Help! Salomon Active Pilots a good choice? Size?

Did you consider buying the bindings with the skis so they came
mounted?
Thanks, very good tip, though too late.
My dealer ordered the Jenex Aero SC's with holes pre-drille fpr Pilot
bindings. I'm typing this with crossed fingers they really did that. They
offered to pre-drill them when we inquired about options, seemed like the
thing to do, what-ever they may charge for it.

They
offered to pre-drill them when we inquired about options, seemed like the
thing to do, what-ever they may charge for it.

it's always a good idea to have the bindings pre-mounted ($10?).
Mistakes you make mounting on rollerskis are harder to correct, and the
screws are much harder to get in, compared to snow skis (with snow skis
you can fill wrong holes with epoxy). I know that you asked to
pre-drill, but ... good luck with the screws. Get yourself a hardcore
screwdriver.

Look for the screwdriver that has the rounded tip. The regular straight tip
does not grip the screws very well and will slip. If the holes were drilled
to the proper diameter, you'll find it is difficult to drive them in with a
screwdriver. I use a cordless drill and bit to drive the screws in, then
finish tightening with a screwdriver to get the proper tightness.

Check your bindings once a year. You'd be surprised how many people have
loose bindings.

Paul Haltvick
Bay Design and Build - LLC
Engineering, Construction and Information Technology Services
FSx - Fischer / Swix Racing

wrote in message
oups.com...
They
offered to pre-drill them when we inquired about options, seemed like
the
thing to do, what-ever they may charge for it.

it's always a good idea to have the bindings pre-mounted ($10?).
Mistakes you make mounting on rollerskis are harder to correct, and the
screws are much harder to get in, compared to snow skis (with snow skis
you can fill wrong holes with epoxy). I know that you asked to
pre-drill, but ... good luck with the screws. Get yourself a hardcore
screwdriver.

Norski wrote:
Look for the screwdriver that has the rounded tip.

Norski may be refering to a "Pozidrive" bit:
http://www.tognar.com/binding_tools_...l #SPK-POZIB6

The Pozi "screws" look like Philips head fasteners but they are are not
the same. As Norski notes, a Philips driver will cam out when you
torque the fastener.

Edgar

Wow, this sucks!

I got the Aero SC's in, they're a nice piece of kit, and the brake works
extremely well, it seems. Very well thought out.

The boots are a great fit (I lucked out, with intl mailorder), I'd almost
use them as in-house shoes..
I got the bindings mounted, Jenex just drilled the front 3 holes, a bit
off-line, but I managed to get them on pretty straight with self-drilled
additional holes. My screwdriver did the job.

I tried to roll from my doorstep as usual on the crosskates, but gave that
up, and walked to the nearby perfect asphalt training arena. I stood up, and
almost fell right back back. Man, these rollerski's are instable! All wobbly
in the ankles, and no rear end worth mentioning!
The crosskates have much stiffer and taller boots. Despite the higer
position, they are day and nice more confidence inspiring. It it my boots
that suck for rollerskiing, or do I suck myself?

I barely reached walking pace, like a slow jog in the ca 2km I stumbled.
Nearly tipping back over countless times, why do people like the rear wheel
stuck under their heels so much?
The right ski seems to want to turn left all the time, wich ever way I load
it.

Eventually, going less than 10mph, I simply crashed over 100% perfect
asphalt while trying to skate cautiously. Just lost it somehow. Wrecked a
leg piece I've been very fond of for many years, and has been good to me.

I put the tires at 90psi (the max), but the rolling speed did not impress
me. Again, perhaps the Crosskates make it all seem so easy. If so, that's a
big thumbs up to them.

Nerve-wrecking trying to get used to the skis nor responding to weight
shifts, going either towards each other, or out, never straight. Easier to
keep skating. How do people do this with SC in classic?
I lost over 40% in weight over my Crosskate setup, including boots. That
also felt unsettling. How do you not end up feet up?

Do I just need to buy the tallest, stiffest boots I can find for any level
of rollerskiing? This feels so tipsy, almost like the bindings can't support
the boots.
Or can I only do something that resembles skiing on Crosskates, and do I
just generally suck at it otherwise?
I felt so powerful on the Crosskates, getting those big suckers to 30kph,
and walking through turns with them at nearly that velocity. So in control
even doing double-push... I must really suck, as 2nd hand Aero's are hardly
ever offered, and people generally seem to love them.

