Canoe foot brace - side pegs or cross bar?

[Roybrew]

I never move my foot pegs. I thought I might have to depending on what time of year and what shoes I'm wearing, but not moved them yet.

 

[Moonman]

Hi Guys,

Just thought to update you all on my current thought process. Mind you I won’t be starting this build for a while yet, but at this point my plan is to use mounting bolts like the ones from sealect designs etc., then using threaded inserts screw in some wooden foot pegs. I can then evaluate and if need be I can epoxy in a second set of mounting bolts to secure an adjusting rail mount so I can make the pegs adjustable. Hopefully with this approach I can just use the simple wooden pegs which will be lighter, and take up less hull floor space but allow for changing things up if need be.

Thanks for all your input.

Moonman.

 

[Idiot Savant]

Hi guys,

I haven’t posted here in quite a while, although I do follow along on other threads occasionally. A question for foot brace users, do you prefer a bar set up, or just individual side pegs/braces? Seems to me that if you dialed in the location of side pegs you could just glue them to the hull and dispense with sliders for adjusting etc….just wondering what people think of this approach as I will be starting a solo build (leaning towards Ashes Solo Day) this spring.

Thanks and merry Christmas,

Moonman.

I use kayak style foot braces on my solo canoes.
I've converted both to pack style.
Kayak braces allow me to use the space between my legs for a long, skinny dry bag.
Maybe you could still use that space, with a bar type brace, but it would have to be a shorter bag.

 

[gumpus]

I think your thought process is fine moonman. I like the sliding foot brace in my Advantage. I usually don't wear shoes in a canoe except in cold winter weather. I do change the position occasionally. I like the adjustable kayak peg system in my Rapidfire because it is rock solid (the Northstar footbrace that I put in my Magic would slip sometimes), exceptionally easy to adjust, and leaves more open space for me and the dog in a relatively confined boat. I do use more than one position and I find it nice to change it sometimes.

Overall, I don't think you need the huge range of adjustment that most systems offer but you'd be wise not to limit yourself to one position. The system you envision also sounds like it would be rock solid and unable to slip.

 

[zekabl]

With bad hips I find the kayak foot braces to be uncomfortable spreading the legs too far apart so it has to be a cross bar or nothing.

 

[yknpdlr]

Most racers prefer to have an adjustable foot bar, often with a loop of webbing just big enough to slip their toes under, firmly attached to the bar at their preferred foot location . As I am usually in the bow seat, I have to come up with some other methods in a canoe without a solid bulkhead that might happen to be at the proper distance for me, unless my bow seat is on rails. If no bulkhead, then there is a commercial wedge contraption that may or may not fit. Otherwise, I have layers of stiff foam pads that I custom fit to wedge in at the right level to meet my feet scrunched together into the narrowness of the bow (try that for 1000 Yukon miles, along with needed daytime gear stuffed under my knees).

 

[M Clemens]

With bad hips I find the kayak foot braces to be uncomfortable spreading the legs too far apart so it has to be a cross bar or nothing.

In skinny, short hulls I have the same issue, but with my ankles. So I fab up a wood bar and lock it in position since with either foot bar or pegs I never move them. I used to put Wenonah bars in everything, but over the last few years mostly kayak style pegs.

 

[Idiot Savant]

With bad hips I find the kayak foot braces to be uncomfortable spreading the legs too far apart so it has to be a cross bar or nothing.

I can understand that, but there is another advantage to kayak braces that I find helpful.
You can stretch your legs out between the braces. You can't do that with a bar and I do that quite a bit.
I like to sit cross legged quite a bit too. Don't even use the braces, most of the time.