On Mon, 30 Mar 1998, Joy Hecht wrote: >> >>Geo. Bergeron wrote: >> >>< snip > >>> Higher gears and a lower cadence (turnover) put strains on muscles >>> and joints. In bicycling, the knees go first with high gear pedaling, but >>> they're followed by hips, ankles, sciatica. . .< snip > >>> Washburne I think suggests that shorter paddles with less "purchase" >>> are like lower gears on a bicycle. Higher turnover results in less stress on >>> elbows, shoulders, wrists. . .< snip > >> >>This is very much like my experience. I'm probably one of those >>cyclers-and-paddlers who does everything in too high a gear. But I find that it is >>more comfortable to do things in higher gear (or with a slightly wider paddle) - I >>seem to be more able to keep the cadence down and get a reasonable momentum going >>and keep moving, whereas going at higher cadence and less power per stroke it feels >>like I'm burning up much more energy to go less distance. I'm not particularly >>speedy on a bike or in a kayak - perhaps above average for my height and gender, but >>definitely no racer or anything. But I find myself wondering whether simply some >>people's bodies are more comfortable going along in a higher gear to accomplish the >>same speed or distance that others would comfortably do in lower gear. I have >>always biked in high gears (not up mountains, I should say, mostly just around town) >>and find that downshifting is a more strenuous way to cover distance. (Also much >>less fun.) >> >>Probably I am risking my shoulder, knees, etc. - but is there also an element to >>this that is simply a function of how different people's bodies get the best >>momentum? yes, you are risking your knees, quite a bit. probably the shoulders too, although i'm not anywhere near an authority on kayak paddling. most people peddle their bicycles way too slowly [cadence, not mph/kph] and don't realize how much strain they really are putting on their knees. it does take a lot of practice, at first. once you are used to it, you'll wonder how you could have ever done anything else. [snip] >> >> >>Joy Hecht >>Arlington VA mark #------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com-------------------------------------- mark zen o, o__ o_/| o_. po box 474 </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~ http://www.diac.com/~zen/cpr [Colorado Paddlers' Resource] http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmskc [Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club] http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmcc [Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page] http://www.diac.com/~zen/mark [personal] -- Fortune: I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it. -- Mae West --- Yield to Temptation ... it may not pass your way again. -- Lazarus Long, "Time Enough for Love" *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Mar 31 1998 - 13:48:35 PST
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