OT: XC ski gear

[rwsaunders]

Advice needed...I haven't XC skied in years. In fact, my skis are so old, they were made in Norway of a hickory laminate. What's out there for someone who might be interested in skiing 6-10 times/year? Thanks

[thwart]

Certainly no expert here, but I do know that wood skis are still pretty cool for classic-style XC skiing.

Y'know, kinda like steel bikes... ;)

[gomango]

Do you want skate skis or traditional?

New or used?

Budget is?

[dhalbrook]

My old skis weren't wood-ski old, but old enough to have neon colors.

Recently bought some Salomon Snowscape 9s on sale. They're really short in comparison (went from 200s to 183s), but quite fast.

The newer boots are really comfy, warm, and the bindings are much improved torsionally.

I've seen the Snowscape 7s (more of an all-around waxless classic ski, less of a groomed track ski like the 9s) on sale with the boots, poles, and SNS bindings at REI for a pretty reasonable amount: http://www.rei.com/cross-country-ski-packages

If you wait until the end of season those prices drop quite a bit. That's when I got mine. Besides, in the Pac NW there's no snow this year ;)

[gasman]

Get some no wax skis. Steel edges if you plan back country trips, if you plan on groomed trails get skis without steel edges. Solomon makes some great boots.
Nail your wood skis to the wall. The new skis are so much better and you don't have to deal wit pine tar and waxes.
Full disclosure- I have skate skis and traditional wax skis. But to head out and go with the minimum of fuss I'll pull out one of my pairs of no wax.
This may be the time when sales are starting to happen.

[merckx]

Get a pair of Fischer Country Crown skis. The are traditional length, and very versatile for in and off track touring. I have a quiver of Nordic skis and these are the ones that get pulled the most frequently. I am not a fan of the short/fat skis. They are slow and slower. If you prefer to wax, then the Country is available in that version too.

[c77barlage]

Style and terrain will help dictate what may work best for you. I have some Salomon Snowscape 8s for classic and Equipe 8s for skate. Both have served me well.

I decided to go "waxless" on my classics so I could "grab and go" when I had free time to ski. Personally, I didn't want to spend time waxing; knowing I was giving up some performance by doing so.

Not sure what your XC ski background is. I thought I could easily teach myself how to skate. I found that spending a little money on lessons helped my form and efficiency immensely. Ultimately, this has made the whole experience more enjoyable for me.

[yatescc]

I wanted to be able to go out the back door and explore, so I went with a waxless partial medal edged ski.

Madshus Voss MGV+ (http://en-us.madshus.com/nordic-skis/voss-mgv-plus-ski)

If you're just going out a handful of times per year, then I agree with the other posters and a waxless ski is the way to go.

[cegerer]

I got back into classic XC a couple years ago just to stay active, not to set fast time of the day :rolleyes: The skis really haven't changed much at all - nothing like the revolution in alpine skis. I did buy new - Rossignol Evo Glades - which are shorter than I used before and have rounded tips (width is about the same as the old stuff) but I think it is more of a marketing gimmick to sell new skis than anything tangible. The boots and bindings, as previously mentioned, are much better. If you want to save some $$, shop the local thrift stores for skis and buy new boots and bindings. I recently bought a replacement set of Rossignol skis for my wife for $4. After clean-up, they look and perform like new.

[dhalbrook]

Actually I think the shorter ski thing is mainly to appeal to newbies to the sport. Shorter skis are easier to herringbone, easier to turn, easier to transport, etc. They're probably also cheaper to make :)

The bases have improved so much that my new shorter skis are far faster than my older, longer ones, even when both bases have been prepared.

[schwa86]

I have been getting more into XC for getting outside in snow season (and the 2' of snow we just got is a good motivator). For skiing in tracks/groomed -- or crashing golf courses, I have a pair of classic waxed skis (as a rule of thumb if you like tinkering with your bikes you won't mind waxing your skis). They are definitely a little quicker and smoother, but as others have said, a bit finicky.

That said, I am increasingly getting into poking around state forests and conservation land around here. For those, I went waxless, slightly wider backcountry, with metal edges. A bit better control, in ungroomed conditions the skis tend to ride over the deep stuff better. I have the Madhus EOS skis as do several friends. We all really like them.

Good packages at: http://www.akers-ski.com/ (I got my waxable Fischer BCs here), and here: http://www.orscrosscountryskisdirect.com/ (I got the Madhus skis here).

[CNY rider]

Some good suggestions.
I would add: 1. Keep it simple. Waxless.
2. Do you have a local shop that sells XC equipment? I would go support them so you can try on different shoes/boots, and hear from someone that knows the gear about your different ski and binding options.

[pitonpat]

Asnes Turlangrenn. Loved 'em and if they hadn't delaminated (the lignostone inlaid edges separated from the soles) I would still be using them. Absolutely loved them. I've been skiing for many years on Karhu XCD-GT's which are an early version of the backcountry style fiberglass ski with 'cracked'-flexible segmented steel edges in the kick zone only & leather 3-pin Asolo boots. They are waxable which I still like because you can tune the grip to the snow conditions. I know most people like non-wax, and its perfectly fine for much of the season, but the no-wax base does reduce the glide somewhat. Maybe I'm just hardheaded!

If you're skiing on prepared tracks, I'd just re-new the burn-in pine tar base treatment, slap some hard wax on them and go!

I know this forum sometimes obsesses over gear details, and I'm just as guilty.... but what's most important is just getting out and enjoying the ride (or the glide in this case!).

[echelon_john]

Another vote for the Fischer Country Crowns. No frills, good, solid feel, fine in groomed tracks and ok for breaking trail. I have the waxless, so I just put on glide wax every couple of times I use them. Nice not having to deal with kick waxing.

[Vientomas]

Make sure your new boots fit well and are comfortable. Unfortunately, sometimes you won't know until you have skied a few miles in them.