The new -2017- CAST touring system thread

[phatboy64]

Got my shipping notification today. Can’t wait to get them mounted up..

[Cozzey]

Skied mine today for the first day this season. Still not lined up perfectly but they switch over easily enough. Snow and ice getting jammed up in the system seems to be my biggest issue.

Stoked for everyone that gets to ride them soon enough.

[2FUNKY]

lighter, more compact (air) travel quiver too. upto 3 sets in a double bag and the binders in checked luggage or backpack

Thats the only one and seem implied this was done on a single ski just to mount the system to, so in that case my retort holds merit.

[ntblanks]

Anybody checked in on the status of this year's preorders? I got an email saying the expected ship date had been bumped back to 10/15 due to a machine going down in their shop, but haven't heard anything since then.

My tracking info says it arrives this Friday. Got the notice a few days ago.

[madriverfreeride]

Skied mine today for the first day this season. Still not lined up perfectly but they switch over easily enough. Snow and ice getting jammed up in the system seems to be my biggest issue.

Stoked for everyone that gets to ride them soon enough.

The back of the afd on the alpine toe has a pretty sharp edge thats good for clearing snow and ice build up.

Also the best way to get the shoulder stand ups lined up is to tighten them with the alpine toe in place. I’m sure its been said before but basically put all 4 in loosely, click alpine toe into place and tighten them down.

[phatboy64]

If I drill the holes using a jig shouldn’t the holes be pretty straight? I have a buddy at a shop who can drill my skis using a jig for the pivots. I was thinking about then bringing them home and mount the bindings myself.
I get the point of snugging down the screws then locking the toe in and then tighten the screws, does it matter which toe you use?

Edit: i read more closely and see now that it is the alpine toe piece....

[goldengarbageman]

Can anyone speak to the durability of the CAST system over time? Any development of play between the mounting plate and the bindings? If so, how long did you have the bindings before you noticed it, and did it effect performance?

[madriverfreeride]

If I drill the holes using a jig shouldn’t the holes be pretty straight? I have a buddy at a shop who can drill my skis using a jig for the pivots. I was thinking about then bringing them home and mount the bindings myself.
I get the point of snugging down the screws then locking the toe in and then tighten the screws, does it matter which toe you use?

Edit: i read more closely and see now that it is the alpine toe piece....

I’ve just found that after mounting a few of them, when you tighten down on the alpine toes the tech toes tend to go on fine, but when you tighten onto the tech toes sometimes the alpine toe is hard to get on. And if you just tighten onto the ski with no toe in place sometimes neither will go on. Just some advice I’ve found after doing probably 10 cast mounts, can’t speak as to why this is the case.

Can anyone speak to the durability of the CAST system over time? Any development of play between the mounting plate and the bindings? If so, how long did you have the bindings before you noticed it, and did it effect performance?

Any play in the mechanism will go away with when you put your boot in. That said I haven’t had any weird play develop but I’ve remounted my personal pair on a bunch of pairs of skis so I’m sure the shoulders end up in a different orientation negating any wear that has happened.

[pyromaniacman129]

So finally (like everyone else this year) trying to get into touring.
I'm 6'6'" 220lbs + gear and have a size 15 foot.
Dynafits/full tech bindings scare the shit out of me.
I already have p18s on all my skis.
Really looking to go with a CAST setup for the durability/no sketch factor.
My one hangup is compatible boots.
I was looking around at what i can find in my size 31/31.5 or even a 32 if available.
The soles all vary from WTR, gripwalk, etc.
What are you guys using with the different AFDs and having good releases? I've been trying to read up but seeing that just cause it fits in a pivot toe with an AFD doesn't mean itll release.
Boots i've found in my size and a stiff flex (130+)
Scarpa Maestrale RS and XT
Hoji free 130
atomic Prime XTD

Not a lot of options i've found. What are you guys using that works well?
I'd love a 1 boot/ski setup i can use in or out of bounds and CAST seems to be the ticket.

[HAB]

So finally (like everyone else this year) trying to get into touring.
I'm 6'6'" 220lbs + gear and have a size 15 foot.
Dynafits/full tech bindings scare the shit out of me.
I already have p18s on all my skis.
Really looking to go with a CAST setup for the durability/no sketch factor.
My one hangup is compatible boots.
I was looking around at what i can find in my size 31/31.5 or even a 32 if available.
The soles all vary from WTR, gripwalk, etc.
What are you guys using with the different AFDs and having good releases? I've been trying to read up but seeing that just cause it fits in a pivot toe with an AFD doesn't mean itll release.
Boots i've found in my size and a stiff flex (130+)
Scarpa Maestrale RS and XT
Hoji free 130
atomic Prime XTD

Not a lot of options i've found. What are you guys using that works well?
I'd love a 1 boot/ski setup i can use in or out of bounds and CAST seems to be the ticket.

Mastrale and Hoji boots both have an ISO 9523 touring sole, and therefore aren't officially compatible. They'd probably fit okay with the WTR AFD, but you'd still be putting a rubber treaded sole on the AFD which is unlikely to release consistently without a sliding AFD, which CAST doesn't offer.

Atomic Prime XTD has a GW sole and CAST makes an AFD for that.

Other options would be to look at more crossover type boots, particularly if you're looking to ski them in the resort a bunch. Tecnica Cochise, Lange XT3, Dalbello Lupo, etc. those are generally going to be heavier and not walk as well as the class of boots you mentioned, but ski better.

[pyromaniacman129]

Mastrale and Hoji boots both have an ISO 9523 touring sole, and therefore aren't officially compatible. They'd probably fit okay with the WTR AFD, but you'd still be putting a rubber treaded sole on the AFD which is unlikely to release consistently without a sliding AFD, which CAST doesn't offer.

Atomic Prime XTD has a GW sole and CAST makes an AFD for that.

Right. Was looking at that. Didn't know if the grip walk had the same issue as the 9523 soles or not.
I'm a total Jong in the touring world. Finding boots my size is difficult at best, let alone tech boots.

[HAB]

Right. Was looking at that. Didn't know if the grip walk had the same issue as the 9523 soles or not.
I'm a total Jong in the touring world. Finding boots my size is difficult at best, let alone tech boots.

GW puts a plastic block on the sole for the AFD to contact, so it gets around that issue.

[lucknau]

So finally (like everyone else this year) trying to get into touring.
I'm 6'6'" 220lbs + gear and have a size 15 foot.
Dynafits/full tech bindings scare the shit out of me.
I already have p18s on all my skis.
Really looking to go with a CAST setup for the durability/no sketch factor.
My one hangup is compatible boots.
I was looking around at what i can find in my size 31/31.5 or even a 32 if available.
The soles all vary from WTR, gripwalk, etc.
What are you guys using with the different AFDs and having good releases? I've been trying to read up but seeing that just cause it fits in a pivot toe with an AFD doesn't mean itll release.
Boots i've found in my size and a stiff flex (130+)
Scarpa Maestrale RS and XT
Hoji free 130
atomic Prime XTD

Not a lot of options i've found. What are you guys using that works well?
I'd love a 1 boot/ski setup i can use in or out of bounds and CAST seems to be the ticket.

You could do the pin inserts on alpine boots. I have been using Lange XT Free 130s since last year. This specific boot is not an option for you, as 29.5 is the largest size, but they’re alpine boots with pin inserts and a walk mode. They’re heavy, but I don’t use them for super long tours. I like them a lot better than my touring boots.

Anyway, I think it’s worth checking out the boot conversion option.

https://casttouring.com/en-us/products/boot-conversion/

[pyromaniacman129]

You could do the pin inserts on alpine boots. I have been using Lange XT Free 130s since last year. This specific boot is not an option for you, as 29.5 is the largest size, but they’re alpine boots with pin inserts and a walk mode. They’re heavy, but I don’t use them for super long tours. I like them a lot better than my touring boots.

Anyway, I think it’s worth checking out the boot conversion option.

https://casttouring.com/en-us/products/boot-conversion/

Didn't mean to derail this whole thread but I had considered that.
I just don't know that I'd even want to try and tour in rs130s and no walk mode!

[WhetherMan]

Right. Was looking at that. Didn't know if the grip walk had the same issue as the 9523 soles or not.
I'm a total Jong in the touring world. Finding boots my size is difficult at best, let alone tech boots.

