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Roll your own rollerskis
I would like to try rollerskiing, but absolutely cannot handle the off-the-shelf ones. For various reasons, I need ones a couple of metres long, with ratchet wheels on the front and a REAR braking system operated by moving my calves. There doesn't seem to be any easy way of getting components (affordably) to build my own. I would probably use wood for the bearing member, or possibly aluminium section - very light weight and elegance aren't needed. Has anyone done this, or got any useful information? Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Roll your own rollerskis
I doubt that a couple of meters will be workable. It will be very
long and bulky. Remember, this is ski boots with only a binding pin or two for connection. You're talking nearly three times longer than the existing classical rollerskis, two and a half for the longest (Marwe combi with wire wheel extension). Even the old ones back in the 1980s were not more than about half that, as I recall from photos. You're not going to be skiing but walking, if you're lucky. Think this needs serious rethinking. As for materials, I don't think wheels, including ratcheted wheels and bindings should be a problem getting. Use wood or an old ski section or shape some metal. Check online for instructions, as I recall seeing them somewhere. Perhaps one of the Jenex braking systems would work for you, or it could be modified. Gene On Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:21:18 +0100 (BST) wrote: I would like to try rollerskiing, but absolutely cannot handle the off-the-shelf ones. For various reasons, I need ones a couple of metres long, with ratchet wheels on the front and a REAR braking system operated by moving my calves. There doesn't seem to be any easy way of getting components (affordably) to build my own. I would probably use wood for the bearing member, or possibly aluminium section - very light weight and elegance aren't needed. Has anyone done this, or got any useful information? Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Roll your own rollerskis
In article ,
wrote: I doubt that a couple of meters will be workable. It will be very long and bulky. Remember, this is ski boots with only a binding pin or two for connection. You're talking nearly three times longer than the existing classical rollerskis, two and a half for the longest (Marwe combi with wire wheel extension). Even the old ones back in the 1980s were not more than about half that, as I recall from photos. You're not going to be skiing but walking, if you're lucky. Think this needs serious rethinking. On the other hand, it is no longer than my cross-country skis (shorter, in fact), which have the original Nordic Norm bindings, and no bulkier than the even earlier ones (which used Telemark bindings, admittedly). And I really do mean that I really, but REALLY, need that length and those properties. There is just no chance of me handling things as short as even a metre. As for materials, I don't think wheels, including ratcheted wheels and bindings should be a problem getting. Use wood or an old ski section or shape some metal. Check online for instructions, as I recall seeing them somewhere. Perhaps one of the Jenex braking systems would work for you, or it could be modified. That's what I thought, but I failed to get much further. I did check online and failed to find anything very useful, but the problem nowadays is fighting one's way through the jungle of marketing bull**** and plain irrelevance. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Roll your own rollerskis
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Roll your own rollerskis
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Roll your own rollerskis
In article ,
dardruba wrote: For various reasons, I need ones a couple of metres long, with ratchet wheels on the front and a REAR braking system operated by moving my calves. Hi Nick, you seem reluctant to tell us why you Really Really need this item, who would be using it and on what terrain. Not really, but I was trying to keep it simple :-( If you could give us some clues as to its potential usage I'm sure the skiers on here could help. I doubt it :-) I believe that length will not get you round any of the sharp corners on the tracks used for our roller ski events and as for going up inclines you will need those forward roll wheels to stop you from glissading backwards. I have a strong negative interest in such tracks. As for the long road in Hyde Park or on Blackpool Promenade you will not have the ability to skip around the gawpers who stop in front of you as we do on roller blades or roller skis. I have a Very, Very Strong negative interest in such locations. Now, as to why: I am 65 (and hence vulnerable to crashes) with no vestibular (semi-circular canal) balance at all. None whatsoever. I balance almost entirely by touch, and have done for almost all of my life, so I can ride a stable bicycle and ski (to some extent). In particular: I want to be able to use this to get fit for real cross-country skiing (which I might take up again, after 40+ years), and am talking about travelling at 10-15 MPH. I need to be able to stop in an emergency, and therefore need brakes. If I catch my feet when leaning forward, I WILL crash onto my face. That was why I couldn't learn to skate in my youth, because they required us to use figure-skating skates. Therefore I must have rear brakes. Short rollerskis and (effectively) a J-stop WILL cause me to crash. I can do that on snow, because I can (just) control the side-slip. That is not available with wheels. Work that lot through, and you will see that I have two options: to abandon this altogether, and to take the approach I am planning. If you think that you have another approach that might work, you are 99% certain to have misunderstood the constraints caused by my balance. On that matter, it is a myth that balance is controlled by one sense. 70% of the semi-circular canal data controls eye tracking (which I don't do - I predict), and it is the primary balancing method in people with no handicaps. But is disappears as they get older, and needs to be replaced by touch, which is why old people need sticks and to hold onto things - it's NOT primarily for support. Vision is the third method, but is useful only to tell you which way is up, because it is too slow (a 0.2 second delay in the visual cortex). So I am back to solely touch. That is slower than vestibular (tolerably so), but its real gotcha is that any uncertainty in sensations through the feet takes nearly half a second to reequilibrate. Oops. CRASH! So I need to be able to stop in an emergency without having any functioning organ of balance. With long skis and rear brakes, it would be feasible (just) - I am not going to explain how I know, but it's experience with similar activities. With short rollerskis, no chance. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Roll your own rollerskis
Wow, such an interesting response. Thank You. I wish you well in your
enterprise. I have one final question, should things work out for you and you get that build up of skills and the opportunity to ski on snow, where would you aim for and what sort of terrain would offer you fulfillment? Since you have knowledge of skiing would you like to be out along the canal towpath, around the city park or on machine prepared forest trails? |
Roll your own rollerskis
In article ,
dardruba wrote: Wow, such an interesting response. Thank You. I wish you well in your enterprise. No problem. I have one final question, should things work out for you and you get that build up of skills and the opportunity to ski on snow, where would you aim for and what sort of terrain would offer you fulfillment? Since you have knowledge of skiing would you like to be out along the canal towpath, around the city park or on machine prepared forest trails? Probably none of those :-) 35 years ago, I used to be a fairly good cross-country skier by UK standards of the time (i.e. dire), and did up to 30 km a day on the Hardangervidda. I would like to do some of that again, though probably less vigorous, and probably elsewhere. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Roll your own rollerskis
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Roll your own rollerskis
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