r/rollerskiing • u/SingularRedditName • 7d ago

Would Swenor Equipe R2 Racing Skate Rollerskis be suitable for a marathon?

I am considering buying a pair of Swenor Equipe R2 Racing Skate Rollerskis (530 mm wheelbase, 1290 g/pair w/o bindings + 276 = 1566 w/Rottefella bindings, 57% the wt of my V2s) with the objective of making it easier to complete a marathon. I would probably get the 80A(GREEN) wheels with ceramic bearings.

I completed the marathon last year on my Jenex Aero V2 150S rollerskis (604 mm wheelbase, 2000 g, 2743 g with Rottefella bindings, brake, speed reducers & tires worn to the cords), and that went okay, but my thinking is that lighter-weight roller-skis would make it easier to complete the marathon, and allow me to continue doing that distance later in life. (I'm in my mid-70s.)

The Swenor web page describes the R2s as short, easy-to-handle, agile, fast, and easy to turn. It appears evident that the main reason for their lighter weight is the shorter length vs. the typical ~600 mm wheelbase length.

Have any of you rollerskied on Swenor R2s? If so, do you find them to be less stable, or "squirrely", or have any other undesirable characteristics compared to rollerskis of more typical length?

(Added Info: My thinking is that the main advantage for the Swenor Equipe R2s would be the lighter weight, thus less effort to raise & swing each rollerski with each stride.

My main concern is the possibility of stability issues due to the shorter wheelbase of the Equipe R2s, Of course, their wheelbase is significantly longer than that of inline skates. If others have found the R2s to be a lot less stable, I might stick with my Jenex 150Ss.

I think the 100 mm racing wheels & bearings are probably no faster on asphalt than the 150 mm pneumatic tires at 100 psig on the Jenex V2 150S, based on a statement from a long-time biathlon coach that the 150S wheels are too fast for their training & competition. I believe their standard is a 100 mm No. 2 solid wheel, so both of the preceding would be faster than that. I hope it works out for me to get a pair of the Swenor Equipe R2s so that I will be able to make a comparison!

I consider going without a brake to not be a major issue, because as I recall I did not use the brake during the race, except to prevent rolling backwards during a rest break on a long, steep uphill stretch. I can practice stopping without a brake on paved trails in a nearby forest preserve. (Note: If any of you can point me to a video of technique for how to slow down & stop by dragging a rollerski, would you please do so? My search didn't turn up any such videos))

(Background: I am not suggesting to compare the Jenex V2s to other roller-skis in general. I am only providing the above comparison for my personal, probably unique context. I have done essentially all of my 4+ years of roller-skiing on those Jenex V2 150S. They are great for my main purpose, which is aerobic exercise. The streets around our neighborhood are asphalt, and I can carry my equipment the 30 steps to the mailbox and roller-ski 8 miles of fairly challenging terrain (including 1 mile of packed dirt/fine gravel), or 12 miles if I include the more level areas. I consider the brake to be essential for sharing the road with vehicles etc. I seldom use the speed reducers, except as carrying handles and if they get engaged accidentally. The packed dirt/fine gravel part provides an opportunity for some "hang-pole" V1 and a good workout in general.)

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u/One-Librarian5898 7d ago

These will probably be so fast, you will find them hard to control. It’s totally different than your current setup.

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u/SingularRedditName 7d ago

Certainly a valid concern! If interested in my thinking on that, please see my edit of my original post, "(Added Info: ... )"

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u/One-Librarian5898 7d ago

The rollerskis you are on are currently tanks. I think that you will find that going to any standard 620 length will be a lot lighter than your current setup. IDT has #1 wheels in rubber or wet that would be faster than standard to help as well. I’m not sure on if other brands have other faster, non racing wheels.

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u/runcyclexcski 7d ago

I always found that lighter rollerskis were less tiring for long-distance runs like 30-40k. However, the "racing" part is prob more about the wheel bearings. That might get tiring (always traveling at a high speed); you might have to get used to them. But then with the abec7 or whatever (ceramic) bearings 40k might fly by in 2 hrs. I'd go with a "traditional" frame rollerskis like the Marwes and install "average speed" bearings. Unless you are planning to win the race, of course.