The 300g Touring Binding Thread

[XXX-er]

yeah so keep in mind these things are suposed to be safety items,

[Boissal]

Just wanted to throw in my experience on my ATK Crest 10. I fucking love these binders. Rear release is set to 8 and after skiing a long day last week, I never had any release issues including some pillow drops, off camber landings, and weird icy patches. However, they did release as expected on a chunky downhill skin track where I got caught in the luge run.

Downhill they’re super solid, I’m also very happy with the ramp angle and the risers. Most skin tracks, the riser over pins (medium) is perfect. For steeper skin tracks, the high riser just requires you flip the tower 180 degrees, which takes about 3 seconds per ski to bend down and turn it, usually while other folks are still fiddling with the flippy risers on their dynafits.

Do they have a flat mode? Looking on the website right now it's not obvious to me...
Can you compare riser height to a flippy dynafit radical risers? Ms Boissal needs new bindings and she's a huge fan of that ridiculously high riser, puts the ski at 40 degree uphill angle when the boot is flat, I don't even understand how she can tolerate that...

[hafjell]

Just wanted to throw in my experience on my ATK Crest 10. I fucking love these binders. Rear release is set to 8 and after skiing a long day last week, I never had any release issues including some pillow drops, off camber landings, and weird icy patches. However, they did release as expected on a chunky downhill skin track where I got caught in the luge run.

Downhill they’re super solid, I’m also very happy with the ramp angle and the risers. Most skin tracks, the riser over pins (medium) is perfect. For steeper skin tracks, the high riser just requires you flip the tower 180 degrees, which takes about 3 seconds per ski to bend down and turn it, usually while other folks are still fiddling with the flippy risers on their dynafits.

How are the bindings. The ATK video makes them look like a multi-step disaster which requires bending down and clicking a button? Any problems? Can you rip skins with them without removing the skis / stepping completely out of the bindings. Weight is pretty impressive.

[JoeyFish]

How are the bindings. The ATK video makes them look like a multi-step disaster which requires bending down and clicking a button? Any problems? Can you rip skins with them without removing the skis / stepping completely out of the bindings. Weight is pretty impressive.

Yes, you can easily rip skins without stepping out. The brakes do have a button for release (MUCH easier than the Alpinist brakes) but you can also remove the brakes if you don't want em. You do need to press the button before you step into the heel pins

I kept the brakes on both of my Crests and I usually twist the heel for flat and high riser anyways, so pressing the button is not a big deal.

[MCskid]

[QUOTE=kid-kapow;5914891]I had a full day out on FR14s

Total jong question here, so flame away, but what company makes the FR14?
Thanks

[JoeyFish]

Total jong question here, so flame away, but what company makes the FR14?
Thanks

ATK

[kid-kapow]

Total jong question here, so flame away, but what company makes the FR14?
Thanks

My bad - forgot to put ATK in front of FR14s - will edit the post. They have been debated quite a bit in this thread if you look through it, including a sweet product video from Freeride.com

[grinch]

Im sure ive missed it. How are the zeds holding up? Are they the same hole pattern as ions?

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[HAB]

Im sure ive missed it. How are the zeds holding up? Are they the same hole pattern as ions?

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Same hole pattern.

No issues with mine. Probably ~25 days on them so far. I weigh about 170 and have them on 4Frnt Ravens, FWIW.

[Skeeze]

Anyone have an opinion on Zed vs. BD Helio 200? Helio is clearly lighter, but the Zed has the zero gap heel mounting that maybe transmits power better?

I don't trust myself to know how to properly monitor U-spring wear so want to stay with a binding that has independent heel pins. I'm also quite sensitive to ramp angle so that reduces my options. It seems like the BD Helio 200 can be mounted without the heel plate for weight savings and to get to 0 degree ramp, but it also seems like the high climbing riser might be waaay to low in that scenario, given it's pretty low to begin with?

Finally, any thoughts on powder performance between these bindings and something like a Tecton? Obviously the Tecton is going to ski better, but have you found it to be overly noticeable in powder? For context, I weigh about 160lbs, like to ski fast and jump off things, but generally keep it below 10 feet in the backcountry. Would be mounting these on a ~116mm ski and pairing them with a ZeroG Tour Pro or similar boot.

[grinch]

Same hole pattern.

No issues with mine. Probably ~25 days on them so far. I weigh about 170 and have them on 4Frnt Ravens, FWIW.

Great. Thanks

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[hafjell]

Yes, you can easily rip skins without stepping out. The brakes do have a button for release (MUCH easier than the Alpinist brakes) but you can also remove the brakes if you don't want em. You do need to press the button before you step into the heel pins

I kept the brakes on both of my Crests and I usually twist the heel for flat and high riser anyways, so pressing the button is not a big deal.

Thanks.

[CaliBrit]

Yes, you can easily rip skins without stepping out. The brakes do have a button for release (MUCH easier than the Alpinist brakes) but you can also remove the brakes if you don't want em. You do need to press the button before you step into the heel pins

I kept the brakes on both of my Crests and I usually twist the heel for flat and high riser anyways, so pressing the button is not a big deal.

So to be clear if the brakes are down can you step into the heel pins and the brakes will retract but not click and hold in place such that if you had a binding release they would come down again? Or is that wishful thinking.

[CaliBrit]

Anyone have an opinion on Zed vs. BD Helio 200? Helio is clearly lighter, but the Zed has the zero gap heel mounting that maybe transmits power better?

I don't trust myself to know how to properly monitor U-spring wear so want to stay with a binding that has independent heel pins. I'm also quite sensitive to ramp angle so that reduces my options. It seems like the BD Helio 200 can be mounted without the heel plate for weight savings and to get to 0 degree ramp, but it also seems like the high climbing riser might be waaay to low in that scenario, given it's pretty low to begin with?

Finally, any thoughts on powder performance between these bindings and something like a Tecton? Obviously the Tecton is going to ski better, but have you found it to be overly noticeable in powder? For context, I weigh about 160lbs, like to ski fast and jump off things, but generally keep it below 10 feet in the backcountry. Would be mounting these on a ~116mm ski and pairing them with a ZeroG Tour Pro or similar boot.

I’d look hard at the alpinist. Only thing I don’t like is the low ramp angle. But it is a u pin.

[fleaches]

So to be clear if the brakes are down can you step into the heel pins and the brakes will retract but not click and hold in place such that if you had a binding release they would come down again? Or is that wishful thinking.

Yes, like that. The button is attached to a little hook that holds the brake up for skinning. It will only catch if you both press the button and press the brakes at the same time. So to skin you depress brake while holding button. Then when you get to the top you lift your heel and press the button again to release the brakes and brakes will spring out. Stomp down and they are held up by your boot instead of the hook and will deploy if your boot comes out.

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[CaliBrit]

Yes, like that. The button is attached to a little hook that holds the brake up for skinning. It will only catch if you both press the button and press the brakes at the same time. So to skin you depress brake while holding button. Then when you get to the top you lift your heel and press the button again to release the brakes and brakes will spring out. Stomp down and they are held up by your boot instead of the hook and will deploy if your boot comes out.

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Oh nice! And that’s the same on the fr14 and r12?

[macon]

Oh nice! And that’s the same on the fr14 and r12?

Correct

The difference between the R12 and FR14 is the DIN and additionally the FR14 comes with the new style freeride spacer included.

The freeride spacer also fits the R12 and can be used with that system as well, but must be installed with the binding (this version of the freeride spacer must be mated with the binding during install).

[CaliBrit]

Correct

The difference between the R12 and FR14 is the DIN and additionally the FR14 comes with the new style freeride spacer included.

The freeride spacer also fits the R12 and can be used with that system as well, but must be installed with the binding (this version of the freeride spacer must be mated with the binding during install).

Thanks. That’s a nice feature I wasn’t aware of.

[IanCH]

Gonna be out on the fr14s on new sticks next weekend. Can't wait, already enjoyed them on the pin 95 but moved to lighter and want to get more runs.

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[dub_xion]

Finally, any thoughts on powder performance between these bindings and something like a Tecton?

IMHO downhill powder performance isn’t ever really on my radar as that medium softens everything up; if a binding is acceptable in crappy icy stuff, it’ll be fine in powder. My beef comes in with snow packing up in the heel on the up, and the reason I got rid of my Kingpins. I think the ions, Zeds and Alpinists are well-designed in this manner with the angles forcing snow out and away. I don’t have any experience with ATKs, but all the angles look pretty square. Probably not as big an issue in the Rockies mid-winter, but maybe problematic everywhere and everywhen else.



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[IanCH]

The atk fr14 has no problem with snow buildup. Zero.

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[kid-kapow]

yeah so keep in mind these things are suposed to be safety items,

I took a decent spill with ATKs - a pair of Raider 12 2.0s - last year and they did not release. I think that they should have and it made my right knee kind of unhappy for a time there. It was not very confidence inspiring, like at all. Hence me being pleasantly surprised at how FR14s performed.

Sorry to post this video yet again, but if people have not seen it then rejoice FR12s and FR14s are identical as far as I know, other than their DIN (5-12 vs 8-14), their color and that FR14s come with Freeride spacers included. The brakes are identical on both bindings - as has been mentioned above.

[hafjell]

Sorry to pester, but just so I understand this, if you're transitioning without removing the skis, you can kick the tail up behind you/tail by your shoulder, rip the skin from the tail and press the brake button, move the ski back to parallel with the ground, stomp in, continue ripping the skin to the tip, and you're good to go?

Yes, like that. The button is attached to a little hook that holds the brake up for skinning. It will only catch if you both press the button and press the brakes at the same time. So to skin you depress brake while holding button. Then when you get to the top you lift your heel and press the button again to release the brakes and brakes will spring out. Stomp down and they are held up by your boot instead of the hook and will deploy if your boot comes out.

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[margotron]

any updates from the Crest folk? It's an ATK at a reasonable price point

[CaliBrit]

Sorry to pester, but just so I understand this, if you're transitioning without removing the skis, you can kick the tail up behind you/tail by your shoulder, rip the skin from the tail and press the brake button, move the ski back to parallel with the ground, stomp in, continue ripping the skin to the tip, and you're good to go?

Seems like yes. I’ll mount my fr14 and confirm.