For years I’ve considered 22 Designs spring loaded climbing post to be the easiest to use. Just hook your ski basket or the handle beak under the wire and lightly pull up. The bar snaps to attention. Climbing bars like BD’s O series, the classic G3 Targa, or Voile, offer two climbing bar heights, but lifting the wires takes a lot more force and practice to master than the light tug on the horseshoe-shaped bail that comes on 22D’s Hammerheel. Those who know better want a spring powered climbing wire. The problem was, the Hammerheel post was 35mm high when the wire was down, making it perfect for 22D bindings, but a half-inch too high for Switchbacks, Hardwires, O1’s, Targas, etcetera.
Hammerheel Doubles Up
Enter the Lynx binding, whose low profile mandated a lower climbing post. Measuring only 25mm high, the Lynx climbing post provides two wires yielding climbing angles of approximately 7° and 13°. And lest the existing base of customers feels left out, this season 22D offers their new Double-Up Heel Climbers in two base heights, 35mm for Axl and Outlaw, or 25mm for Lynx and everything else. If you need a height in between, intrepid ski mechanics can make their own shims as needed.
Easy to install
One more thing about the new Double-Up Heel posts. They come PRE-assembled. As much as I liked the Hammerheel, it was not that easy to install. The part that helped twist the bail so it had inherent spring tension, was a loose part and you had to know which direction to install it and maintain downward pressure on the assembly while tightening the two retaining screws. Not impossible; not easy either. The new Double-Up Heels are held together so all you have to do is drill the holes and screw it down. If you’re replacing an existing Hammerheel, unless you have a very early version, just replace the new with the old, the holes are spaced the same.
Now, everybody can enjoy easy shifting from flat to mild to steep skin tracks without having to fiddle with a stiff clutch.
22 Designs
Double-Up Heel
MSRP: $35.00
Weight: 50g • 2 oz.
I have the ones that came with my Lynx binding. Meh…they’re Ok. I wish each size of heel bail was at least 10mm taller. You don’t even really notice the short ones when they are up, and the taller ones could certainly be taller.
(Used with Scarpa TX Comps)