Concept2 Forum

I purchased a Model D about a month ago and have been working on my stroke and increasing my times on the rower.

(If you're shy, look away now.)
As I get into slightly longer rows (40+ minutes), I'm starting to develop minor abrasions from the seat. The abrasions are at the top/center of my butt where the seat rubs a bit as a lean back slightly at the end of a stroke.

I'm wearing the C2 rowing shorts I ordered with the rower and have removed the tags. I work up quite a soaking sweat on a good row.

Should I be looking at a different pair of shorts, or a seat pad? Anyone else experience this? Besides the abrasions, I don't find the seat particularly uncomfortable.

I've had them on occasions, although only for rows much longer then 40 minutes, and I always get them with the CP1 seat for rows over 25K (but not with the normal seat). I just ignore them. They always heal quickly. You could try a little Vaseline or Bag Balm.

msans wrote:I purchased a Model D about a month ago and have been working on my stroke and increasing my times on the rower.

(If you're shy, look away now.)
As I get into slightly longer rows (40+ minutes), I'm starting to develop minor abrasions from the seat. The abrasions are at the top/center of my butt where the seat rubs a bit as a lean back slightly at the end of a stroke.

I'm wearing the C2 rowing shorts I ordered with the rower and have removed the tags. I work up quite a soaking sweat on a good row.

Should I be looking at a different pair of shorts, or a seat pad? Anyone else experience this? Besides the abrasions, I don't find the seat particularly uncomfortable.

Are you sure that the seat is on properly? Once in a while it turns out that someone uses a rowing seat that is mounted backwards, i.e. with the cut out portion to the front of the rower and the raised part to the back where it tends to irritate the tailbone.

Bob S.

Yep. Seat is on properly with the cut out in the back.

I've had the same issue...

A little cