Pulled The Trigger on Tele Setup!

[JohnSKepler]

Finally pulled the trigger on my heavy Telemark rig last Friday. After months of research and tons of help from the people here on Telemark Talk, I was finally comfortable spending the money I've been saving since last spring. I still think I'll use my Falketind 62 X rig more than anything else, but I should have something now that'll really let me ski the backcountry when things get deep.

I went down to Freeheel Life and got fitted for a pair of Scarpa TXPro boots. It mush have been old-guy day because that's all that was in the shop (me included!) The Scarpas fit much better than the Scott or the Crispi boots. Yay, most expensive of the three! For skis, I went with Voile V6 since I wanted a fairly soft ski that should perform well on piste and off; something I can get better on and grow out of, instead of grow in to. To bind them together, with my fragile knees, Meidjo 3.0. Yay, the most expensive! Again!

It wasn't cheap but, had I bought better-fitting boots and safer bindings a few years ago, I probably would still have one good knee and the twin Donjoy knee braces that I now have to wear cost more than the set up I just bought. I'm really happy with the purchase so far (though I've not skied it yet) and feel like all the work I did this summer to pay for it wasn't wasted. (Installed my underground sprinkler system myself, in Northern Utah, which means everything was 18" deep, or deeper! #@&*$!)

Now, I just have to mount the bindings. Freeheel Life thermo-formed the boots for me. They are pretty tight but they are uniformly tight so I'm going to ski them a few times and see how they pack out. Hopefully won't need another thermo round but, if they do, they do. I need to call Voile and see where they recommend the mounting point on the 173 length. Their website has a link but only to the HyperV6 and HyperV6 BC. I could assume they are the same as the V6 but you know what they say about assumptions! Does anyone happen to know if they are the same?

Thanks again. Best Forum around!

Oh, and service at Freeheel Life was outstanding. Highly recommend.

Update: The Voile boot center chart lists the position for the Hyper V6 and Hyper V6 BC. Just above it in the boot center chart are measurements for the Hyper V8 and V8. So, I called them and they confirmed that the V6, just the plain V6, is the same as the Hyper. Just wanted to be sure I get the specs right before I started drilling holes... if I want to mount my tele bindings the same as Alpine. The questions just never end!!!

[DG99]

Nice ! You’ll have to let us know about the Meidjos. Sounds great, light, tech toe, releasable.

Scarpa boots and Voile skis are great, I’d get the same rig if going NTN.

[Montana St Alum]

Excellent, you'll love them for around here!

[lowangle al]

Try to figure out how to weight the ball of your foot in the boots at home before you hit the slopes. This will also give you a chance to experiment with sock thickness and how tight you want them buckled and find out any potential hot spots.

[Montana St Alum]

Also, take some time to practice putting those Meidjos on in your house a few times!

[Nick BC]

Just be prepared to struggle to make a telemark turn on the first day out on your new rig in my case with TXPros and Freedom bindings I couldn’t tele to save myself. I think it’s a combination of new stiff boots plus the underfoot claw after the feel of 34 years of three pin and duckbills.

The boots and bellows will soften up over time. After three days I got into the swing of it and now really appreciate the lateral control of Meidjo, which I now have after replacing the Freedoms.

[JohnSKepler]

I've got a 3.6x9mm drill bit on order as well as a 12AB tap. I had been using a 9/64" drill bit (3.57mm) with some electrical tape and no tap at all. I never like self-tapping screws as they are not as structurally strong and always mushroom the hole at least a little. Ordered from Utah Ski Gear since they'll probably get here fastest. Had I known they had a SLC store front I'd have stopped by on the way home from FHL last Friday. I'll use Gorilla glue for sealing the hole. I've used the Titebond III and don't like it for this application. I'd prefer to use quiver killers but it voids the warranty so I'll use the provided screws this year and put in the quiver killers once the warranty expires.

Excellent, you'll love them for around here!

Also, take some time to practice putting those Meidjos on in your house a few times!

Are you using Meidjo? We can meet up somewhere. You can show me how to use them and I'll buy you a beer(s)!

Try to figure out how to weight the ball of your foot in the boots at home before you hit the slopes. This will also give you a chance to experiment with sock thickness and how tight you want them buckled and find out any potential hot spots.

I'm wearing them around to start the packing-out process. They're pretty tight right now but I'd rather have tight than loose. As far as weighting the ball of the foot, I guess I have to get the bellows to compress first! They are really stiff right now but not as stiff as the Crispi. I couldn't tell it had any flex at all! I'm glad I tried them, too, but now I have to send them back to Fey Bros.

[Montana St Alum]

Oops.

[Krummholz]

@JohnSKepler

So

Yay, the most expensive! Again!

your spending $$$, seems like you have a shop nearby that probably could mount the bindings properly with a jig. Why risk a F Up? When another $30-40 gets it done right.

I did my 3 pin because the shop that is 45 minutes away, that I used before, has changed owners and the place is a mess now, or drive 2 1\2 - 4 hours for another shop to do a mounting, like Neptune Mountaineering.

Seems like you have options.

[JohnSKepler]

@JohnSKepler

So

Yay, the most expensive! Again!

your spending $$$, seems like you have a shop nearby that probably could mount the bindings properly with a jig. Why risk a F Up? When another $30-40 gets it done right.

I did my 3 pin because the shop that is 45 minutes away, that I used before, has changed owners and the place is a mess now, or drive 2 1\2 - 4 hours for another shop to do a mounting, like Neptune Mountaineering.

Seems like you have options.

Everyone's turnaround is just too long right now. Glad the shops are busy, but it means delays. I'm confident to do it right. I'm an anal-retentive engineer and a real pain in the ass to be around (just ask my wife). But who do people come to, to mount motorcycle tires, mount ski bindings, fix their guns, etc. I just always do a good bit of research first which is why it generally turns out okay. I'd have left them at FHL where I bought them but it would have meant another trip down to Salt Lake. And just because they are a "shop" doesn't mean they'll get it right. Overall, I'm happier with my own work than when I pay for it. At least then I can blame the idiot who screwed it up! I only pay when I can't do the job, like mounting car tires, structural concrete, marble sculptures of myself, welding - which I plan on learning...