Colltex Race Crystal Skins
Yellow is the new pink! The Colltex Race skins are top-of-the-line Swiss technology. Found underneath the skis of many European champions, the skins formerly known as PDGs are 100% mohair with a special glide treatment. They weigh in at 20% less than other mohair skins from Colltex, yet corners were not cut. The sleek racers are woven strong enough to keep the hair attached to the skin, with a special edging technology to prevent fraying. The skins are straight cut and straight fast.
- Kits include 160cm parallel skins with widths of 60mm, 62mm, 65mm, or 68mm.
- Comes with tip bungees that are secured by tying a knot behind a washer.
- 100% Dry waterproof membrane separates the pile, which is also treated to repel moisture.
- Mohair fibers are specially selected for their quality and length to give the fastest glide possible.
- 100% Grip weave orients the fibers in the right direction and securely fixes them to the sheath.
- Edge+ material prevents fraying along the edges, making any extra sealing unnecessary.
- Tested by the SLF (Swiss snow & avalanche institute) for grip, glide, and overall quality.
Update 2020/21: New logo design on the plush plus a pull tab for the tip rip.
Update 2022/23: The skins changed from purple to yellow and Colltex dropped the PDG name in favor of "Crystal", but the glue and construction are the same.
| Specifications | |
| Length | 160cm |
| Width | 60mm, 62mm, 65mm, 68mm |
| Design | |
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100% Mohair |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Winning races |
| Bottom Line | Euro champion |
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Questions & Reviews
I love the width options on these. I’m using the 65mm width with 71mm waist skis and grip is adequate. I’ll likely try the 70mm width at some point. They’re super sticky when new but become perfect after a few uses. I haven’t had them fail on me but haven’t used them for very long days yet.
Comment on this review:
11/30/2023
I’m looking for a product to add extra grip in steep conditions for a set of xc touring skis side cut 83-62-70. Would this be a good solution? Should I go for 60mm?
12/2/2023
Hi Dan! For the steep sections these would work quite well, especially in your application. Be mindful of the tip attachment however. To get into the details, send us an email at help@skimo.co. Thanks!
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12/1/2022
What is the GLIDE (kcal/h) to GRIP (g/cm2) rating on this skin? Thanks!
12/1/2022
Hi Tyler, I believe Pomoca is the only company using those metrics; they are unavailable for this skin. Note those are condition dependent, we find these have among the best glide in cold dry snow.
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These are the best overall race skins. The glue is a little weird. I haven't had any issues with them failing and have done a lot of days on them. They feel more secure than Pomocas do in my opinion. When the skin in new, it can be very difficult to peel apart. I've had to use my teeth before to peel them when putting them back on. Despite this, they rip very well still when you're taking them off at a transition. Once you break it in a bit that goes away though. You might need to put a touch of glue on the tail after a lot of use but that's no different than most race skins.
The skins last a long time as well. I've put easily 200K of vert on one pair and it's still going. I can't say the same about my pink Pomocas though.
They glide and grip very well.
Personally I recommend these over other race skins. Just get ready to use some force to pull them a part at first.
The skins last a long time as well. I've put easily 200K of vert on one pair and it's still going. I can't say the same about my pink Pomocas though.
They glide and grip very well.
Personally I recommend these over other race skins. Just get ready to use some force to pull them a part at first.
Comment on this review:
3/28/2020
For a 65mm waist ski, would you go with the 65 or 62 so they don't overlap the edges?
3/30/2020
Hi Jake, I would go with the 62mm. Since your edges are each a mm wide that should be pretty perfect, whereas with the 65mm you will need to trim it so you can use your edges on the skin track. The 65mm is a great option for extra-slippery climbs in races and touring.
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These are really solid race skins, glide is excellent, grip is good. However glue is poor, I had some failures after just one transition. Eventually I decided to change the glue to Pomoca and now it's way better but I no longer trust them so they are used only as a spare pair or for training. In terms of durability they are way better than Pomoca, but besided that I like Pomoca better.
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Still trying to figure out if these or Pomoca are fastest, but love the foldability of the Colltex skins, and the color. No issues so far, and good durability.
Comment on this review:
1/19/2019
Hello guys, I am a bit new to skimo racing and I just bought these skins as second pair, but I am a bit surprised that in the manual is that they cannot be put together layer on layer...only on plastic net....is it true? How can you make a quick transtion from walk to ski with putting skins on same plastic net??? Sounds ridiculous. Thank you.
1/19/2019
Hello Lukas! They have been sending that warning with their skins this season. Not sure why they have been sending it, but they're fine to stick glue to glue. I have been folding them in half without the plastic net for 3 seasons now and they are aging well.
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1/18/2019
Hi all,
has anyone experience with race skins on some serious ski mountaineering, e.g., on a multi-day tour in high altitude? Is the missing tail mount a problem? Do you have problems following the tracks of others because the grip is too weak?
Thank you
has anyone experience with race skins on some serious ski mountaineering, e.g., on a multi-day tour in high altitude? Is the missing tail mount a problem? Do you have problems following the tracks of others because the grip is too weak?
Thank you
1/18/2019
Hi Matt, a number of our employees and regular customers have done a fair amount of what you describe on race skins. With glue that is in good shape and proper skin maintenance in the field, it shouldn't be a problem. As long as your skinning technique is good following others shouldn't be a problem unless they insist on setting sadistically steep skin tracks.
1/18/2019
Hi Matt, if you add some Gold Label glue to the tails, they can be very reliable. I would add that, depending on the mission, folks will sometimes carry backup race skins, just like they do in races.
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This have been my first set of mohair skins and I've used them a half dozen times, both in sunny wet conditions and negative night time conditions. They've worked well in the full gamut of conditions. No issues with the glue to date, and the glide has been a vast improvement over my nylon/mohair mix skins. I have noticed that after several hours in warm snow the skins get fairly wet, but this hasn't negatively affected their performance so far. They also fold down into a compact package. I plan to order a second pair shortly.
Comment on this review:
I've gone through a few pairs of these over the last couple years and after trying every other type of skin, I think they are the fastest. They are also one of the lightest, fold the smallest, and come in varying widths which is nice when one needs better climbing ability. The glue isn't the best, but that is easily remedied by adding a touch of gold label to the tails.
Comment on this review:
1/22/2015
can these be used without a notched shovel. i.e. can they be looped around ski tip?
1/23/2015
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