Ski icing

David24 · Dec 8, 2018

Has anyone ever experience the bottom the ski icing and building up snow on the bottom of it? I’ve had it happen a few times over the past few years. It happens after being stoped for a while in wet snow, the results are flopping every 10 feet or so after the ski washes out. Just wondering if anyone has tried waxing or oiling the bottom of the ski in these conditions.

Norma Stitz · Dec 8, 2018

I’ve been considering waxing mine but I’m trying to think of a way to scratch the surface to hold the wax.

relentless rider · Dec 8, 2018

Pam it

n16ht5 · Dec 8, 2018

torch the scratches out. if it still ices, lube it.

Revv Up · Dec 8, 2018

Before taking off... rock hard on the handlebars, you are trying to slide the ski forwards and backwards. You will feel the ski free itself and slide smoothly in both directions which means you have knocked the ice balls off and you are cleared to go.

Once you get used to rocking the ski it just becomes habit and no more falling over because the ski has a frozen ball on it.

crowncokeandsoda · Dec 9, 2018

David24 said:
Has anyone ever experience the bottom the ski icing and building up snow on the bottom of it? I’ve had it happen a few times over the past few years. It happens after being stoped for a while in wet snow, the results are flopping every 10 feet or so after the ski washes out. Just wondering if anyone has tried waxing or oiling the bottom of the ski in these conditions.

Just on warm days. I just ride it out but ill try the Pam... Thanks!

SlickO · Dec 9, 2018

Had it happen to me a couple of times, sprayed the bottom with wd40 and have not had it stick since.

David24 · Dec 9, 2018

Revv Up said:
Before taking off... rock hard on the handlebars, you are trying to slide the ski forwards and backwards. You will feel the ski free itself and slide smoothly in both directions which means you have knocked the ice balls off and you are cleared to go.

Once you get used to rocking the ski it just becomes habit and no more falling over because the ski has a frozen ball on it.

Ok, thanks. I’m also going to try to torch the scratches out and Carry a small can if wd40 with me. Yesterday was unbarable with low snow conditions. I haven’t heard much about it, so I figured it was just a California thing.

CATSLEDMAN1 · Dec 9, 2018

a sticky situation

Rev up has it. Slide your bike back and forth before you take off. Its freezing to your center skag and often your side skag. It doesn't freeze to the plastic ski.

Had it so bad one day in the Boles meadow area West of Seely Lake, we stopped and took all the iron off the bottom of our ski on the old old narrow Simmons ski, then effortless sidehilling, otherwise it was impossible to sidehill , it was raining on cold snow, and get the heck out of that basin.

David24 · Dec 9, 2018

CATSLEDMAN1 said:
Rev up has it. Slide your bike back and forth before you take off. Its freezing to your center skag and often your side skag. It doesn't freeze to the plastic ski.

Had it so bad one day in the Boles meadow area West of Seely Lake, we stopped and took all the iron off the bottom of our ski on the old old narrow Simmons ski, then effortless sidehilling, otherwise it was impossible to sidehill , it was raining on cold snow, and get the heck out of that basin.

I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with the metal on the ski(runners, or carbide) more the conditions of the snow in contact with the plastic on the bottom of the ski. When it has happened I have completely cleaned all the snow from the bottom of the ski while the bike is on its side. Jut to hop on it and flop. I know if your not in dense trees or rocks you can usually throttle out and it will Clean out. This might just be a more common issue of California riding.

aka Mr Floyd · Dec 10, 2018

There's a reason they call it the Sierra Cement!

Riding on Mt. Shasta two days ago, it happened to me three to four times.

The snow isn't freezing to the rails it clumps up in a big ball in between the runners, it's like trying to ride while replacing your front ski with Frosty the Snowman's head.

I have the older style Timbersled front ski. My buddy was riding with the new ski on the timbersled ARO kit and it didn't do it once (we were riding side by side all day).

So either, the more scratches on mine are making it happen (it is definitely scratched) or the wider ski with more space between the runners is less likely to clump?

I'll try torching out the scratches, if it still does it, may have to upgrade the ski in the future.

snobikr · Dec 13, 2018

Find some candle wax if your a tight wad like me and drip it all over the ski bottom, even on the sides of the keels then take a torch and melt it evenly over the ski bottom. It helps if the ski is angled down towards the rear so you can run the excess wax off the ski. The wax even when cooled will feel tacky, but you wont have snow build up under there for a while and your ski will slide easier and suspension work better.

Here is a post I had up about it last year.
https://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=439726

HenryTheHammer · Dec 13, 2018

I just got in the habit of turning my bars back and forth to dig the ski in. Other than that I just spray the ski with silicone spray every once and awhile, usually the same time I spray my hyfax.

needpowder · Dec 13, 2018

Has mostly happened to me when I stop on top of a frozen lake with a foot of snow over the top of it. Occasionally, spring conditions will do it also. I don’t think it has anything to do with scratches in the bottom of the ski. Definitely makes you feel stupid when you ride 10 feet and fall over.

Sheetmetalfab · Dec 14, 2018

needpowder said:
Has mostly happened to me when I stop on top of a frozen lake with a foot of snow over the top of it. Occasionally, spring conditions will do it also. I don’t think it has anything to do with scratches in the bottom of the ski. Definitely makes you feel stupid when you ride 10 feet and fall over.

When a lake is involved usually it’s overflow..........

(Don’t ever stop on a lake)

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Ski icing

David24

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Norma Stitz

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relentless rider

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n16ht5

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Revv Up

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crowncokeandsoda

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David24

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David24

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aka Mr Floyd

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