Freerides popping into Walk mode

[crashnburn'd]

Originally posted by Hugh Jardon
Tyrone Shoelaces,

The reason I bought two pairs of Naxo's this year was because the heel locking mechanism cannot pop up in ski mode. The reason is because it locks vertical as opposed to flat on the ski.

Partly my reason for buying Naxo's too. I did have mine go into walk mode while doing a kick turn. Pretty sure I caused it though because it was on the ski that was still on the snow.

[Ski Monkey]

I've had pretty good luck with my freerides as have the people in the shops I work at. One guy(6'3" 250lbs) has them on sugar daddies that he rides almost exclusively. The only issue I have had with F.R. is the toe piece can be finicky when clamping in. I always do a couple side stomps before rolling.

Someone mentioned the heel release maybe being an issue with the shorter bar sizes and it would be an interesting thing to follow up with. I ski the XL size and I've skied bumps a fair bit mounted to beast 92's with out any problems(my poor bump skills aside). Haven't gotten off the ground anymore than 5-6 ft though.

[DINMS]

Duct tape.

[Buster Highmen]

My only Diamir (II) walkout failure was on my 300 Iggl MFFLs , so there goes the soft ski theory. They were flexed pretty well.

Other than that, for me (6', 180 lbs), they've been golden.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. But cha know, you really should contact BD and bitch, or constructively complain. As cheesy as it sounds, your experience might help them build a better clamp.

[FreakofSnow]

Originally posted by Telenater
Fix your problem, Free your heel.....

Fix the heal, fix the problem

Happened to me once in about 60 plus days in bounds on them (on a pr of 193 XXX's). I was banging the bumps, deep troughs and towards the bottom of the line noticed one had come up. Surprisingly I was able to keep'er under control and come to a stop. All in all, they are certainly worth it. As Yossarian said, they aren't made to replace your downhill bindings, so don't think they will.

[subtle plague]

I wrecked my titanals this way and a friend of mine destroyed several Titanals the same way.
Some guy in cham fixed the problem for him. I do not know how but it seems to work.
I thought fritschi had fixed this issue on the freerides ? hmmm well obviously not.

[hop]

I´ve got about 30 days on mine, and they have popped into walk mode twice. Luckily it was on easy terrain but it does have me a bit sketched out.
They were initially mounted on Exploders but now they are on Hippy Stinx (you can use the front two insert holes if you have a 304mm sole and want the binders 1cm forward of normal mounting point, which in my opinion is still at least 1cm too far back).
I was definitely thinking of these things failing on me as I made sketch jump turns down a very bumpy and exposed Pan du Rideau yesterday. I ended up just sideslipping in fear...yes I am a pussy but I´d rather live to tell about it than be a dead extremo mountain dude.

That being said, even with the random walks, they are still more solid than any tele binding and WC´s old S900s!

[Mulletizer]

Originally posted by hop
...I made sketch jump turns down a very bumpy and exposed Pan du Rideau yesterday. I ended up just sideslipping in fear...yes I am a pussy but I´d rather live to tell about it than be a dead extremo mountain dude.

Been there, done exactly that but on a pair of 174 Totally Piste and SuperLoops. It was breakable crust when I did it on that gear. Anyway, point is I know how you feel.

All this talk about freerides giving out on sketch stuff is worrying me a bit. Unfortunately the only thing my freerides have seen is the inside of their box so I can't add more to the discussion. Look forward to using them a bit more though. At all, in fact.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Originally posted by FreakofSnow
As Yossarian said, they aren't made to replace your downhill bindings, so don't think they will.

I never expected them to replace my downhill bindings. Never.

But the way they released, or I mean, the manner in which walk mode engaged, is unacceptable to me. Even for a binding that I don't expect to behave like an alpine clamp. It was such a simple, cautious turn......

Buster -- yup, I already sent an email to BD.

[vertigo]

had the heel lift a few times and then i had this happen the other day.... would still use them tho but probably not for racing in the derby at la grave....

[hot_sauce]

last year hit a small 5 or 6 ft drop, landed foreward, felt my heel release and tumbled forwards, I was surprised to see that my ski was still on.

Then this year I cleared the transition on a jump in the park and flat landed it, when I picked up one of my skis I saw the heel had released

mine are on PR's so this seems somewhat common on soft skis

[divegirl]

Originally posted by hot_sauce
mine are on PR's so this seems somewhat common on soft skis

I'll be mounting freerides on my new pocket rockets soon...hot sauce, would you suggest anything different? Should I look at other options, or would you say this doesn't happen on your PR's all the time?

edit: Or, if anyone has any suggestions or experience with freerides on PRs...

[hop]

I watched a friend on PR´s blow up his freerides when he hucked a mean 10 footer and they both went into walk mode when he landed. Better his bindings than his legs though...

However, Tyrone aside, I think if you are just a bit careful and don´t huck with them they will probably be fine. I hope to test the huckability of them tomorrow or friday because I was just shown the secret garden and LG is getting snow. I will let you all know how it goes...
I put my boot in the binding at home and played around with it, and was shocked by the amount of lateral slop in the system. But like I said, it is still a more solid system than any tele binding out there....

