Greetings from Idaho. I think Voile makes a ski that you can mount a tele bindings on and not void the warranty. It's called the Endeavor. Always room for one more pair of skis.
You are correct, Volie has several skis that can be mounted with a tele binding and not void their warranty. They are a heavier ski but would be the right choice for people who push their skis to the limit. For example, their 178 cm Endeavor (117-84-102) weighs 2951 grams and their 178 Objective (117-84-102) weighs 2270 grams. Voile's warranty is for one year and I'm well beyond that timeframe on all my skis. I've been skiing my Objectives since 2019 and have remounted them once, switching from a Voile 3 pin (mounted on a 4 screw riser plate for the toe piece) to the 4 screw toe piece mounted Xplore binding in 2022. I purchased my Hyper V6 skis in 2018, back before they implemented their AT mount only policy on their Hyper Class skis. It is mounted with the Voile Switchback X2 binding which also has a 4 screw toe piece mount. I've picked the lighter hyper class skis for my use case and so far, I've not had any issues with the skis, but a heavier, much more aggressive skier might opt for the beefier ski.
@@tomm9850So it really gets down to how you ski the ski in the end and as you said it's working for you. I am playing with some S.S. inserts on some skis now so I can switch between the 3-pin stuff and the NNN-BC and still keep clean holes. I think I would like to try out that Xplore binding and Alfa free combo you have and will likely try that with inserts that can switch between the Voile adjustable rod binding and the Xplore binding. But like you it may end up that the Xplore/Voile 3-Pin style bindings may be all you need other that the XC track binding. Lets hope there isn't too many more options to make things even more interesting.
Nicely done Tom, plain and simple. Good advice on the 3 Skies/2 Boots if you do tracks too and 2 Skis/2 Boots if you don't do tracks. The lighter boots and skate skis or performance Nordic XC skis are a good choice as you suggested if you are in good groomed tracks only, where you want light weight and boot flexibility. I tend to have two sets in the track skiing scenario as some of the trails I visit the tracks are set in by the skiers and lots of ups and downs with some rough spots. So there I find the metal edge skis in the 64-68 shovel width range with the NNN-BC bindings works the best. It looks like you have finally fine tuned your quiver just where you want it and its timely that you have got there while you are still active. In your case if you ski like Tom a 6-Pack ski quiver is about right (-: It can be hard to thin out the quiver as some of those old skis are like old friends but maybe just as well to pass them on to someone who will get out on them and have fun. I wouldn't worry about the stigma of moving out of the 75mm cable or adjustable rod bindings to the Xplore, if it works for you that's all that matters. I wonder if Voile is just jealous that Rotti brought out the Xplore binding. Thanks for posting your spring snow bounty as it's bobbin robin time here in Ontario CA.
Same here in Ontario Andrew, lots of rain and the geese are back with the song birds. Last year we were still trail skiing on April fools day. But it still fun to tune in and see what snow Tom still has for our coffee break viewing pleasure (-:
Unfortunately in the most part of Europe winter also said "bye bye" :-( In February!!! I bought 3rd setup from Tom's list (but Alfa Vista Women's boots) and it's staing in the storage room :-(
I think where i'm headed for gear is 4 skis that have minimal overlap. Groomed or flat tours: 55mm classic skis with lightweight boots. General purpose, ungroomed, or need more float: 62mm (underfoot, similar to Traverse 78), midweight boot. XC with Downhill or if i know I'll have to fight refrozen snowmobile crud: Same 62mm, heavy leather boot, packing a heel cable if needed. Turn earning, steep trails, snow camping: All mountain AT, something in the 90mm range. Resort: the cheapo rentals i bought lol. As much as I'd love to have a kit for downhill oriented XC, on the north-western side of Oregon we don't have terrain that facilitates that within a 2 hours drive. I could also get by without the light weight kit, only have it because $40 for skis that pass the paper test and still have spring was too good to pass up. Something that always intrieged me about 75mm NN was that you could have 1-2 skis, and then 3 boots that you pick from depending on task. I'm now working my way toward a set of skis and a set of boots that live with each other for a specific task.
@@tomm9850 I've done some roaming in the forest near Sisters (a smaller town not far from Bend) and it was very pleasant, so much nicer than the dense forests on the west side of the mountain range. There's a highway and mountain pass that is gated during the winter, it's about 7 miles to the summit and I've done that a few times. You can look up the john craig memorial ski race to see what that's like. Those areas are already a 2 hour drive, bend and trails are another 45minutes at least, i'm a baby when it comes to long car rides lol.
