How They Work:
- There are two different types of
roller skis: Classic and Skate; just like
cross country skis.
- The "Body":
- A typical roller ski has two
main parts: the ski and the wheels. The skis are about 1 1/2
to 2 feet long, in the middle they have a binding mounted onto them so you
can put your ski boots on them. These are the same bindings
you can use for cross
country skis.
http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2009/06/one-way-group.jpg
- The "Wheels":
- The wheels are different for the technique you are doing. For
skate, they have a larger diameter and are
skinnier. And for classic they have a small
diameter and are wider. The classic skis have
a ratchet on the back wheel so you can ski up
hills; this is a reflection of kick wax; but
the ratchet is mostly more reliable than kick
wax ever is.
- Poles (get a six pack):
- Unless you want the biggest
legs in town, you also typically use poles so
your upper body can do some of the work as
well. The skate poles typically are the height
up to your mouth/nose, and the classic poles
are the height to your armpit rang. For
pavement you will want to put roller ski tips
on, they will last longer because they are
built for hard surfaces; and will grab the
pavement better.
- Typically the best places to
roller ski are on paved roads and bike paths,
they do not work on gravel due to a high force
of friction.
http://www.gearwest.com/uploads/980-rollerski-photo2.jpg
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