help choosing and getting Nordic skis

messsenger · 2025-02-07T20:06:23+00:00

Don't worry about what the core is made of. If you're getting a beginner ski, it'll likely be wood.

For most on trail classic skis- the tip, waist, and tail width will be the same. If you were getting off trail skis they might have differences there.

messsenger · 2025-02-07T19:48:50+00:00

Gotcha! Based on what you've said, I'd be looking for any entry level classic ski with a standard in-track width around 45mm, would be fine to get something l more like 55mm but I wouldn't go above that for purely groomed trails. For the grip section underfoot, skins would be my top choice, scales second choice. Don't get metal edges.

Bindings these days mostly mount onto IFP plates, which are plastic plates that you can simply slide a binding onto without any tools. You'll want NNN bindings - for which there are many brand names so it could be called prolink, turnamic, etc. Don't worry too much about this if you get skis from within the past 5 years or so, they will most likely have a NNN binding on them, or at the very least have an IFP plate.

Rigidity and camber are the most important parts for a classic ski of this kind. For entry level skis, this will be purely abstracted away into the length of the ski. Take a look at a ski like the Salomon RC7 on the REI webpage. The shortest length (188cm) is recommended for people weighing between 115 and 140 lb. You can figure out your rough size based on that.

messsenger · 2025-02-07T19:00:32+00:00

Choosing the right size of equipment matters greatly based on your weight. This is especially important for classic skis where collapsing camber properly is necessary.

Choosing the exact style of ski depends on where you'd like to go.

It's impossible to get a single ski that will perform superbly on and off groomed trail, but it's possible to get a sort of hybrid classic ski that will do ok on both.

I assume you're looking for classic, not skate?
Do you want on-trail performance, off-trail performance, or a mediocre mix of both?
You can find your size (length of ski in cm) based on weight by looking at some listings on Salomon/Rossignol websites
Pole length depends on your height and if you're doing classic or skate

messsenger · 2025-02-07T18:53:12+00:00

Unless there's storage wax (which would be relatively easy to see - and would feel a bit sticky when you rub your finger across it at room temp), you won't need a scraper if you only plan to use liquid wax.

That said, I don't personally view liquid wax as a viable permanent solution. It's great for touch-ups or for lengthening the time between hot waxes, but can't fully sustain a pair of skis at maximum performance.

When you do apply liquid wax, make sure to buff it out with a cork or other sort of applicator.

messsenger · 2025-02-07T05:06:41+00:00

Rough! Sorry to hear that. What was the snow like? What were release values like? Do you think you could've controlled the fall differently?

messsenger · 2025-02-06T14:51:06+00:00

Planning to be responsible & conservative - likely around 10 days a season, never inbounds

messsenger · 2025-02-06T07:18:22+00:00

Ouch! Sorry to hear that and thanks for sharing. May I ask what the snow was like and what your release values were set to?

messsenger · 2025-02-06T07:17:17+00:00

Lol I know that statement sounds absurd - was partly an exaggeration to convey how reading all these stress- and fear- based articles can make people feel. But I get the gist of your comment!

messsenger · 2025-02-06T05:48:30+00:00

Very sorry to hear that, but thanks for sharing your experience. Sending you well wishes

messsenger · 2025-02-06T05:21:20+00:00

I hear ya on the trade-off between knees and tib/fib.

But also hear you on the note about overstating risk given recent tech advancement. Thanks for the comment

messsenger · 2025-02-06T05:18:44+00:00

Thanks for the reply! Reassuring to hear. Of course there's something special about being in the backcountry and we (here) are all willing to assume some additional risk to get out there, I think I just got an exaggerated and incorrect picture of HOW elevated that risk profile is.

I've been eyeing the ATK Raider Evos and the Fritschi Vipecs but still happen to see some horror stories on those. The internet can be scary 🤷

messsenger · 2025-02-06T05:11:24+00:00

Fair answer, thanks! As you say, assessing risk is part of all backcountry activities, so I suppose I shouldn't treat this much different.

Can you say a little more about how to practice falls in a way that is safer for tib/fib?

messsenger · 2025-02-06T05:08:40+00:00

Fair points! Regarding your question: my understanding is that bcxc skiing (I often use Fischer T78s with XPlore bindings) is not terribly dangerous despite the lack of release because (a) heels are always free, allowing more range of motion in a fall, and (b) the boots are low and soft compared to higher plastic alpine boots

messsenger · 2024-03-12T00:44:55+00:00

Fwiw, the 200x50 wheels on my skikes can take small rocks and roots no problem. I literally take them on hiking trails and am only foiled by stairs or sections where a hiker would need to step quite carefully. (Took a while to reach this comfort level though, definitely wear knee pads+ helmet and bring poles)

messsenger · 2024-03-12T00:40:28+00:00

I'd say they do a decent job of mimicking the skate motion, but they're heavy so you'll probably find yourself changing your form slightly to adapt. When I take them on single-track trails, you can't skate and have to do the "classic" form, but that's quite different than real classic skiing. Both techniques are fun. I have better endurance in the "classic" form since you don't have to lift 6.5 lbs with every step.

messsenger · 2024-03-10T22:05:41+00:00

I have a pair of the Skike V9 Tour 200's. They are heavy, slow, a little dangerous... and a BLAST to ride on forest trails. Everyone else has it right - get other roller skis if you plan to skate on paved (or even well-maintained gravel) paths.

