Comments on: Voile introduces the ‘Light Rail’ and ‘Trax’ splitboard bindings http://poormansheli.com/2009/11/23/voile-introduces-the-light-rail-and-trax-splitboard-bindings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=voile-introduces-the-light-rail-and-trax-splitboard-bindings Get off your ass Sat, 19 May 2012 01:19:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Justin http://poormansheli.com/2009/11/23/voile-introduces-the-light-rail-and-trax-splitboard-bindings/comment-page-1/#comment-1781 Justin Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:54:11 +0000 http://poormansheli.com/?p=1297#comment-1781 Damn, THAT bad?? Worse than baseless lowbacks on a 181cm board bad?? Damn, THAT bad?? Worse than baseless lowbacks on a 181cm board bad??

]]> By: matty http://poormansheli.com/2009/11/23/voile-introduces-the-light-rail-and-trax-splitboard-bindings/comment-page-1/#comment-1779 matty Thu, 08 Mar 2012 07:09:16 +0000 http://poormansheli.com/?p=1297#comment-1779 They suck. Was offerd these at a good price with a board and skins so took them. Truly horrible bindings to ride. Not really stiff but not really soft and surfy. No highback rotational adjust means no highback angle compensation for your stance angles. Forward lean adjuster is tough to release. This matters as many need to remove their forawrd lean when skinning. Toe straps are horrible flat things. like something off the cheap rental boards I learned on ten years ago. Quality is appaling. Even with loctite, my Light Rails will vibrate loose pretty much every one of their fixings over the course of a day of riding. My transition time is extended by the need to go over each screw head with a multitool just be sure. I'd been riding for a while and have used a pretty wide range of gear. Splitboard specific or not, these are the worst bindings I've ever owned. Get Sparks. They stay in one piece and feel great both riding and skinning. They suck.
Was offerd these at a good price with a board and skins so took them.
Truly horrible bindings to ride.
Not really stiff but not really soft and surfy.
No highback rotational adjust means no highback angle compensation for your stance angles.
Forward lean adjuster is tough to release. This matters as many need to remove their forawrd lean when skinning.
Toe straps are horrible flat things. like something off the cheap rental boards I learned on ten years ago.

Quality is appaling.
Even with loctite, my Light Rails will vibrate loose pretty much every one of their fixings over the course of a day of riding. My transition time is extended by the need to go over each screw head with a multitool just be sure.

I’d been riding for a while and have used a pretty wide range of gear.
Splitboard specific or not, these are the worst bindings I’ve ever owned.

Get Sparks. They stay in one piece and feel great both riding and skinning.

]]> By: Justin http://poormansheli.com/2009/11/23/voile-introduces-the-light-rail-and-trax-splitboard-bindings/comment-page-1/#comment-499 Justin Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:57:39 +0000 http://poormansheli.com/?p=1297#comment-499 Yeah, my first impression was really 'this looks like some circa-1996 shit', but in the end if it rides good that's all that matters. My guess is the height is similar to the Fuse, it just LOOKS like it's higher because it doesn't have the full baseplate that sits flush against the board. Initial knee-jerk reaction is that the Voile binding won't be as stiff as a result, but I'm not an engineer and realize that's just judging it purely off looks and with no sort of metal engineering design. The modular nature of the rails could be interesting, if you break one you could just replace it as opposed to the entire binding, but I'd imagine stress to that part of the binding under normal use is the exception rather than the rule (and probably usually involve a car or something else to bend 'em). The old slider plates would sometime wear from the pinhole, I guess if the rails are cheaper than new plates you'd save money there. One thing I missed on their site on first glance but just noticed when looking at the prices on these bindings is the dual height climbing wires http://www.voile-usa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1130-56&Category_Code=SB&Product_Count=2 Yeah, my first impression was really ‘this looks like some circa-1996 shit’, but in the end if it rides good that’s all that matters. My guess is the height is similar to the Fuse, it just LOOKS like it’s higher because it doesn’t have the full baseplate that sits flush against the board. Initial knee-jerk reaction is that the Voile binding won’t be as stiff as a result, but I’m not an engineer and realize that’s just judging it purely off looks and with no sort of metal engineering design. The modular nature of the rails could be interesting, if you break one you could just replace it as opposed to the entire binding, but I’d imagine stress to that part of the binding under normal use is the exception rather than the rule (and probably usually involve a car or something else to bend ‘em). The old slider plates would sometime wear from the pinhole, I guess if the rails are cheaper than new plates you’d save money there.

One thing I missed on their site on first glance but just noticed when looking at the prices on these bindings is the dual height climbing wires

http://www.voile-usa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1130-56&Category_Code=SB&Product_Count=2

]]> By: Colin in CA http://poormansheli.com/2009/11/23/voile-introduces-the-light-rail-and-trax-splitboard-bindings/comment-page-1/#comment-498 Colin in CA Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:47:36 +0000 http://poormansheli.com/?p=1297#comment-498 Interesting addition to the market. They don't look as elegant as the Sparks, but who knows. As for the rip straps and liability, as long as they include the usual disclaimer that ships with any kind of glisse equipment, they should be fine. They'd also need to spell out (in big letters) that for the release to work, you must reach down and rip the straps with your hands. For example, BD doesn't guarantee the Avalung is going to save your life. To establish a prima facie negligence claim (or even a claim of strict liability for product liability), the plaintiff would have to adequately allege that Voile's negligence contributed to their injury (highly unlikely), or that the product did not work in the manner advertised or was somehow defective (also unlikely). Suffice to say, I doubt they're worried about it. There might be stupid plaintiff attorneys out there who might file a suit, but it wouldn't get anywhere. Not that I think the rip strap is a bad thing at all, but I would think that one would be first trying to ride out of the slide before trying to get the board off... and then by the time one tried (and failed) to out-ride the slide, one would not have enough time to rip those straps before getting buried. Lots of things to think about in a very small amount of time (out-ride, Avalung in teeth, rip bindings, swim, etc.). Interesting addition to the market. They don’t look as elegant as the Sparks, but who knows.

As for the rip straps and liability, as long as they include the usual disclaimer that ships with any kind of glisse equipment, they should be fine. They’d also need to spell out (in big letters) that for the release to work, you must reach down and rip the straps with your hands. For example, BD doesn’t guarantee the Avalung is going to save your life. To establish a prima facie negligence claim (or even a claim of strict liability for product liability), the plaintiff would have to adequately allege that Voile’s negligence contributed to their injury (highly unlikely), or that the product did not work in the manner advertised or was somehow defective (also unlikely). Suffice to say, I doubt they’re worried about it. There might be stupid plaintiff attorneys out there who might file a suit, but it wouldn’t get anywhere.

Not that I think the rip strap is a bad thing at all, but I would think that one would be first trying to ride out of the slide before trying to get the board off… and then by the time one tried (and failed) to out-ride the slide, one would not have enough time to rip those straps before getting buried. Lots of things to think about in a very small amount of time (out-ride, Avalung in teeth, rip bindings, swim, etc.).

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