FKS Dilemma

617jibber

617jibber

Active member
So heres the dilemma yall, i found a deal on the fks 180 and i could get them for a buck fifty. The only reason im hesitant to purchase them is the fact that the din starts at 8 and that i would be at the bottom of the bindings din range. I weigh about 160 and am a level 3 plus skiier, so i usually ride with a din of 8.5. So how bad is it to ski with a binding with the din at the lower end of the range. i dont wanna have to worry about the ski not releasing when it should. So is it safe for me to ride this binding if i could get it fro $150?
 
Hmm... That's tough... Having the binding that low in the range will put more strain on the spring. I would suggest just purchasing a binding in your range. I know how hard it is to pass up deals like that though.
 
One of my friends got a pair of 180s from rossi (he's a rider/rep for them, and that's just what they gave him) and he plans on riding them at 8 or 9. You'll be fine, going at the minimum isn't a big deal, it's when you ride like a 12 DIN binding at 12 that you'll have a problem cause you're putting a lot of pressure on the springs. So to answer your question, no, it's not a big deal.
 
I was worried about getting conflicting suggestions. Some of the ski techs that i talked to said go for it, no problem and others advised me to go with something else.
 
There was a thread on this awhile ago - it was fully of conflicting answers. From personal experience, owning 3 pairs of FKS, running them lower in the range has never resulted in a problem. I thought about this long and hard when presented with the opportunity to buy p18s (I'm 5'8, 140 pounds yet ski 193's). After running them for 3 seasons, it has been a great decision.

One would think that if a binding is advertised to perform in a particular range that it would work on any setting. The (limited) literature that comes with them says nothing about running lower dins causing problems with the binding.

The only way to get a straight answer is to call Rossi.

BUT, I don't think the din range matters. It's the lack of vertical release that you should think about. Do you want a binding with no vertical release but provides great ski flex and control through its low profile? If you don't ride hard and are just getting confident I would avoid them - no vertical release and frequent falls is asking for an ACL injury.
 
I say go for it, but why are you riding at eight in the first place, that seems low for your wieght. Yeah yeah I know, go by the charts, but i was the same weight as you last year and rode my 155's at 12 without problems.
 
I don't really understand vertical release. I have never released vertically out of my px 12's. And those are like the only bindings that have it, I know my sth 12's and griffons don't. Hell, I tore my ACL last winter on my sth 12's, would I have been saved on my px 12's? I do not know, but I don't think it would have made too much difference.
 
there's a reason that bindings have the din range they do. most things you hear about not maxing out are myths
 
The "only be in the middle of the range" talk is bullshit!

It's a lot of talk from back in the days when ski binding's were new.

But it doesn't count for all new high-tech bindings out today, I can't figure out why everyone is still talking about it..
 
it's a very rare occurrence that you'd have a totally vertical release. more than likely, you'll still release laterally primarily, but with some degree of vertical rotation, if that makes sense. yeah, the px toe allows 180° of release, but realistically, unless you overshoot and backslap the crap out of a jump, you're not going to use more than 20° on either side more or less. it just makes the release a little less stressful on your knees.
 
The fact that you just said that indicates you aren't ready to ride FKS185s. Find some FKS155s (or the new 14 din ones) and you will be solid.
 
You do realize the FKS design is over 20 years old, right? Your argument is invalid.

Also, to clear things up, riding a metal-housed binding on the lowest setting won't cause any harm. Riding ANY binding on the maximum DIN is dangerous because it pushes the limits of the binding material/construction (metal to a lesser extent than plastic, for obvious reasons).

Also, the DIN range of the binding dictates the overall strength of each DIN setting. In other words, your DIN setting is relevant to the DIN range and binding material/design. DIN settings are NOT universal. It will be harder to release out of an 8/18 DIN binding compared to a 8/15 DIN binding. I can double-eject from a standstill while wearing a properly-adjusted 12 DIN binding on 11. At the same time, I can rag-doll wearing an 18 DIN binding on 9 and not come out.

I can't speak on behalf of the new FKS 145s since they have a plastic toe piece; a huge contributor to the awesomeness of FKS bindings is the simple fact that they are made of METAL while still being incredibly lightweight.
 
The 155 would be best for him , because the toe on the new 14 is the 14 din version of a px12 toe. The px 12 toe has a tendency to twist and break where the spring attaches to the housing on hard landings, and the 155 toe is super bomber.
 
THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

No matter how high I crank PX12s or Griffons (or even Jesters, but that's another thread), they release all the time, which is nice for certain types of riding I guess. But I might release a couple times a season from my PX15s and STH16s from much gnarlier falls, even though I set all my bindings to 11.
 
I know, the FKS155 are the sickest bindings ever made. I'm bummed they new FKS145s have the stupid PX toe piece. Its worthless.
 
^yea ideally i would love to get a pair of 155s but nowadays they are kinda hard to come by. And getting the fks 14s is out of the question, ive had numerous problems with that two piece in the past.
 
As you increase the DIN, the tension on the spring in the binding increases, thereby resulting in a larger force needed to release a boot from the binding. Why would the lowest amount of tension on the spring put MORE strain on the spring?I would take the bindings if I were you.
 
If your skiing at the bottom range of the binding, and the forward pressure and release values are tested, and work... Then there is no problem... You are not stressing the springs, your not going to get any "premature ejections" and you are not putting yourself at greater risk for injury. That being said... MAKE SURE you get a release test. For example... one of the toe pieces on my PX15 bindings has to be set at 9.5, and the other at 10.5, because one spring is weaker/worn out. You should swing by a ski shop with your sticks and get them checked periodically.
 
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