Radical 1.0 vs 2.0, Beast 14 and Ion?

[sf]

Considering picking up a pair of radical ft12 on a end off the season sale, but my original plan was to go with one of the ones mentioned above when they hit the market.
Is anyone here able too compare any of the new binders too tlts?. Yes, I've read LeeLaus comments about the Ion, and seen the 2.0/Beast14 comments on Wildsnow.

For reference; I weigh in at 85kg and I am an average skier. Ski most of my bindings around DIN10. I've skied tlt ft12s for several years, never caused me a problem. However; I have felt a "lack of connection" to the bindings when hitting harder snow at speed. As these bindings will end up on a non-powder touring set up, any real benefits in the new generation will be appreciated.

[gregL]

My inclination would be to let someone else try the new bindings for a year or so first - no one I know, including Lou and Lee, have enough time on any of these bindings to make a definitive call, and they are both quite a bit smaller than you. What do you mean by "lack of connection" - FT12's seem to transmit plenty of chatter on hard snow to me?

[XXX-er]

yeah the ION will probably be OK but you just never know what problems real world use will bring up in ANY product so I stuck with dynafit cuz its not unusual for a touring binding to have a problem or 2 in the 1st year like the rad heel pieces/ plum toe pieces/ marker pivots yada yada so I scored some verts VERY cheap ... saved some coin

No problem with how they ski at 158 lbs altho it is pretty soft up here, last season with a pair of red lotus 120's becoming my favorite tool I ended up on Mercury/rad STs just about all the time on/off piste instead of using my alpine boots & bindings ... seemed to work fine

[LeeLau]

Never ever ever buy a first generation binding without going into the experience with eyes wide open

[PNWbrit]

Never ever ever buy a first generation binding without going into the experience with eyes wide open

^ this.

Hell, even the latest version of the Radical 1.0 is an un-inprovement over the previous model.

[sf]

What do you mean by "lack of connection" - FT12's seem to transmit plenty of chatter on hard snow to me?

Agree. I guess "lack of elasticity" would be a better choice of words.

Guess I'll go for radical 1.0 then. Don't need then extra DIN, and certainly don't need the hassle of testing a new product for free. I had first gen NTNs and Scarpa TX Pros...........

[XXX-er]

yeah ^^ and this year I seen a couple of stripped screws on the top plates of new rads both ST and FT, happened to a couple of skinny guys who ski lots so I keep an eye on mine

while I kinda like the flippy heel lifts on my rads there wasn't really anything wrong with the volcano's on my verts, I wish Dynafit brakes actualy did more braking but otherwise I'm good with the binding as is for a few years

[1000-oaks]

^ this.

Hell, even the latest version of the Radical 1.0 is an un-inprovement over the previous model.

Talking about the spring-loaded heel pedestal?

[PNWbrit]

Talking about the spring-loaded heel pedestal?

Yep..... use them enough and they will develop slop - in that new, unecesarry and not really adding anything of great value complication of the tried, tested and pretty much unbreakable, let alone unwearoutable classic dynafit BSL adjustment screw - to the point where they're trash. seen it with several pairs.

[1000-oaks]

Wonder if a stiffer spring could be used, the pedestal should really only move when the boot bottoms out on the heel nub.

[PNWbrit]

Wonder if a stiffer spring could be used, the pedestal should really only move when the boot bottoms out on the heel nub.

As far as I can tell yes that tiny spring probably isn't stiff enough to do anything meaningful but it's more just how it was engineered into the existing design that's the problem. It created point of weakness and wear at many places - bushing through heel post, wedge shaped captive nut, etc. As well as introduce new potential for wear of ski top sheet itself - hence the new shims under heel plate - and the further duct tape "modification" to the shims. Put enough miles on them and the whole heel assembly will move, enough to make binding useless. In fact a stiffer spring might just speed up the wear?

I wouldn't buy another pair. Glad I managed to find some older ones to switch out. Not sure what I'll use in future nothing on the market shouts out as an obvious replacement yet.

[1000-oaks]

If a stiffer spring can stop movement except during boot-bottoming at deep flex, there shouldn't really be any additional wear.

Not happy to hear these issues, I "upgraded" three pair of pre-spring baseplates to this latest design...

[1000-oaks]

In fact a stiffer spring might just speed up the wear?

