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Best place to buy XC skis
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So planning for this winter, it looks like XC skiing makes the most sense as a way to compliment indoor workouts, due to a recent arm injury, social distancing, etc. I've resisted getting back into nordic skiing due to the expense for whats mostly a secondary sport. I'd like to get skis/bindings/boots/poles that are decent for workouts but if I ever compete I'm willing to get new equipment. At this point pretty sure it will be skating only, but it wouldn't hurt if I could do classic with the same skis.

Whats the best way to get a solid setup on a budget? Looks like most of the local sales are on Covid hiatus, who knows if there will be any swaps. Should I buy used or is that asking for trouble? Buy online?
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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onion river sports (orsdirect) out of Burlington, Vermont always had good mail order package deals. I got a few setups from them over the years.
If you have access to a somewhat local ski shop, it can be worth it to at least buy your boots from them. Ensures you get the right sizing and they often have very good advice.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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In person, I have always bought from Berkshire Outfitters, a locally owned store in Adams, MA. Wonderful people.

In the very likely event that you aren’t from that area however, I have had good luck purchasing from GearWest website for my two pairs of S/Lab skates.

Clubs/Affiliations: The Rippers / Charles River Wheelers / Cambridge Sports Union
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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Where are you located?

The Nordic Buy and Sell Facebook group is pretty active, with a good distribution of sellers, but especially if you are around Canmore, Canada. SkinnySki.com also has a classifieds section primarily focused on the upper midwest. The Mansfield Nordic webpage also has a swap section with some gear listed (VT).

Pioneer Midwest seems to have some good prices on packages, and they also do hand picked skis if you are looking for race gear. I've also seen some good prices from New Moon, Nordic Skater, and Gear West.

In the Boston area, Bikeway Source is the place to go.

Whatever you do, make sure you get the right flex for your weight.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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I've had great luck ordering online from Akers, very helpful folks. I'd email them your needs and details (weight, height, experience, local conditions where you plan on skiing, etc). Regarding weight, be realistic about how much extra you might pack along so they know the ski flex to recommend.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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There are several places in the US depending on where you live, that I would personally trust to order online with full confidence that you'll have a good buyer experience. There are what they call "Ski Packages" that include boots, bindings, poles, skis. Various quality levels with the main difference being the weight and some bells & whistles on the higher price packages. The more "race like packages" will have skinnier skis, lighter poles & lighter/breathable materials in the boots & stone ground ski bases.

If in the Midwest, Gear West in Long Lake, MN, or I know there is Cross Country Ski Shop in Grayling, Michigan....there is also New Moon Sports in Hayward, WI (home of the American Birkiebeiner), out west there is Boulder Nordic Ski Shop (they also have a shop in Minneapolis they just opened last year I think it was...)

Any of these shops should be able to get just the right set up no matter where you are. A lot will depend on your ability level. Likely they'll steer you towards a Performance Package which isn't a full on touring heavy wide set up--and not a ultra light race (more fragile) set up. It'll be the best of both worlds.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the ideas. I’m in the Midwest, not far from Gear West, so that’s probably my starting point. I’ll check out those FB groups too. Either way, probably worth buying good boots local and finding the best deal on skis wherever possible.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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What is your height and weight and are you looking for skating gear or classic?
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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FYI:

I’ve “lost” a bunch of money trying to find a good deal
On xc skis by buying cheap online.

Good xc skis are not a commodity. They require a well trained human to find a good pair. Just because a ski is the top level doesn’t mean it’s fast. I’ve bought top shelf skis that suck and have second tier skis that are great. There is a magic to ski picking.

Buy skis full price from a reputable shop. It’s not worth it looking for deals online. Good shops do offer ski picking online and you can get great skis that way.

You can save money on boots and poles online.

Also: skis are so good now that 2nd level skis are pretty damn fast. As fast as good race skis from 5-10 years ago.
Last edited by: xcskier66: Aug 20, 20 6:08
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [xcskier66] [ In reply to ]
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xcskier66 wrote:
FYI:

I’ve “lost” a bunch of money trying to find a good deal
On xc skis by buying cheap online.

