Auto reduction in DIN setting on bindings over 50 y/o?

[TimothyD11]

So I went to finally put the bindings on the Atomic Backland FR 109 skis and the technician wanted to make sure that I knew that I had a reduction in the DIN setting because I was over 50 years old. I asked him if I would likely have unwanted and unnecessary ejections because of this and he said that I would. I told him that I obviously did not want that and he recommended I circled and initialed a change on the paperwork from a level 2 skier to a level 3 skier, and that would allow him to set my DIN to 6 instead of 5. I asked them if I would have no problem ejecting if something did happen and it was necessary and he said they would.

I was just a little concerned because I'm not really a level 3 skier.

In depth thoughts on this?

I noticed that most of my other ski building's DIN is set to about 6.5.

Obviously I want to come out if something goes wrong but I don't want to come out over any little thing.

 

[crgildart]

What kind of terrain are you skiing? If you're sticking to nice smooth groomed slopes, not likely to be hitting things that would jar your ski and knock it off. If you're skiing bumps and rutted stuff, terrain with obstacles that cause you to make sudden, jerky adjustments and doing it fairly comfortably then you might be closer to III than II.
My kid's a solid intermediate groomer skier but does like to race NASTAR. I've got him at II. If he skied more bumps and off trail more and did it comfortably I'd bump him up to III

 

[Kneale Brownson]

What kind of binding? I ski Look Pivot 14s and, at age 80, they won't go low enough to meet spec. I ski them at 5.5 and have for years. They usually only come off when I need them to come off.

 

[Philpug]

The settings chart is based on typical bone density and that does deteriorate once we hit 50...or at least almost 50 years ago when the chart was designed. Now, are we in better shape physically better now than then? Some say yes. Some states subscrive to Daylight Savings Time and set the clocks back, you can be like that when you hit 50 or be like Arizona and not. A binding set higher and not coming off is not a problem...until it is a problem. Personally, I am 49 (and 73 months) old.

If you look at the acceptable range of a binding setting, be it a K and L line, there is very little difference in what the binding takes to release properly.

What another skiers setting is has absolutely no relevence of what yours is.

 

[scott43]

Phil has a great answer. Ultimately the shop is covering their ass and doing what is best practice. There is nothing stopping you from adding more DIN yourself. They can't tell if you're going to release early.

 

[PinnacleJim]

My bindings are set with the 1 DIN 50+ age reduction and don't have a pre-release problem. Try it.

 

[Andy Mink]

almost 50 years ago when the chart was designed

Has there been a push to update the chart? Heck, 50, even 40, years ago you had a choice of 1, 2, 3, or 4. I'm sure some grad student somewhere has done bone density studies comparing then to now.

 

[Philpug]

People will get hing up between .5 and even 1 number on their settings. Unless each binding torques at the far end of each sker code, both will be in the acceptable 10% range of the other number. I have heard cases where someone got hurt and said "I usually set my bindings at a 6.5 and these were at a 7 and they didn't release" Well, if it didn't release at the 7, there is more than a 90% chance they would not have been enough force for it to release at the 6.5 either. Bindings still only know the amount of force that is put into them.

 

[Philpug]

Has there been a push to update the chart? Heck, 50, even 40, years ago you had a choice of 1, 2, 3, or 4. I'm sure some grad student somewhere has done bone density studies comparing then to now.

If we could only get some government funding to be able to do that research.

 

[Andy Mink]

Obviously I want to come out if something goes wrong but I don't want to come out over any little thing.

I can tell you that when I thought it was at 7 but really at 5 I could literally walk right out of the heel on a Salomon Warden demo binding.

Anyone else remember checking your bindings by clicking in and swinging the tip into the snow? If it popped off doing that you might need to bump it up a bit. If it didn't pop off your probably hurt your knee. Ah, good times!

 

[cantunamunch]

Anyone else remember checking your bindings by clicking in and swinging the tip into the snow? If it popped off doing that you might need to bump it up a bit. If it didn't pop off your probably hurt your knee. Ah, good times!

You forgot the other part - having someone stand on the tails and doing a toe stand trying to pull out of the heel

 

[Wilhelmson]

Well i weigh 175 - right on the line between two settings so i am grouped with 200 lb people. But 8 works fine for me. Its not exact. Why not go 1/2 between to split the difference?

 

[Philpug]

Well i weigh 175 - right on the line between two settings so i am grouped with 200 lb people. But 8 works fine for me. Its not exact. Why not go 1/2 between to split the difference?

Honestly, that makes sense. I have seen cases where height and weight are two lines different, to your point, why not split the differnce?

 

[Philpug]

Here is the one that gets me.

Skier 1 : 5'6" 125lb Type II 25.5 boot (295mm) 50 years old: 3.5
Skier 2: 5'6" 126lb Type II, 25.5 boot (290mm) 49 years old: 5.5
Re Skier 2, what woman who IS 126lb is NOT going to say she is 125lb? If so, that drops her to a 4.75.

 

[DanoT]

I ski a lot and when I turned 50 I didn't feel enough of a drop off in strength to need to dial back my DIN setting but I certainly did by the time I reached 60. I rate myself a III+ in order to get the desired line on the DIN Chart.

 

[Dakine]

I have been hurt more often with premature releases that failure to release.
Unless you have slowed down, I don't think reducing DIN is a good idea for well conditioned skiers.
I'm soon to be 75 and have not made old age adjustments.
One year I forgot to dial my bindings back up after storage.
Skied all day at 3.5 but I got the shakes when I figured it out.

 

[Dwight]

I love .5 settings. Especially when there is no room between a 6 and 7 to begin with.

 

[Uncle-A]

If we could only get some government funding to be able to do that research.

You have to find someone that is good at writing grants. The government gives away money for just about any research if you have a good grants writer. We must have a member that is good at that stuff and is connected in DC.

 

[cantunamunch]

One year I forgot to dial my bindings back up after storage.
Skied all day at 3.5 but I got the shakes when I figured it out.

I've done that with Look single-pivots and gotten away with it.

 

[Uncle-A]

I've done that with Look single-pivots and gotten away with it.

One of the features that the Look tech rep's use to push was that the binding could be skied at a lower setting than was normal. They claimed it was because Look has a greater amount of elasticity in the toe and would return to center after an impact that would cause other bindings to release.