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Tech set up

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angy4
Posts: 3
Looking for the best sturdy and resonable tech set up! what yall rdiding out there and like/dont like thnaks!
Sep 25 2019 12:09PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 6397
Shifts or kingpins. I would not really bother looking further then that to be honest.
Sep 26 2019 10:14PM
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jca
Posts: 3773
I've had good luck with Kingpins for the past couple seasons, just mounted up a pair of Tectons so we'll see how those hold up. The reviews have been promising though.
Sep 26 2019 11:32PM
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angy4
Posts: 3
Solid, I’m looking at mounting the Salomon s/lab shifts I know there new just this year! Wondering what you guys think of them
Oct 1 2019 10:50AM
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patagonialuke
Posts: 1153
angy4Solid, I’m looking at mounting the Salomon s/lab shifts I know there new just this year! Wondering what you guys think of them


They actually came out last year (18/19) and are really impressive, though not without a few quirks. The thing that makes them stand out is that, at least in my experience, they ski exactly like a 13-DIN alpine binding, including certified release characteristics. The CAST Freetour system is the only other non-frame touring binding that offers that. And compared to any frame binding (e.g., Salomon Guardian, Marker Duke, Tyrolia adrenalin), the Shift and Cast system tour way better.

The Shift's brakes can be finicky when it comes to releasing accidentally, but I've never had much trouble with it if I focus on keeping a fairly wide stance while skinning. You also have to keep an eye on the AFD as it has a tendency to drop down after you set it initially, which can lead to pre-releases. But in my experience, that only happens after the first few runs after adjusting them. After I adjust the AFD after those first few runs, I can usually just set it and forget it. The Shift is also fairly sensitive to forward pressure, so you wanna make sure you have that dialed. Lastly, the Shift doesn't have a high heel riser, which can be a bit annoying on steep skin tracks.

But with all the settings correct, the Shift is an amazing binding. It skis like an alpine binding, is very efficient on the uphill (apart from being a bit heavier than most tech bindings and not having a high riser), and we haven't had any notable durability issues on the 4 pairs we've been using for 1-2 seasons.

For a dedicated touring binding, I prefer the Kingpin or Tecton because they're a bit lighter, have high risers, and their power transfer is similar to the Shift. But if you are throwing tricks in the backcountry or just place a high priority on safety and elasticity, then the Shift makes sense. I'd also opt for the Shift over the Kingpin or Tecton if I was using this binding in the resort.
Oct 1 2019 12:45PM
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angy4
Posts: 3
Awesome I really appreciate the feed back! I’m heading to japan for the season and I feel that the shift binding is my best bet, where I will be riding lots of slack country and resort. Wouldn’t you agree.... I’ve notice armanda has the same type set up as well, do you think the solamon is better?
Oct 1 2019 1:44PM
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patagonialuke
Posts: 1153
angy4Awesome I really appreciate the feed back! I’m heading to japan for the season and I feel that the shift binding is my best bet, where I will be riding lots of slack country and resort. Wouldn’t you agree.... I’ve notice armanda has the same type set up as well, do you think the solamon is better?


Yeah for a mix of resort and touring it’s pretty ideal. And Salomon, atomic, and armada all sell the shift, but the only difference is the brand name and colors. Construction-wise, all 3 are identical.
Oct 1 2019 2:02PM
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