Accidental racing bindings also have a right to exist for weight-optimized touring skiers with a not too aggressive skiing style and without the option of adjusting the release values.
There is an opinion that racing bindings do not have a safety release. This depends on the definition of "safety release": The classic racing bindings all allow both release paths in exactly the same way - but the release forces are not adjustable. They release both laterally and vertically. The international guidelines for ski mountaineering competitions even stipulate this. Vertical anyway, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get in at all. In practice, the values are somewhere between 6 and 9, and forks of different hardness are sometimes available. With racing bindings, the hardness of the fork (often titanium - darker color, matt, saves an average of 4.3567 grams per binding; rarely steel - lighter, shiny) determines the "value" of the vertical release. The lateral release is ensured by a spring mechanism in the base of the rear jaw (similar to standard pin bindings), but its force cannot be adjusted. The front jaw construction often differs only slightly from normal tech bindings. The main difference lies in the material: racing bindings are largely made of lightweight aluminum alloys, which break or bend much more easily under extreme force than the steel or cast aluminum of "normal" models.
The Dynafit Low Tech Race is available in an Autolock and Manulock version: With the Autolock, the plastic lever on the toe piece is also made of the aluminum alloy and locks automatically when you get in. Saves an average of 0.8432 seconds during races. The Manulock has a plastic lever that can be locked manually.
The racing bindings from ATK work slightly differently: The lateral release is made possible by a spring in a separate base - which presses a plastic ball downwards into a bulge. This means that there is only "released" or "not released". In the ATK racing bindings there is no elasticity in the front and rear jaws and the titanium forks of the racing bindings are used because of their lower weight. However, titanium is softer than the steel of the inserts on the boot and wears out accordingly - so if you are looking for ultra-light bindings in the freetouring sector and do without the adjustable release values, steel forks on the rear jaw are recommended.
The Dynafit TLT Expedition is not actually a racing binding but has a similar design. The toe piece comes from the Speed Radical ("standard"toe piece with stops for stepping in), the rear piece is similar to the racing rear piece. However, it has no side release (cannot be turned) to prevent ski loss on expeditions or steep descents. In addition, its fork is still made of steel (no wear) and is fixed to the base with a small plate. With a side release, this solid construction would be the non-plus-ultra for all those who are looking for an extra-light (without having to frantically save every gram), wear-free and reliable binding.
And - just to give you an overview - currently the lightest binding from French manufacturer Pierre Gignoux, the carbon thing weighs less than 70 grams. The rear jaw can rotate around the single screw at the back and is clamped to the metal clasp at the front (otherwise no approval for international races!).
