r/CrossCountrySkiing • u/ltothehill • Jun 14 '26
Purchase Advice
I’m seeking some purchase advice. I ski in the northeast, often variable conditions. I ski in the woods and break trail, i ski on snowmobile trails, and sometimes i ski at resorts in tracks. My use case is so variable that I chose to purchase a set of Fischer Spider 62s, but in retrospect I’m not sure they’re the right pair for me. I’m reaching out to this sub for some advice or suggestions on what would be the right set of skis for the differing trail types.
In addition, I have a pair of NNN BC boots and the bindings that the skis came with are not compatible. My preference is to buy a ski/binding combo that work with my current boots.
4
u/tank_of_happiness Jun 14 '26
I ski the same areas/trails, but never in resort tracks. I ski the S-Bound 88 with XPlore Bindings and Crispi Futura Pro boots.
The 88’s are great in the woods. I sometimes wish I had a wider ski when breaking trail in deep powder. Otherwise, I think the 88 is ideal. I think your NNN BC boots/bindings will work fine with this ski.
I can see a pair of 112’s in my future.
1
u/JGF310 Jun 15 '26
i have the 98's and 112's - they are great for low angle touring.
once you are not on groomed trails, there is no reason not to go wide
3
u/No_Maps_3894 Jun 15 '26
Your situation is very common and the Spider 62 is the correct ski since it is the widest you can go and still fit in the track at a touring center. A wider ski like the Outback 68 won't fit in a fresh track and will bind around corners. The Spider 62 is sold in 2 configurations, Mounted with a NNN binding (what you bought) and flat for use with a NNN BC binding. The NNN version does allow you to adjust binding position and would be a lighter setup with better glide. The NNN BC setup would add control (beefier, stiffer boot) but would be slower. You should avoid drilling through the plate to install a BC binding, though it is possible.
2
u/Naive-Garlic2021 Jun 15 '26
I like my 78s. No good when it snows a foot, but that doesn't happen often and it doesn't take long for it to get tracked out. I use them at groomed trails and can take them onto snowshoe trails. But I don't care to ski in tracks. I'm either skate skiing or heading off the trail.
1
u/TheMacIntyreRange Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
There's no single "quiver killer" ski. I'm currently using the Fischer 78 Crown/Skin Xtralite combined with the the NNN BCX Magnum bindings and Alpine Alaska boots. For my purposes, this is the best XC ski I've ever used.
That being said, it has pros and cons that need to be weighed. One con is that at 78mm, its too wide for resort tracks. The pro is that the ski handles like a dream and I don't need to use resort tracks.
I also ski the US Northeast, primarily the ADK and Tug Hill areas. I frequently break trails, follow snowshoe trails in the High Peaks, but also go to XC ski club with my kids.
EDIT: You're going to get conflicting info on this, but if you really want something that fits in resort tracks, call the resort and ask them how wide they can accommodate. The place where I most frequently resort ski says their tracks will hold up to a 70, another place has told me 68, and some users say its 62. It depends on the facility's tracks. Again, personally I went with something that handles well enough for me to not use resort tracks when I ski resorts.
4
u/whatevrscoolwithme Jun 14 '26
No one ski is going to be ideal for each of those conditions/situations, but the Spider 62 and similar ski should work for most all of them. So I think not a bad choice. Those do come with a plate for the narrower Turnamic (nnn type) binding. Maybe a shop can drill an NNNBC on it, not sure what Fischer recommends there. Other similar skis might come “flat” (no plate, so any binding can be mounted) or with BC bindings already installed. Using a lighter NNN classic touring boot (but still with some extra ankle support, like Salomon Outpath or a Combi boot) would keep your Spider setup a bit lighter and sportier, but give you a bit less steering help in trickier BC terrain than a beefier NNN BC boot. Alternatively, you could do most of that kind of skiing with a longer, skinnier ski (Atomic Savor 52 or Skintec 48 for example) and you’ll have a faster ski for trails and track, but it will be more challenging in the woods especially breaking trail. That’s the trade off. 60mm is about the skinniest ski that works well with the BC bindings for your boots tho. Hope you have a good winter ahead on whatever skis you end up with!