How to adjust ski bindings
If you’ve got new skis or you're just hitting natural progression goals, dialling in your setup and learning how to adjust your ski bindings is super important to stay safe on the mountain.
When it comes to getting your ski set upright, you’ll need to start thinking about adjusting your ski bindings. After you’ve got them mounted, adjusting your bindings’ DIN Settings is an important step to ensuring safety on the mountain. Depending on the terrain and your level of riding, a correctly set DIN Setting can prevent serious injury, protecting your knees and other joints and bones in the event of an accident or crash. So, listen up, because this is important!
Table of contents
Finding the right balance in your ski gear
Achieving harmony in your ski setup doesn't end with adjusting the bindings. It's also a matter of finding the perfect blend of comfort and safety in your choice of winter sportswear. Indeed, discerning selection of essential ski gear such as the men's ski bibs and the ladies ski pants endorse, could significantly enhance your experience on the slopes. These items offer an ideal fusion of warmth, flexibility and agility – all crucial components for an unforgettable day on the mountain. Take a glance at Ridestore's latest collection and strike the right balance with high-performance men's ski bibs and women's ski pants.
Why adjust your ski bindings?
Ski binding or DIN adjustment is how tough your ski bindings are in relation to a crash or impact. Put simply; it’s the amount of force required during a rotational, torsional, or vertical impact or stress required to separate the ski boot from the bindings.
Just like with your ski jackets and ski pants, it's important to strike the right balance. If your bindings are too loose, your boot will separate before it is supposed to, which will ensure a crash or fall. On the other hand, if your ski bindings are too tight, then they won’t separate, which will likely damage your ankles, shins, knees, hips, and pretty much everything else! As such, getting that DIN setting correct is paramount for performance and to prevent injury.
DIN settings: How do they work?
DIN settings are generally factored in two ways. First, the Tibia method is used in Germany and is done by an expert measuring the width of the tibial plateau at the knee. This is pretty involved and precise, so most shops worldwide use the bodyweight method. This was developed in Switzerland and the US and used crash and injury data to calculate the safe DIN setting for your height, weight, ski boot size, and age and ability level.
Your DIN setting will be a value that you’ll need to adjust your bindings to, and this should be correct and provide ample support with the right level of safety, too. We’re looking for that magic setting that keeps you secure on your skis, but releases just before you break something!
Calculating your DIN settings
Calculating your DIN settings requires you to know some details about yourself and your equipment — and to be honest about your level as a skier!
First, look for your weight and height (or the best fit) down the left-hand side of the charts below, based on your gender. Then, go across to the correct sole length bracket. This is your base DIN setting.
On the skier profile table, scan down the left-hand columns to match up your ability level, and then go across the row to match that to your age. This will give you your DIN setting adjustment — up or down or staying with the original setting from the top two tables.
Ski levels are considered as;
- Type 1: Beginners or cautious skiers who ski predominantly on even, predictable slopes with mild gradients and at slow to medium speeds
- Type 2: Intermediate skiers who ski mostly on even or relatively even slopes that may feature steep gradients and who ski at medium to higher speeds
- Type 3: Experienced skiers who ski steep slopes, unpredictable or variable terrain, with confidence and speed, and those who apply pressure to their edges in an aggressive manner
DIN settings table men
DIN settings table women
DIN settings based on age and ability
The below table is known as the ski profile table and is used to fine-tune your DIN setting based on your age and ability level.
If you find these tables confusing to navigate, there are luckly also online calculators that you can use to help calculate your DIN settings.
Adjusting you ski bindings at home
After your initial ski binding set up, clip your boots into the bindings. If they don’t fit, check the length of your boot, and then adjust the toe binding with a screwdriver to be either larger or smaller until you have the perfect fit.
You may also adjust the heel binding by loosening the screw and moving the rear receiver forward or back until you find a secure fit. Then, tighten the binding. But, again, this may need some fiddling with. And remember to do the same for both skis!
To adjust the DIN setting, check your bindings, where you’ll find a series of numbers on the heel and toe pieces. This is your DIN setting and will need to be adjusted to the figure you got from the tables above. Once done, double and triple-check everything is calibrated correctly.
Safety notes and recommendations
Incorrectly mounted bindings, incorrectly sized bindings, and incorrectly adjusted DIN settings will likely cause injury on the slopes. If you buy skis new from a shop, then ensure that they set up your bindings with the boots you’ll be skiing in, and remember to ask them about the DIN adjustment. We’ve heard too many horror stories of this being overlooked!
If you’re renting a pair of skis, ensure you ask about the DIN setting, too, and have it adjusted to your specific measurements. Likewise, if you’re buying used skis, make sure to re-adjust them to your measurements, boots, and necessary DIN settings to avoid injury.
Never size your bindings and adjust your DIN to someone else's equipment or preference. Using the same size boots from different manufacturers may not give precise adjustments or good performance on the mountain.
FAQ's
How often should I adjust my ski bindings?
Ski bindings should be checked and potentially adjusted at the beginning of each season, or if you change your ski boots. They may also need adjustment if there is a significant change in your weight or skiing ability.
Can wearing the wrong size ski boot affect my bindings?
Yes, using an inappropriate size ski boot can impact the effectiveness of your bindings as the release mechanisms are connected to the boot's size. Always ensure you have the correct size ski boots and that they are compatible with your bindings.
Conclusion
Okay, so that about sums it up! We can’t stress enough how important the above information is. Make sure you adjust your bindings and DIN setting correctly, as this will help you ski — and crash — injury free! A few minutes to check these settings can save you months of rehab time. And remember, one accident is one too many. So stay safe out there, ski within your limits, and have fun. Winter is coming, after all!
Related Reading: