Description
Your Onyx awaits.
- Ability to go from tour mode to ski mode without removing boot from binding
- Mounting plate system means toe and heel attach to separate mounting plates (Tech system), so you get 33mm of adjustment and can maintain boot-center on the ski
- High- and low-lift heel options are reliable and super-easy to engage with pole-basket
- High-strength, forged aluminum components for a stiff, rigid connection between boot and binding, and binding and ski
- Releasable with both forward-falling and lateral-twist settings
- Serviceable binding for fixing in the field or getting parts replaced (serviceable with #1 Phillips, #3 posidrive, and torques T10, not included)
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Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
G3 Onyx AT Binding
? Share a...
RETURNED
lau2925108
Member since
Finally RETURNING this item. I was attracted to this binding because of the ability to interchange main binding with base plates on a couple pairs of skis, which I'd eventually planned to do after a year using the G3 Onyx bindings. They worked well for me on the downhill (5'5" 135 lbs, not too aggressive a backcountry skier), but the plastic "steps" eventually came off. G3 does not have phone support. Through email support I eventually got a FREE replacement kit for the lost parts, but then the handle to switch between climbing and ski mode broke on one of the bindings. This piece was not replaceable... I could makeshift still use it, but in the end I am returning this itembecause I LOVE the durability and ease of use of the FRITSCHIS on my other skis.
RETURNED
aarnaes100143109
Member since
After only a few days on these the toepiece broke and refused to open.
I want to put these AT bidings on my Atomic...
aro3254749
Member since
I want to put these AT bidings on my Atomic tele skis. They currently have G3 tele bindings. Will it work to drill new holes for the AT bindings? Also, I want to make sure that these AT bindings will be small enough to work with 23.5 mondo size boots. Any ideas? Thanks!
Sandy Brown
Member since
The only concern about re-drilling is that you avoid making new holes immediately adjacent to the old ones. No problem on the sizing for smaller boots.
is it one piece or one pair for 249.98?
ckw2009
Member since
is it one piece or one pair for 249.98?
SKOL
Member since
a pair
will this binding work with my k2 dawn...
zach markham
Member since
will this binding work with my k2 dawn patrol skiis? they're fitted with g3 tele-cable bindings(pre-drilled holes) now. I have scarpa denali at boots. thx!
Sandy Brown
Member since
If you have the Dawn Patrols with the pre-drilled metal inserts, the Onyx does not match the insert locations. It may be possible to drill your own holes for the Onyx (or have a shop do it). A good shop should be able to look at your skis and where the Onyx holes line up and tell you if this will work. Hope that helps.
What's selling is made in 2010?
peke1300
Member since
What's selling is made in 2010?
Sandy Brown
Member since
Correct. This is the 2010/2011 version with a 6-12 DIN. The previous issues with the brake and the heel elevators have been fixed.
peke1300
Member since
Thank you for an answer
Disappointing...
jte3556933
Member since
I've been skiing on the onyx most of the season both in the backcountry as well as some in bounds. They have pre-released plenty of times even with the dins cranked all the way. This last week I was coming down a mellow slope and the pins in the toe piece completely snapped and sent me and my ski flying. My leash also failed and I ended up running after my ski. I've had problems all season with losing the risers as well.
While I do enjoy the flip option of dual risers and the general ease of the touring to ski mode these bindings just don't hold up. Along with the other reviews I hated putting these on on ridge lines or anything with much of an angle. I took them back yesterday and exchanged them for dynafits, it's worth the extra money for a more stable and lighter binding.
Nice Alternative to Dynafits
Aaron Nash
Member since
The Onyx is a nice system for those looking for an alternative to a Dynafit binding. While not the lightest weight tech binding option, I believe it's features make the little bit of extra weight worth it over their counterparts. For one, switching from ski to tour can be done without removing the ski. Yes, I know you can kind of do this with dynafits, but it's much more fiddly than throwing the lever on the onyx.
Second, the heal risers are flip risers. I've never been a fan of the "spin the post" system on dynafit binders and have seen a few break due to this leaving the skiier in a crappy situation not being able to ski out; I don't have to worry about that with the onyx. Even if a riser breaks, my heel post is still sound and I can ski out.
Third and one of the most important is the way the toe jaw operates. On the onyx you must press on the forward piece to open the jaws and insert your toe. While I agree that this makes it kind of a pain to put on in powder or on a steep section, it prevents lateral toe prerelease. All the dynafit models (save next years radical with power towers that help to combat this) are prone to this sort of release when the boot sees a high lateral load. The wings flex and can pop open, releasing your toe piece too early. Since the onyx naturally wants to clamp rather than open, it will take a far higher load to initiate a prerelease. While this problem isn't glaring (people have been using dynafits for years) it's something I didn't really want to take the chance with. Personal preference really.
