Bro's with Dynafit--review

[AltaPowderDaze]

many people know how skeptical i was of trackhead's switch to dynafits. over the last few months i've watched him smoke my ass up the trail and then rip on the way down. about 4 weeks back gramps followed suit and took off w/ derek on uptrack only stopping to let me catch up. i chose then to atleast try a pair and see how it goes.

i recently mounted some old tlt's on my bro's and began the informal comparison to this seasons freerides. the first thing you notice is the most obvious, the weight. my the diference a couple pounds can make. you notice it in the swing of your stride and when on your pack. the stride itself is even more efficient. once locked down, the ski is easier to control with the dyna's than the fr's. the power transmission is actually noticeable when skiing crust or packed powder. no more toe slop before you actually turn, which btw was worse on my new fr's than my old grey ones.

that brings me to the freeride's advantage, the din. most would say the a din of 10 is adequate. well, that kinda depends on how you ski and how heavy you are. the fr's din of 12 is nice but would be better at 14. likewise, the din of 10 on the dyna's is lacking but would be adequate around 12. if dynafit ever figures that out, they'll have a killer bc binding.

currently, i have some adjustments to make on the heels of my used set of dynafits. i don't have a din higher than 5 for my vertical release. even with that handicap they have performed well. i was suprised by a line that cliffed out yesterday and wondered how the dyna's would perform in crappy conditions. the only way down w/o a rope was to test them. i positioned myself as close to the edge of the cliff as possible w/o slipping on the blue ice or resting my bases on the rock. a quick jump turn with a push and i was off. it was only about 10' down but with a landing of old avy debris covered with new crust, it was formidable enough. i stuck the landing and skied away on the crust as if i was back on alpine binders. it was a good enough impact to reasonably test how well they would hold me while my dins were set at 5(vertical) and 10(horizontal). i will purchase a set of tlt comforts as soon as i get my lifelink form and see how well a new set performs.

[corn dog]

The new comforts have a DIN of 12 don't they? One more check for the dynafits

[Son1cdeth]

APD, how much do you weigh? (or TH, or anyone else who's switched over).. Currently running some Naxos, and would love to lose a few pounds on the way up. I've been following TH's switch closely to see if it's something I might want to consider. But I've always thought I might be a bit too big for Dynafits (6'2, 220lbs).

Interesting observation on the power transfer while skiing. The Naxo's seem to have the same slop problem as you noted with the FR's. Doesn't give you much confidence when your skiing unexpected ice in the backcountry.

Keep the observations coming!

[skifishbum]

Nice review. What kind of boots are you using? And are you center mounted? I have been skiing super stiffs with the silvretta pure freeride. While not as light as the dynafit definately lighter than naxos or damirs. I echo your thoughts on skinning stride. I do miss the dual pivot of the naxos when breaking trail in deeper snow. Kick turns are still a bit of a chore but I am dialing it in. Do you think the fact that the dynafit sits low on the ski increases you ski control? I rode last years stiffs w/ sali demo bindings today and I could fee lway more control.

[Sphinx]

The new comforts have a DIN of 12 don't they? One more check for the dynafits

no.......

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks for the review APD. Been thinking about Dynafits on my own Bro tour set-up at some point. I'm definitely intrigued.

[AltaPowderDaze]

son1, i'm about 180 and trackhead has a few on me. talk to akpogue about his setup. he's about your size and skis comforts on bro's in the resorts.

edit: powstash is on dynafit now too. he's about the same size.

sfb, using the garmont mega ride 05-06, which has the beefed up tongue on both the liner and the boot. it skis as well as my denali's, which is quite a suprise.

i'm mounted 1/2cm ahead of the boot center line on my last years bro's.

a combonation of the binding being closer to the ski and loss of slope gives me a more in control feeling. it's just less work to ski them. kinda like cheating. kick turns are even easier to initiate if you are mounted near balance point. i assume that the binding being closer and the better pivot point has something to do with that.


AKpogue, speak up on your set when you get some time.

[pde20]

Just to echo some of APDs thoughts...I recently made the switch from Fritschi (Diamir IIIs) to Dynafit and Scarpa Denali to Mega Rides and could not be happier, feeling like I get better skiing performanc and lighter weight. Anyway, FYI.

