plankton Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 I ride the Step In Titanium F2s. I love the light weight and simplicity of the bindings, but had some issues over the past 2 seasons. My first pair lasted a couple seasons but then I had a couple of catastrophic failures not in the bindings themselves, but in the bolts that hold the intec heel into the baseplate. I replaced all the hardware in the boot heels and the binding heels, but just to play it safe, I bought a new set of F2's last season. On day 13 of the season, I had a high-speed crash at the Canyons. (I was trying to slow down before I came to an unfamiliar steep section) When I tried to get up and keep riding, I noticed my heel was moved back about 1cm from where it started, making it so the toe bail wasn't engaged with the boot anymore. I was able to make adjustments on the trail and get myself down, but I trashed my front ankle in the process and messed up the last trip before COVID. I wasn't sure if the binding failed and caused the crash, or if the crash caused the binding to move. When I was taking my bindings off the board for the season, I noticed that the T-nut in the heel piece was missing a little piece. Am I asking too much of these bindings? I like going fast, but don't want to end up injured again due to equipment. I'm thinking maybe I should be using heftier gear, lose weight (I was about 250+lbs at the time but dropped some since COVID), and/or not ride like an idiot. That said, I'd prefer to just keep doing what I'm doing. Thinking about going to TD's, and considering the sidewinders to get a bit of flex for the all-mountain riding I prefer to do. Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 Plenty of threads here comparing and contrasting F2 and TD bindings. I ride both sorts and don't notice the actually relatively small difference in weight. Both brands of binding can suffer from corrosion and metal/plastic flex fatigue. Frequently check pre and during the season for cracks and corrosion. Bottom line: Do a mental check after you click in, before every run, that it all feels solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pow4ever Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 crash usually stress the binding beyond its normal operating parameters. the weight have some thing to do with it but how aggressive you are is harder to to measure but more apt. F2/TD are all excellent choice. SG performance binding is another option. A bit more stout than F2.https://www.sgsnowboards.com/gear/sg-performance-bindings/https://upzboots.com/shop/sg-performance-race-bail/ Personally preference: I would go regular instead of step in. IMHO less moving parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursle Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 Yes, get the bombers, they are bombproof, the F2's are lightweight, racers inspect them every run, they are faster because they weigh less, but, as you mention, for you, weight isn't involved, get the bombers, if in the future you find that you need more cant or lift and have got your riding under control, a set of F2's would work great (they can be manipulated into almost any configuration concerning lift and cant), in the meantime, for safety's sake, get some bombers. No other binding will be as safe as bombers for you, they are all various versions of F2's or an even weaker binding, Burtons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 Ride the standard bails.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted August 4, 2020 Report Share Posted August 4, 2020 6 hours ago, ursle said: Yes, get the bombers, they are bombproof, the F2's are lightweight, racers inspect them every run, they are faster because they weigh less, but, as you mention, for you, weight isn't involved, get the bombers, if in the future you find that you need more cant or lift and have got your riding under control, a set of F2's would work great (they can be manipulated into almost any configuration concerning lift and cant), in the meantime, for safety's sake, get some bombers. No other binding will be as safe as bombers for you, they are all various versions of F2's or an even weaker binding, Burtons. I actually had more problems with Bombers then F2s, over the years. The least with Snowpros... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st_lupo Posted August 4, 2020 Report Share Posted August 4, 2020 The T-nuts are definitely the weak point of the F2 bindings. In 5 years I've cracked one of the nuts, just like your picture shows. I do however really like the bindings and pretty much everything else about them have been bullet-proof in my experience. Since cracking the nut I make sure that I inspect the bindings at the end of every season (and make sure that all parts are completely dry before storing) as well as inspecting the bindings each time I move them to a different board. I also usually give the heel and toe blocks a little wiggle test by hand at the start of every day (when the t-nut cracks you will definitely see noticeable play in the associated block). I've got a bag of extra nuts available just in case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plankton Posted August 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2020 Thanks for all the tips. I'm amazed at how quickly you all replied. Wasn't sure who would be looking at the site this time of year. I guess I'm not the only one that constantly thinks about riding... I'll look for the threads about the F2/TD comparison, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted August 5, 2020 Report Share Posted August 5, 2020 TDs are strong but not bombproof. A number of riders posting here have had base plate failure including me (80kg). For out of the box ability to tweak and experiment with lift and canting the Bomber design is the best of currently available as new bindings. There are 3D printer designs for cant/lift wedge for the F2s that will allow any combination of lift and cant to be created when you know what you want. Experimentation would be time consuming compared with the TD rotating cant disc design. Bail binding design will give you more lateral flexibity without the complexity and expense of the Sidewinders. I ride Intec stepins because of lack of flexibility in my lumbar spine. If that's an issue for you then Sidewinders are your best bet for the lateral flex you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe T Posted August 10, 2020 Report Share Posted August 10, 2020 I’ve seen various F2 parts fail but t nuts is the most common failure. I often need to replace them either from breakage or warping. I’d say I replace at least about 3 or 4 each season. A friend of mine breaks a crap load of them too. Yeah, the wiggle test is good idea at the end of the day or when heading out to spot signs of trouble. Taking the bindings off the board for the occasional inspection is also a good idea as warping of the t nuts is usually a sign of pending breakage. (Lift off the dampening pads to inspect the t nuts.) I’ve also seen a few bail failures and experienced one myself. Have also seen a bolt failure as well as a metal base plate crack experienced by others. All F2 parts are available for replacement although I did notice that the prices for the parts seem to have gone up quite a bit in recent years. One short lived T-nut now costs about $5 CAD. $40 for cosmetic plastic disk covers? Ouch! If you wanted to build your own bindings from buying individual parts, an Intec setup would cost just under $800 CAD. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitro Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 good luck , its a crap shoot once your north of 200lbs, most equipment is rated to 200lbs. inspect your gear & keep a new supply on hand if you wanna ride all out. Im 230 & have snapped td3 bombers in half, bomb proof my ass . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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