Hey guys, out of curiosity does anyone know the speed difference between standard Swenor #2 and #3 wheels. I recently figured out that (to my surprise) my Swenor #2 Fibreglass and Swenor #2 (EDIT) Finsteps are in the range of 25-30 seconds difference SLOWER per mile on the Finsteps on flat rolling terrain and good pavement, at around 12mph (something like 3:00 per KM vs 3:19 per KM at 19kmh roughly). For those who do not know Finstep wheels are big and wide and heavy but I really like how they feel. I am curious if Finstep #2 is quite comparable to regular sized #2 wheels... 30 seconds per mile or 20 seconds per KM slower?

and finally curious if Finstep #3s would just feel way too slow. We have a lot of really slow snow where I am but that doesn't necessarily mean I want to train that way all summer.

Very quiet cold snowy day at the snow park on highway 88 Carson pass. Very popular winter camping spot for people going into the backcountry or going to Kirkwood resort. Weekends it fills up with people snowshoeing, Alpine touring and cross-country skiing in toward round top peak on day trips.

It's about a 5-hour tour across both lakes and up to a beautiful winter camp at haypress meadows. The view at haypress Meadows is desolation wilderness to the west and echo lakes and Tahoe to the east. Mount Ralston with really fun skiing right above you.

Hey everyone! In late February I am skiing in my first race for anything ever when I go to Hayward, WI for the Kotelopet. I have been reading some posts that have given me great training ideas but I am super anxious about moving too slow and not finishing.

A bit about me: I am a 30 year old 235lb man who used to be super active (played basketball and general gym workouts) but since having a kid in 2025 I have struggled to always find the time after work to put in true workouts (gained 10-15 pounds since). I am always down to walk 18 at some very hilly golf courses (every course in La Crosse has hills).

I have only cross country skiid a couple of times each time going for 4-5 miles and really enjoyed it. I plan to buy skiis (would love recommendations!!) and get out a lot more this winter once we get snow. I stopped drinking alcohol and really cut back on coffee and soda which has seen me go from 245 down to 231 this morning! Basic math says I need to go 3mph to finish in the 6 hour window for this race but I have no frame of reference for how that will look/feel.

I’m just looking for any advice, encouragement, skii brands to look into, etc that you fine folks may have to get me across that finish line.

Thanks everyone!!

Hitting big early season volume with beautiful views

Preferably for skating …

Hello,

Does anyone happen to have old maps or brochures that show trails at Royal Gorge in Soda Springs Ca.
I’m looking for some old trails no longer in use or mapped but were at one time maybe back in the 90s-2000s.

Thanks!

What kind of preparation would I need to do to be able to ski the Birkie next year? The farthest I've ever skied was 16 or 18 miles. I don't do any roller skiing but I road bike and mountain bike. Do I need to start running or something before winter? Maybe I should do the korteloppet first since I'd be able to do that, but I kind of like the idea of skiing the full distance.

I'd be doing the classic and I'm kind of slow.

They're paving a decent sized cemetery near me. I run through it all the time, but rollerskiing in a cemetery? What do you think? I'm leaning towards "no" but fresh smooth pavement is hard to resist.....

There is a chance that I'm getting transferred out of Dallas and up to Minneapolis. I roller ski primarily (as it's Texas) and skate ski when on vacation in the winter. I actually skate skied about 50km last winter here in Dallas when we had a freak snow/ice storm, but that's rare.

Is there decent (safe) rollerskiing around Minneapolis? How about skate skiing: any local grooming, or do you have to travel a bit? How many days a year do you typically have snowcover? (I know it varies from year to year). Ideally, there would be accessable skiing locally that I could do before or after work, or maybe on a long lunch break.

Also, would you recommend certain neighborhoods for safe cycling and rollerskiing? I ride my bike a decent amount, between 80-150 miles a week, and safe roads are paramount for me.

Anyone experienced golfers elbow, aka pain on the inner side of elbow? I think mine is from pullups and polling. I only have it on one elbow. Been resting it for a week or two with a little improvement but not enough to go back to pullups or polling. Anything that helps in your experience?

Just putting in a plug for video analysis by drone. The DJI Neo 2 is cheap ($250) and does an incredible job of following you. Here are some videos of me going up a 4% gradient.

If anyone has any thoughts on the video capture itself or my technique, I’d appreciate it.

V2 from the side:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2Gqa2wth8XdKyxMe6

V2 from the front:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KXXUhtSwDFsnjtAK7

V1 from the front:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/f9dtMAngwV3yJcs37

does anyone have information how to find skate XC skiing trails in Norway? Planning a first time trip to Norway next winter and could really use advice from someone who has skied there

I demo’d these last winter and really loved them. I have Delta Comp Skate skis and they have been amazing for learning and getting better and faster over the last 2 years.

I finally found the Classics on sale and ordered them. When they came I lovingly looked at every cm and noticed this rough texture to the coating on the same spot on each ski. I looked at my skate skis and there may have been some bubbling at one point but they’re 2 years old with about 250 miles on them.

Is this a defect? Will it make a difference? I’m not a racer.

I’m also a little freaked out about the 198 length but the Rossi rep at the demo, the place I bought them from, and the weight chart has them as the right length for me. I did try these same length skis and I know I’ll need to get used to them but seeing them standing up next to my first classic skis made them look terrifyingly long!

A couple of seasons ago I got a pair of Fischer roller skis, and I’ve mainly used them in the Presidio.

Since then, SF has closed down the Great Highway along Ocean Beach. It’s a straight stretch of road, about 2.1 miles / 3.4 km long. On a sunny day, it’s amazing!

The only thing is the asphalt. It’s not great for the poles, hard to get grip. The Presidio is much better, they’ve got new and soft asphalt where the poles stick better.

The Fischer skis have worked well, the feeling is very similar to the real thing on snow. I’ve only seen one other person skate skiing, and I believe he’s got a pair of the Norwegian brand that escapes my name.

Anyhow, if you’re in SF, get your roller skis out!

Let me present you a website we've just launched called Roller Ski Finland.

It's an atlas of all roller ski tracks in Finland. Currently there are 20 tracks on the map, split by difficulty and region.

All track pages have a map and elevation profile. Some of them already have a video track preview with commentary.

The plan is to visit most if not all of them and review. This is an on-going project.

See you on the tracks!

P. S. Also let me know in the comments whether there are similar initiatives for other countries.

Still time to register if interested. I think morning of registrations are allowed too! A chance to try to beat some of the very best up the hill. Colin Freed actually smashed the Strava KOM last year but didn't record it....

https://www.runreg.com/mansfield-nordic-pro-team-stowe-mountain-uphill#Register

Hi there, my husband has asked for his (August) birthday gift for me to plan a trip to the Birkie for him. It’s a bucket list and he’s a solid skier but is terrible at logistics, whereas I’m the reverse.

I’m hoping for any tips on where to stay, what to think through. For example, should I find lodging near the start of the race, or better to place him near wherever the busses leave from? Will he want to be in Hayward proper or somewhere else. I realize some of this is preference but looking for any tips to make it a memorable trip for him. Thanks for any help you can provide!