Alpine Bindings for Smaller Folks: Pivot 14 vs. 18

[gwat]

My daily drivers are a set of ZR from '87.
Regrease them and go skiing.

[XavierD]

This is the binding:


great binding. Vertical release (unlike the current 15/18). Pretty sure its the same mount pattern too. The rubber gaskets are a little weird.

[californiagrown]

Do you ski pow a lot? Do you enjoy "set it and forget it" type of equipment? Do you prefer idiot proof use of your equipment? Then you are like me and will fucking hate pivots.

Get STH16s (STH2 16s or 916s). Set them up once, and then literally never think about them again. Or tyrolia aatacks. IMO, by far the most user friendly, idiot proof bindings and what you may slightly lose in elasticity you make up for in lack of hissyfits thrown trying to line up the pivoty fucking heel on a steep slope in nuts deep pow, and lack of prereleases because you didnt check to make sure the dildo was locked all the way up. My blood pressure is rising right now thinking of all the ways i have encountered (admittedly) user error with those.

[snowaddict91]

Do you ski pow a lot? Do you enjoy "set it and forget it" type of equipment? Do you prefer idiot proof use of your equipment? Then you are like me and will fucking hate pivots.

Get STH16s (STH2 16s or 916s). Set them up once, and then literally never think about them again. Or tyrolia aatacks. IMO, by far the most user friendly, idiot proof bindings and what you may slightly lose in elasticity you make up for in lack of hissyfits thrown trying to line up the pivoty fucking heel on a steep slope in nuts deep pow, and lack of prereleases because you didnt check to make sure the dildo was locked all the way up. My blood pressure is rising right now thinking of all the ways i have encountered (admittedly) user error with those.

Until your toe height needs adjusted. Everything has problems, eventually.

[californiagrown]

Until your toe height needs adjusted. Everything has problems, eventually.

totally. a 4runner is typically bombproof, but still needs oil changes and part replacement at the end of their service life.

Im just speaking to the day-to-day ease of use with pivots was a deal breaker for me. Id consider grabbing another pair for hard-snow-only skis, but no fucking way im putting them on skis that see deepish snow. Because yes, i am a monkey with little patience. And i didnt know that until i had pivots. Now i accept that, and buy equipment accordingly.

[Djongo Unchained]

I'm gonna be a little contrary here. I ski older salomon 997's and any variety of 912/914's.
Got no sth's.

At 5'10" and around 210 lbs, I'll start a season at 8/9 din then move up to 10-12 depending on condish and my strength.
I rarely come out and usually it's a perfectly easy release. If I'm stressing my legs before I come out, it ain't right.
I try to ski without increasing the heavy g's in a turn or hammer through the choppy crud. Skiing light on your feet, even when pounding, is key. Saves bases and knees methinks.
I'd ski a minty pair of anything, regardless of age. Even antique shit. Just ski smart.
I don't try and super G the frozen crud much anymore, so there's that...

But I do ski a fair amount and this kinda stuff is a non issue for me. I marvel at how many mags blow up binders here though.
Once, I broke the rail on a pair of z12's mounted to the original AC40. Sick ski that they changed of course. That was the end of volkl's short reign in JH.
That was the only instance and the model seemed to have that issue all around.

If, like Pfluffen, I was on the rebound from an Achilles tear, I'd be pretty careful to be releasing a tad easier.

I can adjust the toe height on my solly's with a quarter. They occasionally need an adjust but rarely for me.

[skuff]

^^^ Oh yeah, I forgot about that style Rossi toe ^^^

The fks 155 I have on my Bibbys are most likely older than the bindings I bought from samhop, and they work beautifully. Had them tested at the shop and no problems