Ask and ye shall receive the beta. Or rather, ask me to ask and we might get it. Or something like that anyway.
November 21 Update: This just in from Dynafit. A lean-lock angle adjustment option will be available for winter 2012/2013. According to Dynafit, they’ve been working on this sort of thing and filed patents, but due to the development and manufacturing process a retail release is delayed. Because of their patents, we doubt we’ll see much in the way of aftermarket options, other than user mods we suggest here. So modders, fire up your power tools and get to work!
Original August 6 Blog Post: Word from on high is that the TLT 5 and TLT5 P boots from Dynafit will at some point next winter receive a “running change” that enables a two-setting forward lean adjustment. The new mechanism is said to work by providing two different slots to accept the lean lock tang that’s part of the upper cuff buckle.
I got various reports on how the lean will be changed by the user. As near as I can tell, it sounds likely some kind of switch will move something which blocks either one of two holes in the aluminum lean lock bar.
Due to basic geometry, a small vertical change in the location of the holes in the TLT5 lean lock bar results in a big change in forward lean. We know that from experience due to our TLT 5 lean mod last winter. Thus, the Dynafit OEM adjustable lean should be quite effective. In fact, it could even be too much so.
No word whether this feature will retrofit to earlier boots, or even be available for retrofitting if it does fit. I’d expect that at some point it _will_ be available, though perhaps not right away.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
