I have a bit more info on those older BC bindings and have posted a pic of your older Karhu XCD GT rad skis there as reference to the binding on narrower waist skistkarhu wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:28 pmI wanted to write a review of this ski, but noticed there is this thread already. So I put this here for clarity.
I bought these skis second-hand from a local store around 2012. Back then, they still looked unused, but old for visual style (still nice visuals!). Does anybody know, from which era ski is?
karhu xcd gt 1.jpg
With 210 cm and a history behind them, people would call these skis “one and a half camber”. Both when it is me (80 kg) or my spouse (60 kg) standing on the skis, they go flat in “paper test”. That means they are thus all too soft for XC skis. Someone mentioned 1980’s XCD GT:s had this problem. Is this an old model, which has gone flat after 25-30 ski days? Or do newer versions have same problem, too.
The older Rottefella NNN bindings feel sturdy with metal parts. Does anybody know, when this model of NNN BC was manufactured? I wonder whether these skis have had 3-pin before. Is this NNN BC model heavier in weight than the current plastic version? (At least it looks heavier)I am thinking of moving the bindings to another ski because they have not been skied that much and look sturdy.
karhu xcd gt 7.jpg
I have skied two one-week trips with a pulk in fells with these skis, plus some day trips in forests near city with the skis. Also a one-night trip through swamps and forests nearby. Also one “topptur” with a 300 m rise to a fell. I have always skied with skins because I did not know if skins like wax.
With these skis, I have done mostly touring on hard snow or ice. That has been spring in the fells, or icy weather in Southern Finland. I would like to spare my poor skins from full time scrubbing. That happens with full length Colltext of course all the time, but I have used Intelligrip kicker skins, too.
The XCD GT’s are real wax / skin killers. You can hear the skins scrubbing during glide in XC, even with a 210 cm long model. The scrub is actually not that bad with a pulk because speeds are 2-4 km / h. But when you go any faster, 8 km / h without package, the skins slowing down and making noise is disturbing.
karhu xcd gt 2.jpg
For downhill, and with my zero telemark skills, metal edges have been the most important part of this type of the ski for me. On icy fell slopes, the wildest I have been able to go has been some wedge turns with the XCD GT’s. On the other hand, they have taken me safely down from an icy mountain in the tundra.
These skis have been good on central park and recreational area tracks. Where I live, temperature is often around 0’ C, and tracks icy. Where I live, we have mainly groomed tracks on all routes where people hike and bike, when there is no snow. When the ski routes are maintained, it is illegal to walk or bike there / destroy tracks (yes ski tracks are that “holy” in Finland!). For example, I ran today a farewell run with the XCD GT’s. I was planning to run a somewhat icy shorter track, but ended up on a closed route, which had lots of icy hills. Slopes had mirror ice and frozen snow alternating. I was happy with the metal edges. People do not use metal edge skis that much here because we do not have any mountains. I guess they become more popular because many people are too afraid of hills to go skiing, when weather gets icy.
karhu xcd gt 5.jpg
For next steps, I am planning to get similar, but stiffer skis. I have thought of Åsnes models Gamme, Amundsen and Rago, Fischer E99 and BCX 99. Also Madhus BC55 should be quite stiff and good, actually. I have ordered second-hand pairs of Åsnes Rago / Amundsen (205 cm) and Åsnes Gamme (200 cm “green man”). Nice to see how they feel after the XCD GT's.
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