Genuine Guide Gear

Having just returned from skiing two weeks in Portillo, Chile and Las Lenas, Argentina.... I can objectively rate the new ONYX binding as truly "Genuine Guide Gear"! I am an IFMGA certified mountain guide and own Aspen Expeditions in Aspen Colorado. My professional experience and standards are as demanding as anyone in the business of backcountry adventure skiing. The ONYX has achieved a status and niche that all consumers should seriously consider in either purchasing their first AT setup or upgrading their existing one. Consistent with the G3 product line, the ONYX is this Guide's professional choice!

I agree, Onyx rocks. Sounds like I was following dickjackson in his footsteps, I was aslo in LL, Portillo and El Colorado last 2 weeks. Had some sweet touring days on the Onyx and skied them pretty hard.

Good fit for aggressive backcountry skiing and touring.

Awesome to see a new AT binding on the market.

What is the status of the brake?

So what exactly is the advantage over dynafit? All I can see is it's heavier.

Thanks for your inquiry. The ONYX offers unsurpassed usability as well as a reliable and high performing downhill and uphill experience seperating it from other tech bindings currently on the market. The Usability of the ONYX is highlighted in the ability to switch from ski to tour mode and back again without having to release your boot from the binding. This makes for very quick transitions while always having the stability of your skis underfoot. The high and the Low heel lift are also very reliable and do not collapse while also being super easy to stow and deploy. Another key feature is a high level of retention in the toe piece that prevents unwanted prelease and offers a new level of confidence when compared to other tech systems. And finally, the ONYX mounting plate system offers the ability to easily slide the binding from one pair of skis to another, as well as makes for easy transport of skis. Yes, there is a small increase in weight (know that we weigh our bindings as pairs and include all screw weights unlike many manufacturers), however we feel the added usability and performance makes up for this.

The ONYX brake will be available end of October 2009 at G3 retail locations.

Is an additional shim required to use a bellowed boot with the binding?

You will need a small additional shim to use a bellowed boot with the Onyx, as you do with other tech bindings . We are currently working on a shim for bellowed boots and it will be available mid winter.

In the video it is stated that this binding allows you to switch between ski and tour mode with out removing your boot from the binding. Why is this so important, I still have to remove my ski to put on skins. Granted you can remove the skins without taking off the ski, and to see a woman do this is one of the sexiest things I've ever witnessed.

will you be offering different brake sizes, and what will your largest brake size be? this has been a hold-up, in my opinion, with other tech binding companies for sure. people are pushing further into the back country on big skis (ie 120mm+ at the waist), but the lack of light weight touring bindings with large brakes has been slow to follow. this feature would certainly separate your binding that much more from your biggest rival...

yes, we are currently offering 3 different sizes in brakes - 85mm, 95mm 110mm. please visit ONYX accessories under the gear tab for details. The brake is easily added to any ONYX binding and does not interfere with the performance of the binding at all. The brake also is intelligent in that it remains deployed during step-in in both tour and ski mode to assist in making the step-in process easier. The brake will be available at G3 retail locations in mid October.

Keeping the ski on during a transition from ski mode to tour mode can be pretty important.

Undulating terrain, such as skiing out down a valley after some alpine pow is a good example, and in this situation you may find yourself wanting to switch from ski to tour mode without doing a full transition to skins.

Also there will be times when you are high up in alpine, say on a steep glaciated slope, where you need to transition from ski to tour (or vice versa) but really don't want to be taking your skis off...

The Onyx is the only tech binding on the market that is able to be changed from tour to ski mode and back again without the user needing to step out of the binding.

In terms of taking removing your ski to put on your skins - try doing it without taking the skis off! It is a great rando technique to know and can save you lots of time, as well as getting you first turns off the top of the skin track while your buddies are standing in waist deep powder out of their skis.

Are extra binding plates currently available? If not, when? If so, how much?

They are available and you can purchase them through any G3 authorize dealer. for more information on pricing please contact service@genuineguidegear.com.

Is the release mechanism more effective than traditional tech bindings (particularly in the toe)?

The toe piece of the ONYX binding is designed so that it wants to be in a closed position rather than in an open position like other tech bindings. This means that it can be used for downhill skiing in without the toepiece being in the locked position.

That said, all the adjustable releasability of of a tech binding (the DIN settings) are contained within the heel piece.

I'm assuming all Dynafit compatible boots will work with the ONYX?

All boots that have tech inserts near the toe will work with the ONYX. So if a boot is 'dynafit compatible' it is is also compatible with the ONYX.

I have Scarpa Spirit 4 boots, with the pin inserts further back in the toe. This is apparantly problematic with large size boots in the Dynafit toe, the boots need to be shaved for a full pivot. Would this be an issue with the Onyx?