On a side not, the aero wheels are ~40mm wide at the hub, my spare Air and
PU Micro kickscooter wheels are 35mm. I'll really have to source fitting
spacers for the Micro wheels, both for the inside between the bearing and on
the outside, to ever try them on the Aero's. tha tis, if I ever dare to go
out on them again. My knee really hurt, but my ego worse!

Some guidance, please?

Oh, the SNS Pilot binding barely tried to cling on the ski indeed, although
the weight of the ski really isn't much IMO. Just wimpy bindings. Merely
holding the binding's own weight against the boot it didn't do.
The boots have convenient air vents in the back. The ski's have some sort of
mounting stubby for speed reducer or fender near the rear axle. A simple
2-3g elastic band was simply attached to the boots, and can just be hooked
around that stubby for a very snappy and positive return action.
Truly, elastic bands are the quick fix of many an engineering problem. What
are complicated flextures and springs for anyway? A single elastic band can
amputate a finger or carry weight of multiple people. You just need to know
how to use and when to replace them.
I didn't even try to go out without the elastics bands mounted. And when I
forgot to attach them, it felt wrong right away.

Small SNS question. What to do with the "middle" screw? The one inbetween
the springs. I've now got them pertially inserted, not messing witht he
springs. Probably wrong?

Thanks,

J

Many athletes prefer Marwe 610 rollerskis. With the small diameter wheels,
your center of balance is lower, so you don't have that wobbly feeling.
Marwes are noticeably lighter, feel like skiing on real snow. Another option
is the rollerskis Clayton sells at rollerski.com
However, some people use the Aero 150s without problems. One of my friends
occasionally trains on the Aero 150s, using the same boots as you have.
Bruce Bauer is a top 25 Birkie skier and trains many km on the Aero 150s. It
is most likely not the equipment that is the problem.
Most likely it is you. While you are an accomplished mountain bike racer,
this is a different sport, with different muscles and balance to learn. Many
new rollerskiers and snow skiers try pushing with the poles, instead of
learning the proper balance point and weight shift. The poles end up being
crutches, which they use to save themselves from falling.
One drill you could try for learning balance, is to r-ski without poles. If
you have ever seen an ice skater, they swing their arms out in front of
them, back and forth. Try doing this on your rollerskis. The goal is to help
get your weight forward and find the proper balance point, so you are not
falling backwards.
You can also use your poles when doing this (to catch yourself if you start
falling), but don't use the poles to propel yourself.
Another idea that helped me learn how to rollerski, is I think about lifting
up the front of my boot with my big toe as the rollerski is planted. What
this does is it helps to bend my ankle and get into a more forward position.
Keeping the Aero tires inflated higher helps too, as you have already
discovered.
Using thicker socks in your boots will help if there is any sloppiness in
your boots.

All the screws holding down your binding need to be tight. If the middle one
is up, most likely there is a bend in your binding and it will break the
binding.

If I remember correctly, there is an adjustment slot of some sort on the
front of the Aero 150s that allow you to tweak the wheel if the rollerski is
tracking to one side or the other.

Don't get discouraged. It takes a while to learn a different sport.
Skiing on snow is easier too. Your center of gravity is much lower.

--

Paul Haltvick
Bay Design and Build - LLC
Engineering, Construction and Information Technology Services
FSx - Fischer / Swix Racing


715-682-2443
"Jan Gerrit Klok" wrote in message
.. .
Wow, this sucks!

I got the Aero SC's in, they're a nice piece of kit, and the brake works
extremely well, it seems. Very well thought out.

The boots are a great fit (I lucked out, with intl mailorder), I'd almost
use them as in-house shoes..
I got the bindings mounted, Jenex just drilled the front 3 holes, a bit
off-line, but I managed to get them on pretty straight with self-drilled
additional holes. My screwdriver did the job.

I tried to roll from my doorstep as usual on the crosskates, but gave that
up, and walked to the nearby perfect asphalt training arena. I stood up,
and
almost fell right back back. Man, these rollerski's are instable! All
wobbly
in the ankles, and no rear end worth mentioning!
The crosskates have much stiffer and taller boots. Despite the higer
position, they are day and nice more confidence inspiring. It it my boots
that suck for rollerskiing, or do I suck myself?

