The Official Salomon S/Lab SHIFT MNC Thread -AMA

[Melee]

Im in for a pair from you. Gonna email Jake now.


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Cool. Might as well reserve your pair. They are moving fast.

[galibier_numero_un]

Sport Conrad looks like a pretty good deal. Priced in Euros (449,95 €). Deduct the 19% VAT & then convert (using xe.com).

We just went through currency conversion on the Down group buy thread. Seems as if you can get a less expensive conversion fee (if paying by PayPal) when you use your credit card as the funding source instead of your balance or your bank account.

https://www.sport-conrad.com/en/prod...m-stopper.html

... Thom

[bw_wp_hedonism]

Sport Conrad looks like a pretty good deal. Priced in Euros (449,95 €). Deduct the 19% VAT & then convert (using xe.com).

We just went through currency conversion on the Down group buy thread. Seems as if you can get a less expensive conversion fee (if paying by PayPal) when you use your credit card as the funding source instead of your balance or your bank account.

https://www.sport-conrad.com/en/prod...m-stopper.html

... Thom

I got some skis last year from Sport Conrad. They were really good, extremely fast. Skis arrived in Switz within 48 hours.

Separately, I just got some shifts in 100 that look like they comfortably fit my 105 skis.

[dcpnz]

Pretty sure Sport Conrad won’t ship anything to the USofA though, let alone Shifts which seem to be restricted at other euro retailers as well (snowinn for example)

[reckless toboggan]

Dammit. I was afraid of the brakes being wider than the listed width.

I ordered a pair of Shift 100s to put on a 98mm ski, and I ordered a pair of Shift 120s to put on a 122mm ski.

Haven't recieved them yet, but it sounds like I should have gone with a 90mm and a 110mm.

[galibier_numero_un]

Pretty sure Sport Conrad won’t ship anything to the USofA though, let alone Shifts which seem to be restricted at other euro retailers as well (snowinn for example)

Oh well, I picked up a pair of Vipecs from them - admittedly, 18 months ago.

... Thom

[detrusor]

I tried to add them to the cart. No North America options for address


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[TahoeJ]

So has anyone heard from TMS?

[Spyderjon]

Note if looking to import Shift bindings from another country that the Salomon/Atomic warranty is country specific so you'd not be supported by a local dealer - unlike Dynafit & Marker who have a global warranty system.

[CascadeLuke]

Has anyone handled or swapped brakes on these yet- that can comment on ease or difficultly? Wanting to switch between 110s for 95s on occasion, maybe twice a year - in combo w/ insets.

[XavierD]

Not difficult, especially when taking the binding of the ski. Not going to be the easiest binding to swap over, 9 screws, put together in sequence, if possible it might be best to see if you can get an extra set of the three initial toe screws (front single and two back) with their respective hardwear/plastic. This would make swapping much easier.

[frankthegonzo]

Is there a better mount patter out there besides the frenchie one yet?

[CascadeLuke]

Not difficult, especially when taking the binding of the ski. Not going to be the easiest binding to swap over, 9 screws, put together in sequence, if possible it might be best to see if you can get an extra set of the three initial toe screws (front single and two back) with their respective hardwear/plastic. This would make swapping much easier.

Thanks. I kind of read that as get a 2nd pair if I’m going to get serious.. have seen a couple comments that Shifts are more challenging to mount comparatively as well. Probably best to set it and forget it.

[Alkasquawlik]

Has anyone handled or swapped brakes on these yet- that can comment on ease or difficultly? Wanting to switch between 110s for 95s on occasion, maybe twice a year - in combo w/ insets.

Super easy to swap. Similar to the STH2. Heel piece is mounted on rails, so you screw the forward pressure screw until the binding dethreads off the screw (don't use a power driver though, can strip the gasket). Slide the heel piece and brake unit forward off the rails. Unsnap the brakes from the heel piece. A few steps of course but technically really easy, especially if you're already swapping bindings between skis.

[CascadeLuke]

^^Okay then, thanks for details.

[CascadeLuke]

Has anyone slipped the 120 brake over a fatty? Like ProTest or L138 for example

[N1CK.]

Has anyone slipped the 120 brake over a fatty? Like ProTest or L138 for example

This is a 110 brake sitting on my Protest around the correct spot, so about 128mm. It looks like it would be an easy bend.

[CascadeLuke]

This is a 110 brake sitting on my Protest around the correct spot, so about 128mm. It looks like it would be an easy bend.

Thank you very helpful

[lucknau]

Is there a better mount patter out there besides the frenchie one yet?

Binding Mount Paper Templates thread (Post #1251)

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...1&share_type=t

[ak_powder_monkey]

Finally got to play with these bindings....

It seems like nobody who designed this binding actually does any actual serious ski touring.

The major usability problems:
The climbing bar is ridiculously low, despite the fact that it would have been really really really easy to put a higher bar on (like I'd put 50/50 odds that salomon will sell a bigger climbing bar before the end of the winter). Maybe there are some people who use the low bar on their tours, I do not know them. This is a total deal breaker for me.

