Profil or Pilot bindings; Race Skate 9 and Carbon Pro boot fit; Best sources for V2 105 SR; Type of socks; Leg brake; Poles

First, thank you to all of you for sharing your experience on this
usenet. I've picked up some great tips.

I'm new to roller skiing, about to pick up my first pair of roller
skis. I've done a lot of research and plan on picking up V2 105 SR
roller skis, which Jenex is supposed to re-release in early June (the
first release was called 100 SR but was recalled because of problems
with early tire wear). For the type of roller skiing I intend to do,
skate skiing on relatively smooth pavement for fitness all year around
in the Northeast, I think these skis and tires will provide the best
experience - they are fairly low to the ground, the tires have a
forgiving feel, and the skis are more stable than the V2 125 or 150.

I'm thinking of getting the following package:

V2 105 SR roller skis with
Skate bindings - Profil or Pilot???
Salomon Race Skate 9 boots or Carbon Pro boots???
Speed reducer
Poles with sharp road tips

Questions:

1) Can anyone suggest any good sources, mail order and stores, for a
complete package for the above? I've already found a few, interested
in your suggestions.

2) I've heard that the Carbon Pro boots have a narrower toe box than
the Race Skate 9s. Is this true? Can anyone comment on the fit?

3) With a true US shoe size of 11, and given that I typically take an
11.5 hiking shoe or running shoe, and generally take either a normal or
EE shoe depending on the cut, which size Carbon Pros and Skate 9s would
you suggest?

4) How tight a fit should I go for? Too tight and I'm afraid the boot
will not allow enough circulation to keep my feet warm in winter.

5) Which boot, Skate 9 or Carbon Pro, is going to be hotter in summer?

6) Given that I plan on roller skiing 4 seasons, and here summers get
hot and winters get cold, can anyone suggest which kind of sock to use
with the boot? Light hiking merino sock, medium sock or heavier
ski/winter sock?

7) Which binding should I use, Profil or Pilot? I read a post on this
usenet that Jamie of NordicSkater in Vermont recommends people use
Profil bindings instead of Pilot because the boot bumper is stiffer,
preventing some of the RS hang when one picks up one's foot. What is
meant by RS hang? Return ski? The poster wrote that the Pilot bumper
is softer so that the ski tail will drop farther. What is the
advantage of a Pilot binding at all then, if there is one?

8) If one has a speed reducer, is the leg brake worthwhile?

9) Can anyone make any roller skiing pole recommendations? Especially
poles that will plant firmly but absorb some shock (though good form
will probably get rid of the impact felt). I'm 6 ft 180 lbs if that
helps. And can you recommend good sources for cheap poles? From
winter skiing it just seems there are always many used poles to pick up
in fairly good shape.

I'd sincerely appreciate any comments/suggestions.

V2's own "composite" poles are pretty good and affordable, they
correspond to Swix's 2nd best pole in stiffness. There are opposing
views on whether to go for a stiff pole or a soft pole. I think the
stiffer the better. One is not supposed to hammer poles into the
pavement when rollerskiing anyway. I would not go for anything less the
2nd best pole in a line since eveything less is just too soft. Swix
alulite are not soft but they are cumbersome.

I have profil bindings on all my r.s. and use them with pilot 9 boots,
and they works fine. You get used to the rollerski drop.

The rest can be addressed by googling and by using common sense. Come
on, you can figure out what socks/boot size to use. OK, I would go with
the boot which you can comfortably fit a medium weight sock. In the
summer, your feet will get hot anyway, unless you go with mesh
rollesrki boots that Gary has (apparently, a collector's piece indeed).

BTW where in the northeast? You can always drive to a shop that carries
the stuff and try it.

Thanks for asking, the answes you may get will help me a lot as well.

I may be odd and definately a noob, but rubber "asphalt" pole tips are all I
have right now, and I seem to get more than decent traction and absolutely
superb comfort from them. Useless with sand or marbles over pavement,
obviously.
That's with old Alulite poles which to me are cumbersome only in heavy wind.
If I can find a thinner pole (less likely to be cauht in the wind at 175m)
with similar characteristic that will be fine for me.

What do you mean with improved stability of the 105 over 150? The longer
wheelbase? Simpler frame design? Note that the 125 and 150 have raised axle
holes, to bring the boot height back to "normal". It may be worth
researching which wheelsize gets you the best and cheapest replacement
wheels, with your 4-season mileage. For instance, I found ?14.50 150mm air
slick wheels. ?10 if I had a Swiss mailing address. They seem of the same
quality level as stock wheels on 150mm rollerblades and rollerskis.

