After reading so many positive threads here and enduring constant needling from the roadie the next cubicle over I’ve decided to give cross country skiing a go this winter.
I went up with my wife and had an hour lesson skiing classic style and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.
So… where do I go from here? The sheer amount of different skiis out there is mind boggling. Do I want waxless? Classic? Skating? Backcountry? Is there some kind of guide out there I can get my hands on to get a handle on all this gear?
So you like classic - great. The big question is what access do you have to good tracks or groomed skate lanes and how warm / cold is your weather? Colder is better for classic ( easier to wax ) and skate gets really slow below -15 C ( like skiing in sand ) Waxing is part of the game in classic unless you are always around 0 C - then waxless can come into play.
I would figure out where you want to ski most of the time then head to a good shop. Be prepared to spend some time figuring out gear - then the fun starts trying to figure out how to ski well enough so that kid who can’t be nearly as fit as you won’t drop you as he/she skis easily by as you flail with sweat pouring in your eyes.
Its not like running or riding - the learning curve is very long but very fun.
To see how it is done check www.crosscountryski.us and look at some of the World Cup videos posted - the womens sprints from last week were great.
I live near SLC, Utah. I know of at least 5 areas within about 30 minutes of my house with regularly groomed skate lanes that also groom tracks for classic. So no real limiter there either way. There’s also plenty of backcountry options for me as well.
Figuring out the gear is where I’m stuck now. I’d like to start somewhere but I’m basically planning on doing this once a week or less for some fun crosstraining so I’m not concerned about getting the absolute best stuff out there, but I’d also prefer not to be on the XC version of a K-Mart Hybrid bike…
+2 on the skate route. With easy access to groomed lanes that is going to be the best bang for your buck work out. Classic is a ton of fun, but waxing can be intimidating. Start off skate and if you really get into it look into classic stuff as well.
Getting decent quality used equipment is a great option - doenst have to be the top end race stuff but “close” to race level is good and a couple of seasons old is not a problem. Fischer makes Speedmax and Carbonlite top end skaters but the RCS model is great, fast and much cheaper. Get a shop to find you a nice all around flex ski. Boots are the same - just make sure you get compatible boots / bindings - either Solomon SNS or NNN system - both are great but not compatible. Get descent carbon poles but not super high end - mid range - stiff light and stronger.
If you really like it then add a classic set up - I dont know the locations there but if you ski mostly groomed tracks below -5 C that are not ice then waxing is pretty straight forward.
If you can find club around they are a good source for used stuff. People are always flipping skis trying to find something faster
Getting decent quality used equipment is a great option - doenst have to be the top end race stuff but “close” to race level is good and a couple of seasons old is not a problem. Fischer makes Speedmax and Carbonlite top end skaters but the RCS model is great, fast and much cheaper. Get a shop to find you a nice all around flex ski. Boots are the same - just make sure you get compatible boots / bindings - either Solomon SNS or NNN system - both are great but not compatible. Get descent carbon poles but not super high end - mid range - stiff light and stronger.
If you really like it then add a classic set up - I dont know the locations there but if you ski mostly groomed tracks below -5 C that are not ice then waxing is pretty straight forward.
If you can find club around they are a good source for used stuff. People are always flipping skis trying to find something faster
Good advice here. Ski’s are cheap enough that buying new can be fine too. You don’t need carbonlites, but $300 can buy some damn good skies and if you have a good knowledgeable shop they can help you get on a good stable, predictable ski that will help your enjoyment. Also, try on lots of boots and be picky to make sure fit is damn good.
I learned on a pair of Fischer SCS’s and they are a very stable and predictable ski. I even raced a 90k on a pair of them because i wanted an ultra stable ski for when my legs went wobbly. I also really like the Salomon Equipe 8’s. I train on these (both classic and skate) and find them to be excellent all-around stable and fast ski’s that i don’t worry about using when the snow is poor and i might scrape a rock. I paid $180 a pair(before bindings) for the new model. I think they may be more expensive in the US, but they were a steal here. I’ve been racing on Madshus Nanosonic’s as my team gets a discount and i find them insanely fast but squirrely at times. I wouldnt recommend them for someone starting.
If you go to a local shop with real skiers to get your stuff, they will also help you measure your wax zones for classic, help you get the waxes you need and show you how to do it. With both techniques i’d recommend getting a few more lessons to learn decent technique while you are still a “clean slate”.
Cross country skiing is by far my favorite thing to do in the winter and the lack of snow where i live now is killing me. The trails back “home” have been opened since mid October. We have zero snow here around Prague and i have a race in 20 days. It’s terrible.
Classic is actually more technical than skating and takes longer to get good at. It’s also kind of a pain in the ass - always have to do different kick wax based on conditions- gets super messy. The hardcore skiers will classic on the really cold days and skate when conditions are a bit warmer. I am a huge fan of skate skiing. I’ve had my gear for several years. For the most part i don’t even wax. Once in a while i rub some F4 on there but other than that it’s mimimal - just get out and ski. Good skate boots make a big difference. Get racing skate boots and skate skis (again my 2 cents).
