The original TTS and the clone like MoonLight binding are simple and efficient bindings and both also promises the alpine heel option. The Freeride weigh 2.1kg per pair compared to the Rottefella Cobra at 1.81 kg. In general you get more precision, more stability, you can ski faster with more confidence and they cope with any snow conditions from ice to slush. Edge to edge precision is exceptional due to it’s lateral stability. Now, I take a few extra seconds to hammer the top of my pole down on that mechanism to ensure it is locked, which seems to have solved the issue. Seriously? I have been telemark skiing for nearly 30 years on conventional cable bindings and switched to the NTN Rotteffela freedom binding 3 yrs ago. Let's start with the first difference between the 10 year-old Freeride and last year's Outlaw. You can read more about the details of the system in our Telemark Skiing 101 article, but it’s worth explain a few major differences between an NTN binding and other popular tele bindings before getting into the specifics of the NTN Freedom. It shares the heritage of NTN’s trademark superb control, both in forward resistance and edge hold, although in the case of the Freedom, less is more ‐ meaning a notch less tele-resistänçe gives a wider sweet spot – mo’ betta’ in deep snow.. All this made for longer strides on steep terrain and a noticeably speedier ascent. I performed my own ad hoc lateral release comparison (not standardized, so I can not give absolute numbers here) comparing the “Fritschi Xenic AT Binding”, “The Meidjo Telemark Binding”, and the “Rottefella Freedom”. If you’re less than 12% body fat and you do more skinning up than skiing down - I’ll accept your argument. Otherwise lets stop quibling - the Rottefella NTN binding is virtually flawless. I had put my boot into the binding and tried to make it release by having people hold the ski and pushing/kicking the boot. TT - Any disadvantages? Unfortunately, there are currently only four NTN boots with a tech toe insert, none of which are particularly light. Thus, even though the Evo is stiffer than a TX-Comp, I found it noticeably but not dramatically stiffer than a mere TX. Parts. Rotefella’s first NTN binding, the Freeride, was a hefty 4.1 pounds of binding that also lacked a full free-pivot in tour mode. and also the whole setup reached its limit. Double the life of your skis! The biggest criticism I’ve heard is that the NTN Freeride is heavy. Leaving the traditional 75mm duckbill behind, the progressive New Telemark Norm (NTN), splits from the herd to redefine free heel technology. And as you will discover, the best Telemark Ski Bindings are not always the ones at the highest prices! A spring-loaded plate hooks on the NTN second heel with a smooth, medium stiff flex that engages right off the deck. Once you dial in what power you like the only shifting you will need to do is between tele and tour mode. They're in the top 3 bestselling downhill ski bindings and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Atomic Backland Tour or G3 ION 12. Meidjo combines a 2-pin tech toe with NTN technology. Rottefella’s NTN bindings changed telemark skiing, and the NTN Freedom looks to improve on the popular Freeride. Depending on the rest of your priorities, it pretty much rocks there as well. If you want a true step-in, make sure the binding has brakes rather than a leash. The Real Heel Feel: These bindings attach to the whole boot, from toe-to-heel, giving you more power than any other NTN telemark binding and a more natural boot flex Tour like a pro with 60 degrees of biomechanically optimized resistance-free motion The BMF-R and BMF-3 bindings are designed for touring—the “R” stands for randonnée—and resort skiing, respectively. In general, Rotefella quite successfully created a lighter-weight binding with the same innovative features that make NTN stand out from the rest of telemark bindings. Have you checked out quiverkillers? The BMF is one of the few bindings that can accommodate either style of boot, 75mm or NTN. Gear Review: 22 Design’s Rebellious Outlaw NTN Telemark Binding. Kate. Description; Customer Reviews; Features ; Reviews; Now easier step-in and out, lighter, and more spring travel for the ultimate in performance and touring. While both bindings can be used with 75 mm and NTN boots due to swappable toe plates, the BMF-R offers a free-pivot mode to improve touring efficiency and a 60-degee tour mode. The flex you feel is still a combination of the boot and binding, but the mechanics are different without the duckbill. Additionally, I needed to be really careful transitioning from tour-mode to ski-mode, making sure the mechanism was really locked into place. The increased precision and stability has great benefits for your legs. The brakes are hard to detach from each other when the skis are locked together. Early NTN adopters were often jealously labeled cheaters, such is the difference in improved performance and ease of use. Jeff, I ski Freerides set to the recommended resistance for my weight (per Rottefella’s instructions) and have yet to release… had a tumble earlier this season and really wanted them to release, but ended up with a twisted knee instead. The only way you can beat TTS for skinning is by going full rando to shave weight, but then you sacrifice the ability to tele. If the binding requires a leash, then you’ll still need to bend over to attach it - this almost completely negates the point of a step-in. I am 65kg and generally fairly easy on gear. I’m tired of reading blog posts by people comparing the NTN to a Dynafit binding, of course the Dynafit is lighter and better for going uphill - it’s a ski touring binding, but you can’t telemark down on it! it’s worth bearing in mind that with an NTN binding, you get a lot of engineering for your money compared to a simple cable binding. But to cut down on weight, some fairly significant changes were made to the bindings construction. Scarpa NTN Freeride are $340 more expensive than the average downhill ski bindings … The extra step takes only an extra second or two, but I usually ending up going with the either the higher one or none at all. So far the system seems totally solid and friends also have had no complaints. Skiing Pow! The only noticeable downside came when skinning through deep, wet snow, which occasionally jammed under the plate that attaches to your foot. I was not able to release the Rottefella Freedom. Gear Review: 22 Design’s Rebellious Outlaw NTN Telemark Binding . The lateral release of the Fritschi was set to 5. Sign up for Events, News and Specials...Spam! The boot was flat for the following tests without any further downforce (which would likely increase release forces for telemark setups). 