Do your tech bindings pre-release?

[christoph benells]

I'm sure this topic has been neaten to death on here, but I'd like to know.

Do your tech bindings pre-release?

I've been skiing on Dynafit TLT's from the 90's, never had a problem with mine. Never seen any of my ski partners have a problem, (or anyone else out on the mountain) but still have people scoff at me when I try to talk them into a tech binding for backcountry skiing.

Is this a real thing or just a heavily perpetuated myth put on by the republican party?

[christoph benells]

oh, and also would like to her about your experiences with dynafit approved toe fittings vs. non dyanfit.

[Skidog]

You'll die

[LiveLarger]

OMFG is this a well executed troll post?

Ok, I'll bite.

Yeah, the dynafiddles do pre-release. They release when I don't want them to. They release even when skinning. The only way to ski reasonably hard on them is to lock the binding. You can pick between sacrificing your knees or falling and risk injury because the dynafidles release when you don't want them to. I even had mine come off when skinning a couple of times. Oh? And did I mention that they BREAK? Yeah, they f... break! Go to pieces. Almost ALL my friends to ski at a reasonable level had a dynafuckup or two.

You are either a troll, or you and your friends suck!

[mall walker]

Mine haven't but I'm neither a big dude nor a particularly good skier

[Ottime]

OMFG is this a well executed troll post?

Ok, I'll bite.

Yeah, the dynafiddles do pre-release. They release when I don't want them to. They release even when skinning. The only way to ski reasonably hard on them is to lock the binding. You can pick between sacrificing your knees or falling and risk injury because the dynafidles release when you don't want them to. I even had mine come off when skinning a couple of times. Oh? And did I mention that they BREAK? Yeah, they f... break! Go to pieces. Almost ALL my friends to ski at a reasonable level had a dynafuckup or two.

You are either a troll, or you and your friends suck!

You could try putti them on correctly.

[LiveLarger]

You could try putti them on correctly.

Or maybe they just don't work that well for people who are 186 cm and 90 kilo? I know plenty of people with the same experience. Isn't that even why they created the beast binding? I have heard that works better, so could be related to just a few models for all i know. I'm skiing the Radical FT.

[skifishbum]

oh, and also would like to her about your experiences with dynafit approved toe fittings vs. non dyanfit.

once this prohoe came touting a new sicks gnarz slaying touring boot
the toe fittins sucked and obviously weren't tested
damn near cost one of the most rock solid mags i know his leg
ussualy topics that have been neatened to death don't need new threads
and a simple
"search jong" will surfice

[Skidog]

Mine haven't but I'm neither a big dude nor a particularly good skier

Or maybe you are a good Skier and that's why? Balance and good technique help a lot.

[christoph benells]

no, not a well placed troll,

just wondering other peoples experience, one (large livin') person says they pre release, anyone else?

I don't huck in the backcountry, but will do some some 4-5 little drops, never had mine come off, set at an 8. only had problems when ice and snow are jammed under the toe.

I know they are not meant for freeride type skiing, of course most people think they go big but in reality they keep it mellow, just been watching too much ski porn and daydreamin.

Skifishbum, the forum needs new topics if you want to up your post count!

[christoph benells]

neatened to death

nice catch though, pretty neat

[YoEddy]

Yeah, my FT's pre-release to all get out at max tension, but then I wish I was only 90kg's at 187cm (and have never been accused of finesse). I can step right out of 'em at the most inopportune times which is usually when adding speed to the equation. Definitely makes me ski a different way than my brain is wired for, but that only lasts so long and then suddenly I'm doing the running man. My Kingpins do not have the same problem.

[Lindahl]

5'10 175lbs

Never had a pre-release problem that people seem to talk about. Had one pre-release due to some debris preventing it from clamping properly. Wouldn't be surprised if thats what most people have issues with.

Bigger cliffs I have issues with keeping my heels in, but thats not a pre-release issue. Had the same problem with Dukes at first, too - just need a higher DIN/RV.

I don't really ski differently in tech bindings in soft snow. In firm snow, I do, but thats more because I'm usually way out in the backcountry and an injury would suck.

[Mantana1]

Is this a real thing or just a heavily perpetuated myth put on by the republican party?

Haha, definitely the latter.

In all seriousness, pre-release certainly does happen but I believe its often due to user error (i.e. snow/ice in boot footings and/or snow/ice under the springs of the toe piece).

In my 6 years on tech bindings (all dynafit), I distinctly remember pre-releasing twice. Both were in my first year or 2 so I think there may have been some user error involved (as described above). Ironically, both releases were with toes locked out.

