| Ranked Posts: 303 |
| Switzerland |
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 #25 Re: Catek freeride pro 25/06/2008 @ 23:04:19 |
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| In reply to post #24 ... |
leeho, looks like you are set to go. (or by now have gone) 
bear in mind when you get going that the stiffness and immediacy of response also comes back to you in twitchy-ness and feeling of bumps, rocks etc.
You have got to ride well to feel comfortable on them. They are made for good carving technique and no lazyness.
You might want your leading toe raised slightly so you can get a lot of pressure onto the rail early, setting you up for a nice chilled carve, using the board flex (compressed against the front toe) to load the board, made easier because you have set her up with pressure.
Just out of interest, of course the things are pretty rigid, my ratchet / buckle went at the end of last season. I system is only as strong as its weakest component. I escaped unscathed with my foot locked in to I had to detach the whole strap. I was carving the fish on hard-pack piste and end of season slush at the bottom. At least the board didn't snap with these crazy Catek power bindings! |
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| Ranked Posts: 39 |
| New Zealand |
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| #24 Re: Catek freeride pro 27/05/2008 @ 11:50:24 |
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| In reply to post #23 ... |
Just received Limited version with Carbon highback.
Impressions:
1) I had to assemble this darn thing!
2) overwhelming amount of customization possible!
Width of toestrap, cant/life setting, etc etc.
I've set front foot 0/0 cant/life, and 3/3 at the back. Sweet.
3) highback is not easy to rotate!
One thing I hated in burton bindings (and loved in Salomon bindings) was the fact that
I had to twist the material to rotate highback.
Well, it's similar; I would have to rotate the highback by twisting heelcup,
and with burly, thick aircraft quality aluminium, not to mention the thickness (2mm), it ain't easy.
I am beginning to suspect that the reason heelcups were fractured was due to strain on material when twisted. I would have preferred to Salomon style highback rotation. I know the rotations are rather limited on those binding, but at least there would be no undue stress on materials.
4) Feels (and weighs) like piece of machinery, not piece of plastic.
I felt like I've bought some part for my car (like some engine part) not some piece of plastic.
All the strategic areas such as baseplate, disc, heelcup etc are completely aluminium, and thus it ain't light. Bombproof, hell yeah. The baseplate does NOT need lifetime warranty, I'm absolutely sure it will outlast me, unless I try to destroy it on purpose or do something extremely, extremely stupid.
5) Carbon highback.
Very rigid, and with anatomical shape I don't feel like I need to rotate highback that much. Also looks cool.
I can see why this is the ultimate bordercross binding due to its ruggedness, rubber dampening, and responsiveness.
I'm not gonna rotate the binding (so that it's not gonna break) and use this binding for freeriding 90/park 10 (well, I think doing 360 on medium-size kickers won't be a problem).
Will post again when I use it for more than 10 days. The mountain will open in 3 weeks in NZ! |
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Dougie da Freestyler/Freerider/Extremecarver
Swoard Extremecarver 168M
Neversummer Titan 156
Salomon Loft 153 |
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| Ranked Posts: 1747 |
| East Sussex |
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| #23 Re: Catek freeride pro 02/04/2008 @ 09:46:00 |
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| In reply to post #22 ... |
| To tie this up, there was good reason for the lack of speedy reply and all is now resolved - new burly mounting blocks are on their way and Catek retake their place on the binding pedestal. |
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| Ranked Posts: 1747 |
| East Sussex |
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| #22 Re: Catek freeride pro 27/03/2008 @ 14:20:34 |
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Bit of a WARNING! for dgiff, Mac and Dennis...
I busted my FR2Pros atop Flaine a couple of weeks ago.
I'd had a really slow speed, inconspicuous fall right before the lift (one of those pathetic, embarrassing ones) and it felt like my boot had twisted in the straps - it's happened before so I hurriedly got up and over to the chair. Only at the top did I realise that the heelcup had totally snapped in 2 places, so the highback was flailing about and the board was ready to drop. 20 minutes of bodging in minus whateveritwas and my base had frozen solid along with my hands. Just about managed to ride back to within 1K of the apartment when the other side snapped, so the whole heelcup and highback were completely independent of the baseplate, save for some string. Queue 10 minutes of heel edging, ouch. Upon closer inspection the rear heelcup is fractured too, though still holding out.
This was on the first day of the holiday, and after only 4 or 5 weeks' riding previously. I contacted Scott at Catek who had previously been great but with no reply for coming up 2 weeks I'm not too happy. Having searched around for 'catek broken heelcup mounting blocks' it turns out it's a design flaw and has happened to a number of other people, Catek sending out replacement solid heelcup mounting blocks to all owners (supposedly).
So, one mark off for the 'World's Best Bindings' - keep an eye on yours, and maybe drop them an e-mail requesting the new parts to be on the safe side.
(I'll get some photos up when I get a chance.) |
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| Ranked Posts: 1747 |
| East Sussex |
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| #21 Re: Catek freeride pro 05/03/2007 @ 14:40:49 |
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| In reply to post #19 ... |
A-fricking-mazing. 