I've been skiing on the onyx for two years now and haven't had any major issues that any of the other reviewers have had. They've seen plenty of backcountry and resort days and I couldn't be happier with them. You can't ski them hard like a duke, so if you're going to go huck yourself off of stuff consider a different binding and don't complain when these don't preform in that manner. Use them for their intended uses and you'll love them.
Ugh. Decent, not great.
Levi Kepsel
Member since
I've been using these bindings all season. I've been touring in the Wasatch backcountry and skiing at the Canyons. They've been good for short bc runs, no problem on groomers. A little play between my ski and my boot when I'm charging hard. I took them to Alaska for a couple days of skiing and they basically fell apart. My heels popped loose repeatedly, a toe pin sheared off in the threads, and I had to take them to a car mechanic in Valdez to have it drilled out. Bummer. It can be very difficult to engage the toe piece via a ski pole on an angle or in powder. I've lost heel risers multiple times. You can accidentally switch from ski to tour mode while skiing. I had the brakes installed and they wouldn't release if I came out of my bindings, so I just installed the leashes and took the damn brakes off. There isn't much aluminum involved in this binding, he bulk of it is PLASTIC. Just buy the Dynafits.
Just got back from a ski trip to Monterosa,...
ewendt
Member since
Just got back from a ski trip to Monterosa, Italy. Before our last day sking we stopped by the rental/skirepair store in Alagna to have our skis prepared by their new Wintersteiger Discovery. Both my brother and myself have the G3 Onyx binding . Early next morning, after having picked up our skis and standing at the top of the mountain preparing for another great day skiing we both found out that the backbindings did not function any more (on all four skis). They simply did not lock any more, as if something had gotten into the binding in the preperation process (plastic/metal residuals). We had to take the gondola down to the village again (luckily this was not the previous day when we had gone heli skiing).
However the skistore could not help us (although we were offered money back for the skiprep) and right now we have to pair of skis with bidings thar does not fuction.
Have you previously come across this problem? and how to we solve it.
Wife's Use of Onyx
gbrownski1084255
Member since
I purchased the G3 Onyx for my wife's first attempt at AT. During the season, while on trail, she has struggled with the ease of entry and operation. She has trouble with entry, particularly on any slope with angle. Entry is difficult because of the need to depress the toe for entry. After skinning her first day, the toe pieces had become frozen with show and would not open except with hard banging to clear the frozen snow. I need to replace these technical binding with a more conventional AT binding such as Marker's Touring bindings. She has not be able or willing to adapt to the Onyx.
I have the Dynafit FT 12, love it, and would not consider the G3 as a replacement.
Still in the testing phase
Captainbarkee
Member since
These bindings seem to do the job, despite the obvious oversights on the heel piece. I suffered the loss of a heel lift after a very mellow tumble like just about everyone else on this post, but I haven't experienced any of the free release, unintentional switch from ski to tour, or sloppy feel that others have commented about.
The guys at my "local" shop ( it's in quotes because I have to drive 30 minutes to find a good BC ski shop, the only reputable place in Tacoma, WA closed this summer. But I'll save that rant for another day) gave me all the 411 on these bindings before mounting them to my Kahru Spires so I kind of knew what I was getting into. That being said, they did a great job on the mount and have helped me get the retro kit for the heel lifters. Yeah, it's BS that owners of this binding have had so many problems, but maybe some of these are originating at the shop.
Who knows? Maybe I'll update this post in a week after I have free release in line for the chair lift, or the heel piece desintegrates during a tour.
I have lost the Low heel lift 4 times now,...
Herb Chlebek
Member since
I have lost the Low heel lift 4 times now, always while skiing in hard terrain in a lift serviced area. Last season lost it two times. Both times my ski shop replaced it. This season first time out lost both of them. I don't want to go back to my ski shop. Is there somewhere I can order these or get them directly from G3. I intend to modify the mounting pins this time so it can't happen again.
Herb Chlebek
Member since
OK Here is my fix. I used #10 X 3/4 Round head screws with the point filed down to match the stock post threads. I used bicycle cable ends for the bushings, drilled out and ground down to the correct length. The hole in the Heel lift is drilled out to 15/64" to match the bushing. Be sure to leave the bushing long enough so the screw head clears the heel lift as it is rotated during the lift, since it expands outward during this move.
I am including a photo of the finished job and detail photos in the next two postings (can't do 3 photos in one posting).
Herb Chlebek
Member since
Here is the new post.
Herb Chlebek
Member since
Here is a view from above to show the clearance required between the screw head and the heel lift arm. Be sure to zoom in to see it. It's a bit fuzzy, I had to take these photos with my iPhone 4.
