Your Binding Buying Guide-Buy the binding that suits your ability
Sep 23 '00
I have skied on every manufacturers bindings. If you have read my other reviews, you know that I prefer Marker. However, This information relates to ALL binding manufacturers.
A few things to note: I am a poor speller, and am too lazy to copy this to MSWORD, spell check it, and copy it back again. The information should be worth a few spelling errors. Secondly, It is long, and fact filled. If you plan on quoting me, be sure to read the whole thing. Finally, I do not know all things (sad, but true) use this a a basis for your search, not as the sole source of information. I have been wrong before, and could be again.
How do bindings differ?
1. Amount of plastic in them.
This is basic. Lets say you are going to buy a tool. If you wanted a tool that was going to work for 1 job only, you would buy the cheapest version, to get the job done economically. If you were an occasional fixer-upper, you might invest in a better grade tool. But if you were a pro, you would buy a tool that may cost considerably more, because you want it to perform reliably over a longer period of consistent use.
The same is EXACTLY true of ski bindings. A set for occasional use can and will have a greater portion of the pieces made of plastic. Now there is a benefit to this: Plastic Bindings are lighter. This translates to less fatigue for the skier.
However, plastic components cannot withstand consistant use the way metal parts can.
So the next level of components will integrate Stamped metal parts in the areas where plastic will not suffice. In many cases ,this is the top end for manufacturered parts. Pressed metal works great in areas where there is tolerence for flex in the parts.
Finally, there is cast metal. All top end bindings consist of some cast metal components. Especially in areas such as the heel cups and toe wings. Cast metal does not wear significantly over the life of the binding, does not "age" like plastic, and does not flex. Flex within binding components delivers a poor translation of what is happening on the ski to the bindings spring, and therefore the binding manufacturer must loosen overall tolerances in order to compensate. Translation, a flexy binding is detuned to allow for the flex. (do not confuse flex within the binding with flex UNDER the binding, I will get to that).
Now you will notice that I did not place titanium, like Markers Ti bindings in an additional "Superior" class. There is very little ti componentry in Markers ti bindings, and the weight savings do not justify the expense. This is marketing, not a performance enhancement.
Most skiers are well served by the middle of the line bindings, with a mixture of plastic and pressed metal components.
2. The Bindings Weight Range-
You want to be within the middle of your bindings weight range. If a binging that goes up to a DIN scale of 9 is on sale, and you ski at 8.5 be aware that you are placing a greater amount of strain on the spring than if you were on a binding that goes up to 12. when the spring is compressed (or stretched in the case of Marker toes) so much for so long, it eventually will develop a memory of that position, and lose some of its effectiveness. People who have had a binding test done and find that their bindings are set to dfferent numbers have experienced this "memory". SOme binginds are worse than others. I had a pair of Atomics once that were set to 10, 9, 8.5, and 10... outside of their allowable range for error, but necessary to get them to test out for an 8.5 DIN. On the other extreme, a bingind that places you in the bottom of its range will likely underperform as well, feeling sloppier during pre-release, and not releasing as smoothly as it would if it were in the middle of is range. Now I am not saying that it will not perform within an acceptable margin, of course it will... I am saying it will not perform as well as the model designed with your range as the center point.
3.(Finally) Consider the bindings release Algorithmand elasticity.
What does this mean? Within each binding category, Novice, Intermediate, Expert, Race this is a program for release characteristics. For the most part here, I describe the performance characteristics of the toe piece.
Novice skiers- wish to release in any situation that indicates excess or sudden pressure on the bindings springs. Now in many situations, this means releasing in response to movements the skier is utilizing in an effort to ski (technique). However, because the binding manufacturer cannot predict what movements are fall or stress related, and which are muscular skills in place, they err on the side of caution. Why?Because movements that are historically injurious to skiers, however effective the skier deems them to be within his or her technique, should not be supported by the bindings mechanism.
Intermediate Skiers- seek a binding that will retain them despite an occassional reliance upon movemenst that occur along the same "Path" as injurious movements, so long as those movements are not sudden or in excess of a prescribed level of stress. This is described as elasticity, and it means the point in a release at which the binding no longer offers the option of returning to center. Intermediate bindings offer some elasticity, but are programmed around the concept of "out is better".