I've read good reviews of the Jenex brake. Supposedly it opens up new roads
and trails to explore, as stopping is much easier and safer.

schreef in bericht
oups.com...
First, thank you to all of you for sharing your experience on this
usenet. I've picked up some great tips.

I'm new to roller skiing, about to pick up my first pair of roller
skis. I've done a lot of research and plan on picking up V2 105 SR
roller skis, which Jenex is supposed to re-release in early June (the
first release was called 100 SR but was recalled because of problems
with early tire wear). For the type of roller skiing I intend to do,
skate skiing on relatively smooth pavement for fitness all year around
in the Northeast, I think these skis and tires will provide the best
experience - they are fairly low to the ground, the tires have a
forgiving feel, and the skis are more stable than the V2 125 or 150.

I'm thinking of getting the following package:

V2 105 SR roller skis with
Skate bindings - Profil or Pilot???
Salomon Race Skate 9 boots or Carbon Pro boots???
Speed reducer
Poles with sharp road tips

Questions:

1) Can anyone suggest any good sources, mail order and stores, for a
complete package for the above? I've already found a few, interested
in your suggestions.

2) I've heard that the Carbon Pro boots have a narrower toe box than
the Race Skate 9s. Is this true? Can anyone comment on the fit?

3) With a true US shoe size of 11, and given that I typically take an
11.5 hiking shoe or running shoe, and generally take either a normal or
EE shoe depending on the cut, which size Carbon Pros and Skate 9s would
you suggest?

4) How tight a fit should I go for? Too tight and I'm afraid the boot
will not allow enough circulation to keep my feet warm in winter.

5) Which boot, Skate 9 or Carbon Pro, is going to be hotter in summer?

6) Given that I plan on roller skiing 4 seasons, and here summers get
hot and winters get cold, can anyone suggest which kind of sock to use
with the boot? Light hiking merino sock, medium sock or heavier
ski/winter sock?

7) Which binding should I use, Profil or Pilot? I read a post on this
usenet that Jamie of NordicSkater in Vermont recommends people use
Profil bindings instead of Pilot because the boot bumper is stiffer,
preventing some of the RS hang when one picks up one's foot. What is
meant by RS hang? Return ski? The poster wrote that the Pilot bumper
is softer so that the ski tail will drop farther. What is the
advantage of a Pilot binding at all then, if there is one?

8) If one has a speed reducer, is the leg brake worthwhile?

9) Can anyone make any roller skiing pole recommendations? Especially
poles that will plant firmly but absorb some shock (though good form
will probably get rid of the impact felt). I'm 6 ft 180 lbs if that
helps. And can you recommend good sources for cheap poles? From
winter skiing it just seems there are always many used poles to pick up
in fairly good shape.

I'd sincerely appreciate any comments/suggestions.

Mountainwalker:

brakes vs. speed reducers
Brakes should stop you when you need to stop and should be able to be
applied only when needed. The speed reducers do not fulfill that
requirement. With that said, I have no experience yet with the V2 brakes
but am planning to install them this year.

I don't like aluminum poles as I find them jarring to the elbows. They also
seem to catch more wind. I use the Swix mid-line pole for both winter
(snow) skiing & roller skiing.

MOO,
Matt

wrote in message
oups.com...
First, thank you to all of you for sharing your experience on this
usenet. I've picked up some great tips.

I'm new to roller skiing, about to pick up my first pair of roller
skis. I've done a lot of research and plan on picking up V2 105 SR
roller skis, which Jenex is supposed to re-release in early June (the
first release was called 100 SR but was recalled because of problems
with early tire wear). For the type of roller skiing I intend to do,
skate skiing on relatively smooth pavement for fitness all year around
in the Northeast, I think these skis and tires will provide the best
experience - they are fairly low to the ground, the tires have a
forgiving feel, and the skis are more stable than the V2 125 or 150.

I'm thinking of getting the following package:

V2 105 SR roller skis with
Skate bindings - Profil or Pilot???
Salomon Race Skate 9 boots or Carbon Pro boots???
Speed reducer
Poles with sharp road tips

Questions:

1) Can anyone suggest any good sources, mail order and stores, for a
complete package for the above? I've already found a few, interested
in your suggestions.

2) I've heard that the Carbon Pro boots have a narrower toe box than
the Race Skate 9s. Is this true? Can anyone comment on the fit?