Spirit 4 boots okay , but...
I went to the store and tried the bindings with my boots and they seem to fit and work just fine. A thought after trying the bindings on. Situation: Skins off, hard packed snow, slight slope. Is the ski going to slide around when I am trying to hold the binding open to get into it?

Using the our supplied leash or optional brakes with the ONYX will prevent the ski from getting away on you.

Haven't skied them yet but so far I'm impressed with the Onyx. I've been experimenting on the carpet (stomping to test for pre-release) and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to ski them aggressively on hard snow without locking the toe, which is something I can't do with Dynafit, so this will be my choice for a binding that I can occasionally use at the ski resort and still tour comfortably with. I also like that I will still release while touring with the toe locked (also verified on the carpet), which would be important if caught in a slide while touring.

As a type 3 skier and weighing in at a 207, does the Onyx accommodate the proper din setting?

I bought a pair of Garmin Endorphin to go with my Fritchis but like the idea of the Onyx. It is possible to get a conversion kit to convert the boots? To me it looks like a simple case of drilling in the right place.

Any update on the availability of the shims for bellowed boots like the TXPro?

We are looking to have a shim available for sale in early 2010.

Heel/Toe Adjustability
Hi, how much fore/aft adjustability do the heel and toe pieces have? ie if i wanted to play with my boot center postioning, how much variation do i have?
also, what is the stack height of this binding and how does it compare to the dynafit ft 12/st stack height?
thanks.

I've used Dynafit bindings for many years and don't remove my foot from the binding to switch from downhill to touring mode. Just lock the toe, then place your ski pole between the boot and the heel raise and torque it. Presto. So really, the Onyx is just 800g heavier without much advantage as far as I can see....?

I've been a die-hard Dynafit user for eight years and I just got on the Onyx this year. So far so good. Getting the heel risers up takes some getting used to, but the pole grip really does work well for the job-no time lost, even if you're used to the pole-twist of "brand D!" One beef-the lower position heel riser popped off somehow when (I think) I was going from ski to tour mode. Luckily I looked back and noticed it and was able to pop it back on easy enough but it's a bit disconcerting knowing it could pop off again. Again with that lower heel riser, it moves into climbing position so easily that you gotta watch that it doesn't move in the way when you go to stomp down into ski mode. In tour mode, I wasn't sure if I'd need to pull up the "tour lock" for touring so I tried doing without and my ski did pop off, so I guess it's probably good to get in the habit of using them. That said, if the snow is light and your skin track not super switchbacked you could get away with not locking into tour mode. So far I've used a combination of hands, pole grip, and pole tip to work the various functions, but usually pole grip is best. The swap-out capability of the binding is a big plus too, knowing I can have a pair of light touring skis, rock skis, and fat mid-winter skis with just one binding. One thing about the leash though, is I wish they'd made the swivel clip fixed (as opposed to swiveling) as I find that easier to manipulate with gloves, but no biggie. And lastly, no, they're not as light as "brand D," but I think the numerous pro's about this binding "outweigh" that last fact! Thanks G3!

The heel has 18mm of fore/aft adjustability and offers infinite adjustment within those parameters. The toe has 15mm of adjustability in 7.5mm increments. The total fore aft movement is 33mm.

Any plans for BIG brakes? ie 120 130 140mm....
thanks

We hear you! Watch this space...

Thanks Stephen, can you tell me what the stack height and ramp angle is?

With a tech binding, the stack height varies with the location of the tech insert on the user's boots. The ramp angle is approximately 2.5 degrees.

I too would like to know if there is a possible retrofit to Garmin Endorphins to make them compatible with the Onyx

You will need to check with Garmont about any retrofits...

I ride Marker Dukes on various skis because I'm okay with sacrificing some weight and tour capabilities for knowing that I'm good to go in any downhill situation (no-fall zones, resorts, ect..) and I'm a big (215lbs) aggressive skier, but like the idea of the ONYX and would like any opinions on how the ONYX stacks up for downhill capabilities. I know it is leaps and bounds better for touring, and being able to switch the bindings from ski to ski is huge as well. I'm just a little skeptical of how it performs when screaming down the mountain. Thanks.

The "Tech" fittings on a boot's toe have a solid bar connecting them together that's moulded into the sole, so I doubt you can retro fit one.

I am interested in the Onyx for a new set of skis this year. What is the availability of parts at this point?

We have excellent availability on all Onyx parts. Your G3 dealer will be able to order in what you need if they don't have it in stock.

The Onyx is designed to perform as well on the downhill as it does on the up, and has a number of features that make it the best tech binding on the market for downhill skiing.

