Diamonds are....

[Gary]

Yes...I get it....makes perfect sense...

But riding vs skiing....I must draw the line regardess of calories burned and bugs swallowed...

SKIING RULES!!! 

[LivingProof]

"If you can't be with the one you love, love the one your with" - CSNY

In the NJ/Pa area, it's not shoulder season, more like early fall. Still riding, still dreaming about skiing. I'll ride as long as there is no snow or extreme cold.

Don't know about all the spatial awareness thing, but, putting in the miles is the single best activity I can do to keep in shape for skiing. That's an opinion folks - in no way an absolute! For me the aerobic benefit rules! Emphasis now is more on climbing, which I suck at literally and figuratively ! Note tongue hanging out!

Supershapes are tuned and ready to go! These are the ones I bought from Greg and he did some very nice work on them. Just needed polishing plus wax. My best guess is that I may head to So. Vt. early in Dec for 2 mid-week days.

But, gotta agree.....skiing or biking, well, duuuh, no brainer in winter, no brainer in summer!

[Gary]

Great response Mike...sounds to me like you're up to "Mighty Mike" with the uber riding you've been doing.
I'm sure the benefits will be reaped this snow season.

Here it's just at the tipping point for snow or cold rain.....hoping for snow this weekend.

Our good weather here....that other sporting **** is in my face....golf. Biking in our region is also beautiful but that Medusa of Golf keeps drawing us back.

Hey...keep the body moving...that's what I say!

Keep us posted when and where you go to Vermont.

Happy Thanksgiving,

G

[LivingProof]

Here it's just at the tipping point for snow or cold rain.....hoping for snow this weekend.

G

G,
Most excellent way to work in a JC and HH magic word into a post.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Mike

[Ron]

Mike, climbing on trails has a lot to do with technique (you will like this) its also a function of your bikes geometry (which you will also like). Some bikes are much better than others at climbing. Tires have an effect as well. Try not to spin too fast, coming from road work, you will likely try to climb sustained steeps too fast, slow way down, just keep seated (never stand up) and keep your weight forward on the front wheel, don't pull so hard as to lift the front tire off the dirt. A speed of 1-2mph is just fine. BREATHE! you have to breathe and keep O2 flowing...  If your front shock is too soft, it will aslo suck up a lot of energy.  Cross training is essential, even if you are doing vertical leaps or intervals on stairs its a big help. Wall sits are also good. And of course, work on your core, its so important.  Sounds like you are on it.  PS- correct, There's no reason not to ride unless is like 20 degrees (and that's not too cold) or icy.  You ski in much worse.....

"If you can't be with the one you love, love the one your with" - CSNY

In the NJ/Pa area, it's not shoulder season, more like early fall. Still riding, still dreaming about skiing. I'll ride as long as there is no snow or extreme cold.

Don't know about all the spatial awareness thing, but, putting in the miles is the single best activity I can do to keep in shape for skiing. That's an opinion folks - in no way an absolute! For me the aerobic benefit rules! Emphasis now is more on climbing, which I suck at literally and figuratively ! Note tongue hanging out!

Supershapes are tuned and ready to go! These are the ones I bought from Greg and he did some very nice work on them. Just needed polishing plus wax. My best guess is that I may head to So. Vt. early in Dec for 2 mid-week days.

But, gotta agree.....skiing or biking, well, duuuh, no brainer in winter, no brainer in summer!

[midwif]

Admission:
I am a "fair weather rider".
But have pushed my boundaries the past couple of seasons.
I will ride down to low 40's as long as there is sun and not too much win.
My toes always get chilly (am thinkng of using toe warmers!)
And I have a mild case of Reynaulds which makes my hands more susceptible to painful
cold/constriction/rebound issues.
But hey, I used to put the bike away at 60 degrees.

My knees are feeling much better after a season of riding.
THe strengthening of the muscles surrounding the knee joint is a wonderful by-product of biking.

I am guessing that compared to many here the 1K or so of miles
that I accumulated this season is nothing compared to what many here do. (JBotti's mileage is mind boggling AND admirable!).

Jim has about 1400 miles for this season. I have been trying to catch up, but won't make it. Next year
However, Jim has caught the mountain bike bug. And has been slowing talking me into it. Somehow, I think there may be another bike sitting on the
terrace (aka bike garage).

