35km test speed skate on CadoMotus new NORDIC110 Clap Frame - Hoenderloo, NL. The 35km was skated on a mix of surfaces on roads and paths, of varying quality asphalt and concrete. The course undulated throughout, with some small hills being up-and-over in 100m, while the incline of others continued for up to 500m.
Tester: Mick Byrne - 178cm/5'10", 77kg/170lbs, with a 275mm/US10.5/EU44 foot. It has been some years since I skated on a clap frame, and I currently race on a 12.8 or 13.0-inch frame, with the Nordic110 tested being 13.2-inch. My straight-line stroke on the frame felt fluid and easy, with no feeling of requiring any 'additional' force to activate the clap toward the end of a stroke, and a rapid, low-impact return. My immediate feeling, over the first kilometers (with my frame set at 50/50 front/rear), was that the clap felt easy to open, but that it was opening early in my stroke. For me, this caused early fatigue in my hamstrings and lower back, perhaps because I found it difficult to maintain my neutral position without my weight shifting forward. Also, for me, over rough road the 50/50 position could cause the clap to chatter a little, pulling my weight forward and reducing my roll.
After approx. 15km I moved the frame approx. 8mm forwards (boot rearward) to position the clap hinge further forward. This immediately caused the clap to remain closed until later in the stroke, and allowed me to apply more power through a conventional stroke before activating the clap – which made a big difference in maintaining a relaxed neutral skating position and felt more efficient – with more power getting to the road.
When climbing, the clap mechanism is fully utilized, and I found it to be of more benefit if I skated in a more upright position – pushing downward into the clap. Here I found climbing to be more relaxed, and with a more fluid stroke action than usual. If I maintained a lower racing position however – pushing across the surface, the clap lengthened my stroke which worked against the higher stroke-rate I wanted for climbing. Where the frame felt particularly good, was in the transition grade where you begin to 'crest' the hill. Here, where it often can feel hard for skaters to 'change gears' on a fixed frame, the HiLo clap let me maintain forward momentum well without consciously changing position or stroke angle. This skate gave a real feeling of simply skating up-and-over something, fast.
You can expect that the longer frame, combined with the longer and more fluid stroke that the clap allows, will be of significant benefit at the kinds of average speeds experienced in a World Inline Cup Marathon event – where the ability to shorten up your stroke in race conditions is of less importance. In terms of maneuverability, I found the 13.2-inch frame to feel long at low to moderate speeds (but I skate on 12.8 to 13.0-inch). Steering the skate was slightly more comfortable when at the 50/50 position, however this was outweighed for me by the lack of comfort when the clap opened earlier in my stroke. At high speeds, when frames of 13.0-plus come into their own, the 13.2 Nordic110 felt strong, straight and fast under power – with the clap mechanism providing a smooth stroke finish (although longer, with a longer recovery phase). When striding out for efforts of up to one minute for example (frames at 50/50), the frames were fast and the longer, smoother strokes as the clap opened gave a feeling of more top-end speed being available. My body position when sprinting was subjected to a gradual and cumulative forward shift in my weight – which I felt put me out of my ideal position over time – but this is a fine positional adjustment that would be expected to occur as you became more familiar with the skate.
Overall first test impression: Although 13.2 is a little long for me for most applications other than for fast, open-course marathons, it has proven to be an ideal length for many male skaters and a dominant frame length in Men's WIC competition. The Nordic110 was conceived for Nordic Blading, and climbing efficiency. It delivers here, and it performs smoothly and predictably at speed (and you can imagine the capacity for high speed on 2x100 and 2x110mm wheels). How do 2x100mm wheels affect the clap return? No problem. How is the alignment of the skate when open and under power? No problem.
Who's going to like it? Many skaters.
Who's going to love it? Nordic Bladers, of course... and high-speed marathoners, breakaway specialists, and particularly skaters coming off a winter season on the ice.
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