HAB breaks it down well.

As a fellow giant, I'd advise you to approach claims and reviews of "130" touring boots with skepticism. At 6'6" 210 I enjoy skiing my xtd 130s, but I can blow through the flex pretty easily and there's no way I'd want to ski them inbounds. If you're thinking 50/50 setup I'd definitely push you towards cochise, freetour, etc. Everyone's mileage varies on this topic, but I think for bigger dudes the pendulum really swings towards the heavier boots

[skibrd]

Didn't mean to derail this whole thread but I had considered that.
I just don't know that I'd even want to try and tour in rs130s and no walk mode!

I’ve toured in RS130s, ZBs, RS140s, etc, if you leave the top 2 buckles open (totally loose and hanging down, same with the power strap, it’s not actually terrible. It’s not Dynafit TLT6 elf shoe nice, but when you ski down it’s often worth it. I personally haven’t gone on a tour longer then 1.5-2 hours in my race style boots, but with your unique issues, it wouldn’t be a bad option.


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[phatboy64]

Full Tilt Ascendant come in a 30.5. I have a buddy who has them, seems to like them.

[Parkinsteez]

Question that hopefully someone here can help out with. Got my CAST system, got my bindings, have two boots I plan to run. Atomic Hawx Ultra for resort days and Hawx Ultra XTD for touring days. The BSL is actually different by 2mm on the 28.5s I have, 320mm and 322mm. I know the pivots should have enough room to adjust but should I be doing anything special when I go to mount? If I am using the template and put the BSL as close to 321 or on 320 (between the two boots bsl's of 320 and 322) I should be good to go right??

[skibrd]

Question that hopefully someone here can help out with. Got my CAST system, got my bindings, have two boots I plan to run. Atomic Hawx Ultra for resort days and Hawx Ultra XTD for touring days. The BSL is actually different by 2mm on the 28.5s I have, 320mm and 322mm. I know the pivots should have enough room to adjust but should I be doing anything special when I go to mount? If I am using the template and put the BSL as close to 321 or on 320 (between the two boots bsl's of 320 and 322) I should be good to go right??

I can click into my pivots with my Lange XT Frees @ 306bsl and Head Raptor 140RS @ 301bsl with out any adjustment. I’d mount your Pivots for 320 and forget about it.


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[HAB]

I can click into my pivots with my Lange XT Frees @ 306bsl and Head Raptor 140RS @ 301bsl with out any adjustment. I’d mount your Pivots for 320 and forget about it.


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Aren't the Raptors 303mm?


Anyway, yeah, that's close enough that I'd be comfortable just setting up for the 320 boot and calling it good.

[skibrd]

Aren't the Raptors 303mm?


Anyway, yeah, that's close enough that I'd be comfortable just setting up for the 320 boot and calling it good.

🤷♂️ I thought they were 301, but does it really matter with Pivots? Maybe this is why I could never get Shifts to work, I’m not that detail oriented.


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[HAB]

路♂️ I thought they were 301, but does it really matter with Pivots?

Lol probably not. I could go downstairs to check mine but that sounds like a lot of work.

In any case, I've got my CAST setups toggling between Hawx XTDs and Raptor 140 RSs with just an AFD swap.

[skibrd]

Lol probably not. I could go downstairs to check mine but that sounds like a lot of work.

In any case, I've got my CAST setups toggling between Hawx XTDs and Raptor 140 RSs with just an AFD swap.

I’d check mine too, but they are 2000 miles away.

That sounds like a nice set up. I’m going with something similar, just need to decided if I’m keeping my XT Free Pros or getting a pair of XT3s.


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[Parkinsteez]

320 it is! Appreciate the help!

[beeeom]

Just got my first pair mounted up by the shop... Noticed that one of the shoulder bolts is slightly off kilter resulting in one alpine toe being slightly stiffer to remove than the other. Doesn't seem to be any additional stiffness on the tech toe when removing. Dry runs of clicking boots into both the touring and alpine modes and releasing seem to operate totally normal. At this point it doesn't seem like a big deal to me, but since I'm new to these things, just wondering if there may be some unforseen issue that could arise?