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Who’s running Catek OS2


Jcar

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Looking for a new set of bindings for next year and stumbled across the  Catek OS2 recently.  Not finding much info,  feedback or reviews on them.  Mostly people are selling them.... which may not be a good thing?? 

Would love to get some feedback from people who have ran them or are currently running them.  Are they durable, how adjustable are they (cant, lift etc), flex, are parts readily available and most importantly hows Catek’s customer service?  

Thanks

 

 

Edited by Jcar
I can’t spell
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Catek haven't been made in years.  The company is dead, there is no customer service.  The fact that the website is still up is kind of a running joke here.  Any enquiries you make there will go into the void.  If the ordering system is still up, don't use it.  The only complete bindings or parts available would be used or people who somehow have old stock.

On the plus size, they are about the most adjustable binding there is.  There are people who love them to death.  I think they are on par for stiffness with Bomber, that is, very.

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They're incredibly adjustable, very sturdy, the step-in system works flawlessly but isn't compatible with Fintecs because the soft aluminum receiver gets gouged up. You can't order new ones but if you find a used pair they'll probably be just fine until you need a part. Those of us who use them tend to have at least one full set of backup parts. 

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Jcar

I have WC, OS1, and OS2 in short and long standard/non-stepin.  I use same size AT ski boots as your size that have a relatively long bootsole length for the size

I just measured bail contact length as 289mm ish

WC are completely different plates for short and long, not just in length

You will be near the limit of length on a short, be exact in your measurement on your boots

I have had to swap bails just to get an extra mm or two on short due to slightly different size of bails

I prefer the simplicity of the older models

Canting is FANTABULOUS!!

All hardware other than the spherical nuts available thru McMaster-Carr (not including bails or toe-clips of course)

I have not needed any of my assortment, other than the setscrews of various lengths while experimenting with extreme canting...

Obviously, some people completely destroy fasteners/hardware

 

Anyone know a source for the spherical nuts? (which are larger on the older models compared to OS2)

 

 

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Another consideration affecting the maximum contact length available I just realized is the thickness of the sole...

If your boot is higher off the plate than mine, you would have less than my 289mm I believe

I have brain damage

Hope that makes sense

I attempted to edit the above post

 

I need a first-grader to show me how

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LiquidEarth808

Awesome!! For now I’m running Reichle 124s.  I’ll measure them when I get home.  That’s a great idea just to be safe due to that fact that I will be at the edge of max length.  

Thanks for the info.  Much appreciated!  

 

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They sound great!  Does anyone have a pair handy that they could take some pictures of?  Mostly how the cant and lift works.  I’ve never seen detailed photos of them assembled, only in pieces!

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The old alpinecarving website (not updated in ~10 years) has some good photos:

http://www.alpinecarving.com/binding_model.html

And here's an exploded view:

694921952_CatekOS2ExplodedView.jpg.7273187e5c21df48f406f89eb1ff10cb.jpg

And, the toe and heel bails can flop down on Cateks, but you can rig up spring or piece of rubber to hold the bails up.  There was a thread with some other ides for this.  Note that the photo also shows a TD3 steel heel receiver modified to fit a Catek binding.

P1040640a.jpg.2f0e211d60874248d22153da458a387f.jpg

And one more FYI - Catek offered an upgraded "D2" elastomer set that was thicker and offered a little more isolation.  The original elastomers were green.  the D2 are the gray ones.  As others said, the spherical nuts are the essential custom part.  If you buy Cateks, make sure those are not missing.

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I ride flat and all the canting ability of the  Cateks is wasted on me, but I still love them.  OS1 step ins with long plates are the ones for me (for my 31.5 boots).  OS1 has a larger diameter disc than OS2. Super, super stiff so be careful to use them on boards that are really burly in construction.  Cateks mounted on boards directly without a plate stress a board, for sure.  I am 200 lbs plus, for reference.

