TD3 step-ins vs. smaller UPZ boots

[jburk]

I recently moved to UPZ RC-10's with TD3 step-ins.  Love the fit on those boots (so I think Deeluxes wouldn't fit me as well), and step-in bindings are so much nicer that dealing with toe bails. 

The problem is that I'm a size mp26, and even at my current angles of 50/47 I can't get the toe of the front boot to the edge of the board (while the heel overhangs the heel side edge), and that's on a board with an 18.5cm waist.  Rear boot is fine due to location of the binding relative to the sidecut.

I was wondering about the feasibility of a different/alternate set of Fintec heel pieces on the TD3's with the ears offset forward as an "aftermarket purchase" but I guess it's already been mooted then rejected due to tooling economics.  Bummer, but understandable.  I'd gladly pay $50 or more for a UPZ-compatible set of Fintec heel pieces, wonder how many other people out there are in the same bind?  

Flipping the toe piece around won't solve my issue. The problem isn't the spacing between the heel and toe, it's the overall positioning of the boot between the edge.

Haven't tried the non-stepin / toe bail version in the TD3's, does this issue exist with the toe bail version as well, or does the heel block on the toe bail version have more adjustment towards the toe?

Would switching to the toe bail TD3's allow me to center a mp26 UPZ between the edges?

[neanderthal]

try gilmour bias/reverse bias

that is what I do with UPZ 27

that doesnt solve the problem of the toe and heel bails covering the center disk making an angle change difficult.  Dreaming of TD4s with carbon fiber cutting the weight in 1/2 and some system that lets a 26-27 stepin boot fit without limiting angle changes. 

 

Edited March 28, 2017 by neanderthal

[slopestar]

Careful what you wish for. 

I run mp27 UPZ and can just center up. With a skinny, I'm biased. Check a thread started by acousticboarder. There was some discussion about it last year 

[Pat Donnelly]

1 hour ago, slopestar said:

Careful what you wish for. 

I run mp27 UPZ and can just center up. With a skinny, I'm biased. Check a thread started by acousticboarder. There was some discussion about it last year 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, slopestar said:

 

  

Edited March 28, 2017 by Pat Donnelly

[jburk]

4 hours ago, neanderthal said:

try gilmour bias/reverse bias

that is what I do with UPZ 27

Read the "Gilmour bias" thread, but need some clarification on the above comment  

As far as I can see, "Gilmour bias" involves biasing the front foot for heel overhang, while biasing the rear for toe overhang. Is that correct, or have I missed the point completely?

If that's correct, then is "reverse bias" the opposite, toe overhang on the front and heel overhang in the rear?

@neanderthal: are you using gilmour bias or reverse bias?  As far as I can see, gilmour bias would be my only option, since I can't get toe overhang on the front foot. 

 

[neanderthal]

On wider boards I use Gilmour bias - particularly useful on a powder board 

When the board is too narrow reverse bias helps - 18 cm or so

This is just what has helped me but others may feel strongly to the contrary 

[kipstar]

could you not try mounting the bindings with the holes of the binding disk running horizontally instead of vertically, so the binding could be set to be biased towards the toe side by 1 hole set, then mount the bindings that way?

 

[queequeg]

On MP26 UPZ, you are not going to have much ability to set bias on TD3's. I had this problem. IIRC it was not impossible on TD3 non-sidewinders, but a non-starter on sidewinder stepins. Talk to Jim & Angie - they maybe able to help you out with shorter bails or other stuff.

[Corey]

6 hours ago, kipstar said:

could you not try mounting the bindings with the holes of the binding disk running horizontally instead of vertically, so the binding could be set to be biased towards the toe side by 1 hole set, then mount the bindings that way?

I was thinking about trying exactly this, but haven't got around to it yet. It's a big offset though, and you loose width adjustment. 

[digger jr]

Working for me. Was going to ask Bomber if they have longer baseplates with extra sets of holes . You have to do math now to figure your angles. You can get more bias with bail binders by flipping the heel block around.

Like so

 

 

Edited March 30, 2017 by digger jr

[Corey]

Nice stuff Ron!  Geez, like we need ANOTHER variable to mess with...  

[digger jr]

It's pretty heavy math, but I thought you could do it Cory:)

[jburk]

Update: I seem to have a working solution with MP26 UPZs and TD3 stepins (non-sidewinder version) by using gilmour bias on a board with an 18.5cm waist and a 10.5m ssr.  

Since the front foot was already slightly biased towards the heel side, I only had to move it one "dimple" on the toe block towards the heel, think that's 1/8". 

The rear foot was already centered, so adjusted it as mentioned in the "gilmour bias" thread mentioned earlier, set it up so that the 3rd and 4th toes overhang the edge, think it was 1/4" adjustment towards the toeside edge. 

Was on the hill about 3 hours today, and it rode really well: toe and heel side turns felt like they took about the same amount of effort to initiate, where before the adjustment toeside turns took a lot more to get going compared to heelside. 

Remains to be seen if I have an issue with boot-out as I get the board more up on edge.