by François » Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:44 pm
I've only had the benefit of the 1 degree base bevel on the "new" skis. I've tried 0.5 and 1 on my old SG skis. They came with 0.5, I tried out 1 and put them back to 0.5 degree base bevel. I also like to keep my skis razor sharp tip to tail (no detuning).
I suspect that on soft snow it makes little difference, but I've noticed quite a bit of difference on hardpack and ice. It seems that at 1 degree base bevel you can relax and not worry too much about what you're doing. If you get a little bit out of line or slightly off balance, it's not a problem. This is particularly useful with the new shaped skis, because they don't take off on you as the tips wander back and forth when your gliding straight ahead, not on edge.
At 1/2 a degree base bevel with the old race skis, if you don't pay attention your skis will seem to have a mind of their own. A slight tip to the ski and they will take off on a tangent. It's a little like the old sneeze in a Mercedes (or an old Chev Caprice in my case) at 130 mph, or in a Ford Mustang at the same speed. A slight miscue at the wheel can easily put you in the weeds if you have quick steering. At 1 degree base bevel it is also easier to ski sideways doing spins and skiing backwards and what-not while watching your family ski along behind you.
On the plus side for the lower angle, if you are skiing at high speed and want to minimise any delay between your commands and the ski's turning 1/2 degree base bevel pays off. It also allows you to feel the edge bite with only a slight tipping angle of the ski at lower speeds.
Last edited by
François on Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.