V2 Gear Reviews
It's hard to imagine a better way to put our products to the test than by having two top American skiers roller ski across the country, from South Carolina to California, on 4 different V2 models. That's exactly what Carolyn and Santi Ocariz did in 2015. During their amazing journey they encountered every type of terrain and surface you can imagine which allowed them to use all of the 4 models extensively. When it was all over they were kind enough to put together the following review.
Our 3,500 mile ski across the country required some specialized gear. Below is a review of the equipment we used on our trek and how it stood up to the cross country challenge.
V2 Aero XL150S Roller Skis: The V2 150 Aeros, equipped with brake and speed reducers have been the Ski Across America roller skis of choice. They provided superb performance regardless of what terrain we hit. They rolled over all the gravel that often times jams wheels, even when the entire road would turn to packed gravel. The speed reducers and brakes were also essential. Without them, there is absolutely no way we could have roller skied some of the descents safely (some were up to 14% downhill grades with 180 degree turns!). The combination of large pneumatic wheels and brakes also aided us in safely riding into the shoulder to get out of the way of logging trucks and other vehicles in questionable situations. In addition, we had ratcheting wheels for the Aero’s. These were very helpful on the long mountain climbs when we encountered a small shoulder and traffic. The ratcheting wheels allowed us to switch from skating to striding in order to take up less room on the road. All things stated, we believe the V2 150 Aeros are the most versatile ski on the market and when combined with the speed reducers and brakes, they are also the safest.
V2 XLC98RM Skate Roller Skis:These roller skis performed remarkably well on smooth and mildly rough pavement. The days I decided to do speed work, these were the skis of choice. The carbon composite shaft makes for a very smooth ride. By being lower and having harder wheels than the Aero’s, these skis are more stable and allow for more aggressive push-offs than the Aeros.
V2 XLC930 Classic Roller Skis: Short and sweet, these roller-skis make for a wonderful experience. Their smoothness and tracking while striding is unparalleled by any other classic ski I’ve ever used.
V2 XLC9848 Terra Classic Roller Skis: These roller skis are tanks!! These skis were my first pick when I wanted to double pole and stride on rougher roads, especially when there was gravel lying around. The larger wheels just barreled through the gravel that would normally jam smaller wheels. The carbon composite shafts also absorbed much of the vibration. These skis are a bit heavier than the 930’s, but I quickly became accustomed to them and forgot about it.
V2 Ferrules: We consider V2 ferrules to be hands down the best ferrules on the market. Over the entire duration of the trip, we only broke one tip. The only reason it broke is because I ran straight into it with the roller-ski while it was planted in the ground. We have yet to find another brand of ferrule that matches up to V2’s.