Snowmobile Rollerskis Benefit All Types of Trail Riders…
Left ski with disengaged snowmobile Rollerskis ready for use & right ski next up for installation. Photo by Craig Irwin.
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We put snowmobile Rollerskis™ to the test on our debut Grand St. Lawrence River Snowmobile Tour. They passed with flying colours. In my opinion, Rollerskis are the best ski wheels on the market.
I shudder at my increasingly prevalent sledding encounters with snowless surfaces. Road running, asphalt at gas stations, restaurants and lodgings, concrete garage floors, ramps to snowmobile trailers and ferries, ploughed municipal streets and parking lots. Nothing’s as grating as the noise of expensive carbides scraping along, grinding away the sharp edges essential to controlling my sled on groomed trails.
Snowmobile Rollerskis eliminate carbide contact with pavement & trailer ramp while loading/unloading. Photo © by Martin Lortz.
With this harsh reality mind, Rollerskis, manufactured in Quebec by a company called Qualipieces, make my list of must-have accessory add-ons. Rollerskis are durable winter ski wheels designed to make steering a sled across snowless surfaces safer and easier. Automatically retracting, they enable your sled to travel on wheels instead of skis where there’s no snow.
At the same time, snowmobile Rollerskis protect carbides and ski bottoms. They also prevent carbide scratch marks on driveways or garage floors. What’s more, Rollerskis mean no more trying to drag a sled into position by its ski handles to line it up with gas pumps. And no more gritting my teeth crossing snowmobile-unfriendly surfaces for me. Now I ride with a smile, because Rollerskis put an end to all that unnecessary damage and effort.
Pulling up to the gas pumps is as easy as in an automobile with snowmobile Rollerskis engaged.
But I didn’t get snowmobile Rollerskis on a whim. First, I found the answers every rider needs to know:
Will Snowmobile Rollerskis Fit Your Skis?
YES. Rollerskis will fit on all brands of snowmobiles. The Rollerski website features a “Find The Right Rollerski” tool. Its search function helps determine which Rollerskis will fit on your skis depending on your brand & model of sled. Note that you can transfer Rollerskis to another sled that has the same make and model of skis.
Do You Need A Rollerski For Each Ski?
YES. Rollerskis come in matching pairs, one for the right ski and the other for the left ski. Both are required to function properly.
How Many Positions Do Rollerskis Have?
TWO. Up (disengaged) for riding on snow without wheels. Down (engaged) for riding on bare, hard surfaces on wheels.
Are Snowmobile Rollerskis Easy To Instal?
YES. Rollerskis come pre-assembled. As the Sledaddicz video below shows, installation takes less than 30 minutes with no special tools required (mallet, electric drill, wrenches). Simply remove both ski bolts that attach your skis to your sled at the axle. Then replace each original bolt with the Rollerski bolt. Tighten the nut on each bolt after applying a thread locking compound and you’re ready to go. Note: It’s a good idea to keep the original ski bolts from your snowmobile with you on every ride. Or if you ever want to transfer your Rollerskis to another sled.
Do Rollerskis Engage Easily?
YES. It’s easy and simple to put your Rollerskis in the engaged (down) position for use. To secure a Rollerski in the engaged position, just push lightly with your boot on the rubber bar attached to the wheel, while pulling up lightly on the ski handle. This raises each ski above contact with the hard surface below, so you’re now riding on engaged Rollerskis. All the riders in our group had no difficulty doing this, regardless of gender or age.
Engage snowmobile Rollerskis by pushing down with foot and lifting gently on ski handle. Photo © by Martin Lortz.
Do Rollerskis Disengage Easily?
YES. Auto-retracting means that as soon as a Rollerskis encounter the slight resistance of a softer snow surface, they will self-retract into the disengaged (up) position. This lowers your skis back into contact with the snow to continue the trail ride the trail ride on your carbides. But if the snow is hardpacked, you may need to disengage Rollerskis manually. Simply pull up one ski handle at a time, so that each spring-loaded mechanism flips the Rollerski attached to that ski back into the disengaged position. (Another option some riders employ to disengage Rollerskis requires body weight shifting. While standing on the sled, rock it slightly to one side by pulling the handlebars in that direction for leverage. This lifts that ski off the surface enough to cause the Rollerski on that side to auto retract. Repeat on the other side to release the other Rollerski.)
Do Rollerskis Make Skis Feel Heavier?
NO. Rollerskis comprise light alloy material and attach to the ski axle. Here, the weight of your sled is centralized, thus avoiding any feel of overloading the skis. You won’t notice any significant change in how your sled steers or how fast it goes on snow.
Sleds with snowmobile Rollerskis engaged loaded for ferry crossing on the Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour. Photo © Martin Lortz.
Can Your Ride Fast On Snowmobile Rollerskis?
