Meidjo vs. Lynx?

[mike]

Loved Dostie's review of the Lynx - thank you! Given my time on the outlaw, that's what I expected - excellence.

Recognizing the potential pressures not to compare, can we get any direct pro and con Meidjo vs. Lynx from anyone who's been on both?

To be provocative the implications are that Lynx wins:
"...the only reason to not get Lynx would be you’re already satisfied with Outlaw or Freeride and you insist on ski brakes..."
(and to be fair I don't think it's fair to extrapolate from this quote, but hey)

[jnicol]

Think we are going to have get more of these in our hands first before we can evaluate performance and durability. And then when we do, we may not be comparing apples to apples. For example, I ordered Lynx and just got the email (!!!!) and I have Meidjo V1.x and gave up (it's been in a box for a few years) due to reliability and snow packing. Two things that have been improved but not completely perfected from what I understand - at least not enough to warrant the price.

We can start with published weights and price. Weights are close but price is not (winner: Lynx)
Features: some people want brakes and release (winner: meidjo)

I am guessing the performance will be similar with the Lynx being less fiddly and more robust.

[backcountrybananaboy]

Price will be the determining factor here. The lynx wins simply because it is about 200 bucks cheaper, and because it appears more durable (still unproven).

I demoed a prototype lynx last year, and a production lynx today at Monarch Telefestivus (great fun!). The production lynx was at position 3 pivot with one spacer. Resistance felt very similar (slightly more active?) to my Meidjo 2.0(1) with both springs (not the stiffys), except the lynx had an incredible snap back down to the ski due to the leaf spring. When dropping the knee I didn't notice it, but when completing a turn and letting my heel down, the binding was pulling it back to the ski all the way through its travel, even the last cm. Neither good nor bad, just a style thing that I would easily adjust to over time.

The one thing I really didn't like about the lynx was the tech-toe. It wasn't nearly as easy to get into as my meidjos, and once in I didn't feel nearly as secure. The spring power is much weaker than the meidjo springs. It seems well made, but not as refined as the toe on the meidjo, and I bet the biggest (or soonest) changes for lynx 2.0 will be with the toe. It wasn't that bad, but could definitely use refining. A number of folks were having pre-release problems because their boots (scotts mostly but scarpas as well) had a little plastic shelf over the tech toe that, when deep in the turn, would rotate down into the wing and lever the toe open. Meidjos were also on demo and no one (that I know of, I was in an adjacent booth most of the day) had that issue.

While I think in the long run the lynx will prove to be more durable than the meidjo (and easier to carry replacement parts for), I have been skiing my meidjos hard for over a season now with no breakage issues. This includes several early season man-made snow days on the WROD at A-basin. Lynx might be more durable, but in my experience the Meidjo has been durable enough for a dedicated backcountry binding.

Will still be ordering a set of lynx as soon as they are available on proform.

[Allan Fici]

I wonder if they made any changes in the low tech toe from prototype/ testers to production. Dostie I’m sure could chime in here to confirm this.

Hopefully next season!

[dschane]

The addition of the bumper makes stepping into them super easy. I was impressed by both Meidjo and Lynx in terms of ease of stepping in. But, like all things Dynafit, the more you do it, the more easy it becomes.

As for secureness, I have always felt insecure skiing with a tech toe and bending the knee. But that's become less so over time. I'm going ride the chair with Lynx tomorrow and that should put them through a good test. Conditions are cold, smooth hardpack with bumps and you have to explore hard for untracked turns. It hasn't snowed since Wednesday but temps have stayed below 25 at elevation.

In terms of skiing and touring, I think the tech NTN duo are very similar. Lynx has a higher degree of simplicity to it, which might mean less breakage and less snow buildup, but it also means no brakes, no alpine heel, and an unrefined release-potential system.

I predict Lynx offers stiffer springs at some point and then Meidjo and Lynx will have similar ranges of resistance.

However you slice it, Pierre M and OMG opened the doors to next level sh't and touring and turning in NTN boots on a tech toe is so f'cking sweet.

[SPQR]

I’m sure Meidjo had some influence on the outcome of the Lynx, and going forward the Lynx will have some influence on Meidjo improvements. Although I’ve got 3 sets of skis with Meidjo I don’t want to pit them against one another, I think they can both push the tele binding development forward. Sure they are competitors in the business world, but the more folks working on this and looking at what’s out there and making incremental improvements will help both companies and give us better bindings and choices, something we all complain about in boots, the lack of choices and a product with virtually no improvement for years. Viva Meidjo and Lynx!

[skipopo]

Anyone have a update on this? Looking to buy with the Lynx or the Meidjo, are trying to find someone that skied both?

Thanks

[Dostie]

Anyone have a update on this? Looking to buy with the Lynx or the Meidjo, are trying to find someone that skied both?

Haven't skied the "final" form of Lynx. See 22D Lynx revisions.

The downhill "feel" of both is very similar. I've had more people tell me Meidjo is more "active" than Lynx. That was before Lynx had position #4. Prior to that I would say if you could put one on each ski and cover 'em up and not know which was which you wouldn't be able to tell the difference once you got rolling. Both exhibit immediate engagement. Every other binding is slower to engage than Meidjo or Lynx, including Outlaw, Freeride, TTS, Axl, HH.

Meidjo requires more attention to deal with snow buildup, but with judicious use of anti-ice tape and clearing the claw when switching modes is not a problem. Without actually using the final Lynx, Meidjo has the better toe design. Very reliable and easy to get in to. Lynx, slightly less so, but that could be an outdated impression. Lynx claw had reliability issues. Theoretically those are resolved.

If you have older Scarpa NTN boots (b4 2016) with the heel insert (or Crispi), Meidjo CAN allow locked or free heel turns with their AT heel option.

[dschane]

I think Dostie summed it well. I'd add (a) pro for Lynx is that they share the same hole pattern as all 22D bindings and (b) pro for Meidjo -- among the different springs and different settings, there's a larger range to adjust feel for person preferences.