Sailing and Bicycling


The season for sailing and bicycling has returned. And that got me thinking in addition to getting ready. It occurred to me that one of the commonalities between sailing and bicycling that appeals to me is their mechanical nature. There are very little (if any) electronics involved. There are (generally) no motors involved. Virtually everything is mechanical. You have mechanical advantages all over the place: gears, levers, blocks (pulleys), etc. You have the use of friction in winches and brakes. You have to pick the ideal sail shape or gear to go where you want. And the other thing about all this is that you can see all of it.

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