Meyer Snowboard Bindings - opinions?

Post by **goofyfoot53** » Sunday 6 December 2009, 5:21

I found some Meyer Snowboard Bindings for sale on eBay. I did a search but didn't find much. There were a few articles about Meyer manufacturing releasable bindings along with pro and con articles. I could see that despite any pluses mentioned, hard core snowboarders are against them, citing the possibility that one leg might release, putting excessive strain on the other. The pros countered that as long as they are set to release correctly, this would not happen and went on to point out that snowboarders suffer many lower body injuries, despite claims to the contrary. I could see good points on each side but it was all anecdotal. Neither side offered any real evidence to support their position.

When I looked at the ad again I noticed they were listed as type: releasable, but looking at the photo (shown below), I couldn’t see anything resembling a release mechanism or a way to adjust it, which would obviously be needed. Then I found a patent drawing and realized that the entire plate could sit over a smaller plate with springs positioned radially which put tension on the outer lip of the plate, but I still saw no adjuster. Since they looked just like any other plate bindings, I decided to bid a small amount. I won them for $3.80 + $10.35 shipping. They came in today and I saw that there is a screw at the end to adjust tension and a DIN indicator on top of the plate at the end. It is visible in the pic but not with enough detail to see what it is unless you already knew.

Although the writers promoting the idea of releasables were convinced that a one leg release would never happen, I don’t see how they can absolutely assure that. Therefore, since my purpose for these bindings is to try out carving and see if I like it, couldn’t I set the tension at the highest level so that the only way they could release would be at a force high enough to rip my leg off? Then, for all practical purposes, they would be just like any other plate bindings. Any thoughts?

I almost forgot. The seller lost the screws for attaching the plates to the board. There is one screw but I don't know if it's the right size. Can anyone tell me what size screws to buy?

Post by **István** » Sunday 6 December 2009, 11:03

These bindings look kinda weird... I don't know if anyone here has experience with them....

Screws (binding to board): M6x16 (unless the binding is so high that you need longer ones)

Try here: http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-cap-screws/=4t7shp

Post by **ICERIPPER** » Sunday 6 December 2009, 13:41

Well for Europeen riders these bindings are not release one but more Saffety, as i remenber an article in a "Wind special snowboard - french paper"
I meen that the idea was to make a binding like skis one with DIN protection.
Your right in what this idea as never find agree with riders, was more for mummy & dad when the children want to be a snowboarder, you can do snowboard with meyer binding because they are DIN design .....!
Never see this bindings in France.
The problem is that there is'nt connection between the 2 bindings so if one
is disconnecting by strengh to hight , the other one could stay ok , and the result was the same with standart plate binding, you go to the hospital ....

Meyer was from Austria or Germany don't remenber excatly.

New binding have a design release but it is more for rentall shop you can put more snowboard in a rack without there bindings.

For length screws 5 or 6 mm more than the high of the bindings.

For me it is more a binding to put on an old snowboard for a wallpaper special. I french we call that " collector ".

It is like assymetric board , it was the beegining of our sports !

Great topic

Post by **Silver** » Sunday 6 December 2009, 20:34

Look like old Wombat bindings but are not compatible with 4x4 insert system as they were made for snowboard without inserts.

So ask to a good skiman but i guess any inox srew should be ok.

Silver

Post by **pokkis** » Sunday 6 December 2009, 20:38

My Wombats were for 4*4 on mid 90's.
But luckily i dont need to use thos anymore. I would not either use those Meyers, they are even one class worse than Wombats

Post by **goofyfoot53** » Tuesday 8 December 2009, 11:04

István
Thanks for steering me in the right direction on the screws. I took the board to a hardware store and tried out the M6x16. Due to the small plate with no cant, they were too long but M6x12 seems to be just right. They only had low grade philips and slotted head screws so I am going to an industrial hardware supplier tomorrow to buy grade 8 flat socket cap screws in stainless steel.

The plate which screws onto the board is very small. Since it has no cant, will I be able to learn on these?

I am a bit perturbed at myself for being too anxious in buying both these bindings and the Heavy Tools board. Yesterday a Nidecker 158cm Tracer board with Nidecker bindings sold for $51 + $25 shipping on eBay, which is only about $10 more than my total once I buy the screws. Although I might not have gotten it for that price, I think that combo would have been a better setup for me to learn on. I don’t know anything about Nidecker, but the board is pictured below. Is it any good?

Post by **Schneewurm** » Wednesday 9 December 2009, 11:32

The Nidecker Tracer 158 1998/99 was an excellent freecarving board for a maximum rider confidence on V-turns. But 158 would be much too soft for Your weight (recommendet for 150-200 lbs, Nidecker wrote: for middelwight riders)! Go to the 164 (up to 225 lbs, Nidecker wrote: a stiff board for heavy riders)!
The Nidecker Proline plate bindings have been designed more for carving then for racing, giving comfort and precision. The base allows continous deformation of the board and it was designed for the Tracer board (and Escape/Concept boards).
Under the profile a damping pad is inserted.

- - - -

Incredible how many experts have knowledge about this Meyer bindings!

I rode them some Years (and modified them to Intec, as Intec was available, so they have been probable the first step-in-safety-bindings ever). The people You can see on picture below (center-upperside of scene, it was late afternoon) rode them last weekend. If You can mark on the scene, there are only smooth lines from higher speed ridings and no cracked lines from falling or disconnectings of the bindings.

Yes, this Meyer Safty-Comp MSC-100 are rare now. Anybody who had destroyed once anklejoints by snowboarding want to buy them for to can snowboarding again in his life.

ICERIPPER wrote:you go to the hospital

Once 3 month after a broken bone (from skiing), I was snowboarding again. I loose then control on my board at 80-85 km/h / 50 mph - Meyers disconnected me from the board. So no exessive forces or springboard-effects happens, they let me slide on the surface of snow. I had a shock after that, but nothing else. So my day was clear to do snowboarding for the rest of the day. O.k. 80-85 km/h - 50 mph? don't try to jump at this speed out of a car - You will go to the hospital than!

Meyer's are developed together with Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETHZ, approved by TÜF-GS. The most available stiffnes on plate-bindings. Cantings/shiftings are made by exchange the orange plates below the bails. Bails wouldn't break ever - bindings release before bails are breaking!

Meyer's comes for screwing direct to board and for inserts Burton 3D or 4x4. Price was much higher then Bomber TD-3 now!
Keep care: screws comes with a small and low head, they should be lower then the black plastics.

goofyfoot53, do You have also the huge black plastic disks (sliding-surface under bindings) and the special leash (it could be taken a standart leash, screwed direct with any clamb to the board), whitch should be stick/mounted direct to the board-surface? Beside that, with Your weight You are on the upper end of the scale of releasing force for this bindings. The orange ones are the first series. The grey ones are improved. Keep care: balls and socket of the releasing mechanism shouldn't be rusty, grease it!

That bindings will help to learn riding snowboarding well. They will release if you do some false movements with bad or not needet forces whitch are not in common with smooth snowboarding. Bindings should not be used with soft boards!

(for spare parts contact: Meyer Urs P. - CH-8118 Pfaffhausen - Fax: ++41 44 825 34 14 )