Fritschi Tecton

^ I have experienced the same thing a bunch of times. It’s usually snow under the tab on the heel cup that catches the bottom of the boot heel for me. Pushing the binding back into tour mode packs snow into the recess that the tab fits into. A quick cycle into step-in position by hand usually pops a little snow ball out of the recess and allows the heelpiece to transition smoothly into tour mode as intended. I do this every time I put my skins on and haven’t had a problem since I started doing so.

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Originally Posted by Reformed

^ I have experienced the same thing a bunch of times. It’s usually snow under the tab on the heel cup that catches the bottom of the boot heel for me. Pushing the binding back into tour mode packs snow into the recess that the tab fits into. A quick cycle into step-in position by hand usually pops a little snow ball out of the recess and allows the heelpiece to transition smoothly into tour mode as intended. I do this every time I put my skins on and haven’t had a problem since I started doing so.

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Yep. That's the location I'm thinking of. Thanks for the tip.

got my Tecton toes replaced by BD, the biggest wait was for them to get to my claim due to warranty dept backlog. Once they started on it total turnaround time was around 10 days including my shipping the old toes back.

Vipec on Lotus 120 spoon and Tecton on Wailer 99 for now, since the spoon only sees soft snow it's hard to say that setup needs the tecton heel. I'm sure things will evolve...

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Originally Posted by Adrgha

The clicking definitely comes from the riser being lifted up slightly before letting go and clicking into place again. Happens on both, but it seems worse on the low riser.

I guess it would make sense that the heel piece slides back a few mm's when stepped on, creating tension between the riser and the boot.

It has to be said though that I'm quite sensitive to annoying sounds.

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I sprayed both the bindings and the rear part of my boots with silicone spray, and that fixed it - at least for a while. So it's definitely caused the forward pressure spring being compressed, which then makes the riser stick to the sticky rubber sole of the boot.

On another note: Where can I buy brakes for these bindings? The 120 mm brakes are way too wide for the 124 mm skis I have them mounted on. The 110's would probably be more than wide enough.

Anyone ever have an issue where you step into the heel and it engages without grabbing the boot? It's like the binding pushes back in the track. This happens sometimes, have to reset and step in another time or two. I double checked the length adjust.

I've been skiing these things everywhere, probably put 30 days in since Feb 1. Going to turn up the heel din because I am ejecting forward lean on some pow landings.

Summit- yeah, in fact it happens way too much for me. I’m finding it more frequently when i fail to bring the skis inside to melt out each night. I’ve never done it before, but the tecton seem to require it. I believe its an icing problem, never happens to me when the skis went inside.


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The little fins in the heel cup are probably missing the slots in the boot heel tech insert (or the slots are plugged with ice), which pushes back the binding heel. Or there's ice in the heel cup that prevents the boot from seating properly.

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Originally Posted by Adrgha

I sprayed both the bindings and the rear part of my boots with silicone spray, and that fixed it - at least for a while. So it's definitely caused the forward pressure spring being compressed, which then makes the riser stick to the sticky rubber sole of the boot.

On another note: Where can I buy brakes for these bindings? The 120 mm brakes are way too wide for the 124 mm skis I have them mounted on. The 110's would probably be more than wide enough.

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I have some extra brake arms that I think are the 110's $20+shipping. PM me

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Originally Posted by flowing alpy

happened to me once this past weekend, same thing. i cycled thru the heel motion a couple times and it clears. gotta be a wet snow icing thing cuz it’s not ever happened in the cold dry snow. i do bring these in each night, cuz well i really like em.

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The things I miss in a Continental snowpack :wink:

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Originally Posted by galibier_numero_un

The things I miss in a Continental snowpack :wink:

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Heh, that and stability. I always knew Colorado was sketch but this year is a whole new level. :eek:

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Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Heh, that and stability. I always knew Colorado was sketch but this year is a whole new level. :eek:

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Its pretty normal snowpack actually. What isn’t normal is large amounts of snowfall hah

Thought this was interesting, taken from Lars’ interview with Powder about CAST:
https://www.powder.com/gear-locker/n...ot-performance

“Releasability in tech bindings is a messy subject. I've figured it out over the years. The long and short of it is alpine bindings were created because of lower leg injuries—it was hurting the sport. The alpine binding ISO Standards did a good job at fixing that, but with the original tech bindings there was no injury prevention and they weren't designed around the forces and anatomy.

