Concept2 Model D3?

[Rockin Roland]

He DOESN'T say 'let's ban C2 static ergs because they cause lumbar injuries.'

It doesn't matter really. That's because they ended up banning static C2 erg use for elite rowers anyway. Testing and training on slides has been compulsory for a few years now here in Australia and USA followed suit not long afterwards. We could argue wether it was for technical or health risk reasons or a combination of both.

[carlb]

They were prompted by the alarming rate of injuries to elite rowers from training on static ergs(apparently statistics were kept for this).

No, they were prompted by what appeared to be an increasing incidence of lower back injuries among elite Australian rowers, the physiological testing of whom was being done on static C2s. 'Injuries to rowers using static ergs for team testing' is not the same thing as "injuries to ...rowers from training on static ergs." Moreover neither are the same thing as 'injuries...from static C2 ergs,' which just as clearly is how you're interpreting things.

The second Hooper paper is still on the RowingAustralia site. The secure certificate for the thing expired on 12/2 and has not been renewed so your browser may give you warnings if you try to look at it at https://rowingaustralia.com.au/docs/ssm ... c_ergo.pdf

What Hooper actually concludes, as opposed to what he's imputed to have said, is: ...

Hooper's other paper is equally interesting. It's linked to off this page
http://www.rowingaustralia.com.au/hp_sp ... erapy.shtm
Or direct http://www.rowingaustralia.com.au/docs/ssm_ergo-use.pdf

I have noticed that there seems to be a trend towards increasing use of the ergometer in training, particularly doing low rate work down to ratings as low as 12. I understand the benefits that this type of work can produce, but I would like to make you aware that this form of training is not without risk of injury.
...
In my experience, I feel that athletes often pay little attention to their rowing technique when on an ergometer. The level of coaching supervision is often limited as well. The result is that athletes spend time on the ergometer under greater trunk load than when on the water, with poor technique and poor postural positions. The end result is an increased load on the spine which can increase the risk of injury.
....
While I am the first to acknowledge that the ergometer is a powerful training tool, I ask coaches and athletes to give due consideration to the risks involved. Please consider the time spent on the ergometer, the rates that training is done at, the supervision provided and how diligently athletes concentrate on their technique.

In summary... risk of injury increases due to using the erg too hard and with casual/poor technique. Hooper mentions the same thing about weight training leading to injury. That seems very obvious that if you load up a barbell with too much weight and try to row it using poor technique, or too many reps leading to poor technique, you risk injury.

The C2 is a very economical training device, as are weights. Be sensible.


As far as the original topic... a cheaper C3 erg .... IMO compared to other cardio devices of similar quality a C2 D for US $900 is cheap already, comes with an excellent warranty, and has resale value.

I can't see cutting any of the quality motion components. Maybe they could cut the price by providing a cheap simple PM that only shows Pace,SPM,Time,Dist, no programming. No power generator, USB cable, PCCard. Maybe drop the wheels on the feet. Reduce the warranty to 1 year. Cut things that can be upgraded later. On the C2 site I calc that's about $200 in parts, but got to pay for PM Simple so maybe $150 price reduction.

[SAM]

As far as the original topic... a cheaper C3 erg .... IMO compared to other cardio devices of similar quality a C2 D for US $900 is cheap already, comes with an excellent warranty, and has resale value

.

Not here in Australia. With the Aussie dollar at parity with the US$ one would think that the price would be comparable. A reasonable price would be around US$1000 given the freight and handling. The model D2 costs $1320 which is ridiculous.

A decent enough rower does not have to be so expensive. Parts of the D2 that can be modified to reduce price:
a. Rail - use alloy steel with polished top surface
b. Length - shorten trunk and rail to reduce footprint
c. Legs - use steel instead of aluminium
d. PM3 - basic functionality only (majority of users just want to row and monitor progress)
e. Remove wheels
f. Flywheel cover- use cheaper plastic version
g. Seat - modify foam mould - cheaper versions are more comfy to use

I use the D2 we have at work gym which does not cost me anything. Until such time that the price here comes down to realistic levels I'll put my money elsewhere.

[Rockin Roland]

SAM, are you insane?
Your talking about using poorer quality materials on a C2 erg just to save a few bucks in Australia.
One usually keeps an erg for ten years or more so paying the extra cash for an erg in Australia is still cheaper than a gym membership for the same period of time. No use quibbling over the higher cost of a C2 erg in Australia compared to the USA. The distributor in Australia has a monopoly on C2 ergs, hence they can charge what they like. It's all about making max. profit.

I paid $3500 for my Rowperfect and have no regrets. I see it as a long term investment and the thought of paying more for it has already been forgotten after a few years of proud ownership.