Fritschi Tecton

[MnO_____]

Meh, I'll just tour with toe in ski mode, and see if its even a problem. With Din at 10, thinking it won't really be an issue.

I don't see any situation where I'll want to ski with toes locked out.

I will do the same. If I put enough force to make the toe release when it´s set at 10, I probably want the ski to leave my boot. I did some testing, and even on an hard slope, I need to put some major force on the toe to make it release. Way more than I ever will in walk mode. If you fall over forward, the ski will release, but in that situation atleast I wouldn´t mind. There will be no stopper, but since the skins are on, the skis will not start to run down the slope anyway. Maybe you need the locking in some situations, but so far, I can´t see any problem with just touring in ski mode.

[Cocximus]

Wouldn't the locked toe be great for kick turns though? I don't usually lock my vipec toes because it does not do much anyways. Looks like they got a serious lockout now.

[N1CK.]

^ honestly wouldn't be too hard

If anyone wants to volunteer a pair of toes for me for a while once I'm back with access to the shop I'd give it a go

I have a pair in Golden. Ping me when you get back into town.

[ffmedic84]

Lee I think you've skied the MTN Explore 95's. Toe denting issues aside would you put the Vipec Evo or Tecton on them? They'll see a little in bounds time but mostly be used as a early season or spring touring ski. I like the idea of an alpine heel but don't know if I really need it. Than again I don't think I'll be using them for super long days so the minor weight penalty might be worth it. Thoughts?

[1000-oaks]

Here's a relatively simple solution for guys who want ski-mode forward toe release but still lock out horizontal release for sidehills: leave toe in ski mode but snap a 3D-printed horseshoe into the side slots in front of the pincer carriage, just like the toe lever would in walk mode.

Not perfect, but no permanent mods required.

[LeeLau]

Lee I think you've skied the MTN Explore 95's. Toe denting issues aside would you put the Vipec Evo or Tecton on them? They'll see a little in bounds time but mostly be used as a early season or spring touring ski. I like the idea of an alpine heel but don't know if I really need it. Than again I don't think I'll be using them for super long days so the minor weight penalty might be worth it. Thoughts?

I ski the Mtn Explore 88s. Tecton and Evo would be fine on those. The added weight doesn;t make or break my day

Wouldn't the locked toe be great for kick turns though? I don't usually lock my vipec toes because it does not do much anyways. Looks like they got a serious lockout now.

Serious is an understatement. Those things are welded on once locked out

I will do the same. If I put enough force to make the toe release when it´s set at 10, I probably want the ski to leave my boot. I did some testing, and even on an hard slope, I need to put some major force on the toe to make it release. Way more than I ever will in walk mode. If you fall over forward, the ski will release, but in that situation atleast I wouldn´t mind. There will be no stopper, but since the skins are on, the skis will not start to run down the slope anyway. Maybe you need the locking in some situations, but so far, I can´t see any problem with just touring in ski mode.

It's when kicking into icy sidehills or cutting kick turns that I pull out at Vipec/Tecton toe when toe lever is in ski mode. It's not a life-altering problem per se. More like something which diminishes the useability of the binding and which should IMO have been disclosed beforehand. Having said that I'm going to minimize lock out and do the same thing you do now that I know that this is an issue

[LeeLau]

For toe lever modders here is a suggested fix. It may not work due to the cammed internals of the toe lever which may require the toe bump to be in a particular position for leverage

[Cocximus]

Serious is an understatement. Those things are welded on once locked out

Is side release also fully locked, or at least considerably harder to come out of?

[cycology1]

Great info Leel! Amazing detail!

I've now been on 3.5 versions (.5 was 1st gen toe w upgraded heal piece due to icing) up to new tectons 2 weeks ago.

I spun my fibula and had complete tear of inside ligament/partial syndesmosis tear in the spring of 2016 2nd time out on blacks...not sure if I left in walk mode or engaged walk mode during early seconds of the fall.

In any case I think I'm apt to simply not use walk mode. If i have too violent of a kick turn, it might pop off but I've skinned up inbounds hundreds of times and deskin/enter ski mode w a couple heal kicks (to grab skin and then another to enter heal ski mode) without taking off ski and can't think of a time that i had an issue w popping out of ski. Also have lots of days touring bc including Europe in some sketchy situations.

I have dropped my din after getting back in tech binders simply due to confidence - maybe this will cause release during tours but that is yet to be seen.

