The Dynafit Speed Radical is the standard by which touring bindings are measured. Evolved from the tried and true TLT Speed, the binding is designed to be safer, easier to use, and support a wider range of boots sizes and release values. The skiability and precision control of the previous incarnation remain intact. If you are looking for a lightweight binding that gives you more adjustability and riser options than a race binding, the Speed Radical may be for you.
Power Towers on the toe pieces are easier to step into and offer protection from pre-release during a side impact.
Speed Step climbing bars enable you to change riser heights with a flick of a finger or pole, no heel rotation necessary.
Adjustable heel piece (up to 22mm) lets you step in with various size boots or loan them out to a friend with big feet.
Release values adjust between 4 and 10 for both lateral and vertical releases, so you can customize your injury prevention.
Made with forged 7075 aluminum, high-strength plastic, chromoly and stainless steel to ensure your skis stay attached.
Comes with optional leashes so you can make your rig resort legal when accessing the side-country.
Update 2015/16: All Speed Radicals now come with an anti-rotation mechanism that is mounted under the heel to prevent accidentally spinning into ski mode while skinning.
Update 2017/18: An additional refinforcement plate was installed under the heel roof, adding around 15 grams. All of our stock is current with this update.
Update 2018/19: The most popular touring binding dropped a noticeable amount of weight and got a face lift just in time for ski season. The updated aluminum toe piece is 31g lighter and the binding gets updated anodizing and looks really spiffy!
Update 2019/20: What a neat paint job, it's the same great binding just now in Skimo Co blue!
Update 2021/22: Redesigned toe lever and all-aluminum construction on the toe, aluminum plate to replace the plastic on the heel with some cool branding as well. Ended up about 15g lighter.
Hi Adam, there is no brake designed to work with the Speed Radical. You could add a universal brake such as the Kreuzspitze, but it needs to be removed for skinning.
I bought a pair of these to throw on a pair of Atomic Tacoras for summer and early winter skiing. I also have a pair on my Voile V6s. So far I've had the chance to use 'em on perfect corn, slush, avalanche debris, and even some pencil/knife hard couloir snow, and they have kept me securely attached to my skis. No prereleases yet, they drive my old non-rockered skis well, and I think they are a great balance of weight, durability, and features. I also like the added heel anti-rotation stopper. Unless you are doing some regular resort skiing and need brakes, or dropping cliff bands and need some serious retention, look no further.
Comment on this review:
2/18/2017
Question from
Kelly
Do any of the current Dynafit bindings use the 5 hole mount? My 15 year old dynafit bindings are no longer passing safety checks, but I like my skis, wondering if I can just get new bindings that would fit in the same holes or whether I'm stuck looking for new skis too.
Hi Kelly, no current Dynafit bindings have that pattern, but some other brands do, e.g. Plum. You can also plug a couple holes and drill a couple new ones for the latest Dynafits.
Answer this question:
2/10/2017
Question from
Kevin
On a recent multiday tour, both toe piece plastic levers broke. Is there a fix with a more robust part?
Hi Kevin, the stock toe levers are all that's available. They are easily replaceable and that is something Dynafit warranties if there was no abuse.
Answer this question:
12/16/2016
Question from
sarah
Hello, I have the fischer transalp 88 skis and transalp ts lite boots and am looking for a binding for tours and some back country skiing. I am not a racer, so weight is not a huge issue, although light is good.... with that said, would the dynafit speed radical be a good fit? Was also looking at superlight white, but it seems that it's only a half pound of weight shedded and costs $150 more, any other significant differences
Hi Sarah, the Speed Rad would be a decent option for that setup; it's fully featured and reliable. The Superlite would save you some grams at the cost of a fixed vertical release and no BSL adjustment (can't adjust for different boots).
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11/22/2016
Question from
RMC
Is skier weight a consideration with these at all, other than DIN setting? Should heavier skiers move towards the ST/FT? I like the leash concept and weight savings but am concerned with durability, drive-ability, etc.
Hi RMC, there is no published skier weight limit, and the latest iteration seems to be holding up well. The ST/FT 1.0s are the same construction so not any stronger, though the ST/FT 2.0s are noticeably beefed up. You could also check out the G3 ION LT 12 which is a bit beefier yet still light sans brakes.
I paired these with the Movement Sweet Apple skis for my girlfriend. Over two seasons, she has toured on them regularly and used them at the resort maybe 10 times with no issues at all. (She weighs 105 lbs and is not an aggressive skier.) They are not the absolute lightest, but the combination of weight, function and price is hard to beat. Another reason I chose these for her, and not a race binding, is that she needs a very low release setting, and these go down to 4. She skis them on a 4 or 5, and they have released when needed, without pre-releasing. Small people take note. The adjustable heel is also handy for boot changes without remounting, as happened when her F1 Evos were recalled.
I have been on Dynafit bindings since I began skiing a couple years ago. The first set was the Radical ST, so I felt good about changing to the Speed Radical when I got some new skis because I preferred using a leash to brakes when in the backcountry, and the fact that the Radical lets you skin with your boot flat to the ski as well.
A year on, I have been reasonably happy with the Speed Radical bindings. There is nothing that stands out to me as a drawback to them other than the weight (I recently purchased the Superlight 2.0 and that binding has changed my mind about binding weight...).
