Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

...are somewhat dizzying.

Educate me?

My eyes are blurry from 4+ hours of reading old threads here and elsewhere.

Going to use a NOS pair of Scarpa F1's.

Thus far I've found the Voile TTS bindings, the Kreuzspitze Telemark kit, and the B&D tech toe/adapter plate kit.

If there are more, I'm not sure I need to know about them...

If there is a thread here about any of them I ingested it this evening.

But I'm still unclear on if there are meaningful differences between them.

Looks like the Kreuz cost more and have more adjustability than the B&D. Is there anything else worth noting between these two?

The Voile's are tempting because they are turn-key. But there are so few reviews out there on them. And what's the difference between the Tour and Tour LT models?

Anyone care to chime in and help steer this ship?

Thanks, if so.

One thing that stands out to me is ability to remove the cables/rods.

Kreuzspitze telemark plate looks like cables/rods can be easily removed.
Voile TTS looks like cables/rods reside permanently post mount.

Don't know if anyone else can confirm or correct.

I did some research in TTS recently, before I determined I needed to go a different direction. but what I found is that many people using TTS were not satisfied with an "off the shelf" binding, and were instead building their own from parts. see message I received below:

***********
I wish there was one simple off-the-shelf solution, but alas, it'll take some cobbling. When friends ask me, I always steer them like this:

Toepiece. (Go for whichever one hits your cost/lightness sweet spot.)
https://skimo.co/dynafit-binding-toes

Spring Cartridges. (You need something with adequate travel + stiffness.)
https://www.voile.com/tts-tour-lt-sp...artridges.html

Cable pivot + heel throw. (You want the $149 "Basic Conversion Kit")
https://www.wasatchski.com/purchase.htm

Threaded inserts (To allow easy removal of the cable block for cable pivot location adjustments.)
https://www.bindingfreedom.com/insert/


If you REALLY just want something off the shelf, this rig from Voile is probably your best bet. But the toepiece isn't as proven as Dynafit's toepieces, the cable pivot isn't as adjustable, and I could see it being a nightmare in a race situation when you're wheezing & your fingers are frozen. Again it uses those long travel springs. They are especially essential given your 28/28.5 sized foot.
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Thanks to both of you for diving in.

I was under the impression that the OMG/Wasatch stuff was gone, unavailable. Not true?

bauerb wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:49 am

But the toepiece isn't as proven as Dynafit's toepieces...

What are the symptoms of an unproven toe piece? Sloppy connection with the boot inserts? Early release? Mechanical damage?

joeatomictoad wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 01, 2021 3:30 pm

bauerb wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:49 am

But the toepiece isn't as proven as Dynafit's toepieces...

What are the symptoms of an unproven toe piece? Sloppy connection with the boot inserts? Early release? Mechanical damage?

Voile timepiece is non-releasable to the best of my knowledge

I jumped onto the OMG TTS early, upgraded a few times and latterly got setup with the deluxe Moonlight binding. Currently I have eastern ice skis with OMG TTS, cheapest Dynafit toes, black Voile cartridges and my touring setup with Ski Trab Titans, red carts, and the Moonlight, which has their own toes, removable heels and both red and the new greyish long stiff cartridges that I have yet to ski. Boots are TXPro for the resort and vicinity and F1 for sidecountry touring. Boot size is 25.5 and this matters a lot when setting up.

Set the spring preload so that you get a nice snap when the lever goes on. You have the 3 positions and some vertical shimming to adjust activity but springs shouldn't be part of finding the feel you want. TTS releases less as you tighten up and I have found a spot that does give a somewhat reliable if uncalibrated release. Use inserts for the pivot blocks for sure so you can experiment. Be sure to mount the blocks as far forward as the toe permits. I think current templates show this mounting. After a while you will rarely move them.

Boot sole and bellows stiffness affects TTS a lot so expect to home in on what feels best with some tweaking. Personally I am super happy with all my setups. The Moonlights are extremely versatile (and my newest) so I tend to opt for them unless there are icy, rocky, dirty conditions or deeper pow.

I might have some parts still listed in the swap forum. PM if interested.

wasatchski.com still has an order page up.

I also use F1 and F3 TTS set ups.

I suggest purchasing an OMG TTS plate, springs, and heel throw from OMG (easy installation and 3x settings hits the spot), then source two Dynafit Speed Radical toe pieces from Skimo.com

This set up is a KISS rig that is also foolproof and hardy. FWIW I also do freedom binding inserts for peace of mind on toe piece and TTS plate installs.

Suerte.

BCgee wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 02, 2021 1:21 pm

I also use F1 and F3 TTS set ups.

I suggest purchasing an OMG TTS plate, springs, and heel throw from OMG (easy installation and 3x settings hits the spot), then source two Dynafit Speed Radical toe pieces from Skimo.com

This set up is a KISS rig that is also foolproof and hardy. FWIW I also do freedom binding inserts for peace of mind on toe piece and TTS plate installs.

Suerte.

Thanks for the advice.

I tried to adapt to an AT setup ~a year ago, and found myself intensely frustrated with the dynafiddling needed (when switching modes) with the toe pieces.

But I was using the Superlight's. Any reason to think your Speed Radicals are different/less fiddly?

Mikesee:

Speed toe pieces are pretty much the original Dynafit design with DIN 10 toes plus optional, manual lock out. Ive found them to be durable and easy to use with minimal fiddling. Like most hobbies, it takes time to become super smooth getting in and out. FWIW have used OMG toes (don't use, they release sporadically IME), Plum toes (comparable but i broke one a few seasons back), Ion toes (meh), and Kingpin toes (heavy as sin but comparable). Suerte.