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Paul,<BR>
<BR>
My friendly advice would be that you speak with Len over at Jenex/V2 <A href="http://www.jenex.com/">http://www.jenex.com/</A>. Depending upon where you're going to train, he has the equipment you need to safely and correctly roller ski <EM>at the right cadence</EM>. Unless and until you're a seasoned roller skier, you probably should steer clear of any ski/wheel combo designed for speed. You should have sufficient rolling resistance to require the power of snow skiing, and which will decelerate at a rate similar to the rate on snow. Otherwise you'll develop some less-than-desireable habits and lose more than the usual amount of skin (some of which all roller skiers are required to sacrifice).<BR>
<BR>
The V2 Aero skis are heavy, but amazingly versatile and durable. The braking and speed reduction systems available for the Aeros are simply the best. <BR>
<BR>
Roller skiing puts huge stresses on your poles, so at the very least you should use your "least favorite" set of poles. Replace the baskets with roller ski ferrules which include carbide steel points. If you haven't worked with your poles, let me know and I can provide some instruction on how to do this work. To roller ski well, you need very sharp pole tips. Even the carbide steel tips will dull relatively quickly with use, so you will need to be equipped with a means to sharpen them before, and sometimes during, a ski outing. Hand-held diamond knife sharpening stones are handy to keep in your ski bag. Otherwise there are power grinder options available, some of which can be appended to a Dremel-type grinding tool. Although they are heavier and not nearly so efficient in energy transfer, aluminum poles are ideal for roller skiing. They're relatively inexpensive and they can ultimately save you a lot of money in replacements for your carbon fiber snow poles.<BR>
<BR>
A helmet is recommended, and I sometimes comply. Tough, light gloves are necessary, and you might cringe when you read this, but some knee protection might be nice on your first outings. For what its worth, I find that my butt and hips have taken the brunt of falls over the decades, so my advice is that you start out with a couple layers of coverage. Most importantly, for a reasonably safe and productive workout, ALWAYS preview your course so you know where the potential trouble spots are. Even with great equipment, remember that you cannot turn or stop on roller skis the way you can on snow. Obstacles (sticks, squirrel holes, rocks, speed bumps, curbs, railroad tracks, sand, gravel, mud, etc) in the course on snow might result in a minor mishap, but on roller skis even a small obstacle can result in some serious pain and damage. <BR>
<BR>
Good luck to you as we both look forward to next winter already.<BR>
<BR>
Fred Call<BR>
Dedham, ME <BR><BR> <BR>
<HR id=stopSpelling>
Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 14:51:27 -0700<BR>From: another_climber@yahoo.com<BR>To: cbcmembers@juliacollins.us<BR>Subject: [CBCmembers] Looking for roller skis<BR><BR>
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<DIV>I'm thinking if I'm going to improve for next season I should go skating more than just the days of the biathlon races... anyone know of some roller skis for sale? Or willing to provide any advice about which brand are useful? To avoid? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Looking forward to next winter already.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Paul</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><br /><hr />HotmailŪ has a new way to see what's up with your friends. <a href='http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/WhatsNew?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_WhatsNew1_052009' target='_new'>Check it out.</a></body>
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