2 weeks til skiing in Colorado!

[LivingProof]

Mike, climbing on trails has a lot to do with technique (you will like this) its also a function of your bikes geometry (which you will also like). Some bikes are much better than others at climbing. Tires have an effect as well. Try not to spin too fast, coming from road work, you will likely try to climb sustained steeps too fast, slow way down, just keep seated (never stand up) and keep your weight forward on the front wheel, don't pull so hard as to lift the front tire off the dirt. A speed of 1-2mph is just fine. BREATHE! you have to breathe and keep O2 flowing...? If your front shock is too soft, it will aslo suck up a lot of energy.? Cross training is essential, even if you are doing vertical leaps or intervals on stairs its a big help. Wall sits are also good. And of course, work on your core, its so important.? Sounds like you are on it.? PS- correct, There's no reason not to ride unless is like 20 degrees (and that's not too cold) or icy.? You ski in much worse.....

Ron

I'm still without equipment to mountain bike. Riding a 3x7 speed cross-trainer with 700x35 tires that I can take ?off-road on milder trails. We don't need no stinkin' shocks, I'm old school in both body and bike. Favorite trail is paved and runs alongside Pennypack Creek in Philly for about 5 miles. Many places to jump off and do short steep climbs. Very pretty, perhaps more enjoyable than traditional roadwork.

One of these days, we need to link up and ride.

Mike
 

[jim-ratliff]

speaking of hijacks, wasn't this thread originally about files and diamond stones and ski tuning stuff like that? 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone.

[Ron]

Lynn, I have cold weather H2O-proof shoes, Lake makes some very nice shoes. They also make a winter insulated shoe. I put toe warmers on and they work fine.  Hands, just wear a pair of winter gloves, wind proof if you have them. I find it does take a bit to get the fingers warm but you shake your hands and after about 2 miles they warm up. You really heat up quick! I ride in bike tights with mtn bike pants and my legs are plenty warm Its really nice riding in the cold crisp weather.

Mike, No worries, I thought you were climbing on trails. If they are buffed, you don't need suspension for climbing and I see a nice hard tail 29'r in your future......

BTW- I pick up my bike today with the new wheels....  Will ride tomorrow if possible.

[LivingProof]

....Forever!!!

To return to the original topic of the thread, I used my new 200 grit Red diamond stone today. Worked on a pair of Blizzard SL's, that I did not ski last year, and my MX88's using my fixed 87 degree edge guide.

It's much easier to use than a file as no directional issues and cleans up the edges very quickly. They were not bad to begin with, but were gleaming in a few passes. Files seem inexact after using the diamonds. Never really know when a file is getting dull. Diamonds cleanup quickly with a small brass brush.

Finished with a 400 grit diamond, now just need to wax and go ski. Dreaming about a quick 2 days next week in So. Vt. Bring on the hardpack!

Good find Gary!

[goldsbar]

Files shape, stones (diamond, stone, composite, whatever) sharpen.  They're made for two differnt uses.  If you muck up your edges and start to get some rounding, there's no way a stone is going to sharpen anything.  You can run a 100 grit diamond stone back and forth 500 times and you're not going to notice any material flying off your edges.  Run a file once and you'll see the metal coming off.  I generally stick to stones only on my slalom skis as they're generally not seeing any rock damage.  For skis I take through the woods, filing followed by stones becomes a necessity.

[Gary]

Just a thought...since woods skiing or off piste skiing requires less edge due to pow or softer snow, having those edges honed to the purest edge is probaby not as critical and maybe too sharp an edge in pow can make a pow ski certainly more sensitive. Files can quickly take off alot of metal and the tuner must be very aware of how to use the guides unless you have a machine line J.Botti....

My carving skis.....After the base sees the file, I try only to use the stones to clean them up. If they are really hardened in any part...rather than me going canibal, on the base edge, it heads to the shop...I don't trust myself enough. I do however put the stones on the edges at the end of a hard snow day just to deburr and freshen up the side and base bevels. Not so much on a pow day....they be still silky smooth!

I think it's alwasy wise to be careful with the files, especially course ones.

G