It sounds like you are getting close to where you want to be. 4 seems to be the magic number around my area as well. One light narrow (60mm and under/NNN binding) set for the pretty looking groomed tracks, one wider metal edge (64-68mm range/NNN-BC binding) for the skier made tracks and two wider for the deeper snow with the 3-pin bindings. I agree with you on the 3-pin versatility with boots that adapt to the conditions and the skis. The only drawback is on the lighter groomed track ski setup when you want flexibility it's getting harder to find good condition and lighter used 3-pin boots that are more flexible for the kick. I think that has now transformed by Fischer and Rotterfella sharing technology between the IFP base plates and the the lighter NNN-BC bindings including the Xplore. Around here I have noticed that they are still putting the glued on IFP plate on OTX/Off Track skies up to 64mm with the intention of allowing a skier to do a bit of off trail without having to change boot or bindings and/or have a light and heavier set of NNN boots. Too bad they didn't make that plate strong enough to mount the NNN-BC binding as well but all the same they probably have the right idea for groomed track skiers that occasionally go off track in mild stuff.
I love your videos, Tom! This is a great rundown on the range of gear. I'm curious on a few things: 1. What do you see as the advantages of the Xplore style of boots and bindings over NNN? 2. Why no classic in-track skis? It looks like you have a groomed area with tracks there, and I I would think you have pretty consistent weather for kick waxing. Then again, skating is darn fun. And, at the risk of dragging you into the never-ending (and sometimes silly) debate, ever consider NTN?
Hi David. I have a series of videos on my channel where I discuss in detail my rationale for moving from 3 Pin and NNNBC to the Xplore system for my off trail cross country skiing. Here are two which I published in 2022 ua-cam.com/video/-vn443QHi7E/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/Ovx48kCVtzM/v-deo.html I do track ski upon occasion, but when I do, I borrow a set of track skis from my wife. She usually skis a set of Fischer Superlites (47-43-45) but also has some older narrow skis that fit in the track. I've been struggling with my skate skiing for the past couple of years as I have arthritis in my right elbow and shoulder and I just can't use my arms for propulsion as I once could. I think I may just have to give up skating and switch to track skiing next year. I've never skied NTN but I might give it a go in the future if Scarpa releases a lightweight NTN backcountry boot, something that weighs less than my Scarpa T2s. The current NTN boots are just too burley for my tastes. ua-cam.com/video/Wv9aHLBUb_s/v-deo.html Thanks for tuning in and for posting feedback and have a great week.
@@tomm9850 Hey, I bought an Xplore system w/ the Sbound 98 on your rec and also go the Alfa Free and Skaget boots. I get an awful toe-pinch in the Free's, but not so much in the Skaget. Do you get toe pinch in the free's? I think you mentioned you got a bit when you first got the boot, but am wondering about the long-term and if it's faded. How about the Vista's? Or the Alpina Alaska? I'm trying to find a good touring boot for a two-three week tour idea I'm putting together through rolling terrain and can't really decide on a boot. The Skaget is super comfy, but not waterproof :/ so any ideas, knowledge, or suggestions would be appreciated.
@@pizzarune5 Sorry to hear that you are having toe pinch issues with the Alfa Free boot. If the toe crease is causing blisters on your feet and you can't minimize the problem after trying different sock and footbed combinations or through BOA adjustment, then it probably won't improve over time. One thing that I have found for me is that the hard flexor makes the toe pinch issue worse, so if you are in the backcountry and run into problems, just remove the flexor or insert the flat plate to give your toes some relief when skiing the flats. The Alfa Free's won't work for everyone's feet, and I wish the toe crease was a bit further back on mine, but I'm still skiing them and do what I can to minimize toe issues. The crease on the Alfa Vista is much further back than it is on the Free and as a touring boot for rolling terrain, I'd pick the Vista over the Free any day just because of the comfort. I haven't skied the Skaget, but if that is your best fitting boot, that would be the one I'd take on a long-distance rolling tour verses the Free. I don't think that there are any truly waterproof leather ski boots, and they will all get soaked over a multiday trip. The best management would be multiple pairs of socks that you can swap out and dry out when you get a chance.
