Rabb 68 Questions: Boots, Waxing, and Skins

[Salto]

Howdy.

I grabbed a pair of Rabb 68 on ebay without much thought and now second guessing a little.

Context: I am in Colorado front range and most skiing is fairly steep trails and roads (yesterday was 4 miles up and 2300 feet). I don't do much off trail trail breaking. I have been tele skiing (resort and touring) for over 20 years and currently ski NTN - Miedjos. I have generally hung up slopes greater than 25 to maybe 30 degrees. Now trying to get into leather telemark turns and fun (but I also have a pair of excursions). Usually my tours have opportunity for 15-25 degree glade, open, and tight tree skiing - and I can't resist turtle-shelling down any opportunity. Currently skiing the Alpina Alaska - but looking for a little stiffer boot.

A few questions for Rabb owners:
1. Will an Alaska 75 drive these suckers (I have lots of voile cable binders - so want to stick with those).
2. Riser or no risers? I have three sets of risers to choose from (voile 10mm, g3 20 mm, and voile 25mm).
3. Do these have a wax pocket? When I bought them, I thought they did, but after review not so sure. Would like to wax and not skin for typical winter conditions. (Planning to follow LC's wiki wax suggestion with full polar and kick wax).
4. Which x-skin should I go with for non-waxing conditions? (for steeper skiing, I was just going to get the $25 ascension skins on ebay).

Any other stoke to share? These will be replacing on old pair of Karhu Guides with Tele Lite Dogz (RIP - best binder ever). I have high hopes they will k&G better and be much more versatile in harder snow conditions.

Cheers.

[JohnSKepler]

Hey, @Salto , I hope your question doesn't start a fight! Opinions are all over the place on what's best for this kind of ski. I'm fairly new to the sport with just about three seasons under my belt. I'm currently pushing a pair of Voile V6 with Meidjo and TXPro for my heavy gear. On the lighter side, where I'd consider the Rabb to fall, and where my Falketind 62 falls (very similar to the Rabb), I'm using Xplore binding with Alfa Free. It's a pretty stiff setup. If I have a soft, fairly uniform snowpack in front of me I can ski this in the Alaska Xplore. If the conditions are more demanding I really find the Alfas are necessary to stay in control. It sounds like you're a better skier than me so I would think the Alaskas will do the job if the conditions aren't too demanding. I find conditions are a significantly bigger factor than steepness up to 30 degrees or so.

As for waxing, again similar skis, the FT62 has a "moderate" wax pocket. In good conditions the kick wax does okay. There have been days when it's darn near perfect. My buddy, who skies on a 196 set with a considerably longer wax pocket than my 74s, seems to do even better with the wax. But I find that for more humid or icy conditions the Xskin works a lot better. If I'm staying fairly level with just some rolling terrain, and conditions are good, a 45mm Xskin does quite well and retains some decent glide. If there is any steepness, or if conditions are not great, the 58mm works better. Early in the season with fresh, cold snow I waxed tip to tail with Polar kick wax and then put condition-dependent kickwax under foot. It worked pretty well but I've found that here in Northern Utah as things have warmed I prefer full-length glide wax and to carry skins.

With either Xskin or wax you're not going to climb anything 'steep', which I discovered on a race. For that reason, I've built a set of full-length skins with Colltex fabric and ends. Even with the skins the skis are super light and climb like a mountain goat.

I looked at the cheap Ascension skins on eBay. That tip would concern me. My FT62, and by extension the Rabb, are super-lightweight skis which are great for climbing but, being built super-light, are not super-strong. The tips, in particular, are quite thin. I think that metal, L-shaped, front-notch retainer would damage the slot. Just my 2cents.

[Salto]

Thanks, @JohnSKepler , our snow and weather is sort of similar. I dont have the Rabb in hand yet, but hoping there is a bit of pocket on the 188. The FT62 might had been a better ski for what I am looking for, but he Rabb was a pretty good price and a bit less than a FT62.

Are you using nylon, mohair, or mixed skins?

Thanks!

[lowangle al]

There may be a review of them on here. I thought they did have a wax pocket of sorts, but even if they don't, you can still kick wax them. I did it all the time before global warming changed my weather. Anything up to and including swix extra blue worked for me.

[Nitram Tocrut]

Howdy.

I grabbed a pair of Rabb 68 on ebay without much thought and now second guessing a little.

