Thoughts about a garden shed

[dr_parsley]

I had to sell my rower a couple of years ago due to moving to a small house, and now we've moved again I'd love to get a new one. The house is full up already, but with a huge garden I was thinking of having a good shed with a heater for the winter. The specifications of the Concept2 say you need 9 feet by 4 feet to use it. Any thoughts on that? If I bought a shed of exactly those dimensions and it was too small, it would be a shame, but we also don't have money to burn.

Do you think a fan heater would be OK, or would I have to put in insulation? I've seen these sheds: http://www.shedsale.co.uk/order.php/heavy-duty-sheds which look pretty good to me. And what about insects, dust, etc? Is there anyone with experience of having their rower in their shed?

thanks!
Paul

[c2jonw]

Paul,
How cold is it likely to get? There are several areas of concern when it comes to using the erg in the cold. Specifically:
1) bungee tension starts to decrease as you get below about 40F. This gets better as the machine is used and the cord "warms up".
2) the chain gets stiff as the lube in it stiffens, leading to skipping as you pull harder. Also gets better after use.
3) the clutch might slip- also due to stiffening lubricant, also gets better with use.
4) monitor display response will be slower.

Generally unless you're getting into extreme cold you should be fine as long as you plan on a few minutes of gentle rowing to warm up the chain, bungee and clutch. C2JonW

[Bob S.]

A bare 9X4 would make me feel rather claustrophobic, especially with a fan/heater taking up part of the space. One possibility is the Dynamic, which has a significantly smaller footprint. Width is similar, but it is quite a bit shorter. Also, there is less body movement, so you are not coming close to a wall behind you. It is indeed more expensive than a D or E, but would allow a smaller (i.e. cheaper) shed and would be easier on your back.

Bob S.

[Citroen]

You could ask the same question on http://therowingcompany.com/forum
With all the flooding we've had in the UK, just remember that ergs don't float.

[dr_parsley]

Paul,
How cold is it likely to get? There are several areas of concern when it comes to using the erg in the cold. Specifically:
1) bungee tension starts to decrease as you get below about 40F. This gets better as the machine is used and the cord "warms up".
2) the chain gets stiff as the lube in it stiffens, leading to skipping as you pull harder. Also gets better after use.
3) the clutch might slip- also due to stiffening lubricant, also gets better with use.
4) monitor display response will be slower.

Generally unless you're getting into extreme cold you should be fine as long as you plan on a few minutes of gentle rowing to warm up the chain, bungee and clutch. C2JonW

I think it doesn't get much below 0. I'm in the Midlands of the UK.

thanks for the thoughts.

[dr_parsley]

A bare 9X4 would make me feel rather claustrophobic, especially with a fan/heater taking up part of the space. One possibility is the Dynamic, which has a significantly smaller footprint. Width is similar, but it is quite a bit shorter. Also, there is less body movement, so you are not coming close to a wall behind you. It is indeed more expensive than a D or E, but would allow a smaller (i.e. cheaper) shed and would be easier on your back.

Bob S.

I saw the Dynamic on the website today for the first time. I guess it doesn't produce data that is comparable with on the concept2 log? That's one of my biggest motivations to increase my standing in the tables.

[Bob S.]

I saw the Dynamic on the website today for the first time. I guess it doesn't produce data that is comparable with on the concept2 log? That's one of my biggest motivations to increase my standing in the tables.

I started using mine a little over 2 years ago and did not notice any significant difference in performance from the D on slides that I had been using. The log book and ranking data will show that the pieces were done on a dynamic.

Bob S.