 you may want a ski binding that you can size up one time incase your feet keep growing. Honestly I personally use the Look SPX 12, you still get that great build quality, and it can adjust sizes a single size, AND It's what is used by World Cup Ski Racers Here's my binding: www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=pl&ti=132&pw=372417&mi=10270&pt=3&pri=427688
@@RicketySkiReviews Jus t saw you ski Bogus Basin. Are there rooms one the mountain?
As a skiier, I'm wondering if you really notice difference in the stack height between ? People say that outside of carving, a lower stack height gives you better "feel" of the skis, which is another reason why people like pivots. I have had different bindings (although not on the same ski), and I don't know if I can really tell the difference.
I definitely notice it at first, specifically when I was on the Volkl Deacon's this summer, but I think after a few runs you just kind of get used to it and adapt.