Only got a few runs in on them before the cloud closed in, and besides, the snow is seriously sticky at the moment, but it was enough to know I made the right choice - before the thought of turning even enters your head you've already turned, they're that responsive, and that's at the least responsive setting.
They highlighted some bad technique within one run too - I was turning from the shin rather than the toes.
Simple things like them not getting clogged up with snow just sweeten the deal.
I can see them still taking a good week to get fully used to though. Pleased to know they're perfectly good for relaxed cruising too but they really come into their own when pushed hard.
Hopefully the rain'll hold off and the pistes will be fast first thing tomorrow for a real test.
dgiff, Mac-G and Dennis - what cant and tilt settings do you ride with? I haven't even started playing around with that yet.. |
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| Ranked Posts: 1747 |
| East Sussex |
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| #20 Re: Catek freeride pro 02/03/2007 @ 17:44:36 |
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| In reply to post #19 ... |
I'd have been looking at just under $700 for the Limiteds including shipping and tax, so I settled for the Pros..
If anyone has any highback disguising/customising tips, they'd be appreciated - it's all about the ride but when the rest of the binding looks so good it's a shame to let it down. |
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| Ranked Posts: 24 |
| United States |
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| #19 Re: Catek freeride pro 02/03/2007 @ 17:03:02 |
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| In reply to post #18 ... |
| did you get the fr2 limited ? those come w/carbonfiber nidecker backplate. I have about 15 full days on my fr2's. i have purchased my last set of bindings!! let me know what ya think of em |
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| live4sno |
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| Ranked Posts: 1747 |
| East Sussex |
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| #18 Re: Catek freeride pro 02/03/2007 @ 16:53:21 |
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Just received my FR Pro2s, the experience only soured by the €93 import duty (or some such charge), so they have worked out pretty pricey. It was a case of 'I want them and nothing else will do' though, so it's all good.
First impressions - great, great, great quality, only let down by that crappy looking plastic highback! From the back they may as well be generic rental bindings, but check out the straps and baseplate and you'll soon realise otherwise..
Took a good 2 hours to assemble and there's still a whole lot of adjusting to be done.
Should get their first test ride tomorrow or Monday - I have high hopes |
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| Ranked Posts: 303 |
| Switzerland |
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| #17 Re: Catek freeride pro 24/08/2006 @ 13:43:57 |
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| In reply to post #16 ... |
the cateks are highly adjustable, they come with a couple of different sizes of foot plate. only potential issue is width, heel cup size. i think the best thing is to email the info address at catek or even post on the catek forum. quite good in the past. inc. model / year and boot size and that will hopefully do the trick. i can only comment on the old FR's because i got a pair o'them and the new ones not out.. email catek. they were really good with me..
for me the cateks are like SPD pedals on a bike - once you run them for a while you can't even go to the corner shop without them - now when freeride conditions are normal other bindings just feel crap |
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| Ranked Posts: 24 |
| United States |
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| #16 Re: Catek freeride pro 24/08/2006 @ 13:34:05 |
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| In reply to post #14 ... |
| since your the only person who seems familiar w/catek . would my burton softboots work well? it took me three different pair of boots to find a comfortable pair. I don't want to start that again. |
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| live4sno |
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| Ranked Posts: 303 |
| Switzerland |
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| #15 Re: Catek freeride pro 24/08/2006 @ 11:12:52 |
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| In reply to post #14 ... |
| on cold machined aluminium. ow! write to Jeff Caron! he will sort it for sure! |
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| Ranked Posts: 2574 |
| London |
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| #14 Re: Catek freeride pro 24/08/2006 @ 11:10:37 |
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| In reply to post #13 ... |
| yes and yes... it's a really small thing, the biggest annoyance is that it's a gloves-off job - cold hands!! |
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| Ranked Posts: 303 |
| Switzerland |
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| #13 Re: Catek freeride pro 24/08/2006 @ 10:56:43 |
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| In reply to post #12 ... |
| Did you email Jeff Caron direct. I had some great dialogue with him. I would be anoyed because apart from that small detail you must feel they are close to perfect.. |
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| Ranked Posts: 2574 |
| London |
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| #12 Re: Catek freeride pro 24/08/2006 @ 10:51:22 |
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| In reply to post #11 ... |
Yeah - got all the cant/lift etc sorted out and they are fantastic - don't get me wrong - it just pissed me off freezing cold at the top of a mountaion trying to screw one of those little bolts back in - and yes I tried loctite but that came loose. The prob seems to be that the toe strap is bolted in, rather then a bolt sticking out to thread a nut onto (like the ankle strap). Would be easy to fix as the toes strap bolts into a removeable alu block, which could be rebated from the inside...
anyhow it still annoys me and I've not managed to get Catek to send me any replacement parts... |
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| Ranked Posts: 303 |
| Switzerland |
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| #11 Re: Catek freeride pro 24/08/2006 @ 10:18:03 |
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| In reply to post #10 ... |
| hmm! thats wierd. locktite? Sorted now? Have you ever seen another pair on the mountain or spoken to anyone else with a pair of FR's? I have'nt. Do you ride other bindings too? How much front toe lift do you use? Do you lift the front toe and the rear heel with cant in towards the centre of the board on both feet like me? |
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