Herb Chlebek
Member since
My questions it to G3. Why the heck can't they produce a post like this, since it's so simple and send them out to all the ski shops that sell their binding? The ski shops could easily retrofit these posts in about 5 minutes per pair of skiis.
Herb Chlebek
Member since
Heck, did all this work for nothing.
Just got a message back from G3 that they have a retrofit kit free of charge for people who own last year's binding. They have already made the change on this year's binding. The retrofit kit should be available from your ski shop.
Fatally Flawed
stuart_ala996330
Member since
I REALLY wanted to like these bindings. I had hoped G3 would address the numerous problems with the binding, but they have not. I addition to my previous post, (the rear section of both bindings shredded) the brakes are unreliable both as functional brakes, and releasing (dragging) while in tour mode.If you look under the heel piece, the little s-curve piece does not withstand much use. Having brakes that do not deploy more often than they do, well the problem is obvious. Additionally, the only way to be certain the brake will be engaged when dismounting is to come out toes first.Do yourself a favor, go with dependibility, not to mention easier use and lighter weight, the very proven Dynafit,
muzzyman87
Member since
This review is very much so a useless review. He focuses on the BRAKE and the BRAKE alone...
mrosent1466338
Member since
I had the same problem with one of my brakes engaging in tour mode, which really sucks. These things make me really appreciate the simplicity of my tele set-ups, and I find that I don't do a lot of AT touring in the back-country.
Performer!
Matt Nipper
Member since
I've skied 40+ days, on and off resort, on these bindings mounted to K2 Coombacks 174 and Mt Bakers. Toured great and skied great. Felt stable as I skied off boulders into thigh deep PNW "pow". No ejection problems. Heel lift slipped off the pin one day, but I was able to fix it with no problems since. Summer Skiing and climbing is great!
quinn_landreth2313520
Member since
Love the bindings, mostly....
The design is fantastic but i have an issue with durability? I have only had them out for two quick tours. last wednesday i went out for a couple of hours and one of the low heal lifts came off and was lost to the snow. kinda pissed. Went out again Saturday and lost the smae piece on the second binding. So now i have very well stretched calves and faulty bindings. has this happened to anyone else out there? I would like to know if Backcountry.com would be willing to send me a couple of low heal lifts so i can start enjoying my new bindings again.
cheers
Herb Chlebek
Member since
I've lost 4 of these. Right now looking for 2 replacements as well. See my new post above. I will build new mounting pins with heads so this won't happen again. It's a stupid design. The mounting pin is way too short and they could easily have designed the pin with a wider section at the end so the heel lift can't pop off without removing the pin. Also, I unscrewed one of the pins and noticed that it has very little "bite" into the binding. ie. very short thread and only screws into plastic material.
Herb Chlebek
Member since
I guess another idea would be to put a leash on the low heel lift. (ha ha)
Onyx performs well
Jayson Momeyer
Member since
I haven't had any ejections or problems, and most people I've talked to have liked this binding too, don't know what is with all the hate on for this binding on here.
The older model (09/10) like this the front toe piece is stiff and hard to get your foot into. Apparently they revamped the new ones so it's easier to use.
I've never used this binding for flying of cliffs, or taking jumps, and maybe that's why people dont like it. But for backcountry, powder, hiking, or groomed runs this binding performs GREAT!
Review flagged as a duplicate. Click here to view.
Unreliable- go with Dynafit
stuart_ala996330
Member since
I wish I could give the Onyx a positive review, but they just failed on to many occassions. Continual problems with the brakes: (a) failure to deploy, and (b) incredibly irritating when they will not stay locked up for tour mode.
Additionally, both of the heal pieces blew out on the same day. Fortunately the toes lock in and I was able to tele out. Additionally, having to hold open the toe piece with a pole to get the boot in flat out sucks, particularly in powder.
If you can't rely on and trust them in the backcountry...what is the point? Dynafit it is.
stuart_ala996330
Member since
Oh yes- I am 6' and +/-185# Apparently they worked well for a 135# user. I love the touring (when the brakes would lock!), but can get that and reliability form Dynafit.
Bill
Member since
Did you have the rear heel spacing set correctly?
Onyx below Baker
Andy Traslin
Member since
Are these the newest model of the Onyx?...
St. Peter
Member since
Are these the newest model of the Onyx? Have read around that they improved a few things from their first model, though not sure when they first came out and if a newer model has come out. If so, are these it?
Sandy Brown
Member since
This is the 09/10 version. There have been a few tweaks for 10/11. Primarily, both release directions now go to DIN 12.
View all contributions... Be patient, it might take a while.

Mike Traslin
Member since