There hasn't been more of an outcry because the sample numbers will never be near the numbers of alpine skiers, you need lateral release in the tech toe to prevent spiral fractures. There are a couple who are getting elastic travel and lateral release, so I think they're trying.”

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Originally Posted by Lindahl

Thought this was interesting, taken from Lars’ interview with Powder about CAST:
https://www.powder.com/gear-locker/n...ot-performance

“Releasability in tech bindings is a messy subject. I've figured it out over the years. The long and short of it is alpine bindings were created because of lower leg injuries—it was hurting the sport. The alpine binding ISO Standards did a good job at fixing that, but with the original tech bindings there was no injury prevention and they weren't designed around the forces and anatomy.

There hasn't been more of an outcry because the sample numbers will never be near the numbers of alpine skiers, you need lateral release in the tech toe to prevent spiral fractures. There are a couple who are getting elastic travel and lateral release, so I think they're trying.”

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Good point.

I think it is truly praisworthy what Fritchi/BD (Vipec/Tecton) and Salomon (Shift) have created plus the well intentioned efforts of La Sportiva (TR2).

Not willing to go through 39 pages to find out: Is the (current) Hoji compatible with the tecton?

If someone can provide me with a list of incompatible boots, I could add that to the first post to prevent further questions like this.

Don't remember where it was published (Powder online maybe), but recently read an article about Vipec/Tecton technology where the author was thrilled with the "safety" aspect of these bindings, as had just had his ACL repaired. Maybe someone should tell him bindings that don't release laterally at the heel contribute to torn ACL's, lol. Pick your poison.

Google to the rescue - hit 1 and 3: key take away - compatible, but perhaps not recommended.

Attachment 274532Attachment 274533
Source: https://www.blackdiamondequipment.co...ts_2017-18.pdf

WildSnow does some testing and a' and b'ing with other boots: https://www.wildsnow.com/25175/dynaf...ipec-fritschi/

Buddy on tectons broke the forward release mechanism on first tour. All that forward release stuff popped out. He kinda got the bidding back together, but bits of plastic will end up in the ocean. Point is, I was not impressed with the toe. It has many little sensitive parts that are waiting to grenade when the binding is full of spring snow. The old toe was way simpler but worked well.

First pic is the broken bindinghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6efcbc8e1b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ddca0bbaae.jpg

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Originally Posted by daught

Buddy on tectons broke the forward release mechanism on first tour. All that forward release stuff popped out. He kinda got the bidding back together, but bits of plastic will end up in the ocean. Point is, I was not impressed with the toe. It has many little sensitive parts that are waiting to grenade when the binding is full of spring snow. The old toe was way simpler but worked well.

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What did your buddy do to break the toe?

Fell on the skin track.

What the hell is going on with these brakes on these things? I bought new (overpriced) 110 mm brakes, hoping to get a snug fit over my 124 mm skis, but these things actually measure over 120 mm at the narrowest point. Additionally they don't retract much, if anything, making them stick out and catch on stuff all the time.

Do I really have to get 100 mm brakes for my 124 mm skis?

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Originally Posted by Adrgha

What the hell is going on with these brakes on these things? I bought new (overpriced) 110 mm brakes, hoping to get a snug fit over my 124 mm skis, but these things actually measure over 120 mm at the narrowest point. Additionally they don't retract much, if anything, making them stick out and catch on stuff all the time.

Do I really have to get 100 mm brakes for my 124 mm skis?

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I think there is just a ton of inconsistency. I have some 100 mm brakes that fit decently well over my 95 mm skis. Sure they’re a little big but not the issue some are having here.

Would need a fair amount of bending for a 124 mm ski

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Originally Posted by Adrgha

What the hell is going on with these brakes on these things? I bought new (overpriced) 110 mm brakes, hoping to get a snug fit over my 124 mm skis, but these things actually measure over 120 mm at the narrowest point. Additionally they don't retract much, if anything, making them stick out and catch on stuff all the time.

Do I really have to get 100 mm brakes for my 124 mm skis?

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Those can't be 110's, my 110's needed a bit of grinding to fit over Helio116.