Changing from tour mode to ski mode makes me feel like I'm going to pinch my fingers and/or destroy the binding. I can't imagine doing this on a cold day with gloves on. Again an easy fix exists, there is absolutely room for some kind of handle or lever. This also seems like it could be very prone to icing. Not a deal breaker, but this would certainly keep me from putting them on a primarily touring ski.

Smaller deals:
The brake lever feels like it's made from cheap plastic. Locking the brake is nowhere near as smooth or easy as the MTN binding every time I do it I feel like I'm going to break the binding, and this is in a ski shop with no snow or cold.

Getting into the binding in tour mode you have to depress the lever (like the G3 orix) seems like its gonna be a huge pain in the ass. You may be able to step in with a few boots that have that little ramp into the toe fitting. Not sure how salomon could fix this. It's a livable inconvenience.

I have been extremely impressed with salomon bindings for my entire life, I think the MTN is the best tech binding on the market by a long shot so needless to say I'm pretty disappointed with this binding. It is a fantastic concept, but I think (hope) the second generation is better, much like the duke got better. I have never felt more like I was going to break a binding just playing with it in the ski shop. All of salomon's bindings have had pretty stellar construction and durability, so I'm inclined to trust their engineers and athletes who vouge for the durability of this binding, but it feels like a child's toy (plus side is it's pretty dang light).

Overall takeaway: Salomon can make this the best binding on the market with a few suuuper easy fixes, but right now I couldn't imagine using one.

Who this binding is good for:
-Sled skiers who do a bit of touring to get to their lines
-rich people who want new gear
-people at resorts with easy tours out of bounds
-people touring low angle terrain or who like doing looooots of switchbacks.
-people with knee problems who want to tour on a din binding without the weight of dukes.
-people looking for a one ski quiver (pending durability) ala duke/baron users. This binding is a huuuuuuuge improvement on the duke concept.

Who this binding is not good for:
-Serious ski tourers who are using legs as their primary means of elevation gain

[doebedoe]

...., I think the MTN is the best tech binding on the market by a long shot so needless to say I'm pretty disappointed with this binding. I...

Nice review. But I'm very interested in this off-topic line as someone who is looking for new lightweight tech binding.

Why MTN by a "long shot"? I would think that there are at least a few competitors:

- Vipec. 150g heavier, but forward pressure, lateral toe release and easy transitions.
- G3 Zed. Slightly heavier, but forward pressure and very nice toe design.
- various ATK options.

[stuntmanbo]

Interested to hear you opinion on this as well.

The ATK SLR release has approx the same features (U spring, adjustable laterally unlike the MTN, 30mm adjustment with the plate, only one riser, no forward pressure) and is like 165g with the plate vs 270g for the MTN.

Why would the MTN be a better choice ?

[ak_powder_monkey]

Nice review. But I'm very interested in this off-topic line as someone who is looking for new lightweight tech binding.

Why MTN by a "long shot"? I would think that there are at least a few competitors:

- Vipec. 150g heavier, but forward pressure, lateral toe release and easy transitions.
- G3 Zed. Slightly heavier, but forward pressure and very nice toe design.
- various ATK options.

I like simple things, the MTN has very little plastic, and hardly any moving parts. They are durable (only pair I heard of breaking fell off of a moving car) as heck and super simple to use. They are also amazingly light.

What I like most about them is the brake. First off you simply lock the brake by moving a lever, this puts you in tour mode. No twisting the tower while holding down the brake or any weird BS. You don't even have to twist the tower at all to go into tour mode at all, just stow the brakes and go.

The zed also looks like a clear winner, and is the right color! but the g3 dynafit solution for brakes I'm not sold on. If you like the ion you will love the zed.

I'm of the opinion that all the bindings in the class are good, however the usability of the MTNs set them above other bindings in that class.

edit to say I'm not as familiar with the vipec as I should be, but dinamir does not have a sterling reputation durability wise. Also as far as the AKT or Dynafit options in this class go, I would never consider a binding without brakes, probably the reason I never started tele skiing.

I know these skis have brakes, but I want to minimize the chance of this:

[meter-man]

Who this binding is good for:
-Sled skiers who do a bit of touring to get to their lines
-rich people who want new gear
-people at resorts with easy tours out of bounds
-people touring low angle terrain or who like doing looooots of switchbacks.
-people with knee problems who want to tour on a din binding without the weight of dukes.
-people looking for a one ski quiver (pending durability) ala duke/baron users. This binding is a huuuuuuuge improvement on the duke concept.

Who this binding is not good for:
-Serious ski tourers who are using legs as their primary means of elevation gain

Sounds like you figured out why Salomon made this binding: to appeal to 6/7ths of the potential market.

[kid-kapow]

MTN/ATKs vs Zed vs other bindings has been recently debated at length in several other threads:

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...s-Haute-Route)

and here (a few posts up)

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...t=#post5458806

thanks for the feedback above - seems like shifts will be pretty good, if not perfect, for their primary use. Long ass tours ain't it though - more shorter trips with other means of getting you partially there.