New Dynafit Freeride Binding - Beast 16

[BrokeSomeRibs]

Anyone using La Sportiva Spectre with the Beast? I'm trying to find out if the heel piece fits and if the rockered boot toe needs to be ground down at all to freely rotate in touring mode. Thanks!

[Judo Chop!]

^ my buddy did. I think it works fine, but I'll check with him.

[BrokeSomeRibs]

Thanks, let me know when you hear back

[rabbit]

If you don’t read sutras when you’re young
you won’t know what they mean when you’re older

[tDot13]

Anyone using La Sportiva Spectre with the Beast? I'm trying to find out if the heel piece fits and if the rockered boot toe needs to be ground down at all to freely rotate in touring mode. Thanks!

Yup, the Spectre worked fine, mounted the heel piece easily and I didn't have any issues with the sole.

[Judo Chop!]

hey - anyone figure out how to best attach leashes to these things?
I have some B16s 120mm brake that I want to use (with inserts) on my praxis pow 200's. I don't want to mess with the brakes so I can still use them with narrower skis.

[Wickedbrew4u]

Sorry if this has been answered already.

Trying to see if the 135 brake on the 15/16 Beast 16 will be awkward on a 118 ski. Basically mounting on a DPS 112RPC.
The 105 seems too small.

[zeroforhire]

I think I've probably asked this before, but can these brakes be bent out? I'm thinking of getting a 90mm setup and hoping to get them bent out to 102

[zeroforhire]

Sorry if this has been answered already.

Trying to see if the 135 brake on the 15/16 Beast 16 will be awkward on a 118 ski. Basically mounting on a DPS 112RPC.
The 105 seems too small.

This should work fine

[SupreChicken]

Sorry if this has been answered already.

Trying to see if the 135 brake on the 15/16 Beast 16 will be awkward on a 118 ski. Basically mounting on a DPS 112RPC.
The 105 seems too small.

I do this with my billy goats - also 118mm. Carrying them sucks more than usual, but ski straps. They ski just fine.

[SupreChicken]

A question for the collective...

I've had some amazing days touring with this binding and I love the way they feel while skiing. I've gotten used to them on the ascent and as long as there aren't long slightly downhill sections, they are really dope.

But every time I do a sidecountry run at my home mtn, I hit the park on the way back. I have yet to hit a rail without coming out of the bindings...

Otherwise, I've had a single prerelease when I didn't get the heel fully engaged. Now the tip and tail tap test happens before I drop any line. That's the extent of the trouble I've had with them.

I'm well aware that they aren't a park binding.

What's wrong with my beasts? Fwd pressure? Something wrong with the insert?

[Iluvmoguls]

What is the difference between the two toe pieces?

[1000-oaks]

What is the difference between the two toe pieces?

Huge.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=dynafit+beast

[smooth operator]

Following up on this ^^ with a more specific question:
I've been skiing the beast 14 last season, and I've been nothing but impressed. Now I have another pair of sticks that need to be mounted, and I am torn between beast 14 and 16. I'm leaning towards the 16 cause my gut says it will have better release characteristics in the toe, where the 14 toe is basically a normal tech toe in terms of release (the rotation only allows for elasticity, no lateral release).
Problem is I don't have a 16 mounted on a ski that I can fix to my working bench and do some pulling on to see if there is actually any difference in release compared to a normal tech toe.
Has anyone done this?
What are the opinions from beast 16 users; is there better toe release, or am I overthinking this?

[Iluvmoguls]

Huge.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=dynafit+beast

Thanks for the link but I know what they look like. I am asking for an informed response regarding elasticity and differences in how the toe piece retains and releases.

I suppose you are just lonely and looking for someone to talk to?

[abp]

My two cents, based on putting about 30 days of touring in them last year (and backed by a few Dynafit athletes who I've talked to about it), is that they are nearly there, but with significant flaws. I sold mine, primarily because my pair had about 2-3mm of pin slop either direction when touring, to the point where it became unnerving, if not dangerous, on icy sidehills. Prereleasing in tour mode is low on my list, and although it never did happen, I generally dislike the feeling of your toepins flexing out of their sockets and your ski rotating away from you as you're trying to dig in. Has anyone else noticed this? Maybe it's a one-off. The generally inelegant brake retention system, hefty weight, occasional prerelease on hardpack and lack of flat tour mode rounded it out. I'm on Kingpins now and much happier.

[Iluvmoguls]

Yeah lack of flat tour mode makes the beast pointless as a touring binder. It's for side country only.

