Catek OS2 Step-in toe-bail & Raichle boots - some issues

[kumimajava]

towards the end of the season I finally received the Intec receivers for my Raichle boots - but only got around to trying them on the boots recently.

I seem to have a problem with the Catek OS2 toe-bails: they do not conform to the toe-piece of the boot. It looks like the boot is too wide & catches on the shoulder of the toe-bail, so the toe-bail itself is not snug against the "toe" of the boot, but a few millimetres off of it. That is, it rests close to the edge of the toe-piece (ledge?), but not snug with the toe of the boot itself (will post a picture a bit later - don't have a camera on me right now). Basically, it looks like it might just slip off under pressure.

If I "lift" the boot a bit (3 mm) off the front block, the bail pivots a bit & becomes snug to the toe. The TD2 don't have this problem.

Does any of you guys use the OS2 with Raichle boots - and if so, have you found this same problem (and/or a solution)?

thanks in advance,
Daniel

[Boarder_Ted]

Hey Daniel. Sounds to me like you don't have your bindings set tight enough. I have the same Catek step-in with Raichle boots and the fit is just fine. If you could post a photo, it would help determine exactly what's going on. Til then, try moving your heel or toe block closer and see if that helps. The screw holes are kind of "oval" to allow for fine tuning.

[kumimajava]

will post a photo as soon as i can.

i have tried setting the bindings "tighter" - but in that case the Intec pin in the heel does not engage.

[kumimajava]

I did manage to find a camera after all - pics are below.

You'll see in these pics that to get the toebail to get closer to the toe of the boot, it needs to be lifted a few mm off the "base block".

The problem seems to be that the Raichle shell is a bit too wide & the toebail shoulders contact that before they latch onto the toe-ledge.

In both cases, the Intec pin is engaged in the very "rear" portion of the heel-block hole - so there is pressure pusing on it. If i bring the toe-bail any closer, the Intec pin will not engage.

[ursle]

looks like a heel bail to me:cool:

[kumimajava]

thanks for the response, ursle - but it's not a heel-bail.

I had these as "standard" bindings first & then "converted" them to step-ins (different toe-bail + intec heel receiver). I compared these bails to the heel-bail i used (when the binding was previously used), and they are different.

[swt]

thanks for the response, ursle - but it's not a heel-bail.

Daniel:

Ursle has it right -- that's a heel bail. The profile on a Step-In toe bail is very different, and the overall height is several mm shorter. You have a heel bail installed.

Please feel free to contact me (scott_at_catek_dot_com) and we'll get you set up with proper bails.

Cheers,
SWT

[kumimajava]

Thanks for the confirmation Scott - will email you asap.

and thanks to ursle too, for pointing out the problem. you were obviously right :) , though I assumed I was using the correct bail, since it was a bit different from the previous heel-bail.

Best wishes,
Daniel