On 01/12/2020 21:52, Richard wrote:
On Tuesday, 1 December 2020 at 20:30:46 UTC, Phil wrote:
Clogs are the way forward, for all sorts of reasons!
Couldn't agree more! Why don't more clubs / rowers / boat-builders consider this simple, safe and inexpensive option? Forget old-fashioned leather clogs with brass or plastic heel cups - surely modern materials lend themselves to a solution that provides adequate support while rowing, yet enables more or less instant release in the event of a capsize. Or have we become totally fixated on fitted shoes being the only possible solution?
I, too regret the passing of clogs! But back to shoes:
I understand the concern over shoe bolt positions, but any reputable
shoe supplier provides, as we always have at CDRS, a template precisely defining shoe-bolt positions.
There were problems, way back, when shoes based on running spikes had
somewhat randomly located threaded inserts. They drilled holes in the
soles for press-fit spiky plates (with threaded upstands), inserted from inside the shoe. However, rowing shoes now have moulded soles with
embedded threaded inserts. Templates are usually supplied & the moulds
don't change.
Still, templates are easily made if needed. Either:
1. Place each shoe on a flat-bed photocopier; hold down to flatten the
sole; press copy - for a perfect image of sole & holes. Cut out,
align & tape onto stretcher board or shoe plate, mark holes & drill.
or:
2. Photograph the shoe soles square on (with a ruler at the same level
for scale), then print the images to scale, etc.
But shoe plates are a pointless pain. Our stretchers don't have them as
we bolt the shoes directly onto our carbon stretcher boards. The board
is secured to the stretcher bar by a central bolt. A line of holes lets
you move the board up or down for height adjustment. A sliding
component (the height/rake adjuster) facilitates this & allows easy,
secure rake adjustment:
https://shop.carldouglas.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=91
This simple system ensures that the vital heel cords remain correctly adjusted, regardless of shoe height. To move shoes to another similarly-equipped boat or position, just undo the central & bottom bolt
& make the switch.
NB, we do have a more advanced foot stretcher (our PowrBoard). Shaped
to the foot, with lockable rotational alignment for each shoe (splays adjustable over a 20-deg range). Like our standard stretcher, there's
no shoe plate. And, in the event of a swim, you'll get passive release
of feet from shoes. Just as some walk with feet straight & others with
feet splayed, foot splay really can matter - especially after hip or
knee surgery. Comfort in rowing affects performance & enjoyment.
BTW, I do chuckle at talk of 'connecting the power through the
stretcher'. No, your feet don't transmit power to the stretcher,
nothing does, they just apply force. The definition of power, P, is:
P = F x D / T (strictly the integral through the stroke of that)
where:
F = force applied by the feet
D = distance moved by the feet under that force WRT stretcher
T = duration of that force's application
As D = 0 (your feet don't move from the stretcher), zero power is
developed at, or transmitted through, the stretcher, just force.
Propulsive power results from the relative motion, under load & WRT the stretcher, of all other parts of the body than the feet - unless you
lift your heels near the end of the stroke. A good stretcher helps.
Cheers -
Carl
--
Carl Douglas Racing Shells -
Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
Write: Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
Find: tinyurl.com/2tqujf
Email:
carl@carldouglasrowing.com Tel: +44(0)1932-570946 Fax: -563682
URLs: carldouglasrowing.com & now on Facebook @ CarlDouglasRacingShells
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