Good xc skis are not a commodity. They require a well trained human to find a good pair. Just because a ski is the top level doesn’t mean it’s fast. I’ve bought top shelf skis that suck and have second tier skis that are great. There is a magic to ski picking.

Buy skis full price from a reputable shop. It’s not worth it looking for deals online. Good shops do offer ski picking online and you can get great skis that way.

You can save money on boots and poles online.

Also: skis are so good now that 2nd level skis are pretty damn fast. As fast as good race skis from 5-10 years ago.

This is one area I've been paranoid about... Do you think these sellers will pawn off the "runts of the litter" to their web sales? Especially if they have an in-person presence, you'd think that's where all the loyalty would go.

Clubs/Affiliations: The Rippers / Charles River Wheelers / Cambridge Sports Union
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [adoucett] [ In reply to ]
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If you are not going to race on what you get I wouldn't worry too much about web sales. As long as the camber is not shot and the bindings are in the right place I doubt that stock differences are going to matter much. Just my 2 cents.


It sounds like you are looking for a touring/rec classic setup. Beyond getting the flex right for your weight, it is really important to nail the width for what you are doing. e.g., a 45mm race ski is going to be miserable if you are not skiing on tracks set by a machine.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [xcskier66] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
What is your height and weight and are you looking for skating gear or classic?

185, 6'4", skate

xcskier66 wrote:
FYI:

I’ve “lost” a bunch of money trying to find a good deal
On xc skis by buying cheap online.

Good xc skis are not a commodity. They require a well trained human to find a good pair. Just because a ski is the top level doesn’t mean it’s fast. I’ve bought top shelf skis that suck and have second tier skis that are great. There is a magic to ski picking.

Buy skis full price from a reputable shop. It’s not worth it looking for deals online. Good shops do offer ski picking online and you can get great skis that way.

You can save money on boots and poles online.

Also: skis are so good now that 2nd level skis are pretty damn fast. As fast as good race skis from 5-10 years ago.

I get that and I'm certainly sensitive to the nuances of equipment selection, but $600+ is becoming hard to justify for what's at best a tertiary sport right now. It's been so long since I've skied that the equipment is the last thing holding me back. If and when I have more time and get better, it would certainly be worth investing in the appropriate skis.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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I got mine at Brian's Bicycles & Cross Country Skis in Mammoth Mountain, CA.
They specialize in cross country, owner is great.
You could probably get them to ship.
I love XC, wish I could do it more, but its a very long drive to snow from here.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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Karl.n wrote:
So planning for this winter, it looks like XC skiing makes the most sense as a way to compliment indoor workouts, due to a recent arm injury, social distancing, etc. I've resisted getting back into nordic skiing due to the expense for whats mostly a secondary sport. I'd like to get skis/bindings/boots/poles that are decent for workouts but if I ever compete I'm willing to get new equipment. At this point pretty sure it will be skating only, but it wouldn't hurt if I could do classic with the same skis.

Whats the best way to get a solid setup on a budget? Looks like most of the local sales are on Covid hiatus, who knows if there will be any swaps. Should I buy used or is that asking for trouble? Buy online?

You can't skate and do classic with the same skis.
Skate skis are shorter, no kick zone.
Classic skis are longer with a waxed kick zone, or now more common... a skin for kicking.

You can't skate and do classic with the same poles.
Skate poles are longer. My skate poles are 15cm longer than than my classic poles.

You CAN use the same boots if you get a combi boot and matching bindings on both sets of skis, but they kinda suck.

It's best to have both classic and skate equipment because the conditions sometimes dictate which is better.
Skate skiing in really cold conditions with no glide is no fun.
Classic skiing in early season when there isn't enough snow for deep tracks is no fun.