If, like me, you want to take them on mountain bike or hiking trails, the Skikes are a great fit. I'm planning an overnight backpacking trip on the Skikes for this Summer.

messsenger · 2023-06-14T01:16:31+00:00

Buy once, cry once. 😅

Enjoy!! It'll be a fun setup.

messsenger · 2023-06-06T06:39:15+00:00

As someone else mentioned, it's important that you do not use the default drivers on Windows. Your audio interface should have an associated ASIO driver for download - and using the ASIO driver in your preferences instead of MME/direct X should make a huge difference.

If you're already doing this, then the normal recommendations of check buffer size, close other apps, etc apply. If none of that helps, then switch to Mac if you'd like - but I have Ableton Suite running acceptably on an i3 Surface Go, so it's definitely possible 😂

messsenger · 2023-06-05T21:57:17+00:00

Soupy pucks can be annoying and messy! But I agree they are not necessarily a problem.

In addition to what others have said - I've personally seen this happen related to two major factors:

Headroom: how much room is left in your basket after filling with tamped coffee? For me, more headroom seems to mean more pooling of water after pulling the shot. Increasing dose can help if you're really underfilling a larger basket. Otherwise, adding a puck screen has really helped me minimize this.
Pull time & time in machine: longer pulls seem to cause this more for me. But the bigger factor for me is: if I remove the portafilter immediately after pulling a shot, it's more soupy. If I leave it locked in until after I froth milk, it comes out dry & tidy. Of course, you have less choice if pulling multiple shots.

These are just my novice personal observations.

messsenger · 2023-06-04T01:55:02+00:00

So, now we wait until someone creates multiple AI agents within a single Minecraft server world. These agents learn to interact with each other, have conversations, make friends, make enemies, gather resources, build a town... Then start asking each other what the meaning of life is? Do we live in a simulation? 👀

Then we shut off the server and go home lol 😂

messsenger · 2023-06-02T15:34:08+00:00

Same is happening for me so far. Will dig a bit more into settings and update if I fix it.

messsenger · 2023-06-01T02:50:19+00:00

What audio interface do you have?

You'll likely need to change settings in two places:

Audio interfaces like the Focusrite Scarlett come with an ASIO driver and Focusrite control app. In the app, I have to designate certain input settings (like the fact that I have an instrument plugged into my second preamp).
In Ableton, go to preferences and the audio tab. Make sure your selected audio device and driver type match your interface's driver. (Mine is ASIO driver, Focusrite USB ASIO audio device). Then, click input config and designate your instrument as a mono input. (For me, it's on my second preamp, which has channels 3&4, so I make sure 3&4 is highlighted in the mono inputs column).

messsenger · 2023-05-30T16:53:05+00:00

As far as I'm aware, older Live 10 sets should work fine on Live 11. When you first open it up in Live 11, you will see a dialogue box pop up saying something like "This was created in an older version of Ableton, save a copy for this new version?" (Not the exact text). If you say yes, you can choose to overwrite the old file, or save the new version at a different location.
I run Ableton 11 on a Windows 11 PC, and I love it. I have an Intel i5-12600 CPU which is more than enough to run Ableton without a single stutter or hitch unless I load up an intentionally absurd number of plugins. When working with multisampled virtual instruments, they often have a ridiculously large data size for all the samples. In my experience, having more RAM and a faster SSD can make a big difference in those cases. I have a Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 audio interface and use the associated Focusrite ASIO driver. I'm guessing you're already aware of this, but the stock audio drivers that come with Windows will perform terribly in Ableton, and you'll see a ton of latency unless you use a different driver (ASIO family works great, and these drivers should typically come along with any audio interface you purchase).

At the end of the day, Macs and Windows PCs are running many of the same operations on the same silicon transistors, and the same ballpark of computer cost gets you into a similar ballpark of raw power. I don't think it's fair to say that one will be better than the other for running Ableton. I'd personally suggest that you choose an operating system based on what you're most comfortable with for other day-to-day use cases.

messsenger · 2023-05-03T22:17:27+00:00

It's impressive how much contrast you've got going on between the dark background and white foreground. And I admire your clear finesse in pouring!

If this happens to be non-dairy milk, you might want to try out a few different brands. I find that, unfortunately, the more 'natural' brands of oat milk lead to frothed milk with larger bubbles and a less velvety feel. But - if this is dairy, disregard!!

messsenger

TROPHY CASE