I no longer lock out the toes while skiing and have never had a pre-release issue since (this includes jump turns on steep, icy, exposed terrain). I also pay close attention to snow/ice in boot footings or under the binding toe, particularly after bootpacking.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I have pre-released from Comforts and Verticals when edging "aggressively" on hard snow at a resort. I was skiing in a way I never would in the backcountry. I've never had a problem touring. I've had more pre-releases from Marker Dukes and Tours. The power towers on Radicals seem to have solved the problem altogether (at least when used with Maestrale RS's). The stiffer springs of Plums seem to work too. That said, I agree that most tech binding pre-releases are actually caused by ice in the toe fitting or ice under the springs preventing the toe wings from fully closing.

[christoph benells]

according to lou dawson's research the g3 ion has the tightest toe retention.

maybe this is the best tech binding for bigger folk?

at least those that dont want to go into beast/kingpins.

[Chugachjed]

Or maybe they just don't work that well for people who are 186 cm and 90 kilo? I know plenty of people with the same experience. Isn't that even why they created the beast binding? I have heard that works better, so could be related to just a few models for all i know. I'm skiing the Radical FT.

Bruh. I'm 187 cm 240lbs and they work fine for me.

[freak]

i have been locking the normal dynafits all the time. otherwise they just prerelease every couple of turns more or less. same goes for everyone i ski with. heard variuos people claim that they do not need to lock their toes, never seen them live up to it though (ignoring the typical wiggle-turn people who need 30 turns where normal skiers need one though).
never had to lock the g3 onyx, neither had pre-release issues with any of the "modern" tech-bindings like fritschi vipec, dynafit beast etc.

always funny though how people on tgr (and nowhere else) claim prerelease is caused by user error^^

freak~[&]

[LiveLarger]

Bruh. I'm 187 cm 240lbs and they work fine for me.

Yeah, I'm not concluding anything here. Just saying how it works for me. I also know several other people with similar issues who are lighter weight.

[cat in january]

I have mine pre-release a couple times when I did not pull the toe to full lock when touring.

2 times they have pre-released as ISBD describes when edging real hard snow. Second time was with a full pack on and I should have boosted the settings. Both times was inconsequential as toe of the boot dug in and I just reset the binding.

Couple pre-release when I was new to the bindings and had not adequately cleared snow.

Only lock bindings when I really feel it is a no fall zone. Spiral fracture sounds like no fun.

Ski more conservatively in the back country but also ski more technical terrain.

170 pounds or so before adding clothing, pack, etc.

freak you get after it more than I do, but I have not had or seen the same experience with pre-release you have had and seen.

[adrenalated]

I have to ski Dynafit Radical 1.0s at 1-2 "DIN" settings higher than alpine bindings to stay in them (FKS 8, Salomon 9, Dynafit 10). On firm, consequential terrain where I'm more worried about prerelease than a fall, I also lock the toe and typically max the RV. I ski more conservatively and typically in softer snow in the BC, am not a big dude, and am well aware how to clear snow/ice from my tech fittings and toepieces. YMMV.

[mall walker]

I have to ski Dynafit Radical 1.0s at 1-2 "DIN" settings higher than alpine bindings to stay in them (FKS 8, Salomon 9, Dynafit 10). On firm, consequential terrain where I'm more worried about prerelease than a fall, I also lock the toe and typically max the RV. I ski more conservatively and typically in softer snow in the BC, am not a big dude, and am well aware how to clear snow/ice from my tech fittings and toepieces. YMMV.

Ditto on skiing them a tick higher than I would set alpine bindings.

[smitchell333]

If you are prereleasing either your binding is broken or you are not getting fully engaged, usually due to ice or snow in boot or binding.

This is what your protocol needs to be:

1). Clean out binding of snow and built up ice.

2) Step into bindings to what you think is completely in.

3) Inspect for fully engaged toe pieces - note that if you are observant then you will notice sometimes a false engagement where the toes are in but not 100% - I believe that this is what causes most of what people complain of as prereleasing.

4) JUMP up and down aggressively to test the engagement. They will pop off with the false engagement but if they don't then you should not prerelease. I have never had a prerelease after this test.

I do lock the toes on occasion, but only in steep firm conditions.

[TahoeJ]

I have two friends that use them constantly - both are really good skiers. One has never had an issue, ever. The other has all the time and has to turn the DIN up a few notches higher. They're about the same size. Go figure.

[gregL]

You guys realize that locking the toes does nothing to increase release value in the vertical plane, right? In 14 years of using a variety of Dynafits from the original TLT to the Comfort, Vertical, and now Speed Radical, I've probably had an unwanted release UPWARD at the heel half a dozen times, I've never released laterally when I didn't need to. The pre-releases (I define this as a situation when I would have skied out of it and not been injured had the binding not released) usually occur when hitting a wind drift or sudden transition like a creek bed and are a function of the inherent lack of elasticity in the pin system.

It wouldn't be hard to fashion a set of heel pins with a slightly thicker base and a RV of approximately 14) that would still fit in the housing (calling Bill from B & D). I once was set on substituting some Plum Guide heel pins (thicker) but unfortunately the pin length was a couple mm's different.