Date: 12/12/2007, 2:53 am
Hi Dave,
I seem to have struck a nerve. I ended my message with "This is not to say that you can not learn from them, but speed is the end all for them." I have not raced kayaks, but I raced mountain bikes, road bikes and on the track. I was never more than a mid pack finisher.
That said, pros put out more than 350 watts continuously and are looking to save .10's of seconds. This is very different from what a average person can do. Equipment can only make you marginally faster. Training, genetics and coaching are what make you faster. If you want to go faster, your money is better spent on a coach than on the latest equipment. A few years ago, a woman's road world championship race was won on a steel frame.
As far as racing improving equipment, most racing frames are now disposable.
I have nothing against racing or racers. I liked racing. But racing is hard and all consuming. I think it fine to borrow technique or equipment from racers. Just don't expect to push the same gears as a pro. If speed was all that was important we would all be on surf skis with wing paddles, and who knows maybe someday we will.
Gordon
Ps. I tried to post this before, so I am sorry if this is a repeat.
: What Reg said.
: and
: - They race mountain bikes.
: - Lots of people ride carbon frames, even if you and I do not.
: - Lots of people have carbon hulled boats and paddles, as well.
: - A wing paddle could be said to be a variant of a Euro paddle, too. Or a
: stick.
: R&D in racing technique, training and equipment has led to many, many
: advances in many, many sports, including both cycling and kayaking.
: Non-racers get to gain the benefits of these developments, too.
Messages In This Thread
- Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Greg Clopton -- 12/9/2007, 9:41 pm- build & try both
ChuckS -- 12/10/2007, 11:25 pm- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Dave Houser -- 12/10/2007, 8:17 pm- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Bryan Hansel -- 12/10/2007, 11:20 am- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Bill Hamm -- 12/11/2007, 2:28 am- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Gordon Masor -- 12/11/2007, 12:13 am- Hijack!
Dave Gentry -- 12/11/2007, 11:29 am- Re: Hijack!
Alex Ferguson -- 12/11/2007, 4:54 pm- ad nauseam
Dave Gentry -- 12/11/2007, 7:00 pm- Re: ad nauseam
Gordon Masor -- 12/12/2007, 2:53 am- Re: ad nauseam
Bill Hamm -- 12/17/2007, 2:07 am
- Re: ad nauseam
- Historical POV
Reg Lake -- 12/11/2007, 6:20 pm - Re: ad nauseam
- Re: Hijack!
Mike Savage -- 12/11/2007, 1:48 pm- Re: Hijack!
Dave Gentry -- 12/11/2007, 3:14 pm
- ad nauseam
- Re: Hijack!
- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Kris Buttermore -- 12/10/2007, 1:21 pm - Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Mike Scarborough -- 12/10/2007, 10:25 am- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
JohnK -- 12/10/2007, 4:59 pm
- Kinesiology
Pedro Almeida -- 12/10/2007, 9:29 am- Re: Kinesiology
eric -- 12/10/2007, 9:45 pm- Re: Kinesiology
TOM RAYMOND -- 12/10/2007, 10:17 am- Re: Kinesiology
Mike Savage -- 12/10/2007, 10:41 am- Re: Kinesiology
TOM RAYMOND -- 12/10/2007, 11:48 am- Re: Kinesiology
Mike Savage -- 12/10/2007, 3:17 pm
- Re: Kinesiology
- Re: Kinesiology
- another example
Pedro Almeida -- 12/10/2007, 9:47 am - Re: Kinesiology
- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
fred Gasper -- 12/10/2007, 8:51 am- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Mike Savage -- 12/10/2007, 6:18 am- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
Bill Hamm -- 12/10/2007, 3:41 am- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
JohnK -- 12/10/2007, 2:59 am- A different POV
Dave Gentry -- 12/9/2007, 11:26 pm- Re: A different POV??
Randy Knauff -- 12/10/2007, 1:21 am- Feathering advantage is real
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 12/10/2007, 11:28 am- Re: Feathering advantage is real
Rob Macks / Laughing Loon------WebKitFormBoundaryU -- 12/11/2007, 11:44 am- Re: Feathering advantage is real
Kris Buttermore -- 12/19/2007, 1:59 pm
- Not either/or but appropriate both
Randy Knauff -- 12/10/2007, 4:05 pm- Re: Not either/or but appropriate both
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 12/10/2007, 7:30 pm
- Re: Feathering advantage is real
- Yes, a different POV
Dave Gentry -- 12/10/2007, 3:31 am- Question
Jay Babna -- 12/10/2007, 8:39 am- Re: Question
Bill Hamm -- 12/12/2007, 1:46 am- Re: Question
Dave Gentry -- 12/10/2007, 1:50 pm- The Whitewater Perspective------WebKitFormBoundary *LINK*
GlazedDonut------WebKitFormBoundaryCg1JNknuAcMS+s6 -- 12/10/2007, 10:30 pm- Re: The Whitewater Perspective------WebKitFormBoun
Dave Gentry -- 12/10/2007, 11:49 pm- Re: The Whitewater Perspective------WebKitFormBoun
Duane Strosaker -- 12/10/2007, 11:45 pm - Re: The Whitewater Perspective------WebKitFormBoun
- Re: Question------WebKitFormBoundaryJred+soBaAm3Im
Jay Babna------WebKitFormBoundaryJred+soBaAm3Imqe -- 12/10/2007, 3:15 pm- Re: Question------WebKitFormBoundaryJred+soBaAm3Im
Kris Buttermore -- 12/10/2007, 4:20 pm- Re: Question------WebKitFormBoundaryJred+soBaAm3Im
Mike Savage -- 12/10/2007, 5:28 pm
- Re: Question------WebKitFormBoundaryJred+soBaAm3Im
- Re: The Whitewater Perspective------WebKitFormBoun
- Well...
Pedro Almeida -- 12/10/2007, 8:47 am - Re: Question
- Re: Question
- Re: Feathering advantage is real
- Feathering advantage is real
- Re: Paddle: Feathered vs Unfeathered
- build & try both