Concept2 Forum

I have a Model D less then 2 years old that I purchased used. It's in excellent condition and has had little use. I noticed on the return or finish when the handle goes back towards the cage the rower will vibrate a little. I have no vibration on the pull. Is it normal to have some vibration which can be seen in the monitor and fly wheel encasement shaking a little? It can also be felt. I've owned both a model B and C in the past.
I actually had purchased another Model D that was making a clicking noise at the beginning of the pull at times(not always and lasted a few stokes). It was basically new with 2 hours on it. I phoned concept 2 about it they suggested to continue rowing and see if it gets worst. It bothered me enough that I sold it and got the one I have now. Like I said I've rowed/owned on the model B and C so I have some experience with them. Is the quality control not quite what it use to be or is this vibration normal
Thanks in advance

It could be a lack of shockcord tension. That's something that's easy to check/replace.

Other than that it's a technique issue, do you get it if you row on another machine. Are you rowing with the damper fully open? Are you rushing up and down at 28 stroke or more?

moose- you should give tech support a call. It sounds like it could be either a flywheel imbalance or possibly a non-concentric (bent) axle. Either of these conditions could have happened in shipping and are not likely to get worse or cause additional problems if you continue to use the machine. A new flywheel or axle would set things right, though from your description it's mostly a question of whether it bothers you enough to fuss with it. C2JonW

Citroen wrote:It could be a lack of shockcord tension. That's something that's easy to check/replace.

Other than that it's a technique issue, do you get it if you row on another machine. Are you rowing with the damper fully open? Are you rushing up and down at 28 stroke or more?

Like I mentioned I've had concept 2's since 1988 and my technique is decent and I didn't experience as much vibration as this before on my older machines. Damper set at 5 and stroke 26-30

c2jonw wrote:moose- you should give tech support a call. It sounds like it could be either a flywheel imbalance or possibly a non-concentric (bent) axle. Either of these conditions could have happened in shipping and are not likely to get worse or cause additional problems if you continue to use the machine. A new flywheel or axle would set things right, though from your description it's mostly a question of whether it bothers you enough to fuss with it. C2JonW

That's what it feel's like to me more is something is out of balance. I'll give them a call and see what can be done. It does bother me enough since I know it just doesn't feel right. At times I wish I just kept my C...thanks

As most of the model D/E erg is made in China there seems to be more quality control issues with them then there were in the past. Fortuntely you have excellent C2 customer service to rely on if things go wrong.

Another point is with the mounting of the flywheel. There seems to be a tendancy with other erg manufacturers to mount their flywheels lower to reduce vibration. When is C2 going to catch up with this new trend?

My modelD vibrated much more than the C.

The modelB was quite smooth.

You might also try taking off the flywheel cover, unbolting the flywheel from the axle, and making sure there's nothing on the back side of it to unbalance the wheel. While you're there, clean out anything that may have gotten in//around the axle and lubricate it. I recently dealt with a sudden and mysterious vibration problem that turned out to be cat fur....

I suppose I should respond to the "made in China" and "quality control" statement. Since 1980 up to the present, Concept2 Indoor Rowers have been built, tested and packaged in Morrisville, Vermont either at Concept2 or at a subassembly facility located 1/2 mile from Concept2. Components for the machines come from many places, though our single largest vendor is located in Vermont and provides us with virtually all of the metal components of the Indoor Rower. We have a vendor in Taiwan that makes some of the injection molded parts, our chains typically come from Japan or China, bearings from China, clutches from Connecticut, plastic moldings from Vermont, electronics from China, generators from Connecticut, etc. We typically don't buy the least or most expensive parts, but look for the best value in terms of cost, vendor reliability, quality, etc. Improving Quality Control is all part of the package, whether it's a widget from Shanghai (there are many excellent manufacturers in China, by the way) or a fully assembled Model E from Morrisville. As pointed out above, we strive towards excellent customer service and satisfaction. C2JonW

There should be no vibration from the flywheel as long as it is clean and the bearings in it are good. The flywheel appears to even be factory balanced if you look closely there is 1 or 2 metal clips on the plastic blades to do this.

I think I may have just solved your vibration mystery.

The flywheel is attached to a sleeve that holds it onto the axle. If the screws for the sleeve work loose the flywheel can wobble a little. The result is a vibration that's particularly apparent when the wheel's decelerating.

Take the flywheel off the axle and turn it over. Check the screws, and tighten if necessary as in the picture:



Hope that helps.

If you have screws that are coming loose you should use some Loctite 243 or similar on them. This is not going to be a problem with a Model C, it's a one piece design.

Minor correction there. The Model B was a one piece aluminum fan and flywheel with a steel hub pressed into it. C,D and E all have the same three button head screws holding the hub to the flywheel plate as NavHaz shows. These fasteners have been "patched", which is the application of a plastic compound to the threads to help them resist loosening. It's rare for them to loosen but not out of the realm of possibility. As I indicated before, shipping damage can often be the culprit, resuting in either a bent axle or bent (and therefore imbalanced) flywheel. C2JonW

Hello, moose! I'm so glad i found someone with the same problem! Have you figured out what's wrong? Is it good now? I'm testing a used Concept2 Model D (didn't buy it yet) and it's vibrating a lot at the finish of the stroke (not when i pull). Hope you read this.

JUST got a new Model D as well, and having the exact same issue. I'm going to attempt to open up the cover and hope for no voided warranties. Guess I could read the manual on that, eh?