How To Adjust Ski Touring Bindings | The Ski Workshop
Learning how to adjust ski touring bindings is a vital skill for anyone heading out into the backcountry. Even if you normally get a shop to set your skis up it is worth knowing your own equipment inside out. This knowledge will help you fix issues on the mountain and could save yourself from a long walk out.
Each manufacturer has a different system for setting up bindings so be sure to consult the workshop manual for your individual pair. This guide will cover some of the most common setups.
Dynafit ST Radical
This binding must be set up with a 4mm gap between the boot heel and heel piece. Insert the toe and heel into the binding and wind the heel piece in or out until the gap is set at 4mm, if you have the original box there is often a spacer included.
Next set the lateral release value and forward release value on the heel unit. The toe release on this binding is fixed.
Marker Alpinist 9 and 12
This binding is set up with a ‘kiss-gap’. This just means that the heel of the boot does not have a gap with the binding but it will also not exert any pressure on it.
To set this click your toes into the binding. Roughly adjust the heel piece and click the boot into the heel. Wind the heel piece into the boot till it touches and pressures the boot. From this position unwind the heel piece and watch for the moment it stops pressuring the boot.
Next set the rear lateral release value with the screw on the heel piece. The toe release and vertical release is fixed on these bindings.
Salomon/Atomic Shift
This is a hybrid binding and will be set up similarly to a regular alpine binding.
Firstly adjust the forward pressure and toe height approximately, you don’t want to force the boot into the binding if it is way too tight. Then insert the boot and adjust the heel piece to set the correct forward pressure. This is indicated by aligning the steel dash mark with the plastic indicator.
Adjust the toe height using the screw next to the anti friction plate. This should be touching but not tight against the sole of the boot. Included in the box is a strip of paper to place between the two, if you can pull it out without damage but whilst still under pressure this is good. If the paper tears then it is too tight.
Once the forward pressure and toe height are set you can then adjust the DINs to the correct values.
Take the boot in and out of the binding a few times then recheck the toe height and forward pressure is correct. Sometimes it might need readjusting.
Fritschi Vipec
This is a pin binding that uses some forward pressure in the heel unit.
Click in the toe and heel and adjust forward pressure til the screw is flush with the heel unit housing. To do this, wind in until the screw is slightly too tight then unwind til it goes flush.
Adjust the forward release on top of heel housing and the lateral release at rear of heel housing. Adjust the toe release with screw under the rear of the toe piece.
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