UKC

Hello,

Having done my research and received lots of useful advice on here I bit the bullet and went for Dynafit bindings on my new skis. They've arrived but having had a play around in the house the boot lugs seem to get jammed on the brake when releasing the boot. This is mentioned as being a problem on Wildsnow but I'm not too keen on their advice:

http://www.wildsnow.com/articles/dynafit_faq/dynafit_faq1.html#jam

I'm a bit wary of modifying boots that cost several hundred pounds. Anyone else had this problem and overcome it by less barbaric means?

Iain

In reply to munri:

consider ditching the brakes: they ice up BADLY, and like all brakes are US in powder and on ice................use straps for touring. Brakes are great...on piste.

In reply to munri:

What Top Cat said.

I use a modified version of the B&D leashes here:

http://www.bndskigear.com/skileash.html

I don't bother with the cable tie and vinyl tubing bits. Instead I have a 2mm cord loop lark's footed into the toe lever + a toy minikrab into the loop + the coiled lanyard also into the minikrab. The coil then goes around your leg, fastened to itself by the snap hook. The minikrab is the deliberate weak link in the chain, as it will break in an avalanche, but not in a normal fall, as the coil will stretch, taking the force of a fall.

Dynafit also do a lightweight leash that works on the same principle, although their coil is a lot shorter:

http://www.facewest.co.uk/Dynafit-Guide-Leash.html

The brakes on Dynafits have always been useless. They were designed as an afterthought, and to mind detract from the beauty of the binding anyway, which is their lightness and simplicity.

In reply to munri:

Yup, another vote in favour of leashes for touring on Dynafits.

In reply to munri:


Leashes strike me as a bit of a faff and still allow scope for losing a ski when putting on/taking off skins? Anybody managed to get round the brake jamming in the boot issue or am I going to have to resort to leashes?

Thanks for the advice so far

Iain

In reply to munri: What binding are you using? What boot? Vertical ST? or the new ST Radical?

I have never, ever had a problem with boot/ brake binding on vertival ST using Scarpa spirit 4 or dynafit zzero boots (3 years of solid use all winter 2/ 3 times a week). The new ST radical has a sliding plate on the ski brake which should eliminate this problem.

You may find that its not the problem you imagine it might be when you are using them "in the field".

Give them a try on snow before doing anything drastic.

In reply to Daniel Armitage:



It's the ST vertical with Scarpa Meaestrale. I have had a good play around indoors and it takes some force to remove the boot once it's been released at the toe. I think bones would break before the boot releases in a tumble... May just have to go with leashes

Iain

In reply to munri:

When dealing with skins you will have the ski in your hand. Yes, you can drop it of course, but it is not too likely.

What about when you are skinning something steep, perhaps with crampons, and you decide you need to get the skis off and walk (eg it has gotten too steep and icy). With leashes you can unclip from ski but leave the ski on the leash until you have stamped out a decent foot hold (do the downhill ski first). This is a delicate position to be in, not very safe and yet I find myself doing this a couple of times a season. I am glad of leashes as it allows me to get stable and then disconnect one ski at a time. Then I have the pantomine of taking off sack and fitting boot cramopns ...... the answer is to plan ahead and not push so far on skins/ski crampons...but I never learn!!

"I have had a good play around indoors and it takes some force to remove the boot once it's been released at the toe."

You'll find in practice the boot never - or very rarely - releases from the toe first. The only way you can do this is by pushing very hard on the back of the boots. All the releases from Dynafit bindings are from the heel first, either upwards or sideways. The toe then pops out easily.

I've skied lots with various boots including Maestrale in Vertical ST bindings and never had issues with brakes.

In reply to munri:

Can you just explain what "test" you are doing in your home? As I understand it....

Dynafit skis in ski mode (so brake held down by the rear binding?). Step into skis front, then back. Push down on the front to release the toe? The twist at the back to release the rear? Your finding it tough to release the rear?

If so (and I'm no expert) I don't think this is a good test of release during a crash. It took a while for me to master the "twist" to get the boot out of the binding at the back. But in a crash (and I have crashed and the bindings released) the force is perhaps more upwards?

For what it's worth I use dynafits most weekends during winter (Vertical TLT with brake on Garmont Radiums) and haven't had an issue. I like the brake as it means the ski doesn't wander off when I'm trying to clip in at the toe. But leashes would be more useful when the ski comes off in 2 meters of powder.....

In reply to Mark Sweatmasn:



Yeah it's the twist at the back to release the rear that's sticking. It's exactly the same problem as shown by the picture on the Wildsnow link in my OP. I'm sure they will probably release safely in the event of a crash but I worry that in the long term using such force to get out of my binding on a regular basis will cause damage to either the binding or the boot (or both...)

Reassured by the number of positive replies so far. I wonder if this might be something to do with the putting together of the binding rather than an issue with the binding itself (I have emailled photos to the workshop that put it together).

Thanks for the replies so far

Iain

In reply to Mark Sweatmasn:


Sorry misread the post. When you say the brake held down by the rear binding is this not in "skinning" mode? I thought the brake should be open when in ski mode and when you stamp down with your heel the brake is held shut? The rear binding twists round no problem to hold the brake down when in skinning mode. It's when in ski mode that problems arise

Apologies if I'm not making sense...

Iain

In reply to munri:

Sorry - my mistake - you're correct - in ski mode the brake is held down by the boot so springs up as the boot comes away. It is only in touring mode the brake is held by the binding.

I seem to recall (but not with any clarity) that when brakes are fitted to dynafits there should be a change in spring tension somewhere in the system (vague I know but I don't know enough to be precise) so different springs are fitted. Might be worth looking into?

In reply to Mark Sweatmasn:

Thanks, I've read through the instruction manual and guide for setting it up. I'll have another look and check the springs are correctly fitted. As far as I can see it's just a mechanical block due to the way the brake springs up and gets caught in the lug of the boot sole. Massively frustrating after a big investment like this. Maybe I should have stuck with Fritschis....



Iain

In reply to munri: It sound like you're releasing the toe then trying to release the heel. This is how you get out of the binding when taking off the ski but not how it releases in a fall, when the heel will release first. Try testing this by putting a boot in the binding then kicking it sideways at the heel, with the ski held firmly.

In reply to graham F:


Hi Graham,

Yeah, I am releasing the toe first as it is the actual stepping out the binding that is causing problems.

I may have complicated matters earlier by saying I have concerns that the boot would get stuck in a fall but this was just to emphasise how well jammed the brake gets jammed in the sole of the boot.

When stepping in and out of Dynafits normally I assume it is not normal to have to wrench the boot sideways out the binding (once releasing the toes)?

Iain

In reply to munri:

I would recommend posting a comment on Wildsnow. Lou is a fount of knowledge about Dynafit bindings and there are a lot of regulars who may also be able to help out. Dynafit execs also follow his blog and one of them may chip in, who knows>

In reply to munri: Yes, to get out of the binding you do have to pull/wrench/twist the boot quite hard. It feels hard to do by hand, ie if you're not wearing the boot.
It is worth getting leashes too. They work in situations when brakes don't - ice, steep ground, powder, etc. Also good for glacier skiing as it saves you having to walk to retrieve lost skis.
Persevere, you won't regret the Dynafit thing in the long run!

In reply to munri:

I would suggest two options for you.

1. Return the boots you have now and get some Dynafit TLT5 boots, as they are designed to work with that binding & skistopper (and are a great pair of boots for ski touring).

2. Email Dynafit directly in Germany and ask them to solve the problem: info@dynafit.de
They all speak perfect english.

There are also videos of how to use their bindings on their website which might be good to take a look at. www.dynafit.com

Neil