UKH

Hi,

after going with rentals for a while and breaking my old alpine boots and bindings I plan to get my own skis, and I am deciding between Decathlon's Wedze FR950 and getting some second-hand skis for about the same price or a bit more expensive. Do you have any experience with Wedze skis? I found few reviews saying that the only downside is weight; it doesn't look so bad at 2130g for ski with bindings, compared to e.g. supposedly ultra-light-weight G3 Synapse 92 at 1440g + G3 ION 12 at 641g = 2081g. I know Wedze is only DIN 10 (given that I weight 85kg) and G3 ION is 12.

Thanks

In reply to Removed Userradim:

the ski is a bit on the heavy side (relatively speaking, in relation to big or multi-day tours), and G3 Synapse 92 are not ultralightweight - there's plenty of options that go lighter, and more expensive.

they would do the job for an all round everywhere ski.

and DIN 10 in plenty.

In reply to Removed Userradim: if you want advice from the broadest most informed audience I would ask on Snowheads. As a climbing forum, it is more pot luck on here whether enough informed skiers pick this up.

Personally, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. You may have left it a bit too late, but over the summer retailers have been virtually giving away fantastic skis from the 2019/20 inventory.

In reply to HammondR:

OK, thanks for the hint, I'll try Snowheads.

Why wouldn't you touch them, just because cheap has to imply low quality? There's stuff from Decathlon I wouldn't use (e.g. all their shoes look really crappy) but others that my friends really like (e.g. down parkas).

It's not so much about the skis themselves - yes, you can find skis on sale for 250 euro, but about the AT bindings - I've been following the prices throughout summer and they did not drop much. Regrettably I can't find any details about the Wedze bindings (and they don't even sell the version with brakes separately - I don't understand how could they seriously sell most of the skis with leashes).

In reply to Removed Userradim:

The Decathlon binding look very like old Dynafit stock/design. You can get a Marker Alpinist for £250 in the sale at the moment is you want a cheap, good pin binding.

What does this mean?

In reply to Removed Userradim:

The Wedze pin bindings are made by dynafit I believe. I expect the skis are made by a brand you’ve heard of too and just have decathlon’s brand stamped on them. 
it’s true though you can get some ridiculous bargains on skis. Worth checking on sport Conrad etc as they do bundle deals with bindings

In reply to Removed Userradim:

Small Independent shops often have good bargains too. If you don’t care about having this years colours there is always a deal to be had. These guys are in Keswick and know their onions!

https://snowboardexperts.co.uk/shop/scott-superguide-95/

In reply to HammondR:

If you post in the UKC skiing forum rather than gear there are some very knowledgeable and helpful skiers. Can't fault advice I've had

In reply to galpinos:

Presumably that leashes are rather old school and most people these days go with brakes on their touring bindings.

In reply to Removed Userradim:

I've had one pair of skis from Decathlon & they didn't last very long at all - the bases & edges wore out within a season, but they were XC skis & it was several years ago.

In reply to AlanLittle:

Maybe for touring but for ski alpinism, brakes seem quite rare?

In reply to Removed Userradim:

Don't get hung up on weight unless you race

A lot to be said for a good solid ski/binding for ploughing through cruddy difficult snow

Ditch the ABS bag instead 😉

In reply to Removed Userradim:

Second hand, always. As your profile places you in the Czech Republic, you may want to look at eb**y kleinanzeigen in Bavaria or similar websites in Austria, the second hand market in touring skis there is HUGE, especially towards the start of the season when people have just bought new and get rid of their old kit.

CB

In reply to Removed Userradim:

I was about to add that I have a pair of Trab skis that would suit that I may very easily be convinced to part with - until the previous poster noted that you're in the Czech Republic!

I'd think for the cost of the Decathlon skis, you could get yourself something really nice second-hand.

In reply to galpinos:

I personally think that leashes are better than brakes only on glaciers where there's a risk of losing the ski in a crevasse. Or maybe for experienced skiers that never fall - while I won't fall on a piste it happens to me quite often in free terrain and with backpack (especially when I am tired, returning at sunset when the melted snow starts to freeze again...), and at that point I really don't want two flails with sharp edges flying around. If you're into fitness/race skimo and just skin up and ride down groomed slope, ok, it's the weight that you optimize.

In reply to Removed Userradim:

I looked at the wedze package last year and thought the bindings especially looked very similar to the basic Dynafit versions that many still use. 
UK tourers are very much attached to large frame bindings, brakes, weak adjustable poles, whereas as most Swiss skiers use light weight skis, minimalist bindings etc etc 

you can always spot the UK skis stacked up outside the huts, bindings measured in Kgs not grammes. 

In reply to Removed Userradim:

Nah, a lot of the touring binding have problems with wet snow and ice... the brakes won't lock properly when you switch to touring mode and/or break.

Granted, this is for tech bindings. Frame binders have other issues.

So for a proper touring rig, leashes are not a bad option. For touring for turns or freeride touring, brakes tend to be the norm (after all, you'll only go up once from the lifts and anyway spend majority of the time on or near pistes and lifts).

But yeah, have a look at Ebay.de and Ebay.at plus sport-conrad.

Especially S-C overstock is often a really good option. And AFAIK they've had dynafit Beast Lites going for like 200€ or so (note, the Beasts are certainly not the best touring oriented binders plus have their flaws. But they are robust).

In reply to Removed Userradim:

Someone is selling a set of touring skis in another thread.. maybe they will do!

In reply to AlanLittle:

No brakes on my touring skis that i have for UK, leashes only, brakes are a pain in the ass on packs etc.