3) With a true US shoe size of 11, and given that I typically take an
11.5 hiking shoe or running shoe, and generally take either a normal or
EE shoe depending on the cut, which size Carbon Pros and Skate 9s would
you suggest?

4) How tight a fit should I go for? Too tight and I'm afraid the boot
will not allow enough circulation to keep my feet warm in winter.

5) Which boot, Skate 9 or Carbon Pro, is going to be hotter in summer?

6) Given that I plan on roller skiing 4 seasons, and here summers get
hot and winters get cold, can anyone suggest which kind of sock to use
with the boot? Light hiking merino sock, medium sock or heavier
ski/winter sock?

7) Which binding should I use, Profil or Pilot? I read a post on this
usenet that Jamie of NordicSkater in Vermont recommends people use
Profil bindings instead of Pilot because the boot bumper is stiffer,
preventing some of the RS hang when one picks up one's foot. What is
meant by RS hang? Return ski? The poster wrote that the Pilot bumper
is softer so that the ski tail will drop farther. What is the
advantage of a Pilot binding at all then, if there is one?

8) If one has a speed reducer, is the leg brake worthwhile?

9) Can anyone make any roller skiing pole recommendations? Especially
poles that will plant firmly but absorb some shock (though good form
will probably get rid of the impact felt). I'm 6 ft 180 lbs if that
helps. And can you recommend good sources for cheap poles? From
winter skiing it just seems there are always many used poles to pick up
in fairly good shape.

I'd sincerely appreciate any comments/suggestions.

" I've heard that the Carbon Pro boots have a narrower toe box than
the Race Skate 9s. Is this true? Can anyone comment on the fit? "

The Salomon Carbon's have a very narrow toe box - Without a doubt, they
are narrower than Skate 9s, Rossignol Xiums, and Alpina. I have heard
the new Salomon boots have a wider toe box.

I have an average width foot. I skated with the Carbons for 2 1/4
years, but the balls of my feet became so inflammed with sesamoiditis
that I was forced to switch to Alpina. The Alpina fit well and my feet
are healing. I think the most important thing is to find the boot that
fits you, not your World Cup hero.

Jim

wrote:
9) Can anyone make any roller skiing pole recommendations? Especially
poles that will plant firmly but absorb some shock (though good form

Consider absorbers:
http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~ts/gallery/absorb.jpg

All the best, Timo

--
Prof. Timo Salmi ftp & http://garbo.uwasa.fi/ archives 193.166.120.5
Department of Accounting and Business Finance ; University of Vaasa
http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/ ; FIN-65101, Finland
Cross-country skiing page: http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/info/timoski.html

I only wish. Not in NYC. We're going to have to head up to the
Adirondaks or Vermont, unless you know of a closer shop. There are
some ski shops about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours away in New Paltz and other
areas, but they don't have a good selection of cross country boots,
especially now. I've checked and checked.

when I posted my comment below I was replying to


I only wish. Not in NYC. We're going to have to head up to the
Adirondaks or Vermont, unless you know of a closer shop. There are
some ski shops about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours away in New Paltz and other
areas, but they don't have a good selection of cross country boots,
especially now. I've checked and checked.

runcyclexc I appreciate your post, thanks for sharing the info,
unfortunately there's no where near me to try on boots. And there are
few shops farther away that seem to carry a good selection of boots in
men's US 11 and women's US 7 that I'm looking for.

I did most of my rollerskiing in central Jersey and Long Island.

The closest bona fide xc ski shops are in Adams, MA, and Queensbury,
NY. I would recommend the Adams ski shop. Google "Berkshire
outfitters". Steve there knows his stuff. If you are serious, it's well
worth the drive. and you can always combine that with a hike in the
Berkshires. The have a great bike path to try the stuff out, too.

there used to be a xc ski shop in Lambertville, NJ (across the bridge
from New Hope, PA) but a series of warm winters in 1997-1999 drove them
out of business.

mountainwalker wrote:
when I posted my comment below I was replying to


I only wish. Not in NYC. We're going to have to head up to the
Adirondaks or Vermont, unless you know of a closer shop. There are
some ski shops about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours away in New Paltz and other
areas, but they don't have a good selection of cross country boots,
especially now. I've checked and checked.

runcyclexc I appreciate your post, thanks for sharing the info,
unfortunately there's no where near me to try on boots. And there are
few shops farther away that seem to carry a good selection of boots in
men's US 11 and women's US 7 that I'm looking for.