Free Spirits Rowing

Thought I'd create this to find out where everyone does their rowing.

I do mine at home most of the time although I sometimes row at work if there is a concept2 rower on the vessel I'm working on.

Home nearly always - although I'm hoping to get back on the water again in September as well.....

home, mostly, but gym a couple of times a week, and throw in a few weights afterwards.

Currently in a bedroom waiting to be decorated, but feel sure I will be relegated to garage in time for the winter !!

In the gym (only 200 metres from my office) during lunch. I'm thinking of getting a model D for home when I move appartment in a few months time.

Sore point - at the gym, which is a very run down ex-council effort.

Want one at home - my better half doesn't!

PSims wrote:Sore point - at the gym, which is a very run down ex-council effort.

My gym is a run down council one also, we have 3 machines but on average only one or two are working. New batteries for PM3 usually take several days to get, and anything serious takes many many months. The middle of the 3 machine's has been waiting for a engineer since before xmas. Maintainence is hoovering the carpet around the machines and thats it.

Luckly when I go down "My" machine is usually free (90% time)

It will be interesting when I buy a properly maintained machine to see if my PB's change.

I row at home......I got my rower when I moved to the country which placed me about an hour from the gym....I love the convenience of having my own rower.....

Tricia

PSims wrote:Sore point - at the gym, which is a very run down ex-council effort.

Want one at home - my better half doesn't!

Easy solution - start saving up for one using a separate account, then buy one and tell your partner it cost £100 second hand.

Tricia B wrote:....I love the convenience of having my own rower.....
Tricia

I know exactly what you mean. I wouldn't exercise 1/10th as much if I didn't have my own erg.

PSims wrote:Sore point - at the gym, which is a
It will be interesting when I buy a properly maintained machine to see if my PB's change.

You'd hope so!

I always pop some extra oil on the chain of mine before going for a particular attempt - it may not make much difference physically - but it sure does psychologically!

I only work out at the gym. Would love my own model D though - time to start saving I think.

AT home in a room next to the garage. Too hot in the summer and v cold in the winter but would never have done it in public at least to begin with.
Alistair

At home in my damp cellar. Two TVs have exploded, C2 a little mouldy in places otherwise fine. Working on my better half to investing in tanking it and making a proper play room

At home after convincing the wife buying a model D would be a good investment!

Currently the rower is between all the clutter from the loft as we are having a conversion and I don't know about anyone else but I find it harder work compared to a A/C gym. I get up at 5am and try and do 30mins or 10k then if I get chance do another 10k or 60mins on the evening.

Happy rowing all

Mash

Got a model D at home, inadvertently left C2 web site logged and true price found by the wife.

Local gym has six Ds, its amazing to see the difference with drag. All the non rowers whack the machine up to ten sneering at my six or five not realising my drag factor is higher. Steroid fools!

At work have a model B, should be in a museum, seats tiny drag factor at lowest is 250!!!!!!!!

Trying to scrounge for models Cs for work...........

The gym I go to has 6 model Cs, none of which have ever been cleaned and the holes in the fly wheel are all clogged up with dust. Have politely suggested to 2 members of staff they do something about it. They promised it would be done but it hasnt happened yet . Well if they do get cleaned it will be interesting to see what difference it makes. Would be too much to hope that really I am a sub 38 10k rower

Does it really matter as we all alter the drag so clean, dusty doesn't come into it (or am I missing something).

Not sure Neil.
I have read posts where people say the rower runs more smoothly just after cleaning. I have always rowed on maximum drag because that feels the most comfortable to me. Only one of the gym c2s has a pm3 so I tried displaying the drag factor for setting 10 and it was 147. I have no idea whether thats what it should be - hence my curiosity about whether cleaning away several years of dust would make a difference. You are probably right though - it wont make that much difference because if they do clean them, I will probably have to change the settings until they feel like they do now again. Anyway enough of my verbal diarrhoea

It is all about air - clean them and more air can be sucked in so the rowers will become harder to pull and the drag factor will go up. In the days of my gym rowing across Europe I reckoned on average level 10 in a gym = level 5 at home. I was never bright enough to check out drag factors!

Guys....Yes it does matter.

Our Model D rowers at the gym had a drag of about 120 when on at 10 setting. They were filthy with fluff. After I got them cleaned, they can now reach 210 on a 10 setting.

This makes a lot of difference, especially for things like 500m.

The lower the drag available, the higher the SPM you need to keep the same split.

C2 recommends about 140 drag for a man....which I use for longer distances. For shorter ones, I now push it to the max....whatever is available from the best rower in the gym at the time.

I think it was John Glynn (sorry if it wasn't you John - I'm good at getting things wrong today) who said if there was a 15 setting he would want it for sprinting.

Single Slug is the only exception - you want the lowest drag for the 1 pull as it flywheel takes longer to slow down so you reach more metres.

Don't know if this makes sense?

Thanks Paul
Makes great sense. It would seem that if the 10 setting is giving a drag factor of 147 then I am rowing at the recommended level. So my distance work is not really significantly affected but sprints may well be.

I've always rowed at level 10, whether when I first started at the gym or now at home. I've tried different levels but they just didn't feel right for me.

Perhaps I'm missing out or I have rubbsih technique but I still keep coming back to put those few extra metres on to catch the guy above me and I do feel like I've done a decent workout when I've finished.

Mash (Rowing techophobe!)

Stan.

Apologies if you know this already but when you turn on the model C hold down the two right hand buttons, bottom right and this will display the drag, unlike the PM3 or model D where you go through to a specific screen.

Thanks Neil - no I didnt know that - will try it tomorrow

Mash - I used to think the same, until someone showed me.

Most of the time you will "get away" with it as some gym rowers are usually knackered and ill looked after. So a 10 setting will probably give you a 140-150.

You will really know it the day you get on one that's new or cleaned with a 210 or higher value.

You get more for each stroke, but it's:

a) harder to sustain for long sessions
b) run an increased risk of pulling muscles
c) is unrealistic compared to on water rowing, apparently, should you care.

It will seem odd the first times and possibly harder, but it is just adapting. Try and set 140 and do the low SPM 10km challenge. See if you can really get the split times down by concentrating on using the legs properly. I know I can do 18 SPM and pull splits of 2:00 at DF=140. But it ain't easy to maintain!!!