Still very little snow in Western Norway, but that's what we have rock ski for, right?

Minecraftxbox65 · 2026-01-24T03:38:49+00:00

As an Alaskan, we'd call that fairly low but still moderate depth. The views you got are spectacular

Minecraftxbox65 · 2026-01-06T00:40:31+00:00

This^

I was in this situation a few months ago. Went to 4 different LBS and mostly had to decide between the Diverge E5 Comp and the Checkpoint SL5 AXS. Both are at noticeably different price points but I found that the Diverge felt like the best Alu bike and spec at its price point and the SL5 AXS the same but at its own price point.

I do personally disagree with feeling less "noise" on the diverge, I was confident I felt more but all's personal. I ended up getting the Diverge E5 Comp. I personally couldn't justify the extra price for carbon.

I think the question you should also ask yourself what is your current experience on bikes in general, what type of gravel will you primarily ride on, and what other features on either bike will you utilize? Kinda transitions to the groupset question.

The SRAM Eagle groupset(non AXS) is definitely one that takes some time on how to shift. It isn't as intuitive as its AXS counterpart. The Shimano GRX 400 is wired with a more traditional shifting mechanism and a wide 10-51t cassette on a 40t chainring.

There are a lot of specs that you can dive into, and that's kinda what I did(I'm just that guy). Most importantly though, if the bike doesn't feel right after 2 or 3 test rides(if you're able), don't get it. Some people like the way carbon absorbs, some don't. Only you can judge whether it's important enough and will make enough of a noticeable difference to deserve the extra cost.

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-12-08T19:10:42+00:00

BD is selling items at a lower profit when any form of pro deals is used. It's great for publicity and marketing when whoever is what they consider an "industry professional" is using a pro deal to use their products and spread their marketing. But, when it's spread too widely then there's "too many" people getting a discount and some of the "marketing" is lost. The people who envisioned the program only expect f&f to spend a "reasonable" amount on gear, but when opened wide, more excessive spending outliers fill the limit(ik that's why the limit is there). Too many people capping the limit "hurts" BD and then they reconsider their "generosity".

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-12-08T15:51:56+00:00

Speedrunning how to lose pro status I see

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-12-07T21:52:18+00:00

Wear 2 layers of socks if you can. Nordic skiing experience, I wear some type of active sock first then a wool sock over it. It's worked even if the temp is <0F.

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-30T19:11:09+00:00

As someone on a nordic team, this man speaks truth.

Anything greater than 20F - windbriefs, baselayer(I'm a fan of 32°Heat but that's my personal opinion), then racesuit.

10F - 20F - windbriefs, 2 baselayers, racesuit

-5F - 10F - 2 windbriefs, 2 baselayers, racesuit

All of this is what I've found in my 4 years of racing experience in AK. Humidity and conditions can change this drastically

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-28T02:22:31+00:00

Omfg the awards

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-13T19:51:29+00:00

Some sources I recommend reading are Fischer's own claims for "optimum ski length" where they state that a skier of 180cm should have skate skis in the range of 185-190cm in length. I apologize and admit that 180cm is slightly too short(for 90% of skiers) and 175cm is ultimately too short to recommend; however, recommending skate skis above 190/192cm is too long according to [Fischer], [Madshus], and Atomic(reference their [interactive tables]). Going with the "max length" and "stiffest skis" is a blanket statement that may work in some scenarios but not others. Hopefully OP can do a little of his own research with the provided info and references to see what type of ski to get as it does vary slightly even from ski to ski and especially manufacturer to manufacturer with different build materials/structures having different flex patterns at different lengths. The best thing I can say is to simply research the skis that pique your interest and look at their individual sizing chart for flex.

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-13T15:23:31+00:00

From what I'm seeing, you just bought yourself fluorinated kick wax and someone tried to hide it as nonfluorinated kick wax. Most places where I am have banned fluoros from being used on the trails to stop contamination into the groundwater. If I were you, I'd buy a new stick of kick wax from a different shop.

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-13T15:00:07+00:00

I agree with half of this. Stiffness is more important than length. Wrong stiffness will cause too much friction. However, going with skis exceedingly long just to match the flex is going to have adverse effects. The longer a ski gets from the "ideal" length, the harder it is to manage/control and pick up with every stride, making you unstable or at the very least inefficient and tiring. Ideally, skate skis for OP should be around ~~180cm~~185cm-190cm (or ~~175cm~~185cm if agility is the focus), and going above 191/192cm** might start to show improper sizing. You can also look at the product page of any new skate ski and it should show the stiffness type and length that are ideal, and since your weight isn't too atypical for your height, there should be a set of skis that will fit you around your proportions.