50kg !) It’s a different sport. The NTN system has revolutionised putting your skis on and taking them off, but some step-in systems have a caveat or two. A second perk is that an NTN binding has a lateral release function—if you take a hard enough fall, the bindings unlock from your foot, which can help save your knees from injury and is also a good way to help stay alive if caught in an avalanche. TLT fittings are compatibile with Dynafit, G3, and all ‘Tech’ bindings. While the Freeride is advertised as a releasable binding, the Outlaw is described like this: " The Outlaw can release laterally, although it's not guaranteed." The main difference is that the binding can have a stronger influence on the tele sensation, whereas with 75mm the flex of the bellows dominates. Scarpa NTN Freeride are a well-known option at the top of the price range. The lateral release setting of the Meidjo was also set “low”. Review this item. The Freedom does not use this plate, which saves quite a lot of weight, but it means that you are drilling new holes in your skis if you make the switch, and if you have multiple skis, you’ll need more than one binding. If you want touring efficiency with power too, Outlaw delivers that, but Olympus Mountain Gear’s Telemark Tech System is the second lightest telemark binding available, followed by Moonlight’s Tele Pure with a strong cable that latches on the heel step. The heel riser, which on the Freeride is a thick, white, plastic plate, has been replaced with a smaller box with wire heal-risers for lifts, exactly like what you’d find on TwentyTwo Designs (see our review of the TwentyTwo Designs Axl) or Black Diamond Telemark Bindings. Ski brakes mean no more clumsy leashes to trip you up, no more unwieldy balancing acts as you clip the leash to the boots, no more ski losses as the leash snaps and the brakes make carrying the skis a breeze! Home > FAQ's. 22 Designs offers telemark ski bindings, including those with NTN technology. You’ll also need an NTN boot, which does add to the cost. First, you can step directly into an NTN binding when getting into your skis, rather than bending down to fasten the heel of your boot to your binding, like most traditional telemark systems. Although initially viewed by sceptics as expensive and almost unethical, it has truly become the norm, the industry standard. Free-heel skier since 1994, lover of bumps and variables and anything that makes me switch on. 22 Designs Outlaw NTN Telemark Binding is the first binding licensed by Rottefella to use their patented second heel connection. Don’t be! The downside is that this plate is what enabled you to move one set of Freeride bindings between multiple pairs of skis, making it possible to have just one binding that could be switched to a different pair of skis using this plate. No release/ Am I doing something wrong? Yes, sadly, the beauty of the Freeride’s ability to move from ski to ski without a re-mount is gone. Schwag. Fab - NTN feels a lot more like alpine skiing, that’s why the French team use NTN and Crispi, you can really pressure the outside ski confidently and get it to flex. It is never easy to choose from the wide range of offers. Personally, the improved downhill precision, stability and performance far outweighs the slight disadvantage of a weight gain. Occupation: Alpine and Telemark Ski Instructor At that point the range of the available force meter bottomed out (equiv. I have used both bindings for touring and for lift served skiing. Oct 01 • Bindings • Craig Dostie. In an avalanche, the skis can come-off, which can save potential leg injury. The weight saving and additional range of motion of the Freedom make a HUGE difference. The one significant drawback to NTN, however, has been the weight. We're too busy You fatigue less, so you can ski for longer. The spring tension of the Rottefella was also set to 3 out of 5 (blue box). I think it will attract a lot of hype this season. It’s powerful and adjustable. Since the binding sits flush on the ski, you no longer have a left and a right ski. Sponsors: Scott Sports, Patagonia, Planks Clothing, X-Bionic. If you do get tired, just put your feet flat and alpine. I took the bold step of buying the Meidjo binding in January 2015, when it was very new and relatively untried. Bindings. (The range of motion in tour mode on the Freedom has been increased from just over 30 degrees on the Freeride to 60 degrees.) My quiverkillers were professionally mounted by mike at mammoth mountaineering in mammoth lakes, but people with the right skills can do the mount themselves. Oct 01. I’ve been skiing NTN gear since 2013 and under no circumstances would I look back, here are the reasons why: The NTN system has an alpine like performance in terms of precision, power and stability. The re-design of the bulky metal piece in front of the toe, which is the lever used to lock the binding onto your foot, is probably the most immediately noticeable difference. The NTN Freedom Binding comes in two sizes: Small - Boot size up to M26.5 Scarpa and Crispi and up to M25.5 from Garmont. The result was a cumbersome setup for the uphill, especially when compared to Dynafit Alpine Touring Bindings, which can be half as heavy. Rottefella’s NTN (New Telemark Norm) has taken the telemark skiing World by storm. It’s still an NTN binding though, so body stance stays a little higher than what’s possible with 75 bindings, but you feel that the knees are bending sufficiently. Several times, a few turns into a run, I popped back into tour-mode. The bottom line is that I definitely wouldn’t trust them to come off. Tour Mode. 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