Question:
I have a pair of Salomon Active 9 Pilot skate boots, and Pilot bindings for
my skate skis.
Question. If I am too cheap (read: spouse won't go for another XC Ski boot
purchase) to buy a second pair of boots... and I want to buy some racing
classic skis... how well does the pilot boot work for classic? I am not so
worried about the height of the cuff, just the Pilot system. Would I use a
Profil binding (will the boot fit?), or would I use the Pilot system on a
classic ski (I'm guessing no).
Answer:
your boots will work just fine with profil
bindings on a classic ski. I have heard of some people pulling toe pins
out of pilot boots when used extensively with Profil bindings. I don't
really know how much of a problem that is.
Just in case you're interested. I've got a pair of Active 9 classic
boots in a 44 2/3 (USA 10.5) that have very few km's on them that I'm
probably going to sell for ~$100 since they're too big for me. If
you're interested I can sit down and do the math and figure out how
little I can sell them for.
1. plastic stiffener and buckle that goes around the cuff - remove them.
2. spring tension on the "hook" is adjustable - make it minimum.
the good news is that the Pilot setup *would* probably be faster than a backcountry ski setup. However, objectively speaking, the Pilot system doesn't work very well for classic for two reasons: first, the binding system pulls the heel of the ski up, so as you extend your unweighted leg behind you during the glide phase, the tip of the ski will tend to dig into the snow. Secondly, the soles of Pilot boots are very stiff along the length of the boot. The inability of the boot to flex puts a hitch in your kick, in addition to not being very comfortable after a while.
You will have to buy another pair of bindings for your classic skis anyway, so the only real cost increase is for another pair of boots. And, since classic bindings are cheaper than Pilot bindings, you will save some money there. If you're looking to save money, "combi" boots tend to work pretty well for classic (especially if you remove the cuff), and mid-line boots of this type are probably half the price of a Pilot boot. So between the less expensive binding and boot, your additional price might not be all that great.
