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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 1:54 am 
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Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:32 am
Posts: 1807
Location: Terrigal NSW, Australia
This must have been discussed before, but I don't recall ever seeing it. Setting the pedals so the fins clunk against the hull kinda gives you the feeling that you've got your money's worth from each stroke. On the other hand, it tends to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the experience. What does everyone do?

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:42 am 
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Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
I set my pedals so they just hit at full stroke, and then ever so slightly reduce the travel of my legs, and slightly increase the cadence to compensate for the shorter stroke. I take the view that persistently hitting the hull adds unnecessary loads on the drive. But that's just me :wink:

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2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 5:22 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
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Location: South Florida
I don't like the clunking sound or feel. Like Tony, I adjust the stroke to avoid that problem.

Keith

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 5:34 am 
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Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:16 pm
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Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
I noticed the other day that I don't clunk the hull anymore. I think I didn't like it and started stopping right before the clunk. I think it must be muscle memory now

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 5:38 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
I am more comfortable with my pedals set so when my leg is fully extended the fins are just touching the hull, so to buttom out and slap the hull I would need to extend slightly ( setting 4). When pedaling I never straighten my knees completely, if I do I develop pain in my knees quickly. If I have the pedals too close to me ( setting 2 or 3) I get tired much too quickly, I assume because I all scrunched up with my knees bent too much to get good leverage, and also much greater range of motion ( my knees bend way too much when too close to the pedals).
I pedal with a nice easy cadence fairly short strokes, if I had to guess I'm using 3/4 of the travel. Just out of habit (and because it's my excersize program) at a pace I could maintain for ten hours if needed. I alway have my sail up and make the sail do as much of the work as it can. Not just on my TI, I used the same methods on both the oasis and the revolution ( always having the sail up). When pedaling the Hobies just seem to sail more efficiently, you can point much closer to the wind and while pedaling the waves don't slow the boat down nearly as much.

My opinion is the boats were designed from the ground up for utilizing the mirage drive, by not pedaling you don't get the full benefits of the total design package. My feeling is these are human powered boats with the primary propulsion being the mirage drive system. Adding power amplifiers such as sails, motors, evolve systems , etc all allow you to go farther expending less human energy via the primary mirage propulsion system. By utilizing all the tri power capabilities of the Hobie kayaks whenever possible gives all these boats unequaled endurance and speed. Of course this is all just my opinion.
Bob


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:14 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
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Location: High Point, NC
To get rid of the clunk you lengthen the pedal adjustment. Go to the next highest number. However, if you find that this then puts you on a pedal stroke that is too long/far for you, there is another method to get rid of the "clunk."

Sometimes you're just a fraction of an inch too long. So something as simple as just changing the shoes you wear can eliminate the clunk. If I'm barefoot, I get zero clunk. If I wear my standard water shoes, I get the clunk. It's a matter of 1/4inch in the sole of the shoe.

Somewhere between adjusting the pedal stroke length and trying water shoes with different sole thickness, you can get the perfect length stroke.


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:40 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:27 pm
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I am wondering if the clunk will be bad for the fins or decrease the life of them?


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:20 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:43 am
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Location: Long Island NY
actually ... after seeing the pics of the hull failures around the drive well contact points I always set mine so they don't clunk. to feather them I rest a foot on one of the drive legs (vertical part before the pedal pad) or attach the bungee of Im on a long leg

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:23 am 
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I am a tall guy, so I have to regulate the stroke to keep it from clunking


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:58 am 
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Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
The beauty of the drive's "stepper" system is that you don't need to use the full travel (compared to a bicycle action where you have to use the full stroke to complete the cycle), so you can still have just as much (no, I actually think more) power and efficiency by not using the full travel.

The mechanical leverage available from your legs varies with the bending of your knees, with power reducing with the increase of the angle. It therefore follows that moving the pedals through a smaller arc from being both together will put more torque into the fins, and you will also be able to increase the cadence due to the shorter strokes. Try it next time out and you will see it for yourselves.

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2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:08 pm 
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6'4" and have to run pedals at 7 and still modulate the stroke.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 2:26 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:22 am
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Yup, 6'5" here, I can get a good "clunk" on any setting. I try not to, but sometimes it just happens.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:56 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:38 pm
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I let them barely hit on my outback and in less than a year it started to wear the plastic sprockets that hold the chains. The chains actually started slipping while pedaling. I since picked up a new PA 14 and set them close, just not letting them touch.


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