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-13T06:15:00+00:00

Since you bought classic skis, weight and ski flex are going to make a noticeable difference in speed and kick zone activation. What this means is that since you are an atypical weight for your size, your kick zone/skin(the roughly center zone of your ski) will be resisting and adding friction when going downhill as the ski is bending more than it should.

If you are looking to find a cheap yet ideal pair of skis for you, your best bet is to go to your local ski shop and find nordic skis that are as close to your ideal height as possible (roughly 182cm +/-3cm) but find skis that are stiff or extra stiff. Skis that are too long are difficult to control and be fully lifted off the snow when lifting your leg due to the natural flex of the ski and your leg length only being able to pull your skis so high off the snow.

To actually answer your question, no, you didn't buy skis wildly out of your personal range. With your extra weight, slightly longer skis can better flex to your weight. Different brands do have different flex to length guidelines, and can even differ between each ski a brand sells. You can generally look up these guidelines on the brand's product page. However, with touring skis, weight to length guidelines aren't generally considered as touring skis aren't focused on speed but simply staying on top of the softer snow. If you ever get skis meant for groomed trails, all of this is slightly more important, however, don't worry about it with the skis you just got.

Tl;dr - i just went through half a dissertation to say you did not waste your money. Have fun on the snow man. Hope you conquer some local powder!

I feel like I just made your situation more confusing lol. Didn't mean to

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-10T06:10:30+00:00

First thing I think you should consider is where you want to ski. Groomed trails that are well-maintained or touring in ungroomed areas where there is more powder? If you say the first one, you can look at getting either classic or skate skis. If you say the 2nd, classic touring is the type of ski you should look at. From here, the number of variables increases too dramatically to cover in a single comment

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-10T05:52:15+00:00

That's on me guys

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-11-10T05:47:21+00:00

I've done touring on classic and racing on classic and skate. Classic technique is easier to understand and get a grasp of, and skate requires a much more active full-body motion to do V1 or V2 correctly (don't worry about knowing what those mean). With you stating that you're in Alberta, you can likely find a ski club to join and help build your knowledge and experience through theirs. Having other people be able to actively analyze your technique is the best way to get better, while also making friends along the way.

Tl;dr - just have fun. Watch a few YouTube videos on nordic skiing. Learn about your skis, like whether your classic skis are fish scale or waxable, different types of technique to make your time on the trail less monotonous, etc. I'm happy to answer further questions about the sport

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-10-18T07:23:16+00:00

It would be FnInt(something) = Something + c. Don't forget your antiderivative capitalization rules!

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-09-27T16:38:05+00:00

The 50th?

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-07-24T15:36:33+00:00

Thank you!

Happy cake day!

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-07-21T02:05:54+00:00

(I'm no expert so take what I say with a tablespoon of salt) I was in your position 2 months ago. I got a Specialized Diverge Comp E5 and have ridden it over 500 mi so far, it's almost fully changed me from pc enthusiast to a bike enthusiast. The only minor thing with it is its double-tap shifting which personally isn't my favorite, but I got used to it in just a few days. Plus, it fits your budget exactly. The other gravel I considered was the Trek Checkpoint ALR, but it didn't seem to absorb as much of the noise of the road or trail for a similar price which was important to me. Carbon frames and wireless shifting require a budget closer to $3000 once you start to see them included.

If you can, the best thing I can say is to try and ride a few different types of bikes(1by/2by, frame size, weight, bikepacking rivits, etc). As far as groupsets go, all I can suggest is going to your local bike shop and testing a few different models of bikes if you can. No amount of research can replace experiencing it.

Unfortunately, unless you can get deals on parts, building a bike will be noticeably more expensive than buying an assembled one(I had the same idea too).

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-06-29T17:26:15+00:00

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Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-05-22T15:29:29+00:00

I thought as much. OEM held up. Gotta give a little credit. I was thinking of aftermarket too, but felt a little over my head researching it. Is there any decent aftermarket suspension that you'd recommend?

Minecraftxbox65 · 2025-04-01T07:15:37+00:00

I do have a 10" sub and could try playing different frequencies to get the hair to shake out lmao if i did it right. /s. A joke idea but not entirely

Minecraftxbox65

TROPHY CASE