Talk to me about bindings...

[itri]

With the big Labor Day sales coming up next week and a pair of naked Lady Hart Twintips sitting down in my garage, I've started thinking about bindings. Problem: I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about bindings. What do I need to know to be able to find good bindings, hopefully at a bargain price? Brands, settings, size, shape, color, I honestly have no clue!

If it makes a difference, I'm 5'7", about 135, and ski at a high intermediate/low advanced level (in other words, I can get down just about anything, it just isn't very pretty sometimes! ). I don't really like to do crazy stuff like cliffs and such, but I like some speed, and I'm learning to like bumps. And of course, I powder!

Speak to me of bindings, O Wise Divas! :p

 

[Robyn]

This thread that I started last spring might be helpful to you for a start. Did you get the VIP invite to SkiRex? If not, I can forward it to you. :D

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4037&highlight=bindings

 

[pinto]

With the big Labor Day sales coming up next week and a pair of naked Lady Hart Twintips sitting down in my garage, I've started thinking about bindings. Problem: I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about bindings. What do I need to know to be able to find good bindings, hopefully at a bargain price? Brands, settings, size, shape, color, I honestly have no clue!

If it makes a difference, I'm 5'7", about 135, and ski at a high intermediate/low advanced level (in other words, I can get down just about anything, it just isn't very pretty sometimes! ). I don't really like to do crazy stuff like cliffs and such, but I like some speed, and I'm learning to like bumps. And of course, I powder!

Speak to me of bindings, O Wise Divas! :p

The nice thing about being a diva is that most of us don't need huge DINs, so we can get bindings a step or two (or three or four) down from the big expensive ones. You want to be somewhere in the middle of the DIN range of your binding. You're probably around 5 or 6 DIN (you could look it up, but I'm lazy), so a binding that goes up to 10 or 11 is fine. Twelve is fine, but they usually cost more, so why bother. You just don't want to be on either extreme of the range.

The other thing I'd do, once you find something you're interested in, is google and see if the particular binding has any quirks. This is why: I have some Salomons that I put on my first pair of Queen Attivas. On the third or fourth day I skied the skis, we were at Jackson Hole in about 18 in. of new snow. Yee haw, right? Well, sort of. I kept coming out of the toe piece of the binding on my right foot. Which really sucks on a big powder day, because it just takes a while to find your ski, get it back on, etc. It was irritating, and, frankly, it was really embarrassing, too. I kept wanting to say, "I know how to ski powder! I swear!" I wasn't out of control or anything when I would pop out ... I didn't know what was going on. I had tweaked my knee a few weeks before, and I assumed I was compensating for something and twisting out of my ski.

Fast forward to the next season when I decided to move the binding back. Bindings are remounted, everything is fine, I don't ever have that problem again. I buy the next year's model of that binding for my Auras, and when the salesman was describing the binding, he mentioned that this version had fixed a problem that the previous version had, some issue with the toe wings. <insert light bulb emoticon>

I had the Queens originally mounted at another shop, and remounted at Ski and Golf (where I was buying the second bindings). I asked him about it, and he said that they knew about it and were retrofitting something when they mounted that particular binding. Obviously the first shop didn't know yet (the problem probably hadn't come to light when I had them mounted). So I got an answer to why I had been coming out of just that ski back on that day the year before, and why it hadn't happened since I remounted.

Sorry that was so long ... but sometimes it isn't a particular brand of binding that "sucks" or has issues; instead it's often a model that has a little issue that only the gearheads even know about. So my advice is to do a little research and save a few prereleases.

 

[Little Lightning]

Also talk to Outdoor Divas about binding ramp angle. Think "high heels or Earth (negative heel) shoes".

Every binding has ramp angle and it can vary even within manufacturers. Incorrect ramp angle can seriously affect your skiing.

I have 3 pair of skis all bought before I knew my ramp angle.

My Volkl Supersports have a Marker system binding. The ramp angle for me is negative and it can't be changed because its a system binding. I have a hard time with these skis, I want to ski "on my toes" because my foot isn't neutral and I can't pressure the tip of the ski well. When I bought the skis I had heel lifts in my boots which compensated for the negative heel issue.

My K2 Phat Luvs (Solomon bindings) have an extreme (for me) ramp angle. With the addition of heel lifts I might have well been on stileto's. I couldn't find a good balance in powder and thought my technique was off. My ski instructor commented that something was wrong, I just didn't ski the same way on the Phat Luvs. She thought it was the skis but couldn't identify the problem.

