TTS updates? Field tests, advice...

I though I would add a bit more info here on my first weekend with Freedom since Dan (danpeck) asked me.

First my background on skiing is that I'm one of those pinheads from 80s who struggled with skinny skis and leather boots.  Many fun days were spent on Karhu comps and Merrel low-cut boots. Basically this has resulted in my preference on lighter gears, less "active" bindings, and softer lighter boots. I ski mostly backcountry and occasional lifts. Nothing radical, more exploring types with some ski potential.  I feel pretty competent in handling various snow types we have here in the cascades.

Ok, enough about me. On the first day at Baker I skied the Freedom on Vector with three-buckle Scarpa TX. The slope was mostly crusty from rain form prev days with some new mixed. The skis chattered fair amount but the binding hold them solid. A kind of condition, it's nice to have NTN.  More damp skis would have been nicer...  Can't tell any difference from Freeride unless I had them to switch, but certainly made fun skiing.

On Sunday, they were definitely easier to tour "Freedom" after all as I mentioned earlier:

One other thing to mention is that this was my first weekend trying NTN Freedom bindings.  On the lifts Sat, they were just like the Freeride (for my style anyway), but much better for touring due to lighter weight and more ROM (especially w/ high-heels).  However, it did ice up in front of the toe cups needing to chip it away when transitioning from warm south side to cold North side.  Nothing a duct tape can't fix, the aluminum is more prone to icing than SS.  Overall i definitely like the new design, done w/ the old one. More reports on this coming later in the season.

Looking at the binding a small patch of duct tape on a small exposed Al surface in front of the toecup may be sufficient to keep snow freezing up.  Experienced no under-binding snow build up so far on the warmer south side.  Keep fingers crossed.

The Freedom design is far professional. A little like using a fine camera or a nice bike; all the parts are put together tightly w/o excesses. I'm sure they will have some issues, but nothing strikes me wrong at the start.

Oh, one thing I had trouble with is the screws.  I'm using pan-head M5 screws on inserts since the binding has flat base holes.  Instead of lock-tight, I used split-spring washers, but they got loose after a day of lift skiing!  I tighten them with whatever we had, though not quite tight.  They held ok for Sunday, but were a little loose again when i checked at home.  So put some care whatever you end up using, you should certainly epoxy them if not using inserts.

If I'm buying a new NTN this year, I'd definitely get Freedom.  Freeride looks like a prototype to me.  But then I'm not much of a lift skier....

Wow, I need to come over to Random Tracks more often. This is a debate that's been raging in my mind fiercely for the past 3 months. TTS or Freedom? The problem is, as others have noted, that I can't really do a side by side demo. A likely path for me is to do as others, get both. Freedom for the more aggressive resort days, and TTS for the more backcountry, light and fast days.

We need a light at fast tele boot. The F1 works with TTS, but is now discontinued. I fortunately bought the last pair of 26.5 mondo from Scarpa USA's website. Act fast... the F1 is going away and is replaced by the Alien (no flexible bellows), and it is on sale for about $380. So I suppose I've already committed myself to the TTS.

If and when I get the Freedom, I've been considering the TX Pro boot due to it's tech fittings. It is heavier than the F1, but the F1 won't work with NTN I believe.

The next question in my mind is what skis to mount with what? I have a very nice pair of custom skis in the works with Kam and the ski lab. From all you who've been mounting your own skis for a while... how difficult is it to switch out to a different binding once you've already drilled your skis? In this case, would there be any negative effects to the ski in switching between the NTN and TTS?

It sounds like both bindings are good choices. In which case the lighter weight the better--so I lean TTS. But then I worry that perhaps it's a little bit pieced together.

The releasability and lack of the duck bill will be great.

I'll be upgrading from O1's and AXL's--BD Push and Custom boots.

Maybe we should have our own "demo day" or at least we all ski together somewhere and discuss the pros and cons and can see one another's "style" etc. It could be epic.

Getting skis from Kam? Awesome -- I love mine . He puts together a great ski.

I currently have the TTS on those, but found a deal on a pair of Freedoms that I can't pass up, so I'll have both soon. Given the predictable, easy release of the NTN, I'm hoping they'll work well for me for a winter touring ski, in which case I'll save the TTS for a spring/summer setup. We'll see.

I'd be happy to get together for a demo day of some kind in the next month, if folks are interested. I'll have a ski with Freedom (size small) and a ski with TTS. My boots are the Tx, size 25.5.

As far as switching bindings/skis, it's pretty easy if you do the upfront work and put inserts into the skis. You could also work with Kam (if it's not too far gone yet) to build inserts into your custom setup - that's what he did for me.

Advantages of Freedom over the TTS - easy step-in, brakes, more predictable release, easy switch between tour-turn; maybe a more forgiving, less fiddly binding to get used to. TTS wins on weight, ease of touring and super-mega-active-power, if that's what you want. TTS needs longer travel springs, which are in the works -- it's pretty easy to bottom out the springs if you try to, or if you ski low...

Getting skis from Kam?  Awesome -- I love mine .  He puts together a great ski.

I currently have the TTS on those, but found a deal on a pair of Freedoms that I can't pass up, so I'll have both soon.  Given the predictable, easy release of the NTN, I'm hoping they'll work well for me for a winter touring ski, in which case I'll save the TTS for a spring/summer setup.  We'll see.

I'd be happy to get together for a demo day of some kind in the next month, if folks are interested.  I'll have a ski with Freedom (size small) and a ski with TTS.  My boots are the Tx, size 25.5.

As far as switching bindings/skis, it's pretty easy if you do the upfront work and put inserts into the skis.  You could also work with Kam (if it's not too far gone yet) to build inserts into your custom setup - that's what he did for me.

Advantages of Freedom over the TTS - easy step-in, brakes, more predictable release, easy switch between tour-turn; maybe a more forgiving, less fiddly binding to get used to.  TTS wins on weight, ease of touring and super-mega-active-power, if that's what you want.  TTS needs longer travel springs, which are in the works -- it's pretty easy to bottom out the springs if you try to, or if you ski low...

Yes... Kam is the master-craftsman here. Can't wait to get them, but he is still working on them so I might be able to make the tweaks I need. Below is what they look like.

So are you saying that I could possibly put inserts in for both the TTS and Freedom? I'm not familiar with the patterns enough to know whether that might work. As we discussed inserts I was not at a decision yet so we decided, for now, to go without inserts.

I like your idea of using TTS for a spring set up. I'm very curious about the super active feeling. I like active boots and bindings, so I may be quite happy there.

I'll be up at Crystal tomorrow (12/3) if anyone wants to join me!

Nice design - love the red!

I haven't seen the Freedom pattern, but you can probably tweak the TTS mount somewhat to fit it, at least for the rear cable blocks. You could always do it with QuiverKiller inserts after you get the skis, if you're not sure about putting that many holes in the new setup -- Kam and I went back and forth on it and I signed off on the "swiss cheese" risk release form... No problems so far.

That said, I have a spring ski that the TTS will probably just live on and a separate pair of the Kam skis that I'll probably mount with the Freedoms.

The Phantoms are very cool... and I like your decision to give yourself a reminder of how real the mountains are.

I'm edging towards your philosophy here, at least for now. These skis would be my winter ski. More likely dealing with slides and the desire to release. I'd want something more predictably releasable and the freedom isn't heavier than what I'm on now.

Didn't you have an NTN binding in the phantom slide? It seems that someone did and they were glad for the release.

TTS will be the spring and multi day traverse binding perhaps.