Preview/Review: 2014 Salomon Sth2 bindings

[LC]

I don't get it. Current STH Driver toes accommodate the height of a Mercury/Vulcan sole fine.

[Flexon Phil]

I don't get it. Current STH Driver toes accommodate the height of a Mercury/Vulcan sole fine.

Yes, but the rollers on the wings allow for smoother release for the different plastics that are used in tech boots.

[Flexon Phil]

Here is a video review of the Sth2

[RiderX]

Does the STH2 heel have the same mount pattern as the Guardian heel?

[Flexon Phil]

Does the STH2 heel have the same mount pattern as the Guardian heel?

The Guardian heel has 6 screws, the Sth2 only has 4.

[Flexon Phil]

I've been skiing the Sth2 for the past 2 months. Both the 13 and the 16 have performed as expected. The differences between the 13 and the 16 is the cast metal base plate under the toe and (cosmetic) metal stanchions on the heels. IMHO in skiing both of these on the same ski (2014 Nordica 107's) I could not feel a performance difference due to lateral rigidity. With many other bindings, I would err to the higher DIN version but the for these two, the $299 7-16 DIN Sth2 16 is not $70 better than the 5-13 DIN Sth2 13.
I spent some time talking to Daron Rahlves, an Atomic athlete who was one of the beta testers for their version. Daron also has been skiing both versions and while he will be skiing mostly on the Atomic Sth2 16, he also spent some time on the Atomic Sth2 13 and did Banzai pre runs along with...SUGAR BOWL SILVER BELT GULLY video. Which also is a testate to it's stoutness.

[CarlE]

So... How do we mount these new things? I won't get hold of a jig for a couple of months but I got my pair of Atomic STH2 16 last week (way meaner looking than the Salomon) and my Praxis Protests should arrive tomorrow so I want to do some mounting!

I got access to the old STH jig and the Guardian jig. Will I find matching distances and guidance from those jigs or should I just try to copy the bases and figure out the boot sole distance through test mounts on a piece of wood?

[Flexon Phil]

So... How do we mount these new things? I won't get hold of a jig for a couple of months but I got my pair of Atomic STH2 16 last week (way meaner looking than the Salomon) and my Praxis Protests should arrive tomorrow so I want to do some mounting!

I got access to the old STH jig and the Guardian jig. Will I find matching distances and guidance from those jigs or should I just try to copy the bases and figure out the boot sole distance through test mounts on a piece of wood?

For the toes, you can use your old Sth jig but the heels do not match either jig, you might have to do them freehand which with the track design, shouldn't be too difficult.

[davieboot]

You can't use the old jig for the toes unless you know that the boot will sit the same, relative to the holes. Otherwise your boot center will be off a bit, which you might not care about too much. It sounds like the toes aren't exactly the same. Maybe I'm over-thinking it.

[pfluffenmeister]

^^^ i would still use the jig for the toes to ensure a centered mount (with regard to the centerline of the ski).


however i'm not sure if the distance between the toe/heel of the STH vs, the STH2 is the same.

[CarlE]

I tried to investigate a bit today and compared the toes (STH to new STH2) and the boot placement. It was a bit tricky to get a good look (I just put them base to base) but it seems to align. Maybe the new STH2 might set the boot a few mm further back.
But as pluffenmeister said, it is still very wise to use it as guidance to get it centered.

[davieboot]

I'm all for using a jig, and was just thinking aloud (typing?) that it probably wouldn't give you 'perfect' placement. Still better then any other options.

[Tutuko]

Got the Atomic STH 2 16 in, dislike the orange colour, rubber dampening strip (wait for those stomp pads to stress crack...) and new mount pattern... Also the new brake and heel unit requires the heel to be screwed off its track to access the screws, which will make for slow swaps on inserted skis.
The supplier said they are compatible with AT boots, which is true and false. Yes, AT boots will fit no problem, yes the rollers on the toe wings might help a bit with release, but no they are not up to the touring standard and a teflon plate to vibram interface is not as reliable as a din spec interface or a sliding afd.
On the note of binding swaps, only looks really allow for a quick swap these days, probably not done on purpose but annoying all the same as inserts are more and more common.

Despite the fact that there is no improvement to the previous model in obvious problem areas, il still be riding a pair this season, as its probably a great binding like it's predecessor.

[gregL]

The supplier said they are compatible with AT boots, which is true and false.

The supplier should have been more specific - the party line is that they are only compatible and indemnified for WTR soles (alpine or AT), so Salomon and Atomic and whoever else bites. One nice thing is the STH2 16 is slightly lighter than the STH/FFG 16 - I get 1146 grams for the STH2 vs. 1178 for last year's FFG 16, and they appear equally if not more burly. The brakes also go on easily, where the metal tabs on the old ones didn't always fit into the slots like they were supposed to.

[Tutuko]

True, love the brakes, had too much trouble banging those old tabs into spec. I whine...but they are still my choice of alpine bindings, and I just ordered a pair.

[1000-oaks]

Besides being heavier, the STH2 toe stack height (18mm) sure looks higher than prior STH models, but according to the specs they're only 0.5mm taller. Weird.

[Tutuko]

^ a good mm, plus I'm not sure if someone mentioned it, but the front screws if the heel plate are floating on rails. I'm not averse to this, as it might give the tiniest bit of give/ flex through the long rigid heel plate and save stress on the mount.
Atomic 16 colours are disgusting flouro orange.

At 95% open they just fit my Cochise tech soles.

[splat]

That track looks like a demo toe plate with adjustment room.....or is it like a griffon heel with room? Standard up/down heel release?
The real test on those wings for me is if they'll almost release but come back in if they don't need to go.

[Flexon Phil]

That track looks like a demo toe plate with adjustment room.....or is it like a griffon heel with room? Standard up/down heel release?
The real test on those wings for me is if they'll almost release but come back in if they don't need to go.

Not a demo track, there is over 20mm of travel in the heel vs. 11mm for the Marker Royals. The heel is what you are familiar with from the Guardian but in skiing this new Sth2, it skis great. Elasticity in the toe is what you expect from a single pivot design.

[marshalolson]

hey phil, can you confirm, the STH2 has +/- 20mm in the heel? whoa! that's awesome.

[OldSchool1080s]

hey phil, can you confirm, the STH2 has +/- 20mm in the heel? whoa! that's awesome.

Hey Marshal, I have a set of STH2 13s sittin in the garage if you want to fondle them.

[splat]

Phil, Marshal, what's the general thinking on heel-only binding travel as it relates to bcl's, weight distribution, sidecut and overall efficacy?
There must be a general consensus that the manufacturers have come to on all that to justify an increasing presence in half a demo bindings on the market.

[Flexon Phil]

Would and adjustable toe and heel be better as a demo binding? Sure, but it tends to be at the cost of performance as the interface between the boot and ski gets compromised let alone the additional weight. I do think the Marker Royal demo bindings are the closest in performance and feel to their retail counter parts.

Marshall, as far as the travel, Salomon is billing 28mm!

[jfost]

...There must be a general consensus that the manufacturers have come to on all that to justify an increasing presence in half a demo bindings on the market.

yeah, it is cheaper for them to make a binding that only adjusts in one place, BCL's be damned...

at least I think that's what you are driving at?!?

[Tutuko]

Just measured 28mm usable adjustment on the STH 2. Really happy with it so far after 4-5 days skiing.