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intecs or fintecs?


Ear dragger

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Erik since you are on Cateks get the Fintecs. I've snapped about 6 leaves off my heels and all but one have been with Cateks. Note you'll have to get a Catek-Bomber heel receiver for the cateks. In the long run you'll save $$ with the Fintecs

Ditto that! I haven't snapped six leaves, but I have found that the fintecs are FAR more durable than the intec, particularly the little guide thingies. I also feel like I can get a better fit with the fintecs, because the plastic on the leaves does not wear away as I continue to use them, thus the fit remains consistent.

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You need this because the Fintec heel has harder pins than the standard Intec heels. It was found with the first Fintecs shipped that they were causing severe galling on the surface of the aluminum receivers and that this was impeding pin engagement. Ironically the standard steel shoe used on the F2 binding is very resistant to the harder pins. Other bindings need the conversion kit which consists of a plated steel shoe to replace the aluminum ones that come standard with Cateks and older Bombers.

The 'leaves' discussed above are the projections from the sides of the Intec heel that are part of the plastic heel moulding. They prevent the boot from travelling past the pin holes in the receivers but they are not strong enough to support the boot under full riding loads. If the binding is not adjusted correctly, these 'leaves' or ears can be subjected to loads that will cause them to break. But you can break them just walking around too. The Fintec has steel pins set in the aluminum heel block and they are presumably unbreakable.

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I have ridden them and they are fine. I now have the Bomber steel receiver and it is really really nice. The hole seems a bit slotted so the pins find their home position easily. You can almost hear it snap in. Ride the Cateks for the year no biggie. B Intecs on Catek OS2 with Bomber heel receivers is a nice set up. Bob

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so should I just bag going to stepins until the parts become available to use the fintecs? I seem to be good at breaking stuff this year and would like to buy this stuff only once.

It sounds like the intecs and catek step in parts are just not that strong. I was going to the step in becuase they are supposed to be a stronger interface (boot to binding). I broke the heel off my boot and was hoping the step in would eliminate that problem (and of course, it's easier).

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I ride the Intec heels, have for 6 or 7 years. In that time I have never had a problem. But then again I don't ride aggressively like you do, so I am not putting a lot of force on my equipment.

I replaced them once because everyone said they would fail. Steph is now using my originals.

When time comes to replace I will get Fintecs for sure.

So if you want to step in now and can get the intecs go for it, you can always sell them later if you swap.

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The only thing I am concerned about is that the plastic pads of the FINtecs wear out pretty fast when you have to walk on concrete parkingplaces, like I have to do lot in Austria. I would have liked them better if this could have been made out of a sort of durable rubber.

The product itself is pretty damn secure like the bindings are.

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My Fintecs occasionally lose all traction and I feel like I have stepped on a ball bearing. I think Fin wants to test our balance and ability to recover before we get on the trail.

On my wish list of further refinements when the Fintecs first came out: replaceable Vibram walking pads.

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I've never used the Bomber heels, but the standard Intec heels are susceptible to "balling up" of snow under the heels if the snow is of the right temperature.

You get into the habit of stamping your foot on the first none-snow surface you walk onto.... if you don't, then you end up skating and falling on those balls of snow.

I doubt there's much different on that one. I think how much you get it depends on the snow temperature; never happens in good powder, happens all the time around zero.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Any one else have an extra set of steel receivers for Catek? I had the misfortune of having my boots stolen last week, so I am getting some new 700t's with fintecs. I ordered some new TD3's too, but I would still like to use my Cateks as second board kit. I apologize for hijacking this thread.

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  • 1 year later...

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