Black Diamond O2 Telemark Binding

I'll start by saying that I really do dig these bindings- they've taken me many cool places, and performed in some sticky situations. I have two pairs of these that I've been on for the past 4-5 years, in both Big Mountain and Park skiing. I've had to pick up the small cartridges for both (if you do this, make sure they give you the smaller housing as well, or else they'll still be loose if you have a small boot). But yes- they tend to loosen themselves when you ski, so you are constantly having to tighten them up. They recently came out with newer cartridges that supposedly helped fix this issue- I haven't tried any of the recent models, so I can't say for sure. They also recommend throwing on a piece of tape to decrease the chance of them loosening up when skiing.
Overall, even though it's a bit of a pain having to make sure that your bindings are tightened up at the beginning of each day, I still love the 02s. They're great for charging, throwing down in the park, and just having a good time!

I had a pair of these on some park skis with Ridiculous stiff cartridges. I skied low angle groomers all day and couldn't get them to respond well at all. The cartridges kept coming loose, so I'd have to take the skis off and mess with that all the time. Plus, I couldn't get them to carve hard or make snappy switch moves, or stomp a landing without a beaver tail smack. Rocker launch and lateral movement are not things I look for in a telemark binding. Long story short, I put some Hammerheads on them, and that made a night and day difference. Thank god I managed to sell the 02's for $60. Screw BD, too, for being a giant company that's suing 22 Designs over a Bull $#%! patent. If they made a quality binding, I'd maybe side with them, but they're just pissed because the Axl is so far superior!

If you buy these and don't turn love teleing way more as a result, you might as well just throw in the towel and get a binding that nails your heel to the ski. These bindings have the smoothest flex of any bindings I have used, from Hammerheads to G3s to Bishops. As a matter of fact, every person on the telemark team at my school has O2s, and we didn't even plan it. They're just the best. The cartridges don't catch on your boot when you're putting them on or taking them off, they're underneath so they don't scrape in hard carving turns, they keep you stable in crud and floaty in powder. When you tear by those silly alpiners (and Marko the great here), dropping the knee and flashing those gunmetal gray cartridges under your boot with every turn, they'll know they just got beat by the best.

I have put in a solid 200+ days of hard teleing on the O2s with rid stiff cartridges, and I would not recommend them to any of my friends. While they are indeed adequately stiff for driving a pair of 186 karhus through any snow I could think of, the flex is very unnatural, and I have broken 5 heel pieces. The flex problem originates from the location of the springs, and results in a very stiff initial flex, followed by a less active low stroke. This basically means that it becomes difficult to initiate a turn that becomes progressively less stable as your stance lowers. A subtle detail, and perhaps a personal peeve, but give these bindings a demo before you purchase.
Also, due to some structural flaw, The heel pieces are exceptionally prone to snapping. Usually they fail right above the clamp, which is more frustrating than anything, but none the less, an obstacle, especially at the beginning of a day, or the top of a hike.
I hate to say it, because I really like BD gear, but there are much better binding options.

Nothing standout about the O2 for me. It gets the job done. I have a pair of O1's and they seem to have a slightly different pivot point. Even after adding plumbers tape to the threads and properly preloading, my cartridges just spin loose all the time. The binding feels sloppy on hardpack. It's a fine binding and all, but there are better choices for your standard telemark binding. A lot of it is preference. I have friends that love the O2, but I am not crazy about mine. The BD warranty is pretty good though. Cracked a heel throw and they just gave me a new free one.

I used to hijack my dad's old Rivas until I got sick of too little tension and a few too many nosedives. Picked up a pair of O2s and while they took a little breaking in and are definitely heavier they get the job done. They flex evenly with my garmont boots and I've never had any problems. The weight doesn't bother me either and I have no problem touring. I see guys on the O1s but I'd rather have a little tougher climb with fewer mechanical problems if you know what I mean

hey norm... sounds like either your boot was too small for the cartridge (they make smaller cartridges for folks with small feet) or you had a broken pair. i have had a couple pairs of these now and nothing even remotely like that has EVER happened to me, or any of the number of people i ski with who use them. i'm a BIG guy and there isn't another binding i trust more to get me down an icy 60 degree chute or skinning up a knife ridge in a "no fall" zone than these O2's. i'm afraid your one day on borrowed gear doesn't qualify you as a reliable source and is misleading to other people looking for quality gear.

The O2 is a decent binding for the resort but there are better options such as the twenty two designs hammerhead. The need to constantly retighten the cartridges constantly is a little annoying. Also these binding are horrible for touring but that is not what theses bindings are ment for. I recently sold mine because of the lack of touring capability. On the good side these binding have nice action and are very smooth.

