Some good intec experiences?

[Guest nic]

Its crazy to hear all the problems people are having with Intec, its almost scary.

I have never ridden a Intec step in system so i Cant really give feedback on them. Step in systems have allways had there problems right from the start. When Burton came out with the Physics binding in 1999, people were poping out left and right. The syslem was flawed but the came back in 2000 with much needed improvements, and in my mind created the best binding ever. The looks the weight it was just a bad ass set up.

I am hearing from a few riders on this site that there Intec's are blowing up after 20 days or busting open while riding. In the 5 years i rode the Burton Physics and well over 180 days a year or solid riding, not once did i ever come out while riding or found that it was wearing out after 20 days.

For the most part set up with your book and binding to make shure it fits perfect is the most important. Otherwise YES you will blow out of your binding. But on the most part guys riding these bindinds are not stupied and have them dialed in perfect.

If there is a huge problem With the Intec, then Intec need to do some serious work with R and D. Its your body that will suffer if they dont.

[NateW]

Until I get off my butt and post a picture, I invite you all to visualize three more boards with Intec bindings (CustomCraft wide AM board with TD1s, Coiler AM with Catek Olys, skinny Coiler AM with TD2s).

I weigh around 180, have been riding since 88 or 89, and had some piece of boot or binding fail on me pretty much every year, until I switched to TD + Intec two or three years ago (maybe four?). They have been the most reliable combination I have found so far.

Once, on the first day with a brand new set of heels, I had a pin break. I wasn't riding hard that day (had a contest coming up) and the other pin held my foot in, so I didn't notice until the end of the run.

With regard to what forces - almost all of my equipment failures have happened when landing jumps, and most of those have been extra-hard landings from overshooting or undershooting tabletop-type jumps. I think there's two kinds of force at work there: downward force on the whole heel (obviously) but also upward force on one side of the heel, particularly on the back foot. Step in, crouch down as low as you can, and have somebody jump on your back. You'll probably notice your rear knee getting closer to the board - caused by a twisting force along the long axis of the rear binding, which entails an upward force on the outer edge of the rear heel ledge.

If I set up toe-lever bindings kinda loose, I can pry my boot out of the binding this way... and I am pretty sure that I have also pried my boot out with toe-lever bindings properly set up, but I can't be 100% certain (I was never watching my heels when it happened). Similar forces may also be at work in high-G carves and random post-fall tumbling or tree-smacking.

Anyway, I think those pins are under a lot of stress just holding the boot DOWN, under the circumstances described above. And the plastic is probably under a lot of stress as well.

All of that said, I do think the design is very good - they have held up to more of my abuse than anything else I have tried, and with my long list of busted stuff, that means a lot (to me at least). I will continue using them until someone invents something that inspires more confidence.

[Carp]

In my personal experience I've not had many issues with my Intecs (to date). I too am a little nervous to their performance after hearing about the horrible fall from one of our fellow carvers. My prayers are with him for quick healing. I've had the old Burton Variplates and have broken probably 3-4 pairs of those but managed to avoid any injuries. The only issues I've really had with the Intecs is not having both pins engage fully and then one would pop out, however it was enough to get me down the hill although more causciously. I do check the screws just about every other time out. I ride about 20-30 days a year and have used Intec for about 3-4 years now. I'm 170 lbs. and have been riding plates since '89. I think the trench diggers and the Cateks are THE best bindings out there. I think that having a snowboard standard like Intec is necessary, however I don't think that it's right having one manufacturer F2 making all the product. I'm not sure since their release how much time/money has been done on R&D, but I would imagine less since they're the only supplier of the heel pieces. I stop short of saying monopoly since there are so many other types of devices to connect one's feet to a board. It seems obvious that something needs to change to encourage innovation in the industry so that the existing product becomes better or a new and improved standard can be developed? It's too bad we play in such a tight knit community that there isn't as much competition to lead to better products or sharing of ideas to come up with a better system to secure one to a board. I will still be riding my Intecs I do trust them as they haven't given me any reason not to date. I will try to keep the workings lubricated and make sure all the pins and pieces are working and engaged, but I would do this with any boot and binding in any sport. I sincerely hope neither myself or anyone else has to go through an accident that damages both ourselves and the sport we've all grown to love. Play hard, play smart, and live life...it's a risk but it would be so boring if there were no risks.

[Erik J]

I've been using the intec system for 8 or 9 season's now with at least 60 days each season on them. TD1's I've had for 4 (?) season's now.

Never once had a problem with them. In fact having two pins and the toe bail, I believe, gives me more to be held in by. I've broken the toe bail and been held in by the pins. I've had one pin not engage fully (my fault entirely) while being held in by the remaining pin. This is just me though. I am not easy on my equipment - I buy quality so that I can ride the poop out of it. I have the utmost of confidence in my equipment.

[Fleaman]

Now I am starting to feel a bit better. I can't wait to rip it up now. I wanted to go out and install my new heels on my boots but no time tonight, I am really tired and bummed out that I have to go to work tommorow. Also my loving wife baked me some cookies.

Maybe next week sometime. Then I will have to do some carpet surfing. Does anyone have one of those ski slope machines for sale like the ones they use at ski shows and such?

Oh yeah I forgot, are you supposed to grease the pins and the heel reciever?

Maybe spray some graphite on them?

[Steve Dold]

Fleaman, many of us use a little Pedro's Syn Grease or something similar that's not harmful to plastic, it does seem to make clicking in a little easier. At the very least it reduces the wear on the heel receivers. Another good thing to do is polish the pins where they meet the heel receiver ramps, I use fine sandpaper (600) and finish off with crocus cloth. That's supposed to reduce the wear on the heel receivers.

[bobdea]

keep a eye on your pins, this was one thing I learned the hard way, they tore the heck out of the aluminum on a pair of TD1s, given how easy it is to get bomber parts this was not a big deal but if you are in and out alot and walk around as much as I would expect a patroller to you would be replacing the recievers about twice a year.

I just buff out the burs with whatever I have handy, usually my diamond stones or a gummy stone.

[Fleaman]

Thanks for those tips.

[Bobby Buggs]

I have not had any actual failures just operator errors.

I lost some of the screws from my heal and had major play one time and have had a couple of not fully locked in and came outs. Those seem to happen when I rush to get going and don't pay attention to my rear pins.

I never even think about failure. Once you get the proper sole settings its almost flawless. Just be sure to clean your soles, especially after you go out from lunch since the temps of your boot will cause snow to melt and Ice to form on the bottom. I don't like those stomp pads with the big edges but its actually advisable when using Intec's to clean your boot. Ice or snow build up is the #1 cause of dysfunction with Intec.