Kayak Ergometer Build - Part 1

So with the cold darks nights set in for the foreseeable future, to keep paddle fitness up over the winter I've decided to attempt to build a Kayak Ergometer. Weight lifting and cardio fitness in the gym is OK, but nothing can substitute actual paddle fitness.

After looking around I found a previous homemade attempt on YouTube which had been cannibalised from a Cross Country Ski Fitness machine. It utilises the flywheel and resistant webbing arrangement. Connecting a broken paddle shaft via a series of ropes and pulleys will give you the feel of paddling. Changing the tension in the webbing over the flywheel will affect the resistance experienced whilst paddling. Therefore allowing you to easily change between cardio sessions to intense sprint sessions.

Breaking the Ski Machine
After watching a few machines on eBay I finally found a descent looker, only problem was it was in Stockton-On-Tees, a 370 mile round trip. Never the less I won the item and collected after work one night.

Cross Country Ski Machine

Flywheel Assembly

Flywheel removed from Ski Machine

Bearings used to grip and release flywheel shaft

Next step creating the new frame which will house the flywheel assembly and the user will sit on. 

 More to follow.....