Drag Factor On A New Model D

[aussieluke]

Not if it's placed up against a wall or furniture.

Also assume when testing df you are pulling several consistent reps at a steady pace.

[Anth_F]

DF reading should be based on whatever initial reading you get display on the 2nd pull of the chain. Mine is close to a wall and i get 218 DF on 10, and thats a 2 year old machine with 915k on it lol.

[Citroen]

It clearly states "A brand new indoor rower will have a drag factor of about 90–100 at a damper setting of 1 and about 210–220 at a damper setting of 10"

So surely every brand new machine should be showing at least a drag factor of over 200, regardless of all this other stuff mentioned that can cause it to be lower.

It should state "a brand new ergo at 200m above sea level on a day at standard temperature and an air pressure reading or 1013.5hPa ...".

Altitude has an effect. Local air pressure has an effect, humidty and temperature have an effect. The posted readings are an average from readings taken at the factory in Vermont probably without paying any attention to temperature and humidity.

[sekitori]

It clearly states "A brand new indoor rower will have a drag factor of about 90–100 at a damper setting of 1 and about 210–220 at a damper setting of 10"

So surely every brand new machine should be showing at least a drag factor of over 200, regardless of all this other stuff mentioned that can cause it to be lower.

It should state "a brand new ergo at 200m above sea level on a day at standard temperature and an air pressure reading or 1013.5hPa ...".

Altitude has an effect. Local air pressure has an effect, humidty and temperature have an effect. The posted readings are an average from readings taken at the factory in Vermont probably without paying any attention to temperature and humidity.

Another factor apparently is the age of the erg. My Model D is just over 13 years old and has over 42,000 kilometers (26,000 miles) on it. No matter how well I clean the flywheel cage and the perforated strip over it, my drag factor at 1 is 80 and at 10 has decreased from 210 when it was new to 190. People I have spoken to at C2 state that maximum drag factor can decrease over time, but no one has ever explained the reason why.

If in time my maximum becomes even lower, as long as I can still easily reach the 120 to 130 range, that still won't concern me. But if I had a brand new erg and its maximum drag factor was well below the expected 210-220, that would be something to talk to C2 about. However, as far as I'm concerned, my 13 year old erg with its range of 80-190 is absolutely no cause for complaint. But out of curiosity, I still would like to know why the maximum does decrease with age. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Bob S.]

So surely every brand new machine should be showing at least a drag factor of over 200, regardless of all this other stuff mentioned that can cause it to be lower.

Not at all. Stuff like high altitude and closeness to walls definitely have enough effect to lower the DF to below 200. However, as Citroen pointed out, altitude is not a factor in this case. Nearby blockages however are a possibility unless the OP clears up that point. You stated that yours was close to a wall and that it did not effect it, but the OP's might be much closer. Without the numbers at this point, we can't tell for sure.

[aussieluke]

It clearly states "A brand new indoor rower will have a drag factor of about 90–100 at a damper setting of 1 and about 210–220 at a damper setting of 10"

So surely every brand new machine should be showing at least a drag factor of over 200, regardless of all this other stuff mentioned that can cause it to be lower.

It should state "a brand new ergo at 200m above sea level on a day at standard temperature and an air pressure reading or 1013.5hPa ...".

Altitude has an effect. Local air pressure has an effect, humidty and temperature have an effect. The posted readings are an average from readings taken at the factory in Vermont probably without paying any attention to temperature and humidity.

Another factor apparently is the age of the erg. My Model D is just over 13 years old and has over 42,000 kilometers (26,000 miles) on it. No matter how well I clean the flywheel cage and the perforated strip over it, my drag factor at 1 is 80 and at 10 has decreased from 210 when it was new to 190. People I have spoken to at C2 state that maximum drag factor can decrease over time, but no one has ever explained the reason why.

If in time my maximum becomes even lower, as long as I can still easily reach the 120 to 130 range, that still won't concern me. But if I had a brand new erg and its maximum drag factor was well below the expected 210-220, that would be something to talk to C2 about. However, as far as I'm concerned, my 13 year old erg with its range of 80-190 is absolutely no cause for complaint. But out of curiosity, I still would like to know why the maximum does decrease with age. Does anyone have any ideas?

Just guessing but could the flywheel bearing have an impact as it ages / wears / needs grease...? Assume it would have an effect on the rate of acceleration/deceleration of the flywheel?

[jamesg]

Maybe C2 have put in an inlet air filter to stop the dust getting in, or the grille has smaller holes these days.

[Pie Man]

Could the damper be assembled incorrectly? Missing a washer so a tighter seal is made with the grill than is normal and it was just missed at testing stage?

[Anth_F]

A much lower max DF on a 13 year old clean machine should be expected tbh. But even at 190 it's still reading higher than the OP's brand new one

[Citroen]

Before doing anything the OP needs to repeat the drag factor readings at damper 1, 5 & 10. Rowing 20 big strong, full length strokes at each damper position so that he gets a stable and consistent reading. If the results are still out-of-band then the OP should call Concept2 on their toll free phone number as there may be a hidden manufacturing fault. Although the problem more likely exists with the homo sapiens unit between the seat and the handle.

[RobDMB]

I just received a Model D yesterday. When I go to "Display Drag Factor" I got values of 73 at 1 and 235 at 10. Is that acceptable - is the 73 value too low?

[Citroen]

I just received a Model D yesterday. When I go to "Display Drag Factor" I got values of 73 at 1 and 235 at 10. Is that acceptable - is the 73 value too low?

That's just about spot on for a factory fresh machine. You were probably not catching the flywheel at the extremely low drag.