My suggestion, used skate equipment from the Nordic Buy and Sell on Facebook.
Skis: As long as the weight rating matches you, you should be ok.
Poles: Lots of calculators out there. As you're a noob, go with the shorter length if between sizes.
Boots: Usually some killer deals on used boots. Just make sure your binding matches your boots.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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Nordic Skiing is a great sport, and will build your cardio and strength like no other ! Lots of good information on this page so far...

There are some true experts on this forum that can give you lots of advice. But my advice is to go talk to a shop, my recommendation is Boulder Nordic Sports. Nathan and his crew are all experts. Talk to them about your experience and what you want out of the sport. They will not try and sell you anything but what you determine you want. Now more than ever, there a lot of options in the Nordic Ski equipment world that can get confusing.

The second piece of advice I'd give you is to get some lessons. Nordic Skiing is technique dependent, a lot like swimming. You can spend a lot of time and energy flailing away not getting anywhere thinking you are saving money, when a few lessons will increase the fun factor exponentially (reducing the frustration factor.)

Starting now, and in the next few months will be a good time to talk to the shops, they probably have a lot of inventory left over from last year that they will want to move.

db
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Dbeitel] [ In reply to ]
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I have had good luck with Gear West buying virtually. The folks I have talked to understand and love the sport. Still working on the best waxing strategy.....
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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So an update after finding some skis and getting on the snow a couple times.

I ended up going to Gear West and getting boots, then finding a set of skis on closeout online. At my height and weight (not small) and ability (decades dormant), I was just going to end up getting the biggest pair of skis in whatever model I chose anyway. It worked out ok. If I could do it again, I would have bought a used setup and started upgrading ASAP. Despite the advice at GW, I already have thoughts on how boots could fit better and I assume as I ski more the same will be true of skis. The best place to buy used around here looks like Craigslist or FB Marketplace, although I bet stuff has been moving fast.

Skiing's been going well. Even with the slow start of winter the manmade snow is good, especially for me. No falls and I've been able to skate well enough that I'm not passed by everyone. Most of my workouts are short for now, but once I've got a bit of endurance I'll probably look into a lesson or something because my technique is abysmal.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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Definately get lessons. Skiing is nearly all technique like swimming and if you are xc skiing without lessons you look to the skiers like someone who swims in the lane next to you without any technique.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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These guys are good: http://www.sportsrackmqt.com/ski
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [endosch2] [ In reply to ]
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endosch2 wrote:
Definately get lessons. Skiing is nearly all technique like swimming and if you are xc skiing without lessons you look to the skiers like someone who swims in the lane next to you without any technique.

Yeah. I don’t especially care what I look like, I care what kind of workout I get. But better technique would let me ski more terrain as it opens up.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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Karl.n wrote:
endosch2 wrote:
Definately get lessons. Skiing is nearly all technique like swimming and if you are xc skiing without lessons you look to the skiers like someone who swims in the lane next to you without any technique.


Yeah. I don’t especially care what I look like, I care what kind of workout I get. But better technique would let me ski more terrain as it opens up.

If you are learning SKATE ski, and you have poor form... you will fail miserably, and it will be not be much of a workout. Classic, not so much. But skate... get lessons, and work on form, which will give you a much better and longer workout and make a significantly more enjoyable experience. My 2 cents.

Colorado Triathlon Company, CO2UT 2021, Crooked Gravel 2022, Steamboat Gravel 2022
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [boilerup] [ In reply to ]
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boilerup wrote:

If you are learning SKATE ski, and you have poor form... you will fail miserably, and it will be not be much of a workout. Classic, not so much. But skate... get lessons, and work on form, which will give you a much better and longer workout and make a significantly more enjoyable experience. My 2 cents.

So, typical of 2020, lessons are booked into February. For now I’ve been going through Nordic Ski Lab videos and trying to keep up with the high school teams.
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Re: Best place to buy XC skis [DeeAye] [ In reply to ]
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Not to mention this place is close to "The Strip" and Blueberry Ridge...has some of the best skiing in the country a stone's throw away. But check out the Birkie's fav store called New Moon Ski Shop. Joel is an expert at all things nordic skiing much like Nathan from Boulder Nordic Sports.
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