I bought these and mounted them on my K2's with the intention of having a great all mountain set up. These bindings were a waste of money. They are constantly loosening up and I have to crank them down every time I ski. They were supposed to be the mid-stiff but not as nearly as much as advertised. For the cherry on the sundae I was skiing at Keystone and my binding loosened up again allowing my boot to pop out and off my ski goes, on a adventure never to be seem from again. Try Hammerheads or G3's much better deal.

These were the first pair of tele bindings I ever used. They were adequate for the job. Most people will be perfectly happy with them, yes they have a couple of flaws, a little duct tape, or locktite fixes that.

Um, I'm sorry but who wrote the product description for these? I'm guessing Black Diamond because it couldn't be more wrong. "The O2 Bindings have what it takes to launch a massive cornice or power some fatty planks in funky, beat up snow." These bindings can't even handle my Karhu Team 100's (100mm underfoot). I have the rid stiff cartridges on them and they are still far from being "tight" or responsive. Very loose and sloppy when skiing pow, steep lines, and choppy conditions. On top of that, they "squeak" on every turn,(a sound that I am pretty sure comes from the boot sole rubbing on the plate, and definitely not from the cartridges, which are brand new). There's a reason pro tele guys, like the boys from Powderwhores, are riding Hammerheads, Axles, or NTN setups. Sorry for the harsh review BD but you should be sued for false advertising. Your bindings suck

The BD O2 is a great stable binding for the resort. I like the fill of it and the stability that it provides. I'm riding them with Scarpa T2x which is great for the resort but not so hot for touring. If you need touring capabilities go with the 01 or perhaps the Voile Hardwires. One thing that bugs me about the binding is that the cartridges rotate throughout the day. I have to twist them every now and again to keep the flex stiff. All in all, I'm a BD person and think they make great high quality gear.

I've ridden this binding for the past year and a half and initially liked it a lot. As time has gone on I would not recommend this binding since there are better options out there. I think it performs ok but you have to constantly re-screw the cartridges which leads to inconsistent performance. At times I've had to change this mid run because it loosened so much and locktite and thread tapes never helped long. Kind of frustrating when every other binding I've used is a set it and forget it deal.

I have had the bindings rip out twice. The first time it happended I thought install error and had another dealer remount them onty to have them tear out again. I recently have been discussing this with different shops and pin heads I meet and am finding that it happens very often. I would be interested in knowing if other people have had this issue.

Have been riding my boards with these bindings for 3 years now. They are a great binding, easily adjusted, quick and responsive. I have not experienced any tip dive with these. The under foot cable routing assures no issues with catching on whatever may be there.
Whether it be a hard charging powder day, or a fast groomer, these bindings connect well.

I've skiied with these on my Havocs for a season now, with mid-stiff cartridges, and I wasn't very impressed. They transfer power okay but nothing even close to the responsiveness of a Hammerhead (or Bishop Bomber, for that matter).

They also came undone quite often, even when I tightened them down like crazy (on size 28 Garmont Ener-G boots).

And, unlike Hammerheads or 01s, they suck at touring.

I started with the ridiculously stiff springs and they are really tuff to ski with. you really have to drive your knee down hard. if youre going to be skiing only the hard pack then they will work great but if you want more versatility go with the mid stiffs

I started tele-skiing on old 3-pin mountaineering bindings and Ranney Super-Loops. Moved up to the G3 Targa when they came out. I have been on these for 3 years now and could not be happier. These were a great step forward from my previous bindings and I immediately saw an improvement in my control at speed and when turning in the steeper terrain. Depending on what your boot/ski combination is (especially if you are on fat skis w/big boots), you might want to spring for the rid-stiff cartridges.

Mounted in 2 pairs of skis (BD Havoc and Volkl Karma). Rid Stiff cartridges were awesome! I ski very agressively and they never pulled out of skis and had great feel. They do need constant adjusting and tend to freeze such that you can't adjust and have to bring inside to thaw to adjust again.. but that was never critical, just an annoyance. The duct tape trick sounds like it should be effective.I'd recomend, but not for touring.. just on lift served. Get the 01 for touring.. just as great but have touring mode

These are my favorite resort bindings; I've skied on the R8s, HH, and Targas previously. You can't beat the power and the smooth flex. The mid stiff cartridge is more than enough for the average knee dropper. If you want serious power, step up to the rid stiff cartridges. I'm currently running rid stiffs on my BD Machines and K2 Piste Pipes and wouldn't consider switching to a different binding. The only reason I gave them only 4 stars is because they are resort specific. I made the mistake of skinning with them and it will never happen again. If you are going to be doing any serious back country skiing do yourself a favor and spend a little more for the BD 01 bindings. Also, if you’re flying to a ski destination the cartridges have a nasty habit of loosening up on the flight.

