I've been spending some time on the Dynafit Radical, a classic touring binding. It's possibly the second longest-running ski binding with minimal changes, rivaled only by the Look Pivot.
Since Dynafit revamped the Radical lineup in 2011, there have been very few changes, while the rest of the industry has progressed. Here's my take on how this classic binding holds up.
Quick note: This review focuses on the Radical with brakes, but my experiences with the Radical FT and Speed Radical are similar.
Experienced Gear, Rich, and I (Ryan) are big fans of three-piece/Cabrio style boots. What happens when you remove the third piece? You get a boot resembling lightweight/ski mountaineering boots like the Fischer Travers.
Construction and Features
Dynafit did an excellent job with the Radical's design, which is why it hasn't changed much. The design incorporates forged aluminum, sheet metal steel, and glass-reinforced nylon, resulting in respectable durability.
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All models have a slot for Dynafit or Dynafit-style crampons on the toe piece, two height risers (climbing aides), and a movable heel turret for minor boot sole length (BSL) adjustments. The Speed Radical saves weight by omitting brakes.
Снаряжение для ски-альпинизма от Dynafit
Forward pressure is achieved with a 5.5mm gap, easily set with a hex key, and lacks heel or toe elasticity, making setup straightforward. Vertical and horizontal release are set separately using preload screws in the rear turret. However, the lines can be hard to read, especially with wear.
Skinning
Stepping into the binding is easy thanks to Dynafit's "Step-In Side Towers," which guide your toes into the binding. It works well and is one of the easier bindings to step into.
The risers are incredibly easy to use, even better than the G3 Ion/Zed. A simple flick with your pole basket moves them, which is impressive.
Transitions
To switch to ski mode, spin the turret clockwise and step in. You're supposed to do so clockwise or hold the brake down while spinning counterclockwise, which is hard to do with a pole.
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Just about every other touring binding on the market these days can spin either direction and the binding that this one replaced had a turret that was designed to be operated with a pole.
Switching back to walk mode requires spinning the turret clockwise while holding the brake down. This differs from most other touring bindings, which allow spinning in either direction without extra steps. However, the Speed Radical, lacking a brake, allows spinning in either direction quickly and efficiently with one hand.
The system works, but other brands have made refinements/improvements over the past 12 years that Dynafit lacks.
Downhill Performance
Like transitioning, skiing the Radical works but isn't best in class. Energy transmission through the brake pad into the ski is acceptable on the FT/ST. However, the Speed Radical feels hollow and bouncy because the heel is suspended above the ski by the heel pins.
Retrofitting a stop pad underneath the heel area when not running brakes is possible, but Dynafit doesn't offer this out of the box. The main issue is the lack of heel elasticity.
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Once you reach the end of the 5mm gap when flexing your ski, you feel a hard bottom out, which translates harsh vibrations into your boots, making skiing on firmer conditions more fatiguing. Running out of that 5.5mm heel gap too quickly can cause you to bounce off the end of the turret and prerelease, leading to ski losses.
On firmer snow, I dial back my skiing because the inconsistency while flexing the ski causes prerelease issues. When conditions are soft, you can push it, but dial it down when conditions are firmer.
Lift Service Skiing?
Should you use these touring bindings in the resort? In general, avoid putting a lot of vertical on a touring-specific binding by riding the chair. While the Radical ST family is built robustly, it's still a touring binding, and extra use on your local hill could cause premature failures.
Long-Term Reliability
This binding family shines in reliability. While heavier than modern competitors, it's built like a tank. This is likely due to Dynafit's best-in-the-game 10-year warranty.
I've seen and heard about problems with this binding family, but the number is fairly low considering how many are out there. Spare parts and replacements are easy to find if breakage occurs.
Skimo.co has a great selection of replacement parts for many Dynafit products including the Radical series of bindings.
How it Compares
- ATK Freeraider: Lighter, more consistent release, harder to use risers, slightly easier to transition, skis way better, and uses the same crampon attachment.
- Marker Kingpin: Higher weight, easier to transition, harder to use risers, skis substantially better, and uses the same crampon attachment.
- Dynafit Vertical FT12: About the same weight, same ski performance, much easier to transition, way harder to use risers, much less reliable (these bindings had a reputation for ripping out of wider skis), and uses the same crampon attachment.
- Salomon Shift: Heavier, harder to transition, harder to use the risers, packs with snow easier, skis substantially better, and has a similar crampon attachment.
- G3 Zed: Lighter, easier to set up brakeless, less reliable long-term (more plastic), much easier to transition, skis substantially better, similar ease of use on the risers, much easier to use crampons - albeit with the use of a separate bracket.
- Fritschi Tecton: Has a higher tendency to pack with snow, easier to transition, much harder to use risers, similar weight, skis substantially better, less robust/reliable, and has much easier to use crampons.
The Bottom Line
Would I buy a brand new set of Dynafit Radical bindings at retail or even sale price? Absolutely not. Would I hesitate to buy a used touring setup with Dynafit Radicals installed? No. Touring bindings are more fragile than downhill/resort bindings, but I'd feel most comfortable buying a used pair of Dynafit Radical bindings because they're substantially more robust than others, including the Salomon Shift.
If buying used, look for:
- Cracks, bent components, dirt/grime.
- Sloppiness on the heel turret by rotating back and forth (it should move smoothly but have resistance).
- Substantial resistance locking into position when installing a boot into the toe piece and checking the walk mode.
- No slop when wiggling a boot back and forth in the toe piece with the toe locked out.
- Visually inspect the forward pressure adjustment for stripping.
- Differences in product revisions (there was a recall on earlier Radical bindings).
Lou from WildSnow has a great breakdown of what to look at in the Radical Recall Breakdown.
Binding failure can be fatal, so take this process seriously.
Intro to Tech Bindings
This week I have 2 touring boot reviews, the Salomon MTN Lab and the Atomic Backland. Both these boots are tech binding compatible and in the case of the Backland, tech bindings are your only option, but there is often a lot of confusion around how tech bindings work and also the type of skiing they are good for.
To complicate matters even more there are a new generation of tech bindings offering DIN release values and even in the case of the Marker Kingpin, an alpine style heel, but the fundamental way in which most of these bindings work is very similar and actually quite straight forward.
Once you understand the basic function of a tech binding, it all becomes much easier and that is exactly what I am going to show you in this article. Hopefully by the end you will feel more confident with tech bindings and may even consider trying them out.
I should say firstly, I am in no way an expert on all things touring, so this will not be super in-depth but should hopefully give you the info you need to get started with tech bindings.
History
To understand tech bindings, it helps to understand the reason they were first invented. Traditionally touring bindings were more similar to the frame style we have today such as the Marker duke or Salomon Guardian.
To hold the boot in place, there had to be a plate or frame between the heel and toe of the binding just like the Duke uses. This frame style although functional was not as light as it could be as the frame always adds weight to the overall binding.
What was needed was a way to eliminate the frame and this is what Fritz Barthel along with his father Manfred Barthel, began experimenting with in the early 1980's.
Their concept was to use the boot as the connecting device between the heel and toe of the binding. By eliminating the connecting parts they were able to produce an extremely light weight binding which operated in a very similar way to the current tech bindings.
The Brand
Dynafit had a patent on the tech binding design for years which allowed them to become the market leader in touring bindings. They are still to this day the biggest Brand when it comes to tech bindings but their patent recently expired and this has led to a lot of new tech bindings from brands including G3, Pulm and Fritschi and even some of the bigger alpine brands have tech bindings in development.