Context: I am in Colorado front range and most skiing is fairly steep trails and roads (yesterday was 4 miles up and 2300 feet). I don't do much off trail trail breaking. I have been tele skiing (resort and touring) for over 20 years and currently ski NTN - Miedjos. I have generally hung up slopes greater than 25 to maybe 30 degrees. Now trying to get into leather telemark turns and fun (but I also have a pair of excursions). Usually my tours have opportunity for 15-25 degree glade, open, and tight tree skiing - and I can't resist turtle-shelling down any opportunity. Currently skiing the Alpina Alaska - but looking for a little stiffer boot.

A few questions for Rabb owners:
1. Will an Alaska 75 drive these suckers (I have lots of voile cable binders - so want to stick with those).
2. Riser or no risers? I have three sets of risers to choose from (voile 10mm, g3 20 mm, and voile 25mm).
3. Do these have a wax pocket? When I bought them, I thought they did, but after review not so sure. Would like to wax and not skin for typical winter conditions. (Planning to follow LC's wiki wax suggestion with full polar and kick wax).
4. Which x-skin should I go with for non-waxing conditions? (for steeper skiing, I was just going to get the $25 ascension skins on ebay).

Any other stoke to share? These will be replacing on old pair of Karhu Guides with Tele Lite Dogz (RIP - best binder ever). I have high hopes they will k&G better and be much more versatile in harder snow conditions.

Cheers.

First I need to know which version of the Rabb you have as they are quite different. I hand the first generation and I know @lilcliffy has the second generation.

[Salto]

@Nitram Tocrut - Current year black version.

@lowangle al , Ya, I kick waxed my ole tua big Easys years (ok, decades) ago, never found it worked great. Went to skins quickly. Maybe my wax technique, but was blue polar which is almost always decent here.


Tx

[fisheater]

There was an excellent review comparing and contrasting the Falketind Xplore and the Rabb. The reviewer found the Rabb slightly better downhill, and the FT X slightly better for kick and glide. I believe your Rabb will have really good kick. My Tindan 86 (86 mm underfoot) is a full on downhill ski, but it has some of that Asnes “tension” (their word) underfoot. It kicks and glides pretty good. Tracking on hardpack not so well. I don’t think tracking will be an issue with the Rabb.
I had the original Falketind mounted Voile 3-pin cable, which I skied with my Alaska 75. My new last season Falketind Xplore is mounted Rottefella Super Telemark with cable. The ST cable is laterally stiff, no side to side play. The Rotte hardwire type cradles the boot and makes for a much more laterally solid connection than the Voile 3-pin cable. Also the ST clamp fits the Alaska 75 duckbill much better.
I purchased the ST for the clamp, which is much better with the Alaska. I find the ST hardwire to make all the difference. I remounted my ST this year on a Voile 10 mm rise, solely so I could hook the heel piece to the riser for kick and glide. It works very well and I am even more pleased with the combination

[telerat]

1. A combination of Alaska 75 and Excursion sounds like an ideal combination on Rabb 68 depending on conditions. Perhaps even Excursions most of the time. Then which binding to choose? Rottefella 75mm with cable works best with Alaska, while perhaps Voile Hardwire 3-pin is more solid and best with Excursions?
2. Voile Traverse/10mm riser. Lessens boot rocker and Alaska's risk of splitting open. Increases leverage on edge and offer storage of heel throw.
3. Wax will work quite well on flatter skiing in below freezing temperatures, but the short/kick skins are just as nice if touring is mostly up and down.
4. 58 mm mohair (gray) for loose/flatter conditions and 58 mm nylon (orange) for steeper tours or hard snow. The glide difference between mohair and nylon will be significant, but the also durability and grip. You can also try narrower skins (45mm) for more glide and less grip if conditions are not too steep, but traversing on edges will not work. Cutting skin length (recommended by Åsnes on shorter skis) will also increase glide.

If you don't break trails perhaps a narrower ski like Sverdurp or similar could be just as much fun as well as lighter and more suitable with Alpina Alaska and Rottefella 75mm w/wire? It wouldn't turn as quickly though. Good luck

[fisheater]

I owned the original Falketind, until I purchased the new FT X last season. Even skiing riding lifts, I never considered skiing those skis with my T-4. I do however own a pair of Alico Ski March boots, and there are times I want more than the Alaska 75.

[Salto]

Thanks, @telerat , I have been eyeing the sverdrup as another ski option. Thanks for input on skins, in the near term will be looking at spring conditions, so will likely go nylon to keep a few more tours going this year.

As for excursions. My fit is a bit wonky (two very different size feet). They are good for shorter tours but can cause blisters on longers tours. Going to remold to see if can get a bit better. I have also never liked the short cuff on these, I have to cinch down so much the tightness and stiffness so low on my tall leg is weird. I'll keep them for when I know a bit more demand is needed, but trying to go all leather. About to pull the trigger on the Alico Arctic.

Cheers.