nordvind,

I've rollerskied on V2 Aero 125s, V2 940 Combis, Elpex F1,homemade rollerskis. All have aluminum shafts and the main differences were between the wheels - Size, speed, pneumatic or hard/soft rubber, etc.

A large percentage of my rollerskiing was done on the homemade pair and the Elpex. The other skis were demoed from a local outdoor/ski shop or borrowed from friends.

I used scooter wheels on my homemade pair and these were quite fast compared to any other ski. The durabilty was quite poor, although the scooter wheels are relatively cheap. The Elpex wheels durabilty was quite a disappointment - I think I got 200km total. This was not acceptable at $75/pair. I do have two friends who ski on the Elpex and are happy with them. They also have gotten more kms from the wheels, which may be attributed to my weight of 87 kilos. The Elpex simulated snow speed better than the homemade, but equivalent to the V2s and Marwe.

The 940 combis were pure crap to skate on vs the others, so I would recommend you don't waste your time. Specialize your ski for each discipline, though I have heard the Marwe combis are excellent because you can convert specifically to skateing by removing the classic extensions, making it a pure skating rollerski.

The aero V2 125s were nice....the large wheels dampen vibration and roll over most anything within reason. The speed reducers work very well. I was not happy with the weight and the durabilty of the pneumatic tires. Also, my weight does exceed the recommended weight limit of the ski. With my weight and the speed reducers I could not see the tires lasting very long. The wheel also has a checkered past even when used by skiers within the weight range. I have a friend who with a pair who is on the upper end of the range and he has blown out a few tires. Jenex tells him he is too heavy or is skiing "wrong". I did not consider the V2 150s because of the weight.

The Marwe and the V2 125s both dampen vibration better than the other skis. The Marwes, in my opinion, feel more like snow skiing than the 125s. I'm not smart enough to explain why...probably has something to do with what part of the ski is absorbing the energy from the road.

I have not noticed that the flex has any negative influence on the skis abilty to roll over rough roads. The Marwes roll as well as any of the skis. They were the most comfortable and the most quite. The ski is stiff enough but it also has flex - like a snow ski.

There is a trade-off when deciding which rollerskis. You have the snow-like feel and the excellent wheel durabilty of the Marwes vs. the safety features of the V2s. If you train on hills and are not comfortable with not having speed reduction, then I would go with the V2s. If hills are not a problem - I would recommend the Marwes.....

I hope this helps. The best thing is to demo from a shop or friends, then you can make the best choice for yourself.

Jim