Pro-Ski C2 Classic Rollerski

Tue, Jun  23, 2009 - By Mike Muha

I skied on Jenex 900-series classic rollerskis for years. I liked them - they were light and you could buy different speed wheels for them. But I was disappointed with their ability to go over stones and sticks, and even more dissapointed with excessive wheel wear - I was always buying new wheels. As the wheels wore, instability increased, especially on downhills. I had taken to using on old pair of skating boots in order to maintain control over them.

When I picked up a pair of Pro-Ski C2 Classic rollerskis, I never looked back to my 900's...

 

Pro-Ski C2 Classic Rollerski Facts
Wheel diameter:	67 mm
Wheel width:	50 mm
Frame/Shaft Length:	790 mm
Weight:	1.6 kg
Ratcheted wheel:	Rear wheel, but you can move it to the front.
Boot & binding used for testing:	Salomon Carbon Pro Classic  boot and Profil binding.

My Criteria

My criteria for classic rollerskis is similar to what I want for skating rollerskis: 

• Safety: I like a rollerski that rolls over bumps, sticks, rocks, and sand. Tracks straight. Downhill stability. Someway to slow down on downhills.
• Not too fast: Many other people use the trails I use. And rollerskiing is a privilege, not a right - I'd hate to get thrown out by a park ranger for going too fast.
• Durability: Durable wheels make for a lower total cost of ownership.

Stability

The Pro-Ski C2's wheels are 10mm wider than the Jenex 900 Series (50mm vs. 40mm) and 3mm smaller in diameter. The extra width does make the ski somewhat more stable. The ski still wanders a bit in fast downhills, particularly if you weight the front of the ski. Heel-weighting seems to give me a little more control, but I'm still experimenting.

A couple of times when I made a sharp turn, I rolled the ski over enough that the axle bolts hit the pavement. I attribute this to the wider wheel. As I got used to the ski, the problem went away. This is certainly not a skating ski!

I've been able to use my normal classic ski boots with no problems.

Speed

The goal in classic rollerskiing is to doublepole and kick-doublepole, not to diagonal stride. Many people who try to diagonal stride tend to have late kick - they push too long, which drops their center of gravity back. If the rollerski is too slow and your upper body too weak, you'll be forced into a diagonal stride.

I like the speed of the C2. They're fast enough that I can doublepole and kick-doublepole up most hills while maintaining technique, but not too fast for the trail.

I've doublepoled at top speed on flats and felt total comfortable on the ski.

Rough pavements and rocks

The wider and somewhat soft wheels do a very effective job soaking up most bumps. I haven't had any real problems with small sticks and rocks. They're definitely not as good as larger diameter-wheeled skating skis (like the Pro-Ski S5e), but they're more comfortable and confidence inspiring than the Jenex 900.

The C2 has a large bolt sticking out of the bottom of the ski, both front and back. The bolts hold the wheel assembly onto the frame. At first glance, you'll think that the bolts will bottom out when you ski over bumps. In reality, the ski - with bolts - equaled or bettered my other rollerskis in bump clearing ability. 

Downhills

Snowplowing on the C2 is only fair. Fortunately, optional speed reducers are available (not tested) - recommended if you have hills with stop signs, traffic, and corners.

I successfully rolled off the pavement onto grass at a moderate speed without launching myself - I pushed one foot forward, heal weighted, and rolled to a fairly rapid stop.

Wet pavement

I did get caught in the rain. Like most rollerskis, you'll want to avoid painted lines - not much of a problem for classic skiing.

The fenders were very effective in keeping water and dirt off the backs of my legs. There was some minor side splash, but at the end of the session, my ski boots did not have puddles in them as they normally do on my Jenex 900's.

Wheel Durability

Wheel durability for the Pro-Ski C2 has been outstanding. You won't be wearing these wheels out too fast.

Snow Feel

Classic skiing on two-wheeled rollerskis: Great kick like you're in the perfect tracks, but wandering wheels like you're trying to classic in the skating lane. The C2 seemed as straight or straighter than other classic rollerskis I've tried, particularly on the post-kick return.

After a three-hour plus rollerski, I did notice that the C2 is heavier than my racing skis and my 900's: there were some muscles getting tired that normally don't when I'm out for a long snow ski.

Bottom Line

I like the Pro-Ski C2 Classic Rollerski. It's better over the bumps than my current rollerskis, has much better rain fenders, feels more stable, and have much better wheel durability. They could be a little lighter, but they'll do.  

	Pro-Ski C2	Jenex 930
Pro	Speed reducer option. Fairly stable. OK over sticks & rocks. Great rain fenders. Not too fast, not too slow. Durable wheels.	Speed reducer option. Light. Not too fast, not too slow. Can buy different speed wheels.
Con	A bit heavy.	Less stable, especially after the wheels wear. The wheels wear fast. Inadequate rain fenders.

Full Disclosure: This web site's policy is that authors fully disclose any affiliation it has with vendors when reviewing their gear. In this case, http://www.WebSkis.com, the reseller of Pro-Ski rollerskis, pays to advertise on this site (assuming I ever get around to sending an invoice). - Mike Muha