At the end of last season I picked up a pair of Rossi BC125 waxless, metal edge cross country skis and some Freeride Pros to mount on them, and I'm looking forward to getting out to WhiteGrass on this setup. Now I need to find a shop to do the work.

If I was closer, it would be a no-brainer: call Brian at Pro-Fit in Leesburg. That said, I'm really trying to find someone closer to Richmond. I really like Steve at the Ski Center here in Richmond, but I'm not sure they get enough experience mounting AT/cross country equipment for me to have a lot of trust in their work. Same goes for Peter Glenn. I wonder if Freestyle in Charlottesville runs into this setup more often than the shop guys in Richmond.

So, does anyone have any recommendations for a shop to mount these Freeride Pros? Or am I worrying about nothing? Maybe any shop can be relied on for this setup as it's no more complicated than mounting downhill bindings?

Thanks,

Lance

You are putting FD Freeride Pro bindings on a BC125 ski?

A heavy AT binding on a light weight ski?

That is just crazy talk. Your calves and thighs are gonna hate you.

Maybe some Plum Guides or a Dynafiddles for a low angle ski mountaineering rig.

You say you are gonna use them at WG, have you ever been there?

One of the free pivot tele bindings that are availible would be a much wiser choice.

^^^^^THIS^^^^

Ship them to a shop with a proper jig that matches the hole pattern.
Have you ever toured or skied at WG before? I bet you are planning to use alpine boots too. You are in for a world of hurt with that setup.
Advice: Sell the bindings; buy lightweight Dynafit bindings and lightweight AT boots.
I can tell you WG is a lot more fun with primitive lightweight equipment; leather boots and 3-pins.
And BC 125's are not even close to "cross country skis."

I was wondering if I would get more feedback about this setup than about which shop might be able to help me.

In regard to the advice given, I totally appreciate it. I may risk some abuse here in giving some of my reasons for this particular setup, but if anyone is interested, I'd enjoy the conversation, so here goes:

It's true that I've never been to Whitegrass, but I really love the valley. Timberline is my favorite place to ski in the MidAtlantic by far and the last 2 seasons have provided some of the best snow conditions that I've ever experienced anywhere. I've been thinking that getting an AT setup would only add to the Valley's upside as a destination.

That said, I realize that combining the Freerides with the BC125's represents a significant compromise. I felt like AT was my only choice because of a knee injury. The tele turn seems daunting to learn anyway, but I'm especially hesitant to try because of the ACL reconstruction. I also take comfort in the releasability of AT bindings.

I picked up a pair of Black Diamond Prime AT boots used on the Cascade Climbers forum at end of season, and found the skis and bindings on sale. Choosing the FreeRides over Dynafits was a financial decision.

So enough "justification" for my decisions. I am bummed to realize that I might have to send these skis and bindings off somewhere as opposed to being able to go into a local shop, but I appreciate getting the feedback on this as well as on the rest of it.

Lance

any shop can mount bindings on skis, especially if you have at least a paper template/jig that your binding may have come with, or can be downloaded somewhere. it's not rocket science by any stretch.

Well if you are bent on doing this you might as well diy. Use some inserts while you are at it so its easier to pull off the clamps when you are ready to sell.

+1

Careful with that drill. Measure 3x, not just twice.

Have you asked Steve over at the Ski Center to see if he has a jig that will work? Don't be fooled by them, just because they are in Richmond, don't think that they don't know what they are doing when it comes to this kind of work. Mark who works over there is one of the most knowledgable people around when it comes to an AT set-up, and can absolutely blast-it when it comes to skiing the BC. I'd ask them over at the shop first, before you send something off.

Ski Center in DC sells and works on Dynafit. Give them a call and ask about the Free Rides. It would be worth the trip just to get familiar with their shop and people.