I barely reached walking pace, like a slow jog in the ca 2km I stumbled.
Nearly tipping back over countless times, why do people like the rear
wheel
stuck under their heels so much?
The right ski seems to want to turn left all the time, wich ever way I
load
it.

Eventually, going less than 10mph, I simply crashed over 100% perfect
asphalt while trying to skate cautiously. Just lost it somehow. Wrecked a
leg piece I've been very fond of for many years, and has been good to me.

I put the tires at 90psi (the max), but the rolling speed did not impress
me. Again, perhaps the Crosskates make it all seem so easy. If so, that's
a
big thumbs up to them.

Nerve-wrecking trying to get used to the skis nor responding to weight
shifts, going either towards each other, or out, never straight. Easier to
keep skating. How do people do this with SC in classic?
I lost over 40% in weight over my Crosskate setup, including boots. That
also felt unsettling. How do you not end up feet up?

Do I just need to buy the tallest, stiffest boots I can find for any level
of rollerskiing? This feels so tipsy, almost like the bindings can't
support
the boots.
Or can I only do something that resembles skiing on Crosskates, and do I
just generally suck at it otherwise?
I felt so powerful on the Crosskates, getting those big suckers to 30kph,
and walking through turns with them at nearly that velocity. So in control
even doing double-push... I must really suck, as 2nd hand Aero's are
hardly
ever offered, and people generally seem to love them.

On a side not, the aero wheels are ~40mm wide at the hub, my spare Air and
PU Micro kickscooter wheels are 35mm. I'll really have to source fitting
spacers for the Micro wheels, both for the inside between the bearing and
on
the outside, to ever try them on the Aero's. tha tis, if I ever dare to go
out on them again. My knee really hurt, but my ego worse!

Some guidance, please?

On Oct 21, 6:16 am, "Jan Gerrit Klok"
wrote:
I got the Aero SC's in

I tried to roll from my doorstep as usual on the crosskates, but gave that
up, and walked to the nearby perfect asphalt training arena. I stood up, and
almost fell right back back. Man, these rollerski's are instable! All wobbly
in the ankles, and no rear end worth mentioning!

Here's my 2 cents, having used the Aero 150s for the last two
years....The first few times I went out (legs-only since my poles
hadn't arrived....) I didn't last 25 minutes, & found myself wondering
if I'd just blown a bunch of $.... Mostly the problem was the
instability you describe (probably worsened for me since I hadn't done
any skating of any kind for 6-7 mos. prior). Now I love them, feel
very comfortable & secure on the rollerskis & much more stable on skis
as a result. It was a matter of time & a lot of ankle strengthening &
flexibility work -- but the payoff was a very smooth transition to
skiing once the season started.

Nearly tipping back over countless times...

This is probably a sign that your weight is too far back.

The right ski seems to want to turn left all the time, wich ever way I load
it.

The tracking on the skis can be adjusted -- one wheel on each ski (I
forget which) has a longer hole on one side so you can make small
adjustments. This takes a bit of trial-and-error to get right.

I put the tires at 90psi (the max), but the rolling speed did not impress
me. Again, perhaps the Crosskates make it all seem so easy. If so, that's a
big thumbs up to them.

As I see the Aeros, they're not built to maximize speed, they're built
to simulate the speeds you get on snow. If you're skating at 30 kph on
the Crosskates, you're going 20-25% faster than a World Cup skier on a
50k course...which suggests to me that they're a lot faster than snow
(& thus not ideal for learning the timing / rhythms of skiing). The
Aeros are probably a more realistic approximation of snow. Another
point--lowering the tire pressure will improve the stability a bit.

good luck...I really like the Aeros but they're the only rollerskis
I've used & I'm sure others here will disagree.

DF

Thanks Norski!

Are the Aero's really all that tall compared to "regular" rollerski's?
Wheels are bigger sure, but frames hang below the axles.

Great tip for thicker socks. I cut some old thick socks in two, just in
front of the heel, and opened the toes. The ankle/heel piece is just that as
an axtra layer, and the opened toe is an ankle piece. Pulled the lower laces
some tighter, and the boots overall do seem tighter already. No test ride
yet, rain is pouring down.