NO, Rollerskis aren’t meant for speeding or to go as fast as on riding with skis on snow. Engaging your Rollerskis lifts your skis above any contact with the riding surface for travelling on wheels at a careful pace across bare, hard surfaces. Riding too aggressively with Rollerskis engaged on a snowless surface risks abnormally hard impacts that can jar a wheel to auto-retracting suddenly. Plus, overly aggressive riding with Rollerskis engaged may also snap a bolt attaching it to the sled axle if the wheel collides with an unexpected surface irregularity like a pothole, crack or bump. But bolt problems rarely happen when riders use Rollerskis with care and caution, including installing and tightening properly.
Do Rollerskis Steer Well On Bare Surfaces?
YES. Rollerskis steer effortlessly on bare, even & hard surfaces. Each Rollerski’s actual contact area with the surface is small compared to skis. But your sled will go precisely where you steer it with Rollerskis because they provide a tighter turning radius for improved maneuverability.
Roads with minimal snow cover are easy to navigate with snowmobile Rollerskis. Ferry crossing access photo © by Martin Lortz.
Do Rollerskis Work Well On Every Bare Surface?
Rollerskis specialize in bare, hard & even surfaces like concrete, pavement and asphalt. They also work on smooth wood and metal. Since Rollerskis auto retract, an irregular or resistant surface such as gravel or a snowless snowmobile trail isn’t as ideal. A sudden encounter with surface irregularity or a change from one bare surface to another may cause unexpected self-retraction, especially while riding too aggressively.
Do Rollerskis Work on Snow or Ice?
Rollerskis are not designed for running on snow covered or groomed trails (and this is not what you buy them for). But they do work for riding on a hard, even surface like pavement with or without a skim of loose snow, slush or patchy ice. For riding on extended areas of bare ice, it’s more suitable to keep your Rollerskis disengaged and let your carbides do the gripping for better steering control.
Do Ski Clamp Bars Still Fit With Snowmobile Rollerskis?
YES. There’s plenty of room for a ski clamp bar on your trailer to fit between each Rollerski & its ski handle to secure your sled for trailering. Remember to disengage your Rollerskis before securing the ski clamp bar in place.
Plenty of space for ski clamp bar with snowmobile Rollerskis installed. Photo © Martin Lortz.
Will Rollerskis Freeze On Cold Days?
VERY UNLIKELY. Even on the coldest days. After all, Rollerskis’s high-quality alloy material is frost, rust and corrosion resistant against winter’s harshest conditions, as are their anti-frost, self-lubricating springs. But it’s still a good idea to spray lube any moving parts on your Rollerskis frequently. Of course, if you park your sled overnight in a deep puddle with the Rollerskis down (engaged) and the water freezes overnight…
Can Snowmobile Rollerskis Be Repaired?
YES. Rollerski components are replaceable and repairable. In the disengaged position, Rollerskis locate on the inside of the ski axle for protection against trail hazards. Rollerskis’ high quality, durable alloy material and tough wheels also offer superior resistance to even the most violent impacts. As with any other essential part of your sled, eyeballing your Rollerskis prior to each ride can prevent unnecessary troubles, while careful usage can make them last longer than your sled!
Do Rollerskis Protect Your Studs?
NO. Rollerskis specialize in effortless, steering control on bare, hard & even surfaces and to save your skis and carbides. But when riding on either your skis or engaged Rollerskis, your studs remain in contact with whatever surface is underneath your track. So make sure your studs remain sharp!
Drive right up to hotel room door & park effortlessly with snowmobile Rollerskis engaged. Photo © by Martin Lortz.
Testimonials from Grand St. Lawrence Snowmobile Tour riders…
“Rollerskis are a great equalizer among snowmobilers, enabling everyone to deal with a variety of bare surface conditions without hassles.” – Trish Robinson
“My Rollerskis allow me to ride to services & amenities in areas where direct trail access is limited.” – Craig Irwin
“With Rollerskis, I can actually steer to gas pumps instead of tugging on ski handles to get my sled pointed the right direction.” – Al Fletcher
“I quickly got the knack of it and was surprised how little effort it takes to engage Rollerskis when we come across areas without snow.” – Dawn Irwin
“I ride with more confidence and control thanks to having Rollerskis installed on my sled.” – Kathleen Hedley
My Last Word About Snowmobile Rollerskis
At first glance, some may consider snowmobile Rollerskis as an expensive pricey accessory. But for day trippers and touring snowmobilers, Rollerskis are a small price to pay for the huge benefit delivered so well. It’s important to remember that Rollerskis have one primary job: to enable your sled to travel on unforgiving and difficult bare surfaces better than it can on skis. In and of themselves, these wheels provide a major improvement and add a whole new dimension to your riding.
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The tips and advice in this blog are the opinions of the author, may not work in every situation and are intended only for the convenience and interest of the reader, who has the personal responsibility to confirm the validity, accuracy and relevancy of this information prior to putting it to their own use.