Would you share your weight/height? Looked through a few videos but couldn't find it. I just purchased a pair of the new Traverse 78's at 179 and am wondering now if I sized too small. I am 165 without gear, 5'9 height. My girlfriend is 5'2, 125 without gear and i'm wondering if I should give her the 179's or they would be too big, and size myself up to the 189 or 199's. We ski in the same area as you and would have the same use case as you describe for the Traverse 78's. Help appreciated!
The Traverse 78's are a great ski. I'm about your same weight and an inch shorter. I'm currently skiing the 186 cm length (2022 version), but my previous generation Traverse 78's were 179's. Fischer has been changing their sizing specifications and it depends on the country and year of manufacture. Both work very well for me and I can't say that I've noticed any performance differences between them. There is some overlap in Fischer's sizing recommendations. The general rule is to pick the longer length if you are an experienced skier and are willing to give up a bit of grip under some snow conditions or if you plan to use the skis for backpacking. Pick the shorter ski for typical off trail recreational use, where most skiers ski at a slower pace and don't feel the need to run up the hills. The current trend is to ski shorter skis than what was typical 20 years ago and I'm betting your girlfriend would prefer a shorter ski given her height and weight. Since you have the skis, let her give them a try and see what she thinks. Julie is betting that she would want more grip. Julie skis the Excursion 88's at 169 cm and she is about the same weight as your girlfriend. The only reason to up your ski size at this point would be if you feel they are dragging more than you like but I'm betting they will work just fine for most snow conditions.
Hi Tom, great video once again! Regarding the Xplore binding how safe is it for more demanding descents, will the boot release from the binding if I crash for example?
@@andershaeg Even the release bindings don't always work the way they are designed. The Xplore binding has a little more flex in the boot and the sole than those heavier release bindings with rigid plastic boots so hopefully you can flex a bit before you snap something (hopefully a binding part). Best to learn how to fall as best as possible when you can and if you can...
Greetings from Idaho. I think Voile makes a ski that you can mount a tele bindings on and not void the warranty. It's called the Endeavor. Always room for one more pair of skis.
You are correct, Volie has several skis that can be mounted with a tele binding and not void their warranty. They are a heavier ski but would be the right choice for people who push their skis to the limit. For example, their 178 cm Endeavor (117-84-102) weighs 2951 grams and their 178 Objective (117-84-102) weighs 2270 grams. Voile's warranty is for one year and I'm well beyond that timeframe on all my skis. I've been skiing my Objectives since 2019 and have remounted them once, switching from a Voile 3 pin (mounted on a 4 screw riser plate for the toe piece) to the 4 screw toe piece mounted Xplore binding in 2022. I purchased my Hyper V6 skis in 2018, back before they implemented their AT mount only policy on their Hyper Class skis. It is mounted with the Voile Switchback X2 binding which also has a 4 screw toe piece mount. I've picked the lighter hyper class skis for my use case and so far, I've not had any issues with the skis, but a heavier, much more aggressive skier might opt for the beefier ski.
@@tomm9850So it really gets down to how you ski the ski in the end and as you said it's working for you. I am playing with some S.S. inserts on some skis now so I can switch between the 3-pin stuff and the NNN-BC and still keep clean holes. I think I would like to try out that Xplore binding and Alfa free combo you have and will likely try that with inserts that can switch between the Voile adjustable rod binding and the Xplore binding. But like you it may end up that the Xplore/Voile 3-Pin style bindings may be all you need other that the XC track binding. Lets hope there isn't too many more options to make things even more interesting.
Nicely done Tom, plain and simple. Good advice on the 3 Skies/2 Boots if you do tracks too and 2 Skis/2 Boots if you don't do tracks. The lighter boots and skate skis or performance Nordic XC skis are a good choice as you suggested if you are in good groomed tracks only, where you want light weight and boot flexibility. I tend to have two sets in the track skiing scenario as some of the trails I visit the tracks are set in by the skiers and lots of ups and downs with some rough spots. So there I find the metal edge skis in the 64-68 shovel width range with the NNN-BC bindings works the best. It looks like you have finally fine tuned your quiver just where you want it and its timely that you have got there while you are still active. In your case if you ski like Tom a 6-Pack ski quiver is about right (-:
It can be hard to thin out the quiver as some of those old skis are like old friends but maybe just as well to pass them on to someone who will get out on them and have fun. I wouldn't worry about the stigma of moving out of the 75mm cable or adjustable rod bindings to the Xplore, if it works for you that's all that matters. I wonder if Voile is just jealous that Rotti brought out the Xplore binding.