I have done some no-poles on the Crosskates, it's tough. Perhaps it will
give me more confidence quicker on those Aero's than without.

The other tips I'm going to have to work on.

More thanks, I'll try harder. Will wear full protective downhill bike gear
next time though...

J

"Norski" schreef in bericht
...
Many athletes prefer Marwe 610 rollerskis. With the small diameter wheels,
your center of balance is lower, so you don't have that wobbly feeling.
Marwes are noticeably lighter, feel like skiing on real snow. Another
option
is the rollerskis Clayton sells at rollerski.com
However, some people use the Aero 150s without problems. One of my friends
occasionally trains on the Aero 150s, using the same boots as you have.
Bruce Bauer is a top 25 Birkie skier and trains many km on the Aero 150s.
It
is most likely not the equipment that is the problem.
Most likely it is you. While you are an accomplished mountain bike racer,
this is a different sport, with different muscles and balance to learn.
Many
new rollerskiers and snow skiers try pushing with the poles, instead of
learning the proper balance point and weight shift. The poles end up being
crutches, which they use to save themselves from falling.
One drill you could try for learning balance, is to r-ski without poles.
If
you have ever seen an ice skater, they swing their arms out in front of
them, back and forth. Try doing this on your rollerskis. The goal is to
help
get your weight forward and find the proper balance point, so you are not
falling backwards.
You can also use your poles when doing this (to catch yourself if you
start
falling), but don't use the poles to propel yourself.
Another idea that helped me learn how to rollerski, is I think about
lifting
up the front of my boot with my big toe as the rollerski is planted. What
this does is it helps to bend my ankle and get into a more forward
position.
Keeping the Aero tires inflated higher helps too, as you have already
discovered.
Using thicker socks in your boots will help if there is any sloppiness in
your boots.

All the screws holding down your binding need to be tight. If the middle
one
is up, most likely there is a bend in your binding and it will break the
binding.

If I remember correctly, there is an adjustment slot of some sort on the
front of the Aero 150s that allow you to tweak the wheel if the rollerski
is
tracking to one side or the other.

Don't get discouraged. It takes a while to learn a different sport.
Skiing on snow is easier too. Your center of gravity is much lower.

--

Paul Haltvick
Bay Design and Build - LLC
Engineering, Construction and Information Technology Services
FSx - Fischer / Swix Racing


715-682-2443
"Jan Gerrit Klok" wrote in message
.. .
Wow, this sucks!

I got the Aero SC's in, they're a nice piece of kit, and the brake works
extremely well, it seems. Very well thought out.

The boots are a great fit (I lucked out, with intl mailorder), I'd
almost
use them as in-house shoes..
I got the bindings mounted, Jenex just drilled the front 3 holes, a bit
off-line, but I managed to get them on pretty straight with self-drilled
additional holes. My screwdriver did the job.

I tried to roll from my doorstep as usual on the crosskates, but gave
that
up, and walked to the nearby perfect asphalt training arena. I stood up,
and
almost fell right back back. Man, these rollerski's are instable! All
wobbly
in the ankles, and no rear end worth mentioning!
The crosskates have much stiffer and taller boots. Despite the higer
position, they are day and nice more confidence inspiring. It it my
boots
that suck for rollerskiing, or do I suck myself?

I barely reached walking pace, like a slow jog in the ca 2km I stumbled.
Nearly tipping back over countless times, why do people like the rear
wheel
stuck under their heels so much?
The right ski seems to want to turn left all the time, wich ever way I
load
it.

Eventually, going less than 10mph, I simply crashed over 100% perfect
asphalt while trying to skate cautiously. Just lost it somehow. Wrecked
a
leg piece I've been very fond of for many years, and has been good to
me.

I put the tires at 90psi (the max), but the rolling speed did not
impress
me. Again, perhaps the Crosskates make it all seem so easy. If so,
that's
a
big thumbs up to them.

Nerve-wrecking trying to get used to the skis nor responding to weight
shifts, going either towards each other, or out, never straight. Easier
to
keep skating. How do people do this with SC in classic?
I lost over 40% in weight over my Crosskate setup, including boots. That
also felt unsettling. How do you not end up feet up?