Dynafit set up dialed

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...t=38252&page=2
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Comforts were mounted last weekend and finally skied this morning. I am 95% psyched with them. None of this will come as news to anyone who already skis them, but until you do anything yourself you never quite know. I felt like i was running up hill, they are so light and the stride is so much more natural than with Fritschis. Adjusting heel for
climbing is a snap. Transitioning from up to downhill is a snap. I even got down the manaeuver that allows you to free the heel w/out unclipping the toe. Most satisfying of all, from my perspective, they skied far superior to my Diamirs. I always hated the "dead" feeling that I felt like came from the rigid bar under your foot w/ Fritschis. I have these on the same model of skis as I had w/ Fritschis (Atomic Rex) and all i can say is that the difference is night and day. I think that the slightly positive ramp angle and lower clearence b/t ski and boot sole found on comforts vs. the neutral and higher up stance found w/ fritschis makes a difference in terms of feeling more forward and agressive (i.e. like alpine set up) vs. more backseat w/ Fritschis. The 5% negative came from the fact that clicking into the toe is a pain in the ass, at least at first. I also don't see myself ever skiing without the toe locked down. The ease of exit when it is not locked is striking. Perhaps when locked in at the heel the amount of stress placed on toe points is reduced significantly??? Anyone experienced have thougths on that arcane theory?

Also, on a related note, with the help of Larry the bootfitter in Boulder, my frankensteined Megarides are stellar. Larry hooked up the liner and added a Raichele tongue, i patched on a spoiler from a pair of Salomons to adde height and stiffness at the calf, and added a booster strap. The result is more comfy and skis better than my old Denalis by a long shot. Still a touring boot with some softness, but felt great overall.

[Core Shot]

What about releasing??

Do any of you feel like you are in a less safe binding??

I guess that's my main concern that keeps me from going dynafit.

[upallnight]

What about releasing??

Do any of you feel like you are in a less safe binding??

I guess that's my main concern that keeps me from going dynafit.

Dynafits have been used on some very hairy descents in remote locations. I wouldn't huck in them, but I' msure they can stand up to any (backcountry/mountaineering) descent you ask of them.

I LOVE mine for touring. The loss of weight (at least 3 pounds less than a pair of Fritschis) is unbelievable -- very quickly improves your uphill times. [I read that the US Army did studies many years ago and determined that 1 extra pound on your feet is equivalent to carrying 6.5 extra pounds on your back.]

Also, the lower position (closer to the ski) and pivot point seems to require less effort per stride and kick turn, in my experience.

I ride Fritschis every day in-bounds (and out the gates) for the last 8 years, but I prefer Dynafits on pure backcountry tours. I've been contemplating switching to Dynafits every day, but I'm not sure they'd stand up to resort abuse/jumps. Any thoughts there?

[corn dog]

I ride Fritschis every day in-bounds (and out the gates) for the last 8 years, but I prefer Dynafits on pure backcountry tours. I've been contemplating switching to Dynafits every day, but I'm not sure they'd stand up to resort abuse/jumps. Any thoughts there?

If you ski resorts a lot I don't know why you would use dynafits over alpine gear. I've used mine at resorts a few times, obvious issue is that the brakes suck. Also why put that beating on them when you could just ride alpine. And alpine appears to give you better/more reliable toe release and higher DIN. Thats the direction I'm headed in anyway, dynafit for bc, phasing out the fritschis at the resort in favor of straight alpine.
Big Daddies got fritschis though as I could figure out how to mount them

[upallnight]

If you ski resorts a lot I don't know why you would use dynafits over alpine gear.

Well, I ride my Scarpa Denalis alot....so those won't really work (won't fit w/o grinding and won't release properly, anyway) in Alpine bindings. On any given day, even at the resort, I might be out the gates skinning/hiking/rapping something, so Alpine gear won't cut it.

I ride Fritschis most of the time, but I now have some Dynafit Aero Freeride boots, so I have the Dynafit binding option. (Used to use a lightweight Dynafit TLT4 for touring w/ my Dynafits.)

Fritschis as a resort setup is not optimal, but it has worked for me for some time. I'm just thinking the lower rise of a Dynafit may be more appropriate for all the fat skis in my quiver these days.

Peace.

[Trackhead]

hahahahahahahahhahaha.

I love it. And so will everyone else when they pull their 'living in the Fritschi box' mind frame head out of their asses and realize that Dyna's are THE way to go.

I toured with APD the other day on Nebo. A nice 6k day with lots of mileage and all trailbreaking. It was the first day I was with him since he got his Dyna's. That mother fukker is fast as shit on them. He was pounding out the trailbreaking like I've never seen him do, and his speed was MUCH faster all around. Same goes for Gramps. We skied Lake Peak together, with APD. Gramps had just gotten his Dyna's and was like a skinny little rando euro racer. Hard to keep with his pace he set.