My Lotta Luvs also have a Marker Binding but I bought the skis flat. From the get go I loved these skis, I wasn't sure why but they performed so well for me. Turns out the ramp angle of the binding is 4, I'm a 5. A slight adjustment to the ramp angle made the skis perfect.

Adjusting the Phat Luvs made the skis an entirely new ski for me. I've discovered the true potential of the ski. Even though its an older Phat Luv its an awesome powder and crud ski and does well on groomed.

I still can't come to terms with the Volkl and may just give up on it.

I also demoed skis last year and discovered that I was evaluating the ramp angle of the binding rather than the quality of the skis. I did not post a review of the skis I demoed.

When I buy new skis again I will buy flat skis, closely evaluate the ramp angle of the binding and make sure it matches me physically.

Sometimes, a deal isn't always the best deal if you don't buy what is best for you.

 

[volklgirl]

Here's another consideration (we're all assuming your talking alpine, not touring bindings, BTW); each binding has an Anti Friction Device (AFD) in the toe piece of the binding. It sits just under the toe piece of the boot and helps to allow your boot to move out of the toe piece if necessary. Most manufacturers use a small Teflon plate for the AFD, which is usually fine but is very suseptible to wear and contamination on your boot soles. The Marker bindings use a metal plate on a track that moves with the boot toe during release and is the least affected by boot issues. So, if you keep your boots until they die, it's something you may want to think about.

 

[SnowHot]

itri, keep in mind that a higher DIN binding is about a lot more than just the DIN. It will have a better housing. The better housing will have more lateral stiffness, and give you more control when getting up on edge, particularly with a wider ski.

 

[itri]

Thanks for info, everyone. I still have no clue what I'm doing, but I've taken notes on the recommendations and will take my cheat sheet with me tomorrow. Hopefully I can find a good deal! Ski & Golf is really good about taking things back, so if I buy a complete dud, at least I can return it. Will post back with the outcome.

 

[itri]

Ok, I'm back and I have bindings! Now it's your job to tell me if they're decent or not...

I ended up with the Salomon Z12 Titanium with a 90mm brake. The first sales guy I talked to was completely clueless about bindings and pretty much told me I could pick one out based on the color I thought would go best with my skis. As soon as I started asking him questions about the DIN, he at least admitted that he didn't know much and went to get someone that did. The second guy was rushed, but seemed to know what he was talking about. He showed me the Salomon binding and a Marker binding, but recommended the Salomon because he said it would perform the same as the Marker, but is more lightweight. He said that should help me ski more aggressively and get up on my edges better. He also thought that the 85mm brake would work even though my skis have an 86 mm waist but sold me the 90mm brake and said if they were hanging out too far, they could just swap them out for the 85mms. The bindings were originally priced at $340 and I got them for $139.99, not too shabby.

Also picked up a new pair of goggles for flat light conditions, originally $100, for $56.99. I LOVE this time of year.

 

[SnowHot]

Good going Itri!!!
You will be happier with the wide brake. Glad you got it.

I should have had you get me a pair, for my F17's, with skinny brakes, of course.

Ok, I'm back and I have bindings! Now it's your job to tell me if they're decent or not...

I ended up with the Salomon Z12 Titanium with a 90mm brake. The first sales guy I talked to was completely clueless about bindings and pretty much told me I could pick one out based on the color I thought would go best with my skis. As soon as I started asking him questions about the DIN, he at least admitted that he didn't know much and went to get someone that did. The second guy was rushed, but seemed to know what he was talking about. He showed me the Salomon binding and a Marker binding, but recommended the Salomon because he said it would perform the same as the Marker, but is more lightweight. He said that should help me ski more aggressively and get up on my edges better. He also thought that the 85mm brake would work even though my skis have an 86 mm waist but sold me the 90mm brake and said if they were hanging out too far, they could just swap them out for the 85mms. The bindings were originally priced at $340 and I got them for $139.99, not too shabby.

Also picked up a new pair of goggles for flat light conditions, originally $100, for $56.99. I LOVE this time of year.

 

[skigrl27]

I love my Marker Jesters. They are expensive. The DIN's go up to 16 - and I'm set at 10 so I'm in the middle. They're lightweight as well.