Blog
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Mini Shredder Holiday Gift Guide
Struggling to pick the perfect gift for the adventurous kid in your life? We’ve rounded up five must-haves that’ll keep them warm, stylish, and stoked for every snowy adventure this winter. Cheers to a lot of happy days on the mountain with the kiddos!
1. Heated Boot Bag
Imagine the joy of slipping into toasty ski boots every morning. Ahhhhh! A heated boot bag not only warms boots but keeps gear organized—keeping “Where’s my stuff?” at bay.
2. Heated Gloves / Mittens
Yes, they’re extra. But if your kiddo is prone to cold fingers, they’ll be eternally grateful (and so will you for fewer on-mountain meltdowns). Warm fingers = longer, happier ski days.
3. New Goggles
The right goggles do more than look cool—they help your kid see clearly, no matter the conditions.
4. Ski Socks
It sounds mundane, but trust us: quality ski socks are a game-changer. Gone are the days of the thick sock - no more cold, sweaty, or bunched-up feet. Get them the gift they didn’t know they needed, and thank
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Start Haus Backshop: Quick Fix | Tighten Down That Loose Marker Alpinist Heel
Quick Fix | Tighten Down That Loose Marker Alpinist Heel Couple of simple hand tools and a few minutes of time, lock down the slop in your Marker Alpinist heel.
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Start Haus Backshop: STORAGE WAX and Other Important Details for Storing Your Gear in the Summer
Keep those bases fast and prevent oxidized surface wax with a simple end of season tune you can do at home.
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Start Haus Backshop: Bootfitting! Building Custom Orthotic Footbed Inserts
Whether its ski boots or bike shoes, stock inserts are garbage! Come with us as we walk through the assessment and construction of a pair of custom footbeds, here at Start Haus in Truckee, CA.
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Start Haus Backshop: Ski Boots! How to Properly Store Gear for the Summer
Don't just throw your gear in the closet! Give your boots (and your feet) some love by properly tucking your gear away until next fall. -
Bootfitting Q&A with Travis Ganong
Recording from Ski Bootfitting Q&A
Monday, December 18, 2023, at 6pm
Thanks to those who braved the wild weather and joined us at the shop! For those unable to attend you can view the event video below. Also a huge shout out to both Travis and Jim for putting this fantastic clinic on. Keep an eye out for more events this winter.
Hear from Olympic ski racer Travis Ganong and Start Haus founder and industry-renowned tech Jim Schaffner as they answer questions on the art of bootfitting. The event, hosted at Start Haus, is free and open to the public. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be recorded and posted on our website after the event.
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Basic Bike Maintenance: Brake Pad Replacement
Welcome back to our Basic Bike Maintenance Series! This week we are breaking down another important topic, how to replace your brake pads. Check out the video on our youtube channel HERE.
The first step in this process is determining whether or not your brake pads need to be replaced. It can be difficult to determine wear without having an idea of what a new brake pad looks like, so we recommend purchasing a new set of pads before starting this project. In fact, having an extra set on hand is always a good idea, just in case something goes wrong and you can't get to a shop right away. Just like choosing bike tires, you must choose the correct size and the right compound for your needs, so give us a call if you're not sure what to buy!
Once you have a new set on standby, look into the caliper and view the old pads from every angle. A new brake pad is typically 8-12mm thick, and they should be replaced when the thinnest part of the pad is 3mm. If the pads wear much thinner than 3mm, you
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Tahoe Area Tire Guide
There are plenty of YouTube videos describing the full gamut of Maxxis Tire offerings, how to combine them, and what conditions to run them in. However, there is a surprising lack of tire guides specific to the conditions of the Tahoe area. The basin is unique, with early season hero dirt rapidly devolving into dusty hardpack, to the deep dust of summertime. Techy rock gardens and loose-on-hard flow means we need ultimate grip and cut resistance out of our tires. Here we will break it down to basics- pattern, casing, and compound- plus we will share our favorite front/rear combo for the local conditions.
Tread Pattern (Front):
First up is the legendary Maxxis Minion DHF. In our opinion, this tire is the best compromise between traction and rolling resistance for our area. Combining fast-rolling center knobs with well-supported cornering knobs, it has been a solid choice for a front tire since its debut almost 20 years ago.
Next is WC Downhiller Greg Minnaar's signature pattern, the Maxxis
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Introducing the Start Haus Managers Special Consignment Sale!
After deciding on canceling this years consignment sale our general manager cleaned out his garage to offer up his extensive selection of used and new race skis!
Some are mounted, some are tuned, and some are new with unmounted bindings. Its quite a mix of Blizzard and Head racers, and even a Nordica thrown in the mix.
Prices range from $150 - $250- everything from 143 SL skis to 186 GS race skis.
Give us a call or swing by to take a look!
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Used Wintersteiger TrimJet Edger Polisher for Sale Plus RS 350 OMEGA
Wintersteiger OMEGA Racing RS 350 Ski Grinding Machine Base Grinder for SALE- $55,000
Besides the typical benefits of the Omega model range, a special feature of these models is the grinding stone width of 350 mm. You won’t just be able to grind skis and snowboards; you’ll also be able to work very efficiently, because the stone is divided. You can create two structures at the same time by setting a different structure on either half of the stone.
The benefit is that it allows pre-grinding on one half of the stone and then follow up immediately with fine grinding on the other half. It is hard to imagine a more rational approach. Another positive aspect is the 100 memory slots to store any program needed in the machine. For racing specialists, the Omega RS 350 also offers a centering unit that supports easy and precise grinding of center specific racing structures (e.g. arrows structures).
Machine can be crated and shipped from Truckee, CA with freight details discussed and arranged with
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The Classics: TLD A1 & A2 Helmets Reviewed
Troy Lee Designs A1 & A2 Mountain Biking Helmets: Superior Protection and Style
Still have the same bike helmet you bought when you first started riding? With greater awareness of the long-term damaging effects of concussions, bike helmet design has improved industry wide: helmets are no longer designed just to prevent skull fractures. One improvement is Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS), a revolutionary technology that lets the helmet slide relative to the head, adding more protection against rotational violence to the brain caused by angled impacts. Troy Lee Designs feels that MIPS is so important to prevent concussions that they no longer make helmets without it. Come into Start Haus in Truckee and check out our full line of bike helmets, including the A1 and A2 helmets by Troy Lee Design.
The Classic A1 by Troy Lee is an aggressive all-mountain half shell helmet that has been a mountain biking industry leader for more than a decade. Known for being the most comfortable
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Miracle March Update- Still Have Great Skis on Sale!
Winter is holding steady in Tahoe, with 12+ feet of new snow so far in “Miracle March” and resorts are extending their seasons. Start Haus in Truckee’s winter blow out sale is still going on as well, with sweet deals on-top-of-the-line skis. Here are some that you could still snag:
Dynastar Legend Women’s X84 We get it, life is busy and when you can hit the slopes, you want to grab a reliable ski and go. For “one-quiver” skiers, the Legend X84 is an all mountain ski that can cover all terrain with confidence. The X84 is made with Dynastar’s newest Powerdrive Free construction, delivering great response, power and control. Touted as a comfortable ski with great response, Dynastar’s Legend X84 has the torsional stiffness and edge grip needed for high performance on firm snow and is also very versatile with its 5-point sidecut and tip and tail rocker. The X84 has a full wood core with 100% fiber sandwich construction and ABS sidewall to drive energy more efficiently to the edge of the ski