Alpine bindings - current best?

[One (+) Sentence]

All this fuss over ramp angle. Bindings are easy to shim. Look even makes (made?) lifters for the Pivots in 1mm increments.

Pivot heel lifters made by Look in 1mm increments, with the corresponding screw kits? Never seen them before. I do remember when the toes shipped with an optional shim and second set of screws, and know some skiers who actually ran a negative ramp angle with them.

Pivots are great, but so are other bindings that are set up how I like right out of the box.

My ski outfits and gregarious, aint-no-thang attitude let everyone in the lift line know I shred, not my bindings.

[gwat]

Pivot heel lifters made by Look in 1mm increments, with the corresponding screw kits?

Yes.

[singlesline]

I haven't tried the newest griffons, but from a usability perspective the the squires on my wife's skis are WAY better than her old squires. Switching to a Salomon/attack-style heel has made it so much easier for her to get into the skis.


Hoping to get on some strives sometime this year. I feel ambivalent about the standard version compared to an STH2 WTR, but love the concept of the demo version (same low stack hight as retail, but adjustable) both for avoiding hole conflicts and for skis where you are unsure about the mount point.

Had aaattack demos on a ski and they were good. I don't think I'd choose them over STH2s for a normal binding, but barring testing with the Strive Demo, they seem like the best pick if you need something adjustable.


Agree that the pivot brakes are lacking. Can't comment on the bindings as they are my first pair of pivots and I put them on powder skis that we haven't had the snow for...but I was surprised at how cheap the brakes seemed. They look like an Aliexpress product next to Salomon brakes.

[One (+) Sentence]

Yes.

Please show me where to source today. Or at least old images that aren't on race plates. I'm really interested and surprised I can't remember ever seeing these, but I guess I've forgotten more than a few things. I started selling Look/Rossignol (Geze) bindings in 1994.

[altacoup]

I have multiple pairs of tyrolia, pivots and sth/sth2. I prefer pivots over the others but the price is prohibitive. Prefer tyrolia over Salomon, lower stack, metal heel tracks vs plastic on sth2. Sth1 tends to get a wobbly heel. Run all bindings 12 for toe and 13 for heel, both tyrolia and Salomon heels release notably easier than pivot.


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[gwat]

Please show me where to source today. Or at least old images that aren't on race plates.

I’m not in the loop re:sources but they do (or did?) exist.

[One (+) Sentence]

I’m not in the loop re:sources but they do (or did?) exist.

Thank You!

[Core Shot]

That’s such an easy 3d print.
Post up in that thread.
My young son has been printing custom snowboard lift plates. It’s interesting and making him some pocket coin.

[toast2266]

I’m not in the loop re:sources but they do (or did?) exist.

An assortment of those (both toe and heels of a couple different heights) came with the p18's I bought a few years ago.

[CYJ]

While we're on the topic of alpine bindings (and don't think this question needs a new thread) but anyone notice Kye prefers xcomps over Royal bindings? Think he was riding them in a Kye Shapes promo vid as well when he was still signed with Marker Products at the time.

Never raced and have zero knowledge of race bindings, but what would make him prefer it over Griffs/Jesters? I assumed xcomps and 'race' bindings are to be used with lifter plates? Stock photos do make it seem like they have less stack (without lifters) compared to the Royal family.

[SoVT Joey]

While we're on the topic of alpine bindings (and don't think this question needs a new thread) but anyone notice Kye prefers xcomps over Royal bindings? Think he was riding them in a Kye Shapes promo vid as well when he was still signed with Marker Products at the time.

Never raced and have zero knowledge of race bindings, but what would make him prefer it over Griffs/Jesters? I assumed xcomps and 'race' bindings are to be used with lifter plates? Stock photos do make it seem like they have less stack (without lifters) compared to the Royal family.

I would imagine it has something to do more with din. X-cells and comps go up to 28 or 30. Maybe height, but looking at my x cells they don’t look much shorter then my royals. I’m not measuring right now though.

[toast2266]

both tyrolia and Salomon heels release notably easier than pivot.

I've noticed the same. I run my salomons 1-2 din higher than my pivots (based on the tried and true "turn them up until I stop pre releasing" method).

[Shorty_J]

I have pivots and attacks but I'm too dumb to notice any difference. That said the attacks to release way more situations than the pivots do. Usually ones I don't want a release.

That sounds like a noticeable difference.

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[mr_pretzel]

Yeah, afaik the only 15 version of an SPX is the rockerace which is different in that screws have a short mount pattern similar to pivots, only available with a skinny brake and Look says it needs to be mounted to a race plate.
I guess it’s a market thing because as far as I know the rockerace 12 and 15 use same heel with a different spring so presumably no technical reason they couldn’t put that in the regular SPX heel (note 18 is different).

Not the same heel on the 15. Weird short mount pattern that has no jig.
Also the heel needs a stiff platform(the raceplate) for the forward pressure to work correctly. Allegedly

[ClayCole]

The current best is the same as the old best. Look Pivot 18. (Pivot 15 is just as good if you need to run a DIN lower than 8)

[1000-oaks]

Regarding the Rockerace, a floating race plate reduces the degree of forward pressure fluctuations. Rockerace might still be okay mounted flat on a stiff ski, but probably not a good choice for a soft ski.

Anyone know if the recommended race plate is the same thickness for the toe and heel, or is it stepped?

[gwat]

The current best is the same as the old best. Look Pivot

Truth. Durability is unmatched.

PS - how many people honestly run their Pivot DINs in the 15 to 18 range that the P18 accommodates??

[dcpnz]

Not the same heel on the 15. Weird short mount pattern that has no jig.
Also the heel needs a stiff platform(the raceplate) for the forward pressure to work correctly. Allegedly

I was saying the rockerace 15 heel is same as rockerace 12 heel, so no apparent technical reason they couldn’t put the stiffer spring in a regular SPX heel

Also not clear to me whether the plate is required due to stiffness or more likely as 1000-oaks points out because it floats and mitigates forward pressure ramp up in compression

[dcpnz]

Anyone know if the recommended race plate is the same thickness for the toe and heel, or is it stepped?

R22 plate steps down, it’s thicker under toe

[2FUNKY]

Salomon and Pivots are the benchmark so just pick one and be a dick about it.


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[Mustonen]

Salomon and Pivots are the benchmark so just pick one and be a dick about it.


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This

[1000-oaks]

SPX 12 heel has lift tab fwd pressure adjustment, Rockerace 15 is wormscrew (which is why it uses PX Racing brakes).

If they made an SPX 15 with metal toe, wormscrew SPX heel, and a variety of wide brakes, it would be awesome and a worthy Pivot challenger.

[FlimFlamvanHam]

Can you use wider brakes on the Spx 15? Looks like the perfect binding….

Probably seen this? But great thread on SkiTalk on the subject https://www.skitalk.com/threads/look...-brakes.23147/

I wonder how much of a cash cow the Pivot is for Look? Just put out new colors = new demand. Based on how much elasticity the SPX heel has, combined with the adjustment range and proper brakes, you'd think they could now make the Pivot extinct (since they actually have a great substitute unlike back in ~2006) with a flat mount metal toe version of the SPX.

[nickwm21]

Salomon and Pivots are the benchmark so just pick one and be a dick about it.


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It comes down to this:

Pivots - Slightly better skiing: more heel elasticity, shorter total length, etc.

STH2 - Better ease of use: solid step in, larger adjustment range, ability to swap brakes easily, etc.


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[Shorty_J]

Edited for reading comprehension fail.