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On 8/10/2019 at 4:32 AM, Wolf said:

The old alpinecarving website (not updated in ~10 years) has some good photos:

http://www.alpinecarving.com/binding_model.html

And here's an exploded view:

694921952_CatekOS2ExplodedView.jpg.7273187e5c21df48f406f89eb1ff10cb.jpg

And, the toe and heel bails can flop down on Cateks, but you can rig up spring or piece of rubber to hold the bails up.  There was a thread with some other ides for this.  Note that the photo also shows a TD3 steel heel receiver modified to fit a Catek binding.

P1040640a.jpg.2f0e211d60874248d22153da458a387f.jpg

And one more FYI - Catek offered an upgraded "D2" elastomer set that was thicker and offered a little more isolation.  The original elastomers were green.  the D2 are the gray ones.  As others said, the spherical nuts are the essential custom part.  If you buy Cateks, make sure those are not missing.

Awesome Wolf!  This is exactly what I was looking for.  Thank you!   I would definitely be interested in finding ways to secure the bails.  I hate floppy bails!  

12 hours ago, davekempmeister said:

I ride flat and all the canting ability of the  Cateks is wasted on me, but I still love them.  OS1 step ins with long plates are the ones for me (for my 31.5 boots).  OS1 has a larger diameter disc than OS2. Super, super stiff so be careful to use them on boards that are really burly in construction.  Cateks mounted on boards directly without a plate stress a board, for sure.  I am 200 lbs plus, for reference.

They would be going on a Coiler and or a Thirst.

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4 hours ago, Corey said:

Coiler will add an extra reinforcements if you're going to run Cateks. 

If you already have the board, ask Bruce first, or get the spacer plates that spread the load out. 

 I’m working with Bruce right now on a build. I will talk to him about  The possibility of running a pair of Catek on this board.  Thanks

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Bruce will steer you to F2 bindings.  Adding to the discussion: 

F2 bindings are the gold-standard in alpine.  If you don't have a reason to go elsewhere, just get F2s.  Canting and lifting is limited to coarse steps unless you 3D print your own wedges.  Angle and length adjustments are super simple.   Strong enough for most riders and simple.  Get a real Pozidrive 3 driver and the hardware will last forever.  A Phillips #3 fits pretty well and helps to round out screws fairly efficiently over time.  They have an inherently flexible nature that most feel is just right, but some hate.  

Bomber and Catek bindings are super-tough/durable CNC machined objects of art, if you're into that kind of thing.  Bomber bindings are simpler, Catek bindings have limitless cant/lift adjustments with the trade-off of being more complicated.  If you're not mechanically-inclined at all, go elsewhere.  If you can change your car's oil, go Bomber.  If you can rebuild an automatic transmission, go Catek.  😉 Bombers have some flex with the various models.  Cateks have very little flex - some hate the vibration transmission, some love the feedback.  

There are numerous others out there.  The SG bindings are pretty close to F2 with some nice improvements but lots more $$ here in North America.  

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Thanks Corey!!

I just bought DRedmans TD3 Sidewinders.  If a pair of Catek come up for sale, and are still available when I see them I’m gonna jump on them.  From what everyone has said about them I really what to get a pair.  The only thing I dont like is the floppy bails (can be  remedied) and the limited parts and availability.  All the rest sounds great and would love to get on them and lay some turns!

thanks everyone!!!!

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Jcar - just to be clear about the floppy bails on Cateks, there's some friction holding the bails up and they won't flop down on their own unless there's a lot of wear in the toe or heel blocks.  But if you accidentally step on or kick the bail, it will push right down.  Plus stepping on the bails accelerates the wear that makes them more floppy.

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4 hours ago, lowrider said:

Or send a set to a sweat shop in India or China make a bunch and sell them out of the back of your car at Turner in Feb.

If everything goes just right, you could potentially make tens of dollars with this plan!  

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Not sure what the deal is about Cateks anyway. They are, in my opinion, overly stiff and overly fussy. Ride something a little less stiff and maybe you won’t feel the need to adjust your cant and lift to fractions of a degree. Jeff Caron stopped supporting his product years ago and doesn’t answer email but leaves the website up, which I find really annoying. 

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