Beginner XCD ski choice

[trinacu]

Hello to everyone, I have been looking to get into XC skiing for a while now and this year I decided it's time!
I have skied (alpine, no free heel) since 5 y/o and am pretty good (?) at it. I've done my fair share of backcountry and that's where I love it the most. I like the idea of earning the turns, but even more so the peace one can enjoy in the wilderness rather than the crowds on groomed tracks with lifts.
I've been cycling for a few years now and wanted something (similar?) to do in the winter because cycling in the cold is quite terrible
I was in a camp in the mountains as a kid where we did classic XC and I loved it!
First I was looking into skating/classic but I quickly realized I want something that would enable me more freedom (I don't want to be stuck to the few groomed courses we have around here). That's why I am looking to do mostly off track touring - a ski that would enable me to travel distances but still have some ability for turning and going downhill. I have read a few threads on here and from what I understand I would want a wider ski, BUT we don't really get too much powder here so I think something like the Madshus Annum would probably be overkill. On the other hand I do want some floatation and trail breaking ability for when we do get some of the sweet stuff.
From what I could tell the Asnes Gamme 54 are a very nice all-rounder but I don't want a wax base ski for my first pair. So something like Madshus Eon or Fischer S-bound 98/88? What about Alpina? Has anyone tried the Discovery 68 or 80? Maybe even something like Fischer Adventure 62?
Edit: Forgot to say not only did I love XC but I think I got the hang of it super quickly (compared to my classmates) so I believe I shouldn't have much trouble getting the basics down - I do realize I will have to spend a few hours on the groomed track, though.
Cheers

[johral]

Budget? That can help point you in the right direction quickly.

[trinacu]

I am probably getting Alpina Alaska boots because I have an option for 130 € which seems a bargain.
For the skis + binding I was thinking up to 300.

What length should I be looking for with my weight? I weigh about 74 kg but would usually carry some extra weight in my backpack.
I've been looking at Fischer Traverse 78 and I read lilcliffy's review where he advised for going one size larger than Fischer recommends (they recommend shorter skis for the Adventure / Offtrack Sizing class).
They say 65 - 89 kg : 179cm
and 80 - 105 kg: 189cm
With my gear I am just around 80kg so should I go for the 189cm?

[riel]

I absolutely love my Alpina Discovery 80 skis.

They feel a little softer than Fischer skis, but the fishscales work just as well, and they glide better. People with Alpina Discovery 68 skis have reported the same thing.

Being a little softer makes them easier to control and turn in soft snow, and they have enough sidecut to still work fine on hard snow, they can just feel a little squirrely on hard uneven snow sometimes, but I would not worry about that too much, especially for beginner skiing.

Basically anything you can go up with using just the fishscales you can come back down with these skis.

Between any Fischer OTX series and Alpina Discovery skis, I would go with whatever you can get a good deal on. Fischer Spider, Outback 68, or Traverse 78 will all be good, and the Alpina Discovery 68 and 80 will both be good, too.

I have also heard good things about the new Madshus Fjelltech and Panorama skis, but I have no experience with them myself, so I cannot make any recommendations except to read people's reviews. I have noticed that some of those appear to be on sale in a few places, so who knows...

[CwmRaider]

I think to recommend you a pair of skis, we ideally should know, where do you intend to use the skis?
If you never used free heel skis with leather boots, be aware that there is a fun and never ending learning process involved with making nice turns

130$ for Alpina Alaska is a good deal.

Best starter tip - keep the ball of foot down flat on the binding when skiing downhill IE don't stand on the tips of your toes.

[trinacu]

Thanks for the feedback on the Alpina Discovery, riel - I'll see what I can find.

On flat/hilly BC terrain at first but eventually I want to be able to go downhill and make a turn here and there (not anything crazy steep).
Yes, I know I have to learn a new technique - I have been practicing the telemark stance

[trinacu]

By the way, riel - what is your weight and what size Alpinas are you using?

[trinacu]

I went to a groomed track yesterday and rented a pair of classic XC skis to see if it's something I want to get into.
Apart from a blister due to non-tight-fit socks it was pretty awesome. I think for my 2nd time on XC skis it went pretty well - only fell on my ass 3 times in the first 5 minutes but after that I managed to stay up
I also tried a bit of telemark on the downslopes (no turning) which wasn't too bad.

So now I am decided I will be buying a pair and from what I read I think I'll be going for Fischer Traverse 78. People praise their scale pattern and as I understand they are decent XC skis with some donwhill ability. One thing I am still not sure about is the length, though. Lilcliffy was advocating for getting a size larger than Fischer recommends (they recommend shorter than "classic" XC skis in this category), BUT then after some time even lilcliffy said one should probably stick to Fischer's recommendation. I am wondering - was his point that these skis are "meant" more for downhill and one should get a shorter ski in that context? I wouldn't mind trading a bit of turning ability for gliding, but I don't want the skis to be "too hard" in the sense that I would not weigh enough to be able to flatten the ski and get the amazing grip that Fischer's offtrack crown provides.
Does anyone own a pair of these skis and what size are you using?
Btw my "dry" weight is more or less in the middle of the 179 cm recommended bracket, while my geared up + backpack weight is just on the lower end of the 189 cm bracket.

[lilcliffy]

Hello trinacu!

The Fischer 78/88 are XC skis from my perspective- they are stiff and cambered- getting them short does not turn them into downhill skis. We have both the 78 and the 88 here in 199cm- I weigh 175-180lbs and I would not want them shorter.

If I want a shorter ski for downhill skiing- then I want a downhill ski.

Certainly, the shorter 78/88 is going to be easier to squash and pressure on hills- but it is going to be much slower when XC skiing. It's a tradeoff that one has to make a decision about and live with the tradeoff.

Personally, I don't expect XC skis to perform as downhill skis, and I cannot stand slow XC skis- so I prefer long XC skis and then carefully choose my lines when I point them downhill!

The other group of compromise skis (i.e. "xcd" skis) to consider are the last-gen Madshus/Karhu "XCD" skis (e.g. Eon).
For example, the 78 is a more efficient XC ski than the Eon (especially on consolidated snow), but the Eon is way more fun and manageable on hills- again another tradeoff.

I am not sure if I understand the skiing you want to do and the terrain and snow conditions.
Gareth

[riel]

By the way, riel - what is your weight and what size Alpinas are you using?

I weigh 210lbs, and use the 188 length, because that is the longest they made in the 2018 year model, with the white top sheet near the tips. The current model goes up to 208 I believe, and may have a different flex than the 2018 model, so you will probably want to go by the recommended length for your weight.