G3 ZED touring binding

**hafjell** · 11-02-2018, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Jongle

Just weighed mine.

Heel: 231g
Toe: 122g
Brake (110): 79g

Any experience with how easy it is to remove and put back on the brake?

**Jongle** · 11-02-2018, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by hafjell

Any experience with how easy it is to remove and put back on the brake?

They just arrived yesterday and haven't been mounted yet, so I'll have to report back later.

**1000-oaks** · 11-02-2018, 01:42 PM

Interesting, Zed heel isn't a heck of a lot lighter than Tecton. Most of the weight savings is the toe.

**ex-powderbroker** · 11-02-2018, 04:37 PM

i picked up a pair. i kind of hate to be a guinea pig for first year gear but i saw it as incremental upgrade on the ion more than a new release. i won’t know if they’re any good for awhile, wasn’t planning on putting them on the fast grass skis.

the bindings were the right price but the hundo (cad) for crampons was a bummer.

**blackalps** · 01-09-2019, 07:21 PM

FWIW, I've got about 20 days on these bindings on many different skis, from pow to shitty refrozen crust in the backcountry, and skinning up resorts in the morning and skiing groomers on the way down. On skis ranging from Atomic Backland 95's to Faction Primes to Black Crows Navis and Corvus Freebirds. I'm about 195 lbs, 5.10, and ski pretty chargey usually. Keep in mind, I've only got about 2 days on each pair of bindings so I can't speak to the durability of any one pair. The bindings have been great so far, they ski suprisingly well. Have had no issues with prerelease (dins set at about 9-10). However, the brakes suck. They are super janky from start to finish. Often pop into ski mode while you're touring. Often pop out of their track completely, meaning you have to uninstall and re-install them. If you can deal with a leash and are the kind of person that transitions without taking their skis off, I can solidly recommend them for a light, minimal pin binding. If you want brakes, I'd go another route until they figure out a better brake next year (hoping here, no info).

**Adrgha** · 01-25-2019, 03:51 AM

Is there a template for these, or do they use the same pattern as IONs?

**skifishbum** · 01-25-2019, 04:25 AM

sames

**Adrgha** · 01-25-2019, 05:10 AM

Great, thanks!

**ex-powderbroker** · 02-06-2019, 07:34 AM

i’m gonna bump the din in the heel, i came out twice in about 10” of fresh recently and i hope that fixes it. no other problems to report, around ten days of touring and a few lifts on that rig.

**jrf** · 04-16-2019, 02:05 PM

Just took a pair out for the first time and am getting excessive backward movement in the heel piece when touring on the risers, so much so if I step down hard enough the heel piece moves so far back my boot slips off the riser. Anyone have issues like this, and better yet solutions? This can’t be right, right?

I’d post a video but don’t know how from my phone.

**ex-powderbroker** · 04-16-2019, 03:26 PM

how far is the binding from the boot in ski mode?

**jrf** · 04-16-2019, 03:46 PM

A bit more than a credit card width.

I’ve used the Ion LTs for years and always had it flush to the boot, the shop I had mount these said to leave a small gap.

Having said that when I got home I moved it to almost flush, didn’t seem like it did much to help.

Is the heel supposed to move like that at all in tour mode? My LTs are locked in place while touring.

**Va Ki Bo** · 04-17-2019, 03:56 AM

I have noticeable springy fore-aft heel play when walking on 1-st riser.
Looks like effect of negative slope of boot heel / 1-st climbing aid interface (no play on 2-nd riser) + forward pressure compensation sping isn't strong enough to hold full bodyweight force. Though, may be I am a bit lighter than you (~70kg) and did not have full boot slippage yet. No bueno even so.

**Jongle** · 04-17-2019, 06:40 AM

I've noticed this same issue, although I've not had full boot slippage either (~70kg as well). Will send a video to G3 customer service and report back.

**CaliBrit** · 04-17-2019, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Jongle

I've noticed this same issue, although I've not had full boot slippage either (~70kg as well). Will send a video to G3 customer service and report back.

I’ve been in contact with them. They sent me a mini stomp pad for the top of the risers....

**Jongle** · 04-17-2019, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by CaliBrit

I’ve been in contact with them. They sent me a mini stomp pad for the top of the risers....

Stomp pads: is there any problem they can't fix?

**Va Ki Bo** · 04-17-2019, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by CaliBrit

... They sent me a mini stomp pad for the top of the risers....

And it helps?

**jrf** · 04-17-2019, 11:14 AM

Stomp pad seems like a band aid at best.

G3 customer service responded to me:

“We’re aware of this issue and working on a fix for next season (most likely a stronger spring that will be retrofittable). Unfortunately there isn’t much I can do in the meantime except for offer to take them back or swap them out for an Ion.”

So my question now is, do I still take these on my 9k, 18 mile day I have planned for tomorrow? Seems like people have been putting plenty of miles and vert on them with no major issues.

**CaliBrit** · 04-17-2019, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by jrf

Stomp pad seems like a band aid at best.

No way man it’s a perfectly acceptable solution to a major binding flaw or two.

I’d cut your losses and take them up on the Ion offer.

**andrewpringle** · 04-17-2019, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by jrf

Is the heel supposed to move like that at all in tour mode? My LTs are locked in place while touring.

The Ion heel towers move back slightly on a metal track in the baseplate when rotated into tour mode, creating clearance and locking out that elasticity. Just my quick observation from looking at a friend's Ion that developed play on that track when in ski mode, causing pre-releases (so I might be off a little). The dealer told him that developing play is a known issue and that it would require swapping in a new base plate...

I've been using Zeds all season (~25 days) and really like them -- the feeling of heel movement on the first riser is the only annoyance I've had. I'm sure it's also dependent on individual BSL, and the previously mentioned boot sole shape (how it hits the riser) and skier weight. For me, the movement isn't too bad and I don't even always notice it, so it might also have to do with skin track conditions and angle? I also find that with the lower ramp angle on these bindings, and the relatively low riser heights, I've been just switching between flat and the second riser more than on any previous setup.

The riser stomp pad is just sarcasm, eh? Hard to tell anymore, lol.

If they're really thinking about swapping out the springs as that rep suggested, I wonder how that would affect the downhill performance and/or RVs?

**Va Ki Bo** · 10-22-2019, 10:54 AM

Update for the first year run G3 Zed users:

In season 2019/20 "... the forward pressure mechanism has been addressed to solve the "float" problem.
The mold has changed slightly but the new spring set will fit into the first-gen ZED to resolve the issue.
If you'd like to retrofit your binding ... it should totally eliminate the float issue.
The crampon is the exactly same as last season."

(Props to G3 Sales & Service)

**HAB** · 10-22-2019, 11:07 AM

Haven't skied them yet, but I got a pair of the new (black) springs to retrofit into last year's bindings. Swap was easy and took 5 minutes. I'll report back once I get 'em on snow.

**Jtlange** · 10-28-2019, 03:16 PM

Just ordered a pair. Does this year's binding come with multiple stop pad options or just the one and I have to buy the kit separately?

**ex-powderbroker** · 10-28-2019, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by HAB

Haven't skied them yet, but I got a pair of the new (black) springs to retrofit into last year's bindings. Swap was easy and took 5 minutes. I'll report back once I get 'em on snow.

did you just get in touch with customer service and was it easy?