Disclaimer i don't believe the binder caused fracture...just slow twisting fall and not enough energy OR I was indeed in walk mode. Ironically the binder did release from the broken leg side and I had to search for that ski not realizing I had anything wrong..

[grinch]

Yes. Stellar work Lee. I think it’s safe to say , we all see the possibility of this binding being amazing. I’d think fritchi would come up with a fix for this if we keep reminding them

[Nevada29er]

The fix will come once the Shift is released and sales tank...

Or

The Shift's unknown issues surface and sales stay strong.

[counterfeitfake]

Just an aside:

Kneefall on a Comfort with toe lever locked out. The knee would contact the ground before the boot hit the toe lever.

This doesn't agree with my experience, I take a knee fall like that a couple times a season and hear the toe lever unlock. I think with the boot in walk mode, the toe can get to the lever before your knee stops it. My boot also sometimes unlocks the toe lever during kick turns. I thought it was annoying, but this discussion makes me think Dynafit did this intentionally.

[sf]

Just an aside:



This doesn't agree with my experience, I take a knee fall like that a couple times a season and hear the toe lever unlock. I think with the boot in walk mode, the toe can get to the lever before your knee stops it. My boot also sometimes unlocks the toe lever during kick turns. I thought it was annoying, but this discussion makes me think Dynafit did this intentionally.

Yup, unlocking during kick turns or knee falling happened with my ft12/Cochise light combo as well.........but there was no way you could damage your boot that way

[LeeLau]

Thanks to Counterfelt and sf. It's good to get other data re Dynafits during skinning.

Is side release also fully locked, or at least considerably harder to come out of?

It works the same. Ie no more easier or harder for side release to work when the toe lever is locked out

[LeeLau]

UPDATE 1

I just "tested" the Tecton toe lever with the bump removed and when the toe lever is in ski mode it's considerably harder to release in a kneefall then when the bump is installed. It appears the bump creates extra leverage on the toe lever when the lever is in ski mode; that leverage expediting a knee fall release.

Given that having the toe lever bump installed or removed does not seem seem to affect boot-binding release in a knee fall when the toe-lever is in walk mode (ie the boot won't release), I reinstalled the toe lever bump and chalked that up to a failed modification attempt but will leave the procedure up in case people want to experiment

[1000-oaks]

It works the same. Ie no more easier or harder for side release to work when the toe lever is locked out

Sure about that? The toe lever has wings that reach the pincer carriage in walk mode, assumed it's to resist side movement.

[LeeLau]

Sure about that? The toe lever has wings that reach the pincer carriage in walk mode, assumed it's to resist side movement.

Turned the DIN down to 4. Bashed the side of my boot with a mallet with toe lever in ski mode. Bashed the side of the boot with a mallet in tour mode. Both times the toe mech did its magic. That's about as scientific as I can get

[Muggydude]

It might be possible to make a sort of bridge from the lever to the boot. In a fall, with the lever in walk mode, the boot will hit the bridge and cause the lever to snap down to ski mode, thus allowing the boot to release. The bridge could go where the small colored plastic pieces currently go. When in ski mode the bridge will be well clear of the boot and won't hinder the binding's function.

Problem is the angle is tough to get enough leverage while also letting the toe have full normal range of motion. Preliminary testing with a wooden dowel showed promise though. Will also depend on the boot.

I'd try to whip out some CAD models and 3D print them for testing, but I won't have access to tech boots or tectons again until the summer

[1000-oaks]

Hmmm, backwoods redneck solution?

[Muggydude]

Hump would not have to be removed - would just have to hit the bridge/bolt slightly before the hump

[SupreChicken]

They ski quite well...

[telemon10]

Skied my Tectons yesterday at the resort in -20 degrees f (some of the coldest temps I've ever skied in) with windchills near -40, and was a bit nervous about the plastic given the recent post on Wildsnow, but they performed flawlessly. Very happy with the way they ski at the resort, but I haven't toured in them yet.

[roverdoc]

The boot dildo idea is hilarious.
Seriously I hope the company revises the toe. The boot punch is unacceptable and everyone falls forward eventually.

[cycology1]

Scratch my last comment...in ski mode, a basic toe kick to grab skin from rear of ski while standing (to deskin without removing skis) yielded an ejected ski...seems different than vipec blacks, but I'll check later

[galibier_numero_un]

Scratch my last comment...in ski mode, a basic toe kick to grab skin from rear of ski while standing (to deskin without removing skis) yielded an ejected ski...seems different than vipec blacks, but I'll check later

Toe in ski mode with heels still in touring mode? I think most of us lock down our heels first.

... Thom