Thanks for posting your spring snow bounty as it's bobbin robin time here in Ontario CA.
Thanks for tuning in and I'm sure the robins will be showing up here in a few weeks.
Thanks Tom. ☕️
Not much snow this year in New Brunswick Canada 🇨🇦..spring is coming🥹
Kind regards
Thanks for tuning in Andrew and I hope you have a great week.
Same here in Ontario Andrew, lots of rain and the geese are back with the song birds. Last year we were still trail skiing on April fools day. But it still fun to tune in and see what snow Tom still has for our coffee break viewing pleasure (-:
@@dpo1867 How far north are you?
Unfortunately in the most part of Europe winter also said "bye bye" :-( In February!!! I bought 3rd setup from Tom's list (but Alfa Vista Women's boots) and it's staing in the storage room :-(
I'm glad Tom has great snow conditions and I can see some backcountry and cross country skiing. Thanks Tom!
I think where i'm headed for gear is 4 skis that have minimal overlap.
Groomed or flat tours: 55mm classic skis with lightweight boots.
General purpose, ungroomed, or need more float: 62mm (underfoot, similar to Traverse 78), midweight boot.
XC with Downhill or if i know I'll have to fight refrozen snowmobile crud: Same 62mm, heavy leather boot, packing a heel cable if needed.
Turn earning, steep trails, snow camping: All mountain AT, something in the 90mm range.
Resort: the cheapo rentals i bought lol.
As much as I'd love to have a kit for downhill oriented XC, on the north-western side of Oregon we don't have terrain that facilitates that within a 2 hours drive. I could also get by without the light weight kit, only have it because $40 for skis that pass the paper test and still have spring was too good to pass up. Something that always intrieged me about 75mm NN was that you could have 1-2 skis, and then 3 boots that you pick from depending on task. I'm now working my way toward a set of skis and a set of boots that live with each other for a specific task.
Sounds like you are dialed in. Have you ever skied in the Bend Oregon area? I've been curious about checking out that area.
@@tomm9850 I've done some roaming in the forest near Sisters (a smaller town not far from Bend) and it was very pleasant, so much nicer than the dense forests on the west side of the mountain range. There's a highway and mountain pass that is gated during the winter, it's about 7 miles to the summit and I've done that a few times. You can look up the john craig memorial ski race to see what that's like.
Those areas are already a 2 hour drive, bend and trails are another 45minutes at least, i'm a baby when it comes to long car rides lol.
It sounds like you are getting close to where you want to be. 4 seems to be the magic number around my area as well. One light narrow (60mm and under/NNN binding) set for the pretty looking groomed tracks, one wider metal edge (64-68mm range/NNN-BC binding) for the skier made tracks and two wider for the deeper snow with the 3-pin bindings. I agree with you on the 3-pin versatility with boots that adapt to the conditions and the skis. The only drawback is on the lighter groomed track ski setup when you want flexibility it's getting harder to find good condition and lighter used 3-pin boots that are more flexible for the kick. I think that has now transformed by Fischer and Rotterfella sharing technology between the IFP base plates and the the lighter NNN-BC bindings including the Xplore. Around here I have noticed that they are still putting the glued on IFP plate on OTX/Off Track skies up to 64mm with the intention of allowing a skier to do a bit of off trail without having to change boot or bindings and/or have a light and heavier set of NNN boots. Too bad they didn't make that plate strong enough to mount the NNN-BC binding as well but all the same they probably have the right idea for groomed track skiers that occasionally go off track in mild stuff.
I love your videos, Tom! This is a great rundown on the range of gear. I'm curious on a few things: 1. What do you see as the advantages of the Xplore style of boots and bindings over NNN? 2. Why no classic in-track skis? It looks like you have a groomed area with tracks there, and I I would think you have pretty consistent weather for kick waxing. Then again, skating is darn fun. And, at the risk of dragging you into the never-ending (and sometimes silly) debate, ever consider NTN?
Hi David. I have a series of videos on my channel where I discuss in detail my rationale for moving from 3 Pin and NNNBC to the Xplore system for my off trail cross country skiing. Here are two which I published in 2022
ua-cam.com/video/-vn443QHi7E/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/Ovx48kCVtzM/v-deo.html
I do track ski upon occasion, but when I do, I borrow a set of track skis from my wife. She usually skis a set of Fischer Superlites (47-43-45) but also has some older narrow skis that fit in the track. I've been struggling with my skate skiing for the past couple of years as I have arthritis in my right elbow and shoulder and I just can't use my arms for propulsion as I once could. I think I may just have to give up skating and switch to track skiing next year. I've never skied NTN but I might give it a go in the future if Scarpa releases a lightweight NTN backcountry boot, something that weighs less than my Scarpa T2s. The current NTN boots are just too burley for my tastes. ua-cam.com/video/Wv9aHLBUb_s/v-deo.html
Thanks for tuning in and for posting feedback and have a great week.
