Tele boot suggestions

Thanks Joe -- your assessment of the touring is what I was most concerned about with NTN. I'm still holding out for a lighter weight, greater tour-range option for now, I guess. Maybe I can demo some this year.

Hey Joe, any comments on the release settings?  Did that seem to work correctly?  And do I understand correctly that you have yours set up with the "frankentele" option of dyna fit and free heel?

Mike and Brenda - how does Brenda like them now that she's toured with them? 

Thanks for the reviews.

Mike and Brenda - how does Brenda like them now that she's toured with them? 

I had my doubts as to whether she'd like them, but after three tours, I don't hear her wanting her old gear back. She seems genuinely excited about the system. Never having to bend down for anything, except when you need to put the skins on, is a much bigger deal than I could have ever imagined. Raising and lowering the heel piece, transition to and from tour mode, step in. Everything is so easy. I'm not sure I completely agree with Joe's assessment of the tour mode. I know it doesn't have the greatest range, but it's enough. And any spring tension in tour mode, I can barely feel it. My main complaint is weight, but it's not much worse than some other tele binding/boot combos. In fact, compared to my old T1s my TX pros are close to 1.5 lbs lighter. So it's really a wash. Release function could be more reliable, as it's based on spring tension. We're using softer springs at moderate settings so I feel a bit better about it. The only real problem I've had is at the resort on firm snow they make me ski way too fast.

^^^^^^
Like Mike says-Getting into and out of a NTN tele binding has never been easier. So simple!
Mike, Do you think that since your using a softer spring that the tension is decreased in the tour mode, possibly making it less of a chore than my wound up blue springs? Because even though the tour mode is pulled up, the spring is still active the real difference is that the plate that touches the very tip of the toes on the boot now is active to rotate with the entire plate.
I compare my touring mechanisms available to me, and the NTN in my spring tension is marginally enough to make the tour mode worth it, compared to the o1, Switchback or Dynafit it's not even a contest on what is simpler to use in a tour mode.
I have read that getting a spring higher than what you need set to lower setting is better than getting the spring that fits your coefficient and cranking them up. In general, our users agree that the binding skis better with stiffer springs set with a low preload, than with softer springs at a high preload. Here is a link to that info .
I did go out and do some test runs at lunch today. I adjusted the boots back on the skis so the boot was 1cm back of mid boot and they skied much better today. Still a little quirky at times and may take a little getting used to the transition timing so my hand does not come around to far on a few turns, but nothing like yesterdays runs.

Hey Joe, any comments on the release settings?  Did that seem to work correctly?  And do I understand correctly that you have yours set up with the "frankentele" option of dyna fit and free heel?

I have not tested the release features yet on the hill, since I have not taken the egg beater fall yet. Just a lot of three point, outrigger turns or knuckle in the snow pivots. I want to test them but don't want to torque my knee trying to knock them off.
I do notice that my trailing ski occasionally hits the ski brake in transition, throwing me off a little bit.
I don't have the Frankentele set up on these. I am just crossing the Scarpa Tx-Pro to my Dynafit touring skis. There is a toe shim that comes with the boots that you can put where the crampon goes on the Dynafit toe slot. It's effective, but there is a lot of forward lean due to the ramp angle being to much in that set up.

Mike, Do you think that since your using a softer spring that the tension is decreased in the tour mode, possibly making it less of a chore than my wound up blue springs? I compare my touring mechanisms available to me, and the NTN in my spring tension is marginally enough to make the tour mode worth it, compared to the o1, Switchback or Dynafit it's not even a contest on what is simpler to use in a tour mode.

I don't think so. I've toured with the blue springs and it's the same with them in tour mode. To me it feels like zero resistance in tour mode. I'm no expert, but I don't think the springs engage much in tour mode, since the toe stop being dropped doesn't force the flexing of the sole which stretches the cable in ski mode. When you say "marginally enough", what are you comparing to? NTN in ski mode? I can barely raise my heel in ski mode. I don't have a lot of experience with the other bindings, and none with dynafit, but I'm told they have greater range of motion.

When I say marginally enough. I mean that it just does enough to make it tolerable in tour mode. A clean kick turn is pretty important to me especially on a steep exposure. I don't get that with the NTN.
To me it feels like touring in a o2 binding where there is a lot of resistance. I respect your experience as a tourer, but there is just way to much resistance for me to consider it a go to for a big day.