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News
26.11.2009 V2 - XL98... free style roller skis for paved surfaces
The XL 98R incorporates the best design elements from previous V2 models combined with revolutionary new technology.  COMPOSITE SHAFT: Most roller ski shafts are made of aluminum. It’s a wonderful material and when using the shock absorbing pneumatic tires on the V2 Aero series the ride is smooth. However, aluminum has a low fatigue resistance so the shaft has to be very stiff.
When using solid tires the aluminum shaft can produce a stiff ride, especially for lighter skiers. If you make a flexible aluminum shaft it will fail prematurely due to fatigue. Composite shafts have good fatigue resistance and can be designed to flex so the shaft absorbs the road vibration. But, if you design a composite shaft for a person weighing 90 Kg., it will be too stiff for a person weighing 50 Kg. In order to get a smooth ride for different weight skiers we produce four shafts. A Soft flex for skiers under 57 Kg. (125pounds) a Medium Flex for skiers up to 70Kg. (155 pounds) a Stiff Flex for skiers up to 82 Kg. (180pounds) and a Very Stiff for skiers over 82 Kg. (180 pounds). The XL98 is a true composite shaft made from 17 to 20 laminations. To reduce weight, the center of the core is hollow and to increase the strength of the structure we apply a layer of woven carbon fiber and epoxy. The wheel forks are bonded and mechanically fastened. This is what Zach Caldwell, one of the most respected members in the X-C ski community, e mailed us about the XL98R. “Bottom - line - these are clearly the best roller skis I have ever been on. These shafts are SO MUCH better than any previous shafts, it’s not even worth comparing.”  ISR & ROLLING RESISTANCE: The rolling resistance of tires is dependent on the amount of energy absorption. A fast tire absorbs very little energy while a slow tire absorbs a lot of energy. Slow tires can become extremely hot, so hot that they rupture. Instead of using high energy absorbing rubber, V2 uses a patented kinematic damping system to increase rolling resistance. But, with a split rim we cannot employ our standard kinematic system. In order to increase rolling resistance we added a 22 mm pocket on the inside of the split rim. In this pocket we press fit the ISR ( Internal Speed Reducer). The ISR has two elastic sealing lips that rotate around a very precise hardened steel spindle. Between the two sealing wipers is a high viscosity lubricating fluid. This system increases the rolling resistance by about 15 to 20%. The heat generated is dissipated via the aluminum bearing tube and aluminum bolt fastened to the wheel forks. So, with just one tire you can have a ski with three different speeds. Put an ISR into one wheel of the ski and you have a slower ski. Place the ISR into both wheels and you have the slowest combination. SPLIT RIM & TIRE: Shown above is the split rim wheel assembly. The two split rims are compressed by four small socket screws which engage threaded inserts in the rim. The tire is made of solid rubber and is captured by the split rim. Since you only replace the tire it is much less expensive than replacing tires molded to a plastic or aluminum hub. The tires are available in two profiles.  SPEED REDUCERS: The patented Speed Reducers have been praised by skiers from around the world. In some locations it would be impossible to roller ski safely without using Speed Reducers. The new XL98 Speed Reducer has a neutral position and four resistance positions. Former Olympic Biathlete, Dr. Robert “Duncan” Douglas is a ski tester for V2 Jenex. He called to let us know how the new XL98 tires were performing.
“Have skied about 150 kilometers on the new tires. Found a long steep downhill, almost 3 miles long. With the Speed Reducers engaged and tapping my brake I made it down in control.”
BRAKE: The patent pending brake has been an outstanding success. The new XL version mounts directly to the rear wheel fork and is 30% lighter than the original brake. When not in use
the brake is folded over the ski binding. "This finally puts every roller skier in control of his or her destiny. Before this, you couldn’t actually stop yourself on down hill, at stop signs and in dangerous situations. The brake is mounted on one ski, is very light weight, not too costly and is easy to attach. I can attest to that. There is a learning curve, of course, so be sure to proceed cautiously in your beginning kilometers of use. Just as 100% of roller skiers should be wearing helmets, the same number should be using the brake.” Marty Hall, former US Olympic Coach and both Coach & Nordic Director for Team Canada.   WHEEL ALIGNMENT: Most of us are not anatomically balanced, so even though the wheels and bindings are perfectly aligned the ski might pull in one direction. This alignment lever makes it very easy to align the wheel. Simply draw a pencil line along the side of the lever, loosen the nut slightly and then move the lever forward if the ski pulls to the right and backward if it pulls to the left. It’s simple and it works. More info about V2 XL98R
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