Do I just need to buy the tallest, stiffest boots I can find for any
level
of rollerskiing? This feels so tipsy, almost like the bindings can't
support
the boots.
Or can I only do something that resembles skiing on Crosskates, and do I
just generally suck at it otherwise?
I felt so powerful on the Crosskates, getting those big suckers to
30kph,
and walking through turns with them at nearly that velocity. So in
control
even doing double-push... I must really suck, as 2nd hand Aero's are
hardly
ever offered, and people generally seem to love them.

On a side not, the aero wheels are ~40mm wide at the hub, my spare Air
and
PU Micro kickscooter wheels are 35mm. I'll really have to source fitting
spacers for the Micro wheels, both for the inside between the bearing
and
on
the outside, to ever try them on the Aero's. tha tis, if I ever dare to
go
out on them again. My knee really hurt, but my ego worse!

Some guidance, please?

Having started rollerskiing on the Aero-125s, and a bit of speedskating,
here are a couple of observations.
All of the Aero skis will feel a little tippy at first, and ski boots
will be softer in the fore-aft flex compared to your cross skates.
However, once you get used to them they are extremely stable and will
allow you to roll over bumps and cracks that will endanger mere mortals
on 100mm rollerskis.
Ankle stability and core strength are essential. Living in the land of
skeelers and klapskates, you may want to ask some speedskating friends
for advice as to exercises to strengthen your ankles and improve
balance. One exercise I've found very helpful is to stand sockfoot an
the floor in the basic bent knee athletic stance, and push straight
sideways (skate) and land balanced on the other foot, and go back&
forth. Basic speedskating exercise. Except watching Timmer do it, it
looks a whole lot better.
Balancing on a board on top of a tennis ball is another good one as
well, as are all sorts of yoga positions to strengthen your core.

Regards

Marsh

Jan Gerrit Klok wrote:
Wow, this sucks!

I got the Aero SC's in, they're a nice piece of kit, and the brake works
extremely well, it seems. Very well thought out.

The boots are a great fit (I lucked out, with intl mailorder), I'd almost
use them as in-house shoes..
I got the bindings mounted, Jenex just drilled the front 3 holes, a bit
off-line, but I managed to get them on pretty straight with self-drilled
additional holes. My screwdriver did the job.

I tried to roll from my doorstep as usual on the crosskates, but gave that
up, and walked to the nearby perfect asphalt training arena. I stood up, and
almost fell right back back. Man, these rollerski's are instable! All wobbly
in the ankles, and no rear end worth mentioning!
The crosskates have much stiffer and taller boots. Despite the higer
position, they are day and nice more confidence inspiring. It it my boots
that suck for rollerskiing, or do I suck myself?

I barely reached walking pace, like a slow jog in the ca 2km I stumbled.
Nearly tipping back over countless times, why do people like the rear wheel
stuck under their heels so much?
The right ski seems to want to turn left all the time, wich ever way I load
it.

Eventually, going less than 10mph, I simply crashed over 100% perfect
asphalt while trying to skate cautiously. Just lost it somehow. Wrecked a
leg piece I've been very fond of for many years, and has been good to me.

I put the tires at 90psi (the max), but the rolling speed did not impress
me. Again, perhaps the Crosskates make it all seem so easy. If so, that's a
big thumbs up to them.

Nerve-wrecking trying to get used to the skis nor responding to weight
shifts, going either towards each other, or out, never straight. Easier to
keep skating. How do people do this with SC in classic?
I lost over 40% in weight over my Crosskate setup, including boots. That
also felt unsettling. How do you not end up feet up?

Do I just need to buy the tallest, stiffest boots I can find for any level
of rollerskiing? This feels so tipsy, almost like the bindings can't support
the boots.
Or can I only do something that resembles skiing on Crosskates, and do I
just generally suck at it otherwise?
I felt so powerful on the Crosskates, getting those big suckers to 30kph,
and walking through turns with them at nearly that velocity. So in control
even doing double-push... I must really suck, as 2nd hand Aero's are hardly
ever offered, and people generally seem to love them.

On a side not, the aero wheels are ~40mm wide at the hub, my spare Air and
PU Micro kickscooter wheels are 35mm. I'll really have to source fitting
spacers for the Micro wheels, both for the inside between the bearing and on
the outside, to ever try them on the Aero's. tha tis, if I ever dare to go
out on them again. My knee really hurt, but my ego worse!

Some guidance, please?