About fitting Endorphins, I think that you mean putting inserts into the toe of the boot. Old friend Buck in Revelstoke did this and posted an article on wildsnow.com a year or two ago. Look it up, its excellent.

just put a touring day in on these yesterday...mounted them without brakes on dps lotus 138s. they toured and skiied well for sure (i also have skis with marker barons and dynfit vertical fts which i have skiied extensively, so i've got some reference to compare to). the ski to tour function switch over without removing the toe piece was nice, pivot point seems good, and ease of use is definitely there. they felt solid on the way down, no prereleases.
2 things i would mention that i feel need addresseing (both easy fixes i'm sure):
1. need big brakes, but i've said this before (see previous comments above). imho, this is the clincher that will get skiiers on big skis onto the onyx binding. i've bought the bindings, now i'm waiting for it.....!!
2. the heel lift in high mode is not quite high enough for me (it's lower than the highest dynfit vertical setting), and it would be nice to see after market heel lift pieces developed for those of us who want to add height (should be a relatively easy/cheap part to manufacture??)for steeper climbs. maybe a swapable part for the highest current lift??
overall, i'm happy after day 1, but i need a season on these 1st to really comment on durability and function.
cheers

Stephen,
I can see how the hold of the binding has been improved for twisting releases but what about forward?
I'm about 200lbs 6'2"
I ski hard on Rossi/Look alpine bindings at 10 no problem at the resort in all conditions but I will blow out easily on my dynafits set on 10 under the same conditions.
Also when skiing pillow fields, or hitting some manky snow at speed, if my weight gets tossed forward I go right through the "10" din of my dynafits
Does the Onyx allow for more forward shock on the pins without popping like my dynafits?

Are extra mounting plates available for swapping the bindings to other skis?

Thanks, Raschuckles

The ONYX binding is designed for excellent downhill retention, and you can purchase extra mounting plates from any authorised G3 dealer that will allow to switch your ONYX binding onto multiple sets of skis. Check out our online videos at the top of this page for more ONYX info.

To all the good people at G3,

The plan this year was to use my old Hombre/Freeride setup for the hill and my new Zen Oxide/ONYX setup for touring. It only took 500 m of climbing and a handfull of turns for me to see the flaw in my plan. The binding is incredibly light on the up and my feet feel as though they're bolted directly to the ski when turning. An additional four days of lift skiing on the ONYX made Freerides, now a distant memory, seem like a pair of greased pigs at the fall fair.

The ONYX is an unbelievable first step for G3 into the world of tech bindings. Although we all knew the binding would have to ski/climb like a dream in order to bear the G3 name, I never thought I'd be forced to ask the unthinkable ...

Anyone want to buy some Freerides?

Munby
Nelson, BC

Hello! I just got the Onyx bindings and am having trouble getting the leash system mounted. Instructions don't make it clear how to fit properly. As well, the instructions on the website are different and state they are only good for serial # beginning with A. My bindings begin with B and are different as they don't have the metal inserts on the mounting plate. It seems as if the leash clips are supposed to "clip in" but it seems impossible to fit them the way it is described on the instructions. They do just sit on the mounting plate but not flush. Am I not putting enough force on the clips? Are they really tough to clip in? As it is pretty icy, I need the leashes on as I don't want to lose a ski if it comes off. Wanting to get out on these puppies but need help. Anyone around today to help out? Thanks, Rick

I have read every review I could find on these bindings and a recurring problem seems to be the heel lifts detaching from the binding. There is also an issue with the lower lift rotating into a position where it could be broken either while entering ski mode or mistakenly used at a lower height than designed for.

I am interested in purchasing the Onyx, but what are you doing to address these issues?

Thanks,

Kevin
Ymir, BC

I just tested the onyx bindings two weeks ago for a loccal sportstore in the central alps. Very stiff and direct to ride. Thumbs up. Here two things I didn't like at all. 1. The brakes are to weak. Are not releasing at all. Probably because the have to stay up when in walking mode. 2. I lost the grey part where onyx is written on. I was riding from powder to windblown to hardpacked snow. I must have lost it in a turn. For my opinion the screws on the sides are not long enough. Then it got a bit dangerous. From the snow pressure the longer grey part got pushed down and the binding released into walking mode while skiing... Maybe when those two things are solved I will give it another go...

Go to http://www.genuineguidegear.com/gear/bindings/onyx and click on "Learning Center" for the most up to date manuals. The leash clips do need a little force when installing.

I've been wanting to post my thoughts on the Onyx for a while, but decided to wait until I've logged more time on them. The bindings are mounted to a pair of czars, a relatively heavy ski with a 111 mm waist. I'm aware this setup isn't ideal for AT, but the joy and stability on the way down, combined with the ease of touring and weight of the Onyx makes the setup work very well for me.

At first I was afraid I might need barons or dukes, but now I'm confident that I can charge to the extent of my ability with the g3's tech-binding. They've performed great on different kinds of snow, and feel stable and secure at speeds. What still remains to be truly tested is how durable they are, but it seems G3 has a big user-group already. If things start breaking I'm sure we'll hear of it.