Results 1 to 21 of 21
-
01-09-2020, 07:24 PM #1
Sidecountry bindings: Marker Duke/Baron versus Solomon T Guardian MNC 16
Need to buy a new pair of bindings and would appreciate current market advice. Spend 95% of my time bootpacking or downhill. 5% skinning. But for that 5%, I'd like to get some alpine touring bindings. Needs to fit standard alpine boot sole.
My current choices are:
1) Marker Baron
(I had these before. Cracked a heel off on a groomer (!!) and had a catastrophic day. So quite suspicious of plastic construction. But 2019/2020 appears to have magnesium toe and heel parts now?)
https://www.marker.net/en-us/product...-516/?season=2
2) Marker Duke
(We all know this one. Used to be the king. How does it fare now against the competition?)
https://www.marker.net/en-us/product...-515/?season=2
3) Salomon T Guardian MNC 16
I've never ridden on these. Does anyone have experience, and especially a comparison to Marker?
https://www.salomon.com/en-int/shop-...l#color=11428T
4) ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD BE CONSIDERING?!Last edited by carvehard; 01-09-2020 at 07:51 PM.
-
01-09-2020, 07:30 PM #2Registered User
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Posts
- 466
Cast seems like it would fit if you have the cash or already own pivot 18s.
-
01-09-2020, 07:42 PM #3
-
01-09-2020, 08:23 PM #4
-
01-09-2020, 08:33 PM #5
-
01-09-2020, 10:54 PM #6Registered User
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Posts
- 466
I was thinking conversation if OP is not interested obviously cast is out. I hate frame bindings and have been much happier not using them.
-
01-09-2020, 11:37 PM #7
-
01-10-2020, 09:08 AM #8
-
01-10-2020, 09:19 AM #9
Marker F12 Tours have worked well for me.
It's a little annoying that they have to be taken off to convert between dh and uh and the riser stack is not so great. But they're lighter than other frame binders and so far haven't had any pre-release issues.Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
>>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<
-
01-10-2020, 09:26 AM #10Registered User
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
- Posts
- 1,383
Barons/Dukes have a high stack height. I've heard numerous stories of guardians breaking and they're heavy as hell. I think tyrolia adrenalins are the best frame binding out there, buy these
-
01-10-2020, 09:30 AM #11
Dukes/Guardians/F12's can all break. Maybe the Tyrolias are better but I doubt it. They all make a dead spot in the middle of the ski and add stack height. If I needed a plate binding I'd get whatever was cheapest. But if I was able to spend some money I'd go Shift or Cast with a boot that has a walk mode. Better uphill and down.
-
01-10-2020, 09:43 AM #12
-
01-10-2020, 09:51 AM #13Registered User
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
- Posts
- 411
Alternatives to consider - touring boots with tech fittings! You won't regret it... Even if you never skin, the walk mode will be a godsend when boot-packing. But also, you should skin more. Boot-packing sucks.
-
01-10-2020, 10:06 AM #14
-
01-10-2020, 04:18 PM #15
How hard do you ski? I assume you aren't interested in boots with tech fittings which would allow you to use Shifts for touring. IMO Guardians/Dukes ski like shit compared to Shifts because of the weight, stack height and the fact they 100% all develop slop in the track mechanism within a season or two. You can get reasonably beefy boots with tech fittings, combine with Shifts (or if you huck and ski resort really hard, CAST) and you have a way more pleasant setup than Dukes/Guardians. Also a lot more pleasant to bootpack with the lighter weight of Shifts over your shoulder than Guardians.
-
01-10-2020, 04:53 PM #16"We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully." - Randy Pausch
-
01-11-2020, 11:23 AM #17Registered User
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Location
- northern BC
- Posts
- 30,881
whatever I can get on used skis and so far thats a couple pair of Baron's, they have worked just fine for inbounds, I only skinned them a few hundred meters in the side country, they were heavy, I also have some FR+ in the quiver which are also heavy which is no surprise to me cuz frame binding will always weigh twice what a tech binding weighs
I would probably also buy a used ski with Guardians but that hasnt come up,
Buying a lightly used rig is a cheap way to buy ski/binding BUT if you buy used remember there are different sizes of frame binding depending on your BSLLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
-
01-11-2020, 12:06 PM #18
Been pretty happy with the Adrenalin bindings from Tyrolia. They claim that the design allows the ski to flex under the binding - can't say how well this works in the field, but I can see the "Freeflex" part of the binding working when hand-flexing the skis. Stack height isn't optimal, but they've skied well so far. Picked them up for around $210 new at L9.
-
01-11-2020, 12:32 PM #19
Sidecountry bindings: Marker Duke/Baron versus Solomon T Guardian MNC 16
This feels like a stupid question, but how would a frame binding ‘’putting a dead spot in the flex of the ski’’ affect the actual performance of the ski on snow?
Last edited by Self Jupiter; 01-11-2020 at 12:56 PM.
-
01-11-2020, 01:51 PM #20
It allows for a triple radius, which I’ve been told is all the rage these days.
-
01-11-2020, 02:04 PM #21
I might have a pair of Guardians to get rid of in a couple weeks if you’re interested. They’re used but in good condition.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bookmarks