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Free to good home, two CVCA back bands

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I am in the midst of a shop shelf clean up, reorganization and purge (something I do not recommend unless you have a week+ to kill), and find that I have two unused Chosen Valley Canoe Accessories back bands, along with original OEM literature, installation instructions and diagrams.

P2180029 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

These adjustable height back bands are, per CVCA, “designed to match perfectly with buckets seats, but also work with bench style seats”. Kevin Carr at CVCA was kind enough to send me installation parts and pieces, and an explanatory e-mail for bench seat use adaptation.

P2180035 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I have kept them unused for too many years, and they would fit inside a large padded mailing envelope.

Take one or take both, just use them. PM me with a mailing address.
 
Been wanting to add these since I saw your post in the Old Town Next thread.

The way I lean on the back rest ? I'd pull those little brackets out.

Besides they look like they would slide down, and not provide any back support.

Just how I see it .



Jim
 

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Freebies go fast

To be clear the freebie CVCA back bands are not the same as the ones I use, shown in that photo; those are Surf to Summit Performance Pro back bands. But the CVCA back bands are similar, and incorporate a slender height adjustable rod that attached to the back of the seat (bucket or bench).

Midwest Firecraft and Matt C were the first to respond, Flatland is on deck in third. Midwest and Matt please let me know if you still want one and I’ll mail them out in the next week. PM me an e-mail address and I’ll forward e-mailed installation instructions and JPGs from CVCA.

And let me know if the back bands will be going on bucket or bench seats; Kevin Carr at CVCA appears to have sent me additional outfitting straps and D-ring tabs for bench seat adaptation.

No need to send me the minor postage cost, I’ll be happy just to see them put to use.
 
The way I lean on the back rest ? I'd pull those little brackets out.

Besides they look like they would slide down, and not provide any back support.

The Surf-to-Summit and CVCA back bands are not really back rest “recliners”, they are more like lower back, keep on paddling with your arse firmly secured, don’t stick up very tall “braces”.

Being Love Handle short they don’t interfere with paddle stroke rotation, or jab rigid supports at my shoulders, and are flexible enough that they don’t chaff, but instead provide perfect lower back support when combined with oppositional force from a foot brace or pedals.

The Surf to Summit back bands are attached with two corner straps pulling forward and two centered straps pulling back; that simple arrangement of straps can be adjusted as near or far from the edge of the seat edge as desired, and can be tri-glide tightened/loosened adjusted on the fly, while keeping the back band held in place vertical, but still flexible enough for torso rotation.

PC180135 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

“Perfect” for me; I have a blown L2/L3 and would be back achy in 10 strokes without a back band. Although I know a bunch of healthier-spine canoeists who likewise swear by them, and some manufacturers include them on canoes where appropriate.

I’ve been using those Surf-to-Summit Performance Pro back bands for at least a dozen years, 2008 or before. In different canoes (OK, every canoe!), variously attached using double pop riveted pad eyes, pad eyes screwed into wood and even (single) pop riveted webbing loops as attachment points, and have not pulled an attachment out yet.

Hard to see but the swivel snaps on these examples are attached via webbing loops with a single pop rivet, or webbing loops through my favorite (already-there) machine screw ends.

P4060723 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

P1011546 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I am again reminded of an experiment I have too long procrastinated, and in cleaning up the shop shelves found the lengths of wood, vinyl and aluminum gunwale scrap I need to get started.

This will involve sacrificing sundry pad eyes, webbing loops, grommet straps, gunwale tab D-rings and etc. Might have to make a run to Blue Mountain Outfitters and look through their lazy-Susan outfitting bins for other stuff to test.

The Experiment: Attach various connections, 3/16” pop rivets in vinyl gunwale, epoxied screws in wood, gunwale tab inserts under aluminum rail and etc, etc, etc. Hang weights from each attachment point until a rivet or screw pulls out, or a pad eye, webbing loop, grommet strap fails, or some other catastrophe occurs.

That may prove to be an outfitting irrelevant high weight-bearing number, and I expect that webbing loops, washer & nut on a machine screw shank will be all but impossible to break free, possibly deforming the gunwale first.

P5260021 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

But, now more than ever, I’m curious about how much total weight each individual attachment would support, and about what fails where and how. Much as I’d hate to waste one, maybe even a vinyl pad D-ring glued to a scrap piece of Royalex and weighs added until something comes apart.

Thanks for the kick start Jim; I’ve never seen those numbers, or even guesstimate approximations, and this could be fun. Coming this spring, McCrea Breaks Everything.

Goggles or full face shield for flying shrapnel not experimentally optional.
 
I have a backband currently installed on my Vagabond, and have been trying to 'McGyver' a way to raise it just a few inches without adding too much paraphernalia or weight. Like Mike, I have an aversion to any of the sitbackers or superseats that, because they are attached to a seat base, allow for a higher back placement. Anybody have a solution short of Mr. Dodd's back rest?
 

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I have a backband currently installed on my Vagabond, and have been trying to 'McGyver' a way to raise it just a few inches without adding too much paraphernalia or weight. Like Mike, I have an aversion to any of the sitbackers or superseats that, because they are attached to a seat base, allow for a higher back placement. Anybody have a solution short of Mr. Dodd's back rest?

Matt (and John), the possible solution adjustable height CVCA back bands are boxed up. Might still need a little McGyver for attachment points, depending on your seats and gunwales. I’ll try to hit the post office tomorrow. Check your e-mail.

I detested the GCI Sitbacker, the hard metal back frame was torture with any torso rotation and the incorporated seat pad was way too thick; I have my seat heights positioned exactly where I want them and sitting raised up another inch and a half made no sense.

Let me know how the CVCA back bands work out/photos please.
 
Mike, just replaced the backband on the Vagabond (Wenonah, I have to differentiate which Vagabond now) with the one you sent. Looks good, can't wait to test it after ice-out! Thanks again!
 

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Mike, just wanted to say thanks again. Finally got the Vagabond in the water today and the back band is great! I had a slight issue with it wanting to creep down after a while, but I found a fix when I got home.
 
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