[Buster Highmen]

There is something really wrong with me. I have jumped little 20-25 footers at Alta, at Crystal, at Whitewater on DII's on Snow Rangers and Asteroids but never had a problem.

I will now attend my Diamir International Agnostic Remotely Rigorous Happy Eponymous Anonymous meetings.

[Buster Highmen]

Ah, the secret garden....

[summit]

I have a theory:

Freerides have their heels lock down with the locking mechanism flat against the ski, thereby having the lever against the tail and preventing the bar from moving back and forth (creating a very large flatspot underfoot). This means too things... when the ski flexes it will flex extra in the tip and tail since it can't so much underfoot... when the tail flexes it pushes up on the heel lock handle... when the tail get gets shockloaded (bumps, hucks, high speed GS turns) and really flexed, perhaps this pushes the heel lock lever up?

The softer the ski the more the flex the more push on the locking handle thereby explaining why the accidental freeheeling seems more prevalent on softer skis?

The Naxo has its heel lock down wit hthe locking handle vertical, thereby not having it against the ski and therefor when the tail really flexes it doesn't pressure the locking handle at all.

just a theory...

[bad_roo]

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776
flatagains

I have a theory that you've just invented this word.

[divegirl]

Originally posted by hop
However, Tyrone aside, I think if you are just a bit careful and don´t huck with them they will probably be fine. I hope to test the huckability of them tomorrow or friday because I was just shown the secret garden and LG is getting snow. I will let you all know how it goes...
I put my boot in the binding at home and played around with it, and was shocked by the amount of lateral slop in the system. But like I said, it is still a more solid system than any tele binding out there....

Thanks...I'll take your word for it. I'm going to buy them. I figure I don't ski as hard as you guys out there, yet, so this will do me good until whatever good binding comes out next. Plus, I've otherwise heard a lot of great reviews about this binding. And finally, if Kellie can ski them off a 25 footer and come out shining, then I can use them backcountry no problem. Oh, the logic of it all!

Tyrone, keep us updated on what you plan to buy and then, how it handles.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Originally posted by divegirl


Tyrone, keep us updated on what you plan to buy and then, how it handles.

L -- Despite all the majority of the responses in this thread....I still believe that the FR is a great binding. Many more people haven't had problems with it than do.....

...and due to fundage (or lack thereof) I'm going to keep skiing on them for awhile. Albeit cautiously....and completely making sure everything is cleared of snow, ice, etc. etc.

[hop]

DG, what I meant to add that you already figured out was that I know plenty of people with FRs on PRs that ski them every day with no problems, and plenty of people that ski FRs, DII´s, DI´s etc. mounted on whatever with no problems. Just gotta be a bit more careful I suppose.
(says I who is about to ski them like a normal alpine binding...)

[Idris]

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776
I have a theory:

Freerides have their heels lock down with the locking mechanism flat against the ski, thereby having the lever against the tail and preventing the bar from moving back and forth (creating a very large flatspot underfoot). This means too things... when the ski flexes it will flex extra in the tip and tail since it can't so much underfoot... when the tail flexes it pushes up on the heel lock handle... when the tail get gets shockloaded (bumps, hucks, high speed GS turns) and really flexed, perhaps this pushes the heel lock lever up?

The softer the ski the more the flex the more push on the locking handle thereby explaining why the accidental freeheeling seems more prevalent on softer skis?

The Naxo has its heel lock down wit hthe locking handle vertical, thereby not having it against the ski and therefor when the tail really flexes it doesn't pressure the locking handle at all.

just a theory...

?????? this is true of the Titinal 1's have another look, the T2's and Freerides, lock the bar down but let it slide back and forth a bit, hence letting the ski flex......it this wasn't true then they would have released all the time on my rather soft int 74's...and would have released his morning over flexing by Lawnchairs in the bumps!....my buddie had t1's on PR's and they did pop into walk mode about once every 10 turns

[Redskea]

divegirl - I've skiied Freerides on PRs for 50+ days this season without that problem occuring. Seems to be a good touring setup. Before that I had titanal 1s on a soft ski and had a lot of problems with them popping into walk mode when the ski was flexed. Also problems with parts (toepiece and heel) piece breaking.

[hot_sauce]

Originally posted by divegirl
I'll be mounting freerides on my new pocket rockets soon...hot sauce, would you suggest anything different? Should I look at other options, or would you say this doesn't happen on your PR's all the time?

edit: Or, if anyone has any suggestions or experience with freerides on PRs...

It definitely doesn't happen all the time. It's happened three times between last season and this one, the two I mentioned and once when I completely tore the binding in half and I'm assuming the heel released first. BD waranteed them so that was ok.

I'm assuming you're a lot lighter than me, and I've basically been using this as my resort fat ski set-up

[laseranimal]

bump to add my tale of woe

Bout 6-8 times in an hour at K mart yesterday, wasn't skiing anything too tough either. I'd go to make a turn and BAM one ski would be in walk mode. My shop is working on what's going on but I have to say I'm not really that impressed with the binding's ability to ski anything short of a groomer, and even that is a little sketchy given the amount of play in the system