If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Ski Flex?
Wow - that's a significant weight loss. It's a little hard to say what you
should expect at a lighter weight because closing flex is not a very good predictor of performance for skate skis. Here's why: "closing flex" is generally considered to be the load o the ski when there is 0.1mm of residual camber left under the foot. It's a standard that was established quite a while ago to allow for a layer or two of kick wax, and it is still used for skate skis. Unlike classic skis, which tend to close fairly easily at the end of the loading process, skate skis get quite stiff. I often look at the "closing flex" of the ski, and also pay attention to how much additional load is required to compress the ski that last 0.1 mm. So, my numbers might read 76 + 12, which would mean that the ski closes to 0.1mm at 76 KG, and it takes an additional 12 KG to close the rest of the way. That second number indicates how stiff or "hard" the ski is at closing. As you can imagine, a 76 + 3 will ski very differently from a 76 + 15. Your weight is now about about 69 KG. A 76 KG ski is about 110% of body weight. For an Atomic that is stiff, but not out of the question. It really depends on the pressure distribution on the ski at full body weight. The 2002 RS:10s tended to have a fairly soft forebody flex, so I would be surprised of the ski plows really badly. I can imagine a scenario where you might have a real "hot spot" in the mid-body of the ski, ahead of the foot. If that is the case and the tip is fairly soft, the ski might be best suited to sloppy soft conditions - especially slush. It is tempting to think of a really stiff ski as a hard snow ski, but i hard snow the most important thing is to have long edge pressure toward the tip and tail of the ski. A ski with a soft tip and a "hot spot" won't be terribly stable on hard snow. Then, of course, there's the scenario in which it turns out that the ski has a harder tip than most and builds pressure evenly through the forebody of the ski. In this case you might actually still have an all-around to hard-snow ski. And the ski might also simply be overfit and too stiff to be particularly fast for you. I think my first scenario (soft snow) is probably the most likely based on what I've seen. I think the last scenario(simply too stiff) may be least likely. The best way to find out is to ski on them. But I wouldn't recommend getting rid of them before the season starts if you liked them last year. I hope that helps. I suspect it might have just confused things a little further... Best of luck! Zach "Fitzgerald" wrote in message news:wjM1b.235008$o%2.107375@sccrnsc02... I've got a question for you Zach. I have a pair of 2002 Atomic Race Skate skis,190cm.Flex #s on sticker were 76 and 2.3 When I bought them I weighed 180lbs. I skiied them all last year and loved them. Since October 2002 my weight has dropped to 153. What can I expect when I get on snow this year? Too stiff? TIA Fitzgerald Derry,NH |
Ads |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Ski Flex online graphs
Good to hear that the qualiy is fine. I hope they help. Remember, when
you're looking at the online pressure distribution curves at ernordic, that those are generalized pictures of what a given model of ski might be like. Skis actually vary quite a lot within a given model and flex. I think everybody understands that the closing flex of a "medium" can be anywhere in a large range. But equally importantly, the pressure distribution from one pair to another can be significantly different. Those ernordic graphs do, however, provide a very nice generalized brand vs brand description of construction philosophy and performance. Zach "Bob" wrote in message ... thanks Zach! The quality is fine - I might be able to make some sense of those pressure distribution graphs that some shop published... Does anyone have a link to it? The store is in the midwest somewhere and the graphs show how the pressure changes from unweighted to full weight in a nice 3-d chart for each ski. TIA, Bob From: "Zachary Caldwell" Newsgroups: rec.skiing.nordic Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 09:18:39 -0700 Subject: Ski Flex? OK - I've put those sheets on the website. This is probably a good opportunity for another link: http://www.engineeredtuning.net/ The PDF files may not be of fantastic quality, but they should get the idea across. Zach "kayakclc" wrote in message om... The ski flex question is an interesting one and any response pretty much has to be limited. I do have some handouts with little pressure distribution graphics illustrating "overfit" and "underfit" skis. I made them for a presentation at a coaches education program this spring. If you think there's interest I could turn those sheets into PDFs and put them on my website... Zach Please do, I for 1 would be interested. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Ski Flex online graphs
Thanks! Yep, qualiy is fine.
I liked the analogy of an underfit ski being like paddling a white water kayak on flat water - since buying my skis 12 yrs ago I'm about 30 lbs heavier - hits the nail on the head. Up until last year I was always packin' a kid so I never expected optimum performance from the ski. Last year I spent 1/2 the time towing a kid and 1/2 in freedom(don't get me wrong, I LOVE pulling the kids), that's when I started paying more attention to the ski and started to remember how it should perform. This year I want to get a new pair so I'm triing to gain a knowledge base to make the right choice. Thanks again!! |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Burton Dominant Sizing------Please help | Lee | Snowboarding | 5 | November 21st 03 05:22 PM |
Stiff board/flex boot or vice versa? | Hadoken | Snowboarding | 5 | October 10th 03 07:32 PM |