Skate translates well to cycling while classic translates well to running.
skating is more fun than classic and a better workout, so would start there.
right now everything will be expensive, wait for the end of the season and can pick up last year’s model etc on the sales much cheaper…
Eagle River Nordic has good sales, REI has decent gear which will be cleared out at end of season.
My skate gear came from ebay since I’m a really cheap bastard, got some old Fischer RCS skis for $100, they have been just fine.
Waxless classic skis can be found quite cheaply. I skate whenever possible, when really cold the snow gets slow, so will switch to classic then. The waxless have been OK in all temperatures for me - if racing you need to obsess about wax, if just getting a workout the waxless are good enough.
Whether you go skate or classic, look for Madshus, Fischer, Rossi, Salomon or Atomic. They will all have different levels of quality, Rossignols top brand is Xium. Fischer is RCS above SCS, the price tag will give you the best idea. When looking for boots/bindings I’d recommend looking at only Salomon or Fischer, they are the top 2 brands out there. Pilot system is going to be slightly higher quality/price point than the SNS system, but just getting into the sport it doesn’t really matter which you go with. Pilots just provide 2 contacts points vs. 1 from boot to binding.
Boots are quite similar to cycling shoes in terms of fit and quality. Carbon boots will cost a heck of a lot more than composite. Fit should be snug so there’s no give in the heel, but you want a little wiggle room for your toes, be sure to get fit with socks you would be using to ski in.
Poles I’d go as cheap as you want, but within certain brands. DO NOT GET ONE WAY POLES. Swix makes great composite poles for around $50 I think. If you start to get into racing the carbon poles would come more into play (more money). If you’re on the lighter side you can go around 40% carbon, the heavier you are the more carbon % would work. Hope this helps somewhat.
edit: if you can find year old models for around 25% off, I’d expect to spend $500-600 on skis, boots, bindings, poles. You can easily spend double that. Winter running clothes work fine, but there are also a lot of nice ski specific clothing as well you can invest in.
edit2: skate is way more fun and great cross training for cycling. Classic applies more to running muscle groups.
Fantastic decision to try Nordic Skiing. It is a great bang for the Aerobic buck, and is great amount of fun. You live in an area that the possibilities are endless for Nordic skiing - Classic, Skate, Backcountry are all epic in your area - go have have fun in the snow !
It sounds like I am going to be in the minority here, but after teaching Nordic for 10 years, I’ve helped alot of folks learn to Nordic Ski.
My advice would be to find the best Nordic Ski shop in SLC or at the Nordic Center and go in looking for some waxless classic skis.
The Reason: Classic is a great way to learn the fundamentals of Nordic Skiing - balance, polling, timing, etc. There is a lot going on in Skate Skiing as far as balance and timing that can be hard for a novice to learn. V1, V2, Alt V2, etc all have to do with timing of the pole plant and weight transfer that, if not done correctly, can get you stalled out and all tangled up!
Waxless Classic skis have come along way and are not the clunky heavy low performance ski they once were. Get them sized correctly and all you have to do is jump on them and go. Put a bit of glide wax on every once and a while, and it is a very low effort option.
My next suggestion would be: Go to the Nordic Center and get a lesson. A good instructor can help with the fundamentals and get you started on the correct path.
As you get the hang of it as far a balance and timing go, move on to Skate. It will present a whole new skill set but will still feed off of the fundamentals learned in classic.
When done correctly, Classic can be just as good a workout as Skate, don’t let that be an issue.
So between the two you’d recommend getting a decent foundation with classic before trying skating?
This is kind of the direction I was pointed by the instructors where I got my first lesson. I’m not dead set against investing in two pairs of skiis. Although it is kind of a bummer the boots don’t even transfer over. I can easily see taking the plunge with one setup this season, but the second will almost definitely have to wait until next year.
For now I’m planning on sticking with lessons and rental gear for a few more go-rounds while I learn the game, but I definitely am starting to get a handle on what’s out there after reading this thread.
Start with Classic ( and even with no poles at first !) , learn the balance, the wight transfer, the kick timing, and do it on a good pair of waxless skis. Ski the crap out of them this season. You will get the cross training benefit, and for sure you will get the aerobic benefit.
If you enjoy it, later in this season, or next season work on expanding your quiver to learning skate skiing.
I rented a few times last year - skate only. Our local shop is having a 30% off sale until the end of December so after thinking about it for the past couple of weeks, I finally went out and just bought equipment today!
I went with the Salomon Equipe 9 skate skis (a bit better than middle of the road), Solomon active 8 boot, Solomon pilot binding, carbon Swix poles. Only $700 all in after the 30% off. Not a huge investment. I don’t plan on racing. This is just a supplement to my cycling training, so I didn’t want to go overboard. Being a cyclist, its easy to look at high end carbon everything and spent $1500, but unless you are racing you don’t need to spend a lot. Get a a decent ski though.
First go on them tomorrow! I’ll sign up for a couple of lessons so I don’t learn all the bad habits.
Marty
I will x2 what Dbeital said. Go waxless for classic since you’re just getting into it. Unless you’re racing or really care about going as fast as possible, then I would avoid the hassle of waxing for classic (not that it’s that hard).
Personally, I’m interested in the new atomic skintec waxless classic ski’s. They are pricey for xc ski equipment…but look to be a cool option for training and racing at a non world class level.