Voile switchback and leathers

[Lhartley]

Alico arctic and scarpa t4. I remove the hardwire heel pieces with the alicos

[JB TELE]

The voile switchback is not very compatible with leather boots. The boot will twist around in the binding and possibly come out of the binding (happened to me a couple of times). Even if it doesn't come out, it just doesn't feel great having your boot twist in a rigid binding. The 22d AXL shouldn't have that issue because the cable isn't rigid, it moves with the boot.

Why are you even considering this style of binding? A 3 pin biding is super light and the voile cable traverse or voile hardwire allows you to secure the cable behind the heel block, that way you aren't lifting the cable or hardwires with every step. 3 pins are only good for leathers or the t4, the resistance in the toe piece is easy to overcome with a soft low cut boot and it allows for a more natural walking feel off the ball of the foot. 3 pins in tall plastics results in too much resistance for touring. The only reason you want a free pivot cable binding is for tall plastics.

[Filip]

There were two reasons for switching to SB.

1. We experienced demage of the duckbill on some leather boots - Asolo Etreme plus and Alico Ski march (one on HWs and one on Rotte ST). SB should be more gentle biding and should not be a problem with the leathers if you lower the tension in springs.
2. Lundhags Abisku 75 boots cannot be used with 3 pins and as i really love the boots for touring in rolling terrain I was looking for non 3 pin biding. I will use old riva on Ingstads mainly because of these boots.

[rongon]

Did you experience damage to the duckbill from 3-pin bindings while skiing downhill, or while touring?

What was the damage?

The only time I destroyed the duckbill on a pair of big leather 3-pin boots was when I cracked a Fischer Rebound ski in half, trying to force my way up a steep, hard-frozen pitch with thin snow cover. The ski got caught horizontal to the slope between a large rock and the hard bank of the trail. The ski was suspended in air with my full weight on it long enough to crack in two right under the binding. When the ski gave way, the duckbill on my old Asolo Extreme boot cracked in half too.

Otherwise, I've never had a duckbill break on me.

(I have had outer soles detach, though. Voile Straps and Shoe Glue to the rescue. But that's a different issue...)


PS - I have tried big leather boots in my skis with Switchback bindings. The combo feels like a mismatch to me. I did not like the feeling at all. I use plastic boots (3 buckle or 2 buckle) with Switchback or Switchback X2 bindings. Of course, YMMV.

[Filip]

Did you experience damage to the duckbill from 3-pin bindings while skiing downhill, or while touring?

What was the damage?

The only time I destroyed the duckbill on a pair of big leather 3-pin boots was when I cracked a Fischer Rebound ski in half, trying to force my way up a steep, hard-frozen pitch with thin snow cover. The ski got caught horizontal to the slope between a large rock and the hard bank of the trail. The ski was suspended in air with my full weight on it long enough to crack in two right under the binding. When the ski gave way, the duckbill on my old Asolo Extreme boot cracked in half too.

Otherwise, I've never had a duckbill break on me.

(I have had outer soles detach, though. Voile Straps and Shoe Glue to the rescue. But that's a different issue...)

We went trough some rolling terrain for some 10 miles and when by the car my Wi-Fi raelised her asolos have cracked duckbill. One of my ski marchs has broken when kick and gliding but has developed only small demage. Boots are still usable though. Asolos are waiting for cobbler …


PS - I have tried big leather boots in my skis with Switchback bindings. The combo feels like a mismatch to me. I did not like the feeling at all. I use plastic boots (3 buckle or 2 buckle) with Switchback or Switchback X2 bindings. Of course, YMMV.

[Filip]

We went trough some rolling terrain for some 10 miles and when by the car my wife raelised her asolos have cracked duckbill. One of my ski marchs has broken when kick and gliding but has developed only small demage. Boots are still usable though. Asolos are waiting for cobbler …

[Filip]

Does anybody have experience with SB on skis with waist around 62 - 68 mm? Is it a problem that the sides of the switching mechanism go slightly over the the top sheet of the ski ?

[Lhartley]

I bought a pair of Madshus epoch (99-68-84)that came with SB X2. The previous owner had the bindings installed by a local vendor, not sure the reason. I've kicked around on them in t4s and it's alright, not horrible. Very clearly a mismatch\overkill in my opinion, but regular switchbacks may work better, not sure. I imagine that if you were inclined to ski steep terrain with skins on a ski like this for whatever reason it would be legit. I'll be replacing them soon as I get another pair of 3pin cable, and the X2 will be going on my Blizzard Zero G 95.

[JB TELE]

If you want a binding that switches from free pivot to ski mode, I realize the switchback is a lighter binding, but the axl is going to function a lot better with a leather boot. You could also try and find one of those free pivot g3 targas that aren't made anymore. Those rivas- do they give you similar resistance to a 3-pin binding for kick and glide and tele turns without the 3-pins?

Why can't you use 3-pins on your lundhags?

[Lhartley]

Here is a photo of my alico arctic in Rivas on Tua Wilderness. This setup is perfectly natural, the boot binding combo works. Nothing feels undergunned or overkill. FYI I believe Norsemans in Calgary has a brand new pair of Rivas for sale