I have been on these bindings for three years now and love them. I like the pivot point on these bindings way better than the Hammerheads. I currently have the rid-stiff springs on a pair of 188 LIB TECH Freerides and it is a great in-bounds setup. I don't use these ski's or bindings for my hiking setup. I have a lot of preload on the springs and haven't had a problem with springs coming loose. I know if you don't have the BD compression spring cartridges tight they do tend to give you problems...but then so would my pair of Rottefella Hot Chilis back in the day.

The 02 performs quite well. I have a pair mounted on the BD Crossbow ski, and they work great, very solid, make you feel like you're in control. The other day, however, I was clipping in to go skiing, and the throw piece on the back (the part that you flip up onto the back of your boot) goes ca-chink! and busts in half. Big pain in the neck. Anyway, I went and got the G3 TourThrow part, and it fits on there just fine, and the binding still works great, plus I have the TourThrow upgrade. Apart from this minor setback, the O2 is rock-solid.

After my first day on these ripping groomers and knee deep pow in the backcountry, i have to say i prefer these much more than my targas. they have a smooth even flex to them that is just awesome. i have the mid stiff, regulars mounted on 179 cm k2 obsetheds and i makes for a great (and pretty light) powder set up. I did pop out of my right ski twice, but i believe its because i did not have them tight enough as the left one feels tighter when i pop in.

My other O2 are mid Stiff but those Ridicul. Stiff are the one I needed with a hard ski and need power to deliver what we are expecting from them. Go aggressive and you'll like them.

I have had two pairs, and they have performed well. The old style need to have lock tite on the threads so the round nuts at the front of the barrels do not come loose, The newer style do have to be tightened occasionally. I have been skiing at Taos for over 300 days with the combination of the two bindings on pretty big skiis. Mostly bumps, powder, and steep shutes,ie; (in area).
I have not had a failure of the bindings and really like the way they pull from under the sole of your boot rather than the side.
I could see increased stress on the heel piece if you tend to bend your rear boot to 90 degrees.
All-in-all, they have worked really well.

Got the midstiff on the black diamond kilowatts, and really enjoyed them. My previous bindings have always been Rottefella (most recently the 412), but I much prefer the O2. Really felt like I was one with the skis. Only negative is that I had to tighten the bindings after going hard for a while.. so 4.5 stars really..

These are the only bindings I've ever skied on so I can't compare to other options. They've worked great for me (purchased as a beginner, progressed to intermediate) and definitely feel secure and solid.

HOWEVER, they loosen up over the course of the day. If you don't retighten they will eventually come completely apart, the wire slowly twists out of the cartridge. I've had some pretty spectacular spills when I've gone down for a turn only to discover that a binding was no longer attached to one ski.

i have had these binding for three years and i think that they are great. weather i'm skiing virgin powder or doing laps in the park they always work great.

i have skied with these bindings twice on rental skis the second time was with BD crossbows during a powder day at Telluride (I wear Garmont Gara boots). over the course of the day one ski or the other came off 7 times. It didn't matter how hard i tightened them. At one point I was cruising through knee deep Colorado powder and was suddenly dragging an anchor. Turned an epic day into hell. At the end of the day as an experiment I put the ski on on the flats, and with the strength of my ankle only, I could twist my foot out of the binding. They just didn't have enough lateral stability. I use G3 Targas on my skis and after 200+ days of skiing I have only lost a ski once (during a spectacular crash at Silverton).

This was so nice to use with the Ethic. I love the cartridges underneath the boot so you're not banging them around. Great response, it is so snappy. Definitely a good all-around binding. It is a lot faster getting in and out rather then this big fiasco at the top of your hike.

needed to mount up a pair shorts with rid stiff cartridges and it turns out that it isn't possible, Heard right from the horses mouth from the guys at BD. The cartridge is too big and you won't be able to get them tight enough to snap the heel piece on. This is for a scarpa t2 25.5 size boot :(

I bought the Scarpa T1's and these bindings and I didn't make a tele turn all season. I don't think I even tried. I skied alpine style in this set up, banging out the moguls and steeps like my heel was locked in. Fun fun times. I think other people should conserve energy and stop lunging down the mountain like me. Sure it looks fancy, but what the heck? Get this set up, boots included, and bomb away.