Fritschi Diamir Freeride Alpine Touring Binding

Fritschi Freeride Alpine Touring Bindings have revolutionized the way we look at AT rigs. With a DIN of 12, brand new Teflon anti-friction plate and a redesigned heelpiece for this season, the Freeride continues to dominate the backcountry. Want to huck that cliff band? No problem. Throw 720's off a wind lip? Go ahead. With a beefy design and DIN setting of 12, versus 10 on the Titanal III, this binding can take the abuse of big mountain free skiing. The Freeride weighs slightly more than the Titanal III, but it's worth it for those who value their downhill experience. This binding comes with wide brakes that fit 73-94mm skis. Extra wide brakes (94-106mm) available upon request, customer service would love to help you out. Sizes: Short—Boot sole length 245-300 mm, Medium—Boot sole length 280-335 mm, Extra Long—Boot sole length 325-365 mm. **Available for US shipment only.

On Sale
~~$334.95~~ $267.96

Easy To Use
I just returned from a 3 day 10th Mountain Backcountry Hut trip w/ these bindings. They were very easy to use and I liked the different heel settings for climbing. They seem very sturdy and I plan to use them both in the backcountry and at the ski resorts.

Good and bad
Excellent backcountry binding and climbs well but despite the seductive advertising expect plenty of lateral twist when skiing at high speed or on hard pack. This seems to be due to the heel not locking down firmly enough and despite the weight penalty. They are also suprisingly fragile when struck in an abnormal way, such as tumbling onto rocks.

broken leg
I just broke my leg on these suckers. The heel didn't release, so obviously I'm not pleased. Also, on the leg that didn't break, I had the same problem as Gavin, the heel released into touring mode, instead of popping out all the way.

Surprising
Ok, so some people will break a leg no matter what they're skiing on, but these Freerides are pretty amazing. DIN of 12, functional adjustments, very robust for NORMAL use (not including jumping 20 foot cliffs onto rocks)... So they could be a bit lighter and stiffer for AT bindings, so I'll take a star off for that, but they're a big step forward. Bottom line, they do the job, and well !

Dual Purpose Binding
I purchased the bindings to use on Pocket Rocket skis. I wanted to ski both powder runs on the ski mountain and also use the bindings and skis in the backcountry. Both have worked out well. We had 23 inches of new snow in Aspen recently and the skis and bindings worked wonderfully. I also just returned from a backcountry tour and the skis and bindings again worked perfectly. Skinning up a trail is a piece of cake with the binding's rear adjustments.

Training Tips

Low weight, high rep circuit training combines the best of both worlds: aerobic and anaerobic training. Keeping the rest time in between high repeats low excercises like bench press, leg presses, inclined sit-ups, and upright rows is the key to maximum benefits.

As a long distance runner, a gradual increase in distance each week will allow you to build a solid areobic base. Distance increase should be no more than 10% of the previous week's distance.

When buying a new pair of running shoes, bring your old ones with you. You will get a better fit if you know if you supinate or pronate.

Heart monitors are useful for knowing when you are in the right zone for your training efforts. If you understand what your maximum heart rate is, you can set up your monitor to beep at you when you exceed the high or low range of your heart rate for the type of workout you are doing.