It seems that the rotation pin has been a problem in the past (I have the 15-16 model), but I haven't had any issues with them. Also, I've had no problems with the 'rotation issue' so far, but have spent more time area skiing this winter because my son has been learning to ski as well.
All in all, it the Speed Radical has been a solid binding for me. I'm certainly interested in the Plum Guide and the G3 Ion, but until I get some new skis, there doesn't seem to be any reason to mess with something that works - which the SR does...
Comment on this review:
2/24/2016
Question from
Scott
What's the difference between the Speed Turn 2.0 and the Speed Radical?
Hi Scott, the Radical risers are little flippers, whereas the Turn heel rotates to change risers. The Radical toes have Power Towers that help with boot entry as well.
Answer this question:
2/16/2015
Question from
Bill
Is this the latest version of the Speed Radicals and NOT the first iteration with the plastic housing?
60+ days on these bindings used with La Sportiva Spitfires.
I like these bindings but have had the same "rotation issue" as most everyone else. I'm getting ready to purchase/add the Maruelli fix to them to help (and cut weight to boot). I am a larger guy with relatively flexible boots who likes to use the heel risers. I find that the 1st riser position causes the rotation most often (far too often, especially on side hill skinning) but it is very rare to have a rotation in the 2nd/top riser position ... so i often skip the 1st.
http://skimo.co/maruelli-binding-parts
With all that being said: I've had no other mechanical issues with them, love the light weight, like not having a ski break, have used them with the Dynafit Ski Crampon (works great), have had them release when needed but never when unwanted. Personally, i like having the 3 heel positions and use all 3 regularly.
Side note: ski leashes. I use the Dynafit leash and attach it to my boot with medium strength zip-ties. The rational is it would likely break if caught in an avalanche but not a normal wreck or accidental release. No problems with this system so far.
These are fantastic bindings. I upgraded from the Radical ST and have no regrets so far going with these over the brakes. Simple, light, and fully adjustable for both release values and BSL. While so far I have been too paranoid to go without leashes (B&D), this is the norm for Skimo racing. I guess if you're inbounds and not in deep powder, you stand a chance of getting the ski back -- though the number of pieces you'll get may vary. ;)
These bindings offer simplicity. Super easy to change heal height on the fly. Easy to adjust DIN setting. Great adjustability if you use multiple pairs of boots. Easy to get in and out of the radical toe. Which makes this a great first tech binding for anyone.
Only negative is that sometimes the binding will spin while skinning on hard surface or setting skin track in deep snow. This causes the ski boot to lock into ski mode.
Bottom Line-I have these bindings on all pairs of my skis and would recommend them to anyone.
Excellent balance of weight, function, and price. If you're just looking for a light weight touring binding (not for racing), this is all you need. I doubt I will ever shell out the extra cash for a pricier binding for general purpose ski touring.
This is my first tech binding coming from Fritschis and I like how these ski much better, having your feet so close to the ski. The heel risers are a breeze to operate and they have held up fine despite me weighing 195 pounds and sometimes carrying a backpack up to 40 pounds.
I have the same rotation problem as others describe, with the heel unit sometimes rotating into ski mode while touring. It doesn't happen that often though.
I think the stock leashes are pretty sketchy as I don't want the skis flying around my body and hitting me in the face if I crash. I use the B&D coiled stretch leashes with the breakaway tab in case of avalanche etc. and they work great.
Comment on this review:
2/25/2014
Question from
Kjetil
Is the holepattern the same for Speed Radical and Radical ST/FT?
Hi Kjetil, yes the hole pattern is the same in the toes and heels for all the Radical bindings. Note the ST/FT come with longer toe screws than the Speed since they are mounted with a plate underneath.
Awesome binding! Weight and performance seem to be pretty ideal at a reasonable price for a tech binding. I love the new heel riser (despite some early breakages) the wide boot adjustment range (way better than the classics) and the toe piece is an impressive upgrade from classic and verticals.
My only complaint is the ramp angle. I have grown accustomed to race binding's low ramp angle and now find that i am leaning heavily over the tips....this puts a little more strain on the quads and lower muscles then what i am used to....Simply adding a plate under the toe piece should fix the issue but i hate to add weight and mess with such a simple and good binding...oh well.
Wildsnow has some great recomendations for modifying the ramp angle if you experience the same thing.
So far they've been working great this season. First Dynafit setup having come off of Fritschis. Needless to say, the weight savings is fantastic. Still not confident enough yet to go for an aluminum binding; with the abuse I put on gear, and the amount of time I like them to last, steel is the way to go for me. I also find myself on some steep up-tracks, so higher lift options are a must. Easy to get into, easy to flip the elevation lifters. Downhill performance is actually not that much worse than the Fritschis for b/c skiing, and 10 is as high as I need my bindings to go. Highly recommended.
I am not a fan of brakes on touring bindings and these bindings are so good in so many ways. If you have the money you can save some weight, but these bindings come real close and they have been just as tough as my long wearing vertical ST.
Auto rotation sucks! I sheared the original pin and the first set of replacements they sent. The last pair has held. But just having this occur on all of my Dynafit bindings (except my FT-12's) has helped me move onto race styles bindings (lighter and no heel rotation to rotate). I've had a variation of this binding on several different skis over the last 15 years, and while they do what they do extremely well, I think it's worth the increased money and decreased options to pick up a race binding. That having been said, they are way better than any non-tech binding.