gear advice

[mark g]

Hi all,

Looking to set up a super cheap ski option to ski the hills near my home. The trails are mtb trails - steepish, ungroomed, pretty fun for tight turns. The trails are too much for my regular xc ski rig, but my big touring setup (synergy boots/Havocs/O1s) are too much. I wanted something lighter so I remounted some old super loops on a pair of skinny straight old downhill skis (190 cm, ~70 mm wide under foot) and used those with the synergies with the cuffs loose. This set up has been fun but the boots are really overkill - something with a lower cuff, lighter, maybe more flexible might make more sense. Any ideas on what might be an ideal boot for this rig?

[webby]

you have described my local hill - where I MTB, some steeps but mostly rolling hills, opportunities for turns but if snow isn't great its a good place to log miles

My rig for this is blue two buckle scarpa T2s with a new thermoliner (I have a high one, made for a four buckle boot - it was cheap, and it works just fine), litedogz (step in 3 pin, and madshus epoch. absolutely love it - spent 2 1/2 hours sunday in fairly crappy conditions (it rained) having a good time.

light enough for hop turns and good enough for powder

Look for some used two buckle boots, check out the T-4 or - maybe even the excursion (not my preference, but some like them) - but get a better ski. Long and skinny won't be as much fun unless you ski in the kingdom.

your long and skinny skis could be managed with a leather boot and nnnbc binder, which is my preference for flats or powder

super loops should be mounted on something classic and hung over your workbench

[patonbike]

the havocs dont have fishscales do they?

my "subaru outback" of ski setup is
t2 ecos and switchbacks
or Dynafit speed radical and One PX boots

with Rossignol B125 or Voile vector

The T2 Eco's, and I bet the Syner G's are a bit stiff, but you can switch from tour to ski quick enough with the switchbacks.

[Crowbar]

IMO, Rossi BC125's or Guides are real good for the type of skiing you describe. They can be found used pretty cheap. The Vector BCs would be great too but they are not usually a "super cheap ski option."

[mark g]

thanks for that. Actually the ancient skis work ok for me - they don't turn anything like the Havocs with the O1s, but they are fine for this kind of thing, and I appreciate not running my Havocs over the odd bit of gravel, tree or broken bottle hidden under the snow. The nice thing with the super loops is that you just go, no stopping to press buttons to go from turning to striding mode. My little area is a valley with max about 50 m of vert, so it is maybe a dozen turns top to bottom, then some kick and glide and climb, some more turns. We have had some excellent dry snow conditions since Nov 1 and this skiing has really been a blast.

As for the boots, I have skied old T2s and found them pretty similar to my synergies. I have used the super loops with the old root beer T3 Scarpas. Unfortunately I no longer have those boots but they probably would have been better than the synergies. Early this season our local MEC here had some kind of heavy duty xc touring boot with a duck bill (Rossi X6 I think) which I thought might have worked. Yes ultimately, newer skis with a little shape, and probably fish scales for when things warm up (like right now) would be best.

[dschane]

I'd also say the Rossi BC 125's or 110's would be great. Boots: If you want to stay with plastic -- T4s, Excursions, or if you want to be cheap, keep the going with the loose cuffs on your Synergies (aren't they similar to T2's?). Bindings: 3-pin or Voile Switchback. The former is 2 lb lighter and cheaper, and the latter has a free pivot, so it depends on your preference.

[mark g]

Those Rossi skis look great, but again, not the super cheap option I am looking for. I have liked the idea of the Switchback but never had a chance to ski them. I guess they are less "active" than the O1s, but are similar in that you have to do a switch between tour and downhill mode. Again, for rolling terrain, I really like the idea of no transition between striding and doing turns on a short downhill. Another cheap idea might be to get the softest springs for the O1, with the idea that you might be able to stay in downhill mode on the flats?