What's up with the new klapp-skate ski binding?

OK, I see there's this new klapp-skate like ski binding out there. But
I'm confused. The klapp-skate was an adoption of XC ski technology for
ice skating. Now we're borrowing it back again?

What are the main differences here? From what I can see it's only that
the pivot is located a bit further back. ??

But, also, the boot is more close-fitting, stiff and secure like a
skate boot---an all-enclosing carbon shell. I do recall the amazing
control that the supertight speedskate boots gave back when I was
doing some of that. I see that the boot also isn't very tall---maybe a
cuff isn't so great for control after all, if you have a properly
tight, secure boot fit. (Altho I think a cuff might be quite helpful
and stable for touring on soft trails... Funny if the cuff moves from
racing to touring...)

--JP

In article
,
"Jeff Potter (of OutYourBackdoor.com)" wrote:

OK, I see there's this new klapp-skate like ski binding out there. But
I'm confused. The klapp-skate was an adoption of XC ski technology for
ice skating. Now we're borrowing it back again?

What are the main differences here? From what I can see it's only that
the pivot is located a bit further back. ??

But, also, the boot is more close-fitting, stiff and secure like a
skate boot---an all-enclosing carbon shell. I do recall the amazing
control that the supertight speedskate boots gave back when I was
doing some of that. I see that the boot also isn't very tall---maybe a
cuff isn't so great for control after all, if you have a properly
tight, secure boot fit. (Altho I think a cuff might be quite helpful
and stable for touring on soft trails... Funny if the cuff moves from
racing to touring...)

--JP

I have a friend in the area who is a sponsored biathlete and has
several pairs of skis with these boots and bindings. Because of a
metatarsal joint injury some years ago that makes it very difficult
for me to ski, cycle, run, etc. now, I was very hopeful that this
system would solve my problem (since the one activity that I can still
do without pain is inline skating), so I tried it out for several
days.

The main difference is that the binding is more robust than a
Profil or Pilot binding, affording more secure control, since the boot
sole can now be completely rigid, like the sole of a cycling shoe, and
in principle one could even use a snug-fitting custom speedskate boot
(the guys using this setup in World Cup sprint races appeared to be
using conventional speedskate boots).

My friend's setup does not use an actual speedskate boot, but
rather a boot intended for skiing; it is pretty rigid, has a
relatively light cuff, and a ratcheted closure mechanism like a Sidi
cycling shoe; see

http://photos.nordicskiracer.com/gallery/2679801_UuPqz#141863906

-- I'm pretty sure this is the system that he uses.

The binding is heavier than a Profil binding, but the difference is
not that noticeable when skiing on them (perhaps because his Trab skis
are so light). I noticed a few main differences from my usual Profil
skate skis:

(1) One is skating off a slightly higher platform (the heel is raised
a little), so the balance feels a little different at first -- there
is a little more mechanical advantage when edging, which felt to me a
bit like "skiing on stilts." This made V2 feel a little strange. I
am confident that one would adjust to this reasonably quickly after
skiing on them for a while.

(2) The return mechanism worked quite smoothly and surely (more so
than my Profil bindings).

(3) For some reason that I cannot explain, climbing (V1/offset) seemed
to be slightly easier (my friend commented upon this sensation as
well). This might have been due in part to the skis themselves
rather than to the boot/binding system.

The only reason that I did not demo the skis for longer than I did
is that the boots just did not work for me -- they placed excessive
pressure on my almost cartilage-free metatarsal joint, causing enough
discomfort that I could not really ski them long enough to get really
accustomed to them. Thus my verdict should be taken with a grain of
salt. Still, I have the feeling that this might be a very good setup
for skating, provided that the boot is comfortable for you. From my
viewpoint, there is minor but obvious drawback: I like to put on combi
boots and make the decision whether to skate or classic when I get
there and see the condition of the snow and the tracks (often I like
to do some of both techniques), and it is of course convenient not to
have to change boots when one changes techniques.