NTN versus old style bindings

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TeleMon
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NTN versus old style bindings

Post by TeleMon » Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:20 pm

I'm looking for some advice from the tele' community. I've been tele' skiing for 42 years and have never experienced issues I'm running into this year. I'm a low style aggressive skier with new Crispi boots last year. I've used Crispi boots for the last 15 years or so and love them. This are stiffer and I've had my left ski come completely out of the toe piece and ski fall off in the middle of a high speed turn 3 times. Saturday it happened a 4th time only the foot stayed in the binding but out of the toe piece and the ski didn't come off. The ski just dug the inside edge in and I felt my whole leg twist and luckily the ankle is the only thing I hurt. This has happened on 3 different pairs of skis and different bindings. I check the binding setting almost every time I ski and can't get them any more snug. It happened with Voile Switchbacks, Axls, and Hammerheads. I may go to a different boot but feel I shouldn't have to. My question is: How are the ones that converted to NTN system feel about the feeling and does it handle the torque? Ever had you NTN release when you didn't want it too? Do you get the sense of being one with the ski without having the ball of your foot on the ski? Thanks for any thoughts from experience.

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teledance
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by teledance » Mon Mar 07, 2016 3:02 pm

I've always skied with 3-pin fbindings and when I had to do an emergency replacement, none were available and I went with just a toe bar and cable. Laying down at 35-40 with a ski flapping around is not my idea of fun. Never been able to give up the 3-pin and cable snce, yes I love my 3-pin Hardwires. some like the NTN and some don't, but I love not having a ski come loose.



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gfwp
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by gfwp » Mon Mar 07, 2016 3:25 pm

I'd go for telebry release plates
(until Brice will stay on the businness)

regards

gfwp



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dnt_upton
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by dnt_upton » Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:08 am

TeleMon wrote:This are stiffer and I've had my left ski come completely out of the toe piece and ski fall off in the middle of a high speed turn 3 times. Saturday it happened a 4th time only the foot stayed in the binding but out of the toe piece and the ski didn't come off. The ski just dug the inside edge in and I felt my whole leg twist and luckily the ankle is the only thing I hurt. This has happened on 3 different pairs of skis and different bindings. I check the binding setting almost every time I ski and can't get them any more snug. It happened with Voile Switchbacks, Axls, and Hammerheads.
That's like close to physically impossible. Something else must be going on here. If you put the boot in the binding, is there any play?

But yeah, the Voile Hardwire bindings where the duckbill is secured with three pins, clam, and heel throw is the belt and suspenders approach to telemark skiing.



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Johnny
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Location: Quebec / Vermont
Ski style: Dancing with God with leathers / Racing against the machine with plastics
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Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska XP, Alfa Guards, Scarpa TX Comp
Occupation: Full-time ski bum

Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by Johnny » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:28 am

Downhill tele boots are really getting better and stiffer than ever, which is a good thing. (If only they could get cheaper too!) I've ripped bindings out of skis several times, but never with NTN... In fact, since I'm on NTN, I break a pair of racing skis every season... But the binding always stays on the ski... Which means the binding can really handle the torque... But on the other hand, Freerides are super easy to break...

I'm a very aggressive skier, and I've been on NTN for quite a few years... I never had a single release, except once after a very bad accident, in which I broke both my skis and permanently destroyed my knees...

Freeride are not releasing bindings, no matter what's written on the box. Catastrophic release only. I just got a pair of Outlaws, but they're still in the box... Still not sure on what skis I will mount them...

You will absolutely love NTN. Don't worry about ball of foot, it's a different game. You will feel one with the ski more than you ever did...

The cool thing is that you don't have to "switch" to NTN... You can grab a pair and still keep your 75mm quiver... A good skier needs at least 10 pairs of skis... And at least one pair of NTN, NN and NNN... 8-)
/...\ Peace, Love, Telemark and Tofu /...\
"And if you like to risk your neck, we'll boom down Sutton in old Quebec..."



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TeleMon
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by TeleMon » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:52 am

I know it sounds physical impossible but it is happening. I ski 50-60 days a winter and now how to put a boot into a binding. I can't adjust the binding any tighter or you won't get the boot in. They are as snug as possible and have no play. I've worn holes in my kness of my pants on my left side so I obviously get lower on a left turn and is resulting in my problem with the stiffness of the boots and always the left ski. I never had these issues years past with the older model Crispis and other brands. These are flexing the springs to the max.



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GEO
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by GEO » Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:47 am

Telemon:
Geo tele hard since 80s.
Geo ski as often as possible.
Geo love NTN, & 90% of all early bindings.
No issues. WTF you doin', man !

Geo loves his low rider free heel brethrin,
But geo ski's his bindings alpine often, & higher tele stance. It saves Geo so he can ski tomorrow too.
Geo sometimes has to ski low... but,
Repeat,
No issues.



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Harris
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by Harris » Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:56 pm

If you are a low skier looking into NTN consider that they don't flex as deep. I was an old school deep knee skier and made the jump to NTN some years ago. I love the control but it does come at a certain cost, mainly you have to adjust to them. And although when watching a NTN skier it may appear that there isn't a ball of foot feel to them because it is off the ski, in the boot the way the bellows and flex work it is very much is pressuring the ball of the foot and that is the feedback you feel. On feel, NTN is a very heavy setup, but with that comes a sense of stability in chop. I have never come out of an NTN binding and I ski mainly a lot of bump runs and skied out and bumped up steeps. As far as getting a boot that can flex the most like a duckbill, I have the Scarpa TX Pros, which I bought because they are softer than other NTN boots. My Rott NTNs are the Freerides. I hear the Freedoms are more of a duckbill flex point and lighter. Recently I bought M Equipment's Meidjo 2.0 NTN binding, and I like them much more than my Freerides. They flex much more like a duckbill and are easily half the weight. The Low tech AT type toe is a more superior fed attach point and coupled with the duck butt second heel certainly adds to the duckbill sensation and aft ward flex point. Look them up on YouTube. They will likely be the future standard for NTN. Telemark Pyranees carries them or they can be bought directly from M Equipment in France. Pierre, the guy who designed and sells them is pretty awesome to deal with; he's always looking for feedback. Anyway, if you are a low skier looking to go NTN I highly recommend going either with the Meidjo or the Outlaw binding.



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teledance
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by teledance » Tue Mar 08, 2016 6:43 pm

No see Geo this winter, off to Telefest and race at Pebble Creek this weekend. Come to Silver before it over.

Sorry for thread hijack continue on.



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dnt_upton
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Re: NTN versus old style bindings

Post by dnt_upton » Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:24 pm

LoveJohnny wrote:I've ripped bindings out of skis several times, but never with NTN...
I understood the OP as saying NOT that his binding rips out of the ski but that his boot squirms free from the binding, while happily skiing down the mtn. It's not entirely clear though. Yes, one can rip a binding out of the ski. I still can't figure out how someone's boot can squirm out of the binding while skiing -- it has happened to me maybe once or twice in weird falls, but never while I'm skiing in control.

NTN is great for lots of folks, and sucks for others. Like nearly everything else on this warm and fuzzy planet. For me, the leverage created by the 75mm cable and duck bill clamp are more comfortable and fluid. To each his own.



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