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Originally Posted by 1000-oaks

Those can't be 110's, my 110's needed a bit of grinding to fit over Helio116.

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Came wrapped in plastic that says 110 mm on it. How hard can it be to get brake sizes right?

Attachment 276318

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Originally Posted by Adrgha

Came wrapped in plastic that says 110 mm on it. How hard can it be to get brake sizes right?

Attachment 276318

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Maybe a stupid question, but did you mount them on the heel piece or just hold them up to the ski? I ask because when I got some 90mm brakes to replace my 100mm, they looked exactly the same as the 100 brakes until I swapped out a pair. When mounted to the heel piece the arms get compressed a bit. I had to dremel off some of the 90mm brake so they didn't get caught up on my 99mm skis when deployed. I agree that Fritschi brakes do not retract much, a lousy design for sure.

The reach is a bit narrower when actually installed on the binding on the ski, since the arms get pinched lower down, pulling them inwards, IIRC.

Hmm right, I didn't actually think of that. The brakes that are on there now measure the exact same as these new ones when deployed. I don't know what the width of the brakes that came on the bindings is supposed to be as I bought them used.

I'll try to mount them on the heel piece and see if that makes a difference.

Mounted width is way different than unmounted.

If you haven't mounted Vipec or Tecton brakes, it is a little tricky. Here's a good video....Tecton starts about a minute in....

Thanks guys. Maybe I'm just a big 'ol idiot. I'll update tomorrow after mounting them.

Searched the thread but seems there was never a definitive answer to crampon sizing. Anyone able to comment on internal widths of crampon sizes? Tis the season...

90 mm are 92mm inside - mine are at least. Do not have my 115s available for measuring, but they seem true for size - so nothing like the brakes.

The wide ones I have touch the sides of a 120mm ski. Work great on a 115. So I’m guess 118 internally

Gotcha. Sounds like it's safe to assume I need the 100s for a 94 mm ski and that I'm SOL for a Protest.

There is a risk in using all that plastic. The end tab of the heel lever broke off 3 days into a hut trip (and 3rd day on this particular set of tectons). True WTF moment. I was able to jury rig a temporary solution out of an old ski pole. I’ve had another setup with tectons for two seasons without problems, but this makes me question their durability.

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Originally Posted by Magic Carpet

There is a risk in using all that (insert material).

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There is a risk with any design and/or material, yet Vipecs and Tectons seem no more suceptible to breaking than most other designs - in spite of all the plastic. Was the error caused by inherent properties the material or more of a fluke/lone occurance though? I have yet to see lots of people complaining about this issue, if I understood what happened correctly.

It might be me being lucky, but with well over 100 days on both designs with zero major issues I am very impressed with how they perform.

I am sorry to hear that you have not been as lucky, and fluke or no - it is very unfortunate when one looses faith in gear, regardless of whether the loss of faith is objectively warranted or not.

Hopefully your faith in Tectons will be restored with the new pair you'll get through the warranty. :)

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Originally Posted by kid-kapow

There is a risk with any design and/or material, yet Vipecs and Tectons seem no more suceptible to breaking than most other designs - in spite of all the plastic. Was the error caused by inherent properties the material or more of a fluke/lone occurance though? I have yet to see lots of people complaining about this issue, if I understood what happened correctly.

It might be me being lucky, but with well over 100 days on both designs with zero major issues I am very impressed with how they perform.

I am sorry to hear that you have not been as lucky, and fluke or no - it is very unfortunate when one looses faith in gear, regardless of whether the loss of faith is objectively warranted or not.

Hopefully your faith in Tectons will be restored with the new pair you'll get through the warranty. :)

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True. They ski great and they release when they should, so I’m not giving up on them. Hopefully this was just a fluke, haven’t heard or read about others having that happen and as mentioned my other pair has been flawless.

sorry for not reading the full thread.

anyone know the Tecton heel track adjustment range? couldn't find in on the Fritschi website.

i think i read somewhere there is a demo heel track out there too?

25mm total if I'm not mistaken.

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Originally Posted by nickel

25mm total if I'm not mistaken.

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25mm it is :)

You can potentially go a bit past, but people have experienced issues with the brakes not staying put while touring when going beyond the stop mark. A rear demo rail has 60mm of adjustment, so if you need more adjustment, getting one of those might be the way to go.