I feel sorry, truly sorry, for people when they shoulder their heavy fritschi's to their backs and start booting. It's ridiculous. Why do that to yourself. It's not all about the up, it's about getting up with more energy, and getting to ski that extra lap at the end of the day.

The evolution was from skinny, to fat, and now it's going back the other way. Watch, you'll see it happen before your very eyes. You don't need all the extra shit to make a turn. Keep that crap in the ski area.

Pretty soon ya'll be wearing sissy stix and one buckle boots.

[Platinum Pete]

hahahahahahahahhahaha.

Pretty soon ya'll be wearing sissy stix and one buckle boots.

How do you like your f1's thus far? Do you only use them with your sissiest of skis or are they driving your Dynafit boards, too? My local shop dude said he found their ability to drive a ski somewhere between a Denali XT and Laser, what's your perspective or relational comaprison?

[Shredgar]

The evolution was from skinny, to fat, and now it's going back the other way. Watch, you'll see it happen before your very eyes. You don't need all the extra shit to make a turn. Keep that crap in the ski area.

Pretty soon ya'll be wearing sissy stix and one buckle boots.

On many ski tours the most difficult moves are not off the top, but rather at the end of the day exiting some narrow scratchy hiking trail or jeep road when fatigued = bid boards get in the way.

[Beaver]

I'll chime in. I recall the first day on my Dynafit/Volkl G2 combo, my feet were so light I wanted to run up the hill. I've got TLTs on my Volkl G2s and on my G40s. I've skied them for 4 years with no trouble at all. I do not ever think about them when I am skiing. If a huck presents itself I huck, if I hit icey crud I lay on the edges (not that it does much good cause they're dull). I'm 6'1" 200lb and ski mine at 8 and have never prereleased. I've heard the comforts are not as good as the tlts due to more iceing up troubles. I've never seen the comforts so I can't offer more than that.

The TLTs can be a pain in the ass to put on until you get the knack. For ease of toe alignment put your heel piece in walk mode with no lift, put your boot heel up against the binder and the toe lines up, you can also do it with the heel piece in ski position but don't stomp your heel in, just place it on the pins then press your toe in then stomp the heel.

[Trackhead]

How do you like your f1's thus far? Do you only use them with your sissiest of skis or are they driving your Dynafit boards, too? My local shop dude said he found their ability to drive a ski somewhere between a Denali XT and Laser, what's your perspective or relational comaprison?

Forum of da sissy....................

The F-1's work OK on the sissy stix. I'm not using them on the bigger skis, because you have to have the plastic spacer mod, and I don't want that on the other sis. They have a bit of a flex issue in the bellows when you ski them in crap snow, it takes a little getting used to. Otherwise they work fine. And they are soooo comfortable on the hike up, like wearing a sandle.

[LeeLau]

grrrrrrrrrrr - TH and APD - you guys are crack dealers. That goes double for that powstash dude

[AltaPowderDaze]

grrrrrrrrrrr - TH and APD - you guys are crack dealers. That goes double for that powstash dude

the first one's free, then you gotta pay fo it.

[Trackhead]

grrrrrrrrrrr - TH and APD - you guys are crack dealers. That goes double for that powstash dude

Just say yes to crack.

[Camilo]

Seems like a new Dynafag comes out of the closet every day around here

[Lurch]

I can't justify replacing my AT boots after one year but I am thinking of picking up a pair of Dynafit 10.0 freeride skis and mounting them with Silvretta Pure binders. I need all the help I can get keeping up with my buds on the climb.

[Orange Julius]

I love the F1/Dynafit battle in the manuals:

Dynafit manual: "The Scarpa F1 is not recommended with the Dynafit binding"

F1: "The Scarpa F1 - specifically designed for the Dynafit binding"

or something along those lines...

[Yossarian]

I love the F1/Dynafit battle in the manuals:

Dynafit manual: "The Scarpa F1 is not recommended with the Dynafit binding"

F1: "The Scarpa F1 - specifically designed for the Dynafit binding"

or something along those lines...

I just wanted to mention that one my dad's few First Ascents was named Orange Julius. You do know that's an old euphemism for cock, right? The route was named as such because there is a tall phallic looking patch of orangish surface on the rock underneath the crux overhang that you have to make a move around. Lumpy Ridge area in Estes Park, CO, if you want to go battle your namesake, I think. Around 5.10.

Let us know who wins.

[Orange Julius]

damn you mean everytime I've gone to the mall for a refreshing beverage I've been slurping cock??? Sux to be me.

Always wanted to get out to Estes Park for some trutching though, maybe a traipse up the Diamond at some point.