It's hard for me to believe you like the kingpin better than the radical tho. Can you compare them?

[SupreChicken]

My two cents, based on putting about 30 days of touring in them last year (and backed by a few Dynafit athletes who I've talked to about it), is that they are nearly there, but with significant flaws. I sold mine, primarily because my pair had about 2-3mm of pin slop either direction when touring, to the point where it became unnerving, if not dangerous, on icy sidehills. Prereleasing in tour mode is low on my list, and although it never did happen, I generally dislike the feeling of your toepins flexing out of their sockets and your ski rotating away from you as you're trying to dig in. Has anyone else noticed this? Maybe it's a one-off. The generally inelegant brake retention system, hefty weight, occasional prerelease on hardpack and lack of flat tour mode rounded it out. I'm on Kingpins now and much happier.

Well summarized. Very similar to my experience. Sidehilling is much tougher than on radicals. Touring mode...I dunno if the toe pins were flexing out of the boot sockets, but the elasticity of the toe (that we all want for the descent) made the ski trajectory challenging to control on tough skin tracks or side hills. Pre released occasionally on firm snow landings and I have yet to finish a rail with both skis attached.

I also don't really like dealing with the heel insert.

So beast 14 vs kingpin...

[1000-oaks]

Now I have another pair of sticks that need to be mounted, and I am torn between beast 14 and 16. I'm leaning towards the 16 cause my gut says it will have better release characteristics in the toe, where the 14 toe is basically a normal tech toe in terms of release (the rotation only allows for elasticity, no lateral release).

Neither the Beast 14 or 16 has any toe "elasticity"; the rotation feature is merely to reduce (variable) toe pin interference during release at the heel to aid with earning DIN certification. Once the Beast 16 heel releases and the toe rotates to one side, the wings are mechanically "unlocked" and can swing open to release the boot. On the Beast 14, rotation doesn't mechanically open the wings so the boot must twist out of the pins just like as any other Radical toe.

[Iluvmoguls]

Neither the Beast 14 or 16 has any toe "elasticity"; the rotation feature is merely to reduce (variable) toe pin interference during release at the heel to aid with earning DIN certification. Once the Beast 16 heel releases and the toe rotates to one side, the wings are mechanically "unlocked" and can swing open to release the boot. On the Beast 14, rotation doesn't mechanically open the wings so the boot must twist out of the pins just like as any other Radical toe.

Interesting. If you are saying that the toe wings of beast 16 open whenever the toe piece swivels, I'm not sure that is true: http://youtu.be/YW8jyUvgSRo in this video the toe swivels without the wings opening.

I see how the toe wings are designed quite differently from the radical, but i still don't understand what the point is other than to allow for increased ability to pop out in the toes. But maybe that makes sense and is even necessary given the increased din of the heel.

Though the elasticity isn't exactly in the toe, the fact that the radical 2.0 and beast 14 toes swivel without unlocking means that would aid in the elasticity in the heel, where a smaller pivot on the radical 1.0s might've caused the toe wings to open.

[1000-oaks]

They don't swing open on their own, but they do "unlock" once rotated enough that the boot is clear of the heel piece.
https://youtu.be/A3s1UxMhyvQ?t=42s

See activator arms that unlock the wings.
https://youtu.be/A3s1UxMhyvQ?t=3m

[neufox47]

Anyone acquired a second pair of the heel modifier bars from anywhere? I need a pair.

[smooth operator]

No problem with the 135mm brake on a 105mm ski, but anything narrower than 100mm would overhang at the elbows. I've got the 120mm brake shared across three Quiver Killer skis of 118mm, 108mm & 88mm underfoot.

Splaying out a bit more width is really easy & I've splayed out some 120mm brakes to fit 128mm skis which ere also fine on the customers 98mm Mantras.

Due the Beasts having captive brakes I've not yet had the balls to attempt a 'full straighten/re-bend new elbows' job on them. I've mounted a few pairs of 120mm brakes on 148mm Spoons but they've all been with inserts so the brakes have just been left retracted when mounted & the users use B&D leashes.

And my 105 brakes fit a 118 waisted ski without even bending.

I need beasts for my 114 waisted gunsmokes, but only have the choice between 105 and 135. I'm inclined to go with 105 based on the above.
Thoughts?

[Judo Chop!]

I would trade you my 120 heel for a 135.
Then I wouldn't need to figure out that leash question from above.

[smooth operator]

I would trade you my 120 heel for a 135.
Then I wouldn't need to figure out that leash question from above.

If only you were on my side of the pond, we could make that happen. I think now shipping will be too much of a hassle.