Expert Skiers- Expert Skiers will continually perform movements that occur within and accross the release path of the binding. It is of much greater importance that the binding does not immediately interpret this act as a condition for release, but that it enters a stage of "readiness". Think of it as the binding saying "I am going to wait and see where you are going with that last action." Marker toes move laterally, and release a secondary stage (opening the toe cups) at a prescribed point dependent upon the bindings performance level. With Markers, once that point is reached, return to center is unlikely. With Solomons, the entire toe moves about a forward, angled axis. As the angle of the bindings toe changes in respect to the boot surface, the binding is gradually more likely to release than retain, however, and this is important, If you "save" the move at virtually any point, a Solomon is capable of returning to center. So why do I like Markers better? Because SOlomons release tension is progressive... with significant play in the early stages of release, then growing resistance, then decreased resistance to expel the boot from the binding. Markers have less play up front, sustained resistance during the elasticc phase, and total release during the expelling phase. I am not so sure of Rossignol, and Looks algorithms to comment, and Atomics algorithm is far less complex: Keep you in to a certain point with increasing resistance, then release. Period.
Racing Bindings- do not differ significantly from Expert bingings with two exceptions. The first is that Racers expect and demand a greater margin for error... that is, they want the binding manufacturer to assume that they want to stay in, rather then "get out" of their bindings. The same is true for skiers who place themselves in hazardous situations (aka "no fall zones"). Where retention could prove injurious, but release could prove fatal. So the skier demands greater elasticity, before release. This does not always mean that the skier wants the binding to travel further, but that during initial release movements, that the binding is attempting to pull the boot back into position.
The Second is that Racing Bindings have a greater "Range" of forward pressure. Every Binding (with few exceptions that I am aware of) has a heel piece that moves backwards upon entry. There is a spring (sometimes this is a function of the release spring though) upon which this pressure is placed. The purpose for this movement is to keep pressure against the toe piece, so that it may more accurately interpret the direction of force. However, this travel performs a second vital function. A ski flexes two ways. De-cambering is when it bends into the shape of the turn. During this action, the binding heel moves back slightly to compensate for the fact that the bindings are moving closer together. This is less to aid ski performance than to prevent the toe piece and heel pieces from interpreting the increased pressure as a fall. You may be aware that several manufacturers offer bindings that allow the ski to flex beneith the binding... this is a separate function, but along the same lines. The ski also "re-cambers" that is, returns to its natural bow-shape (camber distributes your weight and pressure along the whole length of the ski). The better a skier is at bending the ski into the turn, the stronger the force of re-cambering. When this happens, the bindings move away from each other for a brief period. The forward pressure spring helps to keep the bindings from moving apart so far that the ski "falls off" the boot. Racers and Mogul skiers both generate this degree of force, thus requiring increased travel in the forward pressure spring. (Note: The growing popularity of "Risers" has an impact upon this function. Because skis flex beneith the riser (MOST risers), the need for forward pressure "travel" is decreasing. For more information, read my epinion on "Risers Plates" Know what you want before you buy or that of L544s Risers For The Average Skier .
Lastly, watch buying bindings that are on sale. Each year, Binding Manufacturers produce a list of bindings that they will still indemnify (insure- sort of) when shops perform service on them. This is not accross the board, like "5 years", there are some old designs that still perform to modern standards, and there are some more recent models that have preven in retrospect to not work properly. If a binding is two seasons old, be sure to ask if it is still in production, and while it is likely that that model will still be on the list, look for a company history of bindings that fall off the list early. Bindings should last 5 years. I have had a few not survive one full season. A bargain is no bargain if you have to replace it too soon.
Hey, I have not covered "Ramp". If you are interested in knowing how it affects you binding choice, and your skiing? post a comment. I will try to address it later.
Good Luck, and have fun skiing.
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RONinPC
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Member: Ron Shepard
Location: Park City, UT
Reviews written: 133
Trusted by: 136 members
About Me:
Skiing, Biking, Sailing and Hiking are the passions of this Park City Family.
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