New Ski's - Binding Opinions?

MoonMan wrote:
Walt wrote:

wrote:


I recently purchased a pair of new Volant T3 Epics (180cm), undrilled
and ready for mounting and tuning!

I'm 5'10", 245lbs, an aggressive advanced to expert skier that likes
the steeps, groomers, on & off-piste, powder and some of the bumps. I
learned to ski in the east (ice) and have migrated to Colorado over
the past few years. On average, I'll ski 30 days.

So, here are my questions:

1 - Volant's aren't system ski's so any binding will do...or so I've
been told. Therefore, I've been looking at the Salomon 912 TI, Look
PX 12/14 TI and the Marker 1200 TI. At this point, all that
differentiates them in my mind, is price. Anyone have any other
thoughts?

Differences:

1)The anti-friction-device (AFD). Marker and Look have an AFD that
moves with your boot, Salomon's AFD is just a teflon pad that depends
on a low co-efficient of friction between it and your boot - if your
boots are worn or you stepped in bubble gum in the lodge, you ain't
coming out of Salomons. Ask the shop to demonstrate the difference
- you'll be able to see better than I can describe in words.]


I'm still not convinced about this moving AFD theory, The teflon can't jam
up, marker's moving platform can, and does! mind you I've only ever used
rental marker bindings. most of my skis have Salomon Bindings execpt my
Fischers which have Fischer Branded Bindings with a sort of rubber belt for
an afd.

Fischer bindings are Tyrolias and my Tyrolias have this rubber belt
and seem to work fine.
..

To everyone that replied....thanks so much for all your knowledge and
insight.

After reading all your posts, doing some additional research and
talking with some ski patrollers in my area, I made the radical
decision to mount Tyrolia SL12's. Or at least, I've bought those and
will be getting them mounted in the next few days.

I was leaning towards the Salmon 912's but at the last minute, the
Tyrolia's struck my fancy and, well, I bought them.

But, not that I wanted to leave Salomon out of my pocket, I also
purchased a pair of Salomon Performa 2 7.5's that should do what I'm
looking them to. Again, I was toying with the idea of Nordica Beast
10's and also the Lange RXX 70's but went with the Salomon's because of
my high volume (read that massively fat) calves and wide feet. They
just felt better. The flex was about the same (at least in the store)
and the comfort level was slightly better on the Performa's plus, what
I've read made the decision for me.

OK, thanks to all and NO you can't have my wife...but thanks for asking.

wrote:
To everyone that replied....thanks so much for all your knowledge and
insight.

After reading all your posts, doing some additional research and
talking with some ski patrollers in my area, I made the radical
decision to mount Tyrolia SL12's. Or at least, I've bought those and
will be getting them mounted in the next few days.

I was leaning towards the Salmon 912's but at the last minute, the
Tyrolia's struck my fancy and, well, I bought them.

But, not that I wanted to leave Salomon out of my pocket, I also
purchased a pair of Salomon Performa 2 7.5's that should do what I'm
looking them to. Again, I was toying with the idea of Nordica Beast
10's and also the Lange RXX 70's but went with the Salomon's because of
my high volume (read that massively fat) calves and wide feet. They
just felt better. The flex was about the same (at least in the store)
and the comfort level was slightly better on the Performa's plus, what
I've read made the decision for me.

OK, thanks to all and NO you can't have my wife...but thanks for asking.


You'll be happy with the Tyrolias.

Salomon Performas? Aren't they entry level boots?
Comparing them with Nordica Beasts and Lange RXX
seems to me like apples and oranges. I've been
happy for several years with Salomon XWave 10's.
More comparable to Beast 10's. Recently I switched
to Dalbello Kryptons and have fallen in love all
over again. LAL are you listening?

VtSkier

VtSkier wrote:
Recently I switched
to Dalbello Kryptons and have fallen in love all
over again. LAL are you listening?

Finally found your size?

So: Does the Dalbello version fit like Flexons, or have they made
tweeks? I have given them a slight glance in passing at the shop, using
averted vision to avoid "I wantemitis," but have assiduously avoided
trying them on (so far.)

lal_truckee wrote:
VtSkier wrote:

Recently I switched
to Dalbello Kryptons and have fallen in love all
over again. LAL are you listening?


Finally found your size?

So: Does the Dalbello version fit like Flexons, or have they made
tweeks? I have given them a slight glance in passing at the shop, using
averted vision to avoid "I wantemitis," but have assiduously avoided
trying them on (so far.)


The best news is a higher volume than the flexons, which
may or may not be of interest. The instep is a centimeter higher
in the Dalbellos than in the Flexons. The only tweaks that were
made were for the bunions on the outside of my feet. The calcium
deposit on the top of my right instep hollers at me when (and
only when) my feet are dangling off a lift. There doesn't
seem to be much hope of a tweak here because the bottom buckle
goes right across this area. The bottom buckle only functions
to keep rain/snow out of the boot so it's mostly left open.

The middle (of three) buckles sucks the heel back so well that
people have been known to get a good day of skiing out of
boots that are a couple of sizes too big. My boots fit right,
so even the middle buckle only needs to be nominally tight.

I like a top buckle and strap to be quite tight so that the
cuff doesn't rub. Other than that, only moderate tightness is
required. That middle buckle is still a cable affair (like the
Flexon) but the cable and the buckle are much beefier then the
Flexon cables/buckles. I can see wanting new boots before the
Dalbello cable gives up the ghost.

Forward flexing is good enough so that if they offered at
walk/ski switch and a rockered vibram sole they'd be good
AT boot.

Also, the toe box is generous. I like a 28.5 mondo size in
most boots. This means my big toe just brushes the end with
my size 12 foot and the boot buckled up. My toe does not
hit the end in the Dalbellos.

BTW, I bought a pair of "demos" at a very friendly price.
Your shops may be offering such a thing fairly soon.
If it ever stops snowing. It never really got going here
except for two feet in October which didn't last.

RW