Should greatly reduce or eliminate wear actually. Ideally Dynafit would have selected a spring rate that's just a bit below the force required to push the boot out of the toe, so that the heel post NEVER moves (so no wear) except when the boot bottoms out on the pins hard enough to eject the boot from the toe. If the post only moves 10-20 times per season, I wouldn't think wear would be an issue. Maybe Dynafit selected a lighter spring so buyers could see it move (for marketing purposes), or maybe they designed the tunnel in the post before calculating the forces and are limited in spring size.

Users could increase the spring preload with washers, at the cost of overload travel. If the stock Radical 4.25 has 6mm of overload travel, 2mm of washers will reduce overload travel to 4mm, but will probably increase the preload enough to reduce "premature" movement.

[kootenayskier]

I tested prototype Ions for ~ 60 days this past winter, with lots of hard skiing and no durability issues. They certainly appear to be significantly more substantial than Radicals with several functional refinements - especially the step-in and brake actions. I've found that stress cracks develop in the base of the Radical's heel post after ~ 100 days use, and that the Radical heel piece top plate can shear off any time you get aggressive with the heel raisers engaged.

[retirwntm]

The Ions look pretty impressive.

Anyone have days on Beast 14's? Unless I'm missing something they look to have the same heal as prior 16's so have a year in production and limited testing there.

Toes seem new and are more of a curiosity. Same as the Radical 2.0 toe design with a pivoting toe that has a few mm of movement each way.

[Ivan Oder]

Found this link quite by accident, it's not available if you search the store. Anyone brave enough to pull the trigger?

http://www.snowinn.com/ski-store/dynafit-tlt-radical-ft-2-105-mm-black/612592/p

Some kind of tool for it:

http://www.snowinn.com/ski-store/dyn...-tool/612615/p

[gregL]

Found this link quite by accident, it's not available if you search the store. Anyone brave enough to pull the trigger?
http://www.snowinn.com/ski-store/dynafit-tlt-radical-ft-2-105-mm-black/612592/p
Some kind of tool for it:
http://www.snowinn.com/ski-store/dyn...-tool/612615/p

The Radical 2 will be in stores in NA in September, hopefully, including a blingy gold and black 50th Anniversay edition. The tool is for the Dynafit rental heels, it's a 8mm hex extension with really thin walls.

[1000-oaks]

I don't see how the new Dynafit rotating toes help with retention at all. If the toe turns enough for it to make a difference, the heel is already clear of the binding and you're coming out. Probably a feature to make release more consistent for future DIN certification, but does nothing for retention.

The Power Towers make sense for retention though, preventing sideways forces from popping open the pincers.

[Ivan Oder]

What's the mounting hole pattern like on the new radical 2.0? Same old same old? The G3 ion looks pretty too but the climbing aids look like flimsier versions of the Radical's. Can we just have the volcano back, please? Pretty please?
I don't understand the obsession in newer model tech bindings with 'forward pressure' doodads etc... are pins really slipping that much when a ski flexes?

[coldandwet]

Found this link quite by accident, it's not available if you search the store. Anyone brave enough to pull the trigger?

Not a good idea to order stuff from snowinn that isn't marked as 'in stock'.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

What's the mounting hole pattern like on the new radical 2.0? Same old same old? The G3 ion looks pretty too but the climbing aids look like flimsier versions of the Radical's. Can we just have the volcano back, please? Pretty please?
I don't understand the obsession in newer model tech bindings with 'forward pressure' doodads etc... are pins really slipping that much when a ski flexes?

$350 NOT on sale, and the toe holes don't interfere with Duke holes.

[cat in january]

About time that was offered in the states. $241 shipped from TP. Have not checked to see if they have lifted the ban on shipping it to the states. Since it will be sold here this Fall I would think so.

[gregL]

I don't understand the obsession in newer model tech bindings with 'forward pressure' doodads etc... are pins really slipping that much when a ski flexes?

It's not really forward pressure, more like "neutral" but the gaps are .5mm or 0 and the heel moves back when the ski flexes and the heel hits the boot. Trying to replicate release values for upcoming TUV/ISO/DIN testing, most likely. A good idea on paper, but all of these mechanisms add weight.

[gregL]

About time that was offered in the states. $241 shipped from TP. Have not checked to see if they have lifted the ban on shipping it to the states. Since it will be sold here this Fall I would think so.

too bad they aren't offering that heel with the Radical toe . . .

[Lindahl]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly.