What’s different about Tiderace cockpit design
Our cockpits make people smile. We’d like to share why rather than just keep it to ourselves
Tiderace cockpits have the following features:
- Optimum leg/knee position for power transfer, comfort and body rotation
- Thigh braces which promote comfort, precision, and ease of access.
- Knee pockets which allow adjustment and movement
- Maximum connectivity for better feedback, grip, and less pressure points
- Backrests which are simple, adjustable and allow unrestricted body rotation
Key principles behind the features:
Optimum leg/knee position
When seated, legs must not outwardly rotate and push the hip joint close to its outward rotation limit. A splayed “frogs legs” position is uncomfortable for extended periods, it does not give good power transfer out through the feet, and restricts the pelvis from rotating slightly when necessary. Legs provide the best drive when they are not left lying straight on the hull bottom, a raised knee is preferable.
Thigh braces
Our thigh braces are positioned to allow a raised knee, and are comfortably spaced apart to allow easy entry into the cockpit and precise control over the boat. A very close together knee position may be best for flat water racing, some width between the knees gives a better purchase under the thigh grips for rolling and edging. This position allows the thigh and the foot to align, thus reducing the rotational forces acting on the knee and ankle – again, the less twist in the joint, the better the power transfer.
Knee pocket
Our thigh-braces are part of a greater knee pocket design, where contact is made over a triangular area running almost the length of the thigh to around the inside of the lower thigh / knee area. The knee pocket is reasonably wide to allow a degree of adjustment and movement, so not to restrict total lateral movement and allow for a slight change of position to aid comfort over a period of time.
Cockpit connectivity
The greater the contact, the less the pressure on any one point, giving better the grip on the boat, and therefore providing precise feedback to the paddler about how the hull's interacting with the water.
Backrests
Our backrests are firmly bolted to the seat sides, and are a simple, wide padded backband design. It is positioned relatively low down as standard allowing for unrestricted body rotation. The backband can be adjusted and raised should the paddler need additional support.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 05 February 2012 11:03 |