Great background, great skiing, great person, thanks Tom!
Thanks for the encouragement and for tuning in.
@@tomm9850 Hey, I bought an Xplore system w/ the Sbound 98 on your rec and also go the Alfa Free and Skaget boots. I get an awful toe-pinch in the Free's, but not so much in the Skaget.
Do you get toe pinch in the free's? I think you mentioned you got a bit when you first got the boot, but am wondering about the long-term and if it's faded. How about the Vista's? Or the Alpina Alaska?
I'm trying to find a good touring boot for a two-three week tour idea I'm putting together through rolling terrain and can't really decide on a boot. The Skaget is super comfy, but not waterproof :/ so any ideas, knowledge, or suggestions would be appreciated.
@@pizzarune5 Sorry to hear that you are having toe pinch issues with the Alfa Free boot. If the toe crease is causing blisters on your feet and you can't minimize the problem after trying different sock and footbed combinations or through BOA adjustment, then it probably won't improve over time. One thing that I have found for me is that the hard flexor makes the toe pinch issue worse, so if you are in the backcountry and run into problems, just remove the flexor or insert the flat plate to give your toes some relief when skiing the flats. The Alfa Free's won't work for everyone's feet, and I wish the toe crease was a bit further back on mine, but I'm still skiing them and do what I can to minimize toe issues. The crease on the Alfa Vista is much further back than it is on the Free and as a touring boot for rolling terrain, I'd pick the Vista over the Free any day just because of the comfort. I haven't skied the Skaget, but if that is your best fitting boot, that would be the one I'd take on a long-distance rolling tour verses the Free. I don't think that there are any truly waterproof leather ski boots, and they will all get soaked over a multiday trip. The best management would be multiple pairs of socks that you can swap out and dry out when you get a chance.
Would you share your weight/height? Looked through a few videos but couldn't find it. I just purchased a pair of the new Traverse 78's at 179 and am wondering now if I sized too small. I am 165 without gear, 5'9 height. My girlfriend is 5'2, 125 without gear and i'm wondering if I should give her the 179's or they would be too big, and size myself up to the 189 or 199's. We ski in the same area as you and would have the same use case as you describe for the Traverse 78's. Help appreciated!
The Traverse 78's are a great ski. I'm about your same weight and an inch shorter. I'm currently skiing the 186 cm length (2022 version), but my previous generation Traverse 78's were 179's. Fischer has been changing their sizing specifications and it depends on the country and year of manufacture. Both work very well for me and I can't say that I've noticed any performance differences between them. There is some overlap in Fischer's sizing recommendations. The general rule is to pick the longer length if you are an experienced skier and are willing to give up a bit of grip under some snow conditions or if you plan to use the skis for backpacking. Pick the shorter ski for typical off trail recreational use, where most skiers ski at a slower pace and don't feel the need to run up the hills. The current trend is to ski shorter skis than what was typical 20 years ago and I'm betting your girlfriend would prefer a shorter ski given her height and weight. Since you have the skis, let her give them a try and see what she thinks. Julie is betting that she would want more grip. Julie skis the Excursion 88's at 169 cm and she is about the same weight as your girlfriend. The only reason to up your ski size at this point would be if you feel they are dragging more than you like but I'm betting they will work just fine for most snow conditions.
Hi Tom, great video once again! Regarding the Xplore binding how safe is it for more demanding descents, will the boot release from the binding if I crash for example?
The binding does not have a safety release feature. It is similar to skiing a 3 pin 75 mm binding with leathers in regards to risk of injury.
@@tomm9850 I see, thank you for clarifying this!
@@andershaeg Even the release bindings don't always work the way they are designed. The Xplore binding has a little more flex in the boot and the sole than those heavier release bindings with rigid plastic boots so hopefully you can flex a bit before you snap something (hopefully a binding part). Best to learn how to fall as best as possible when you can and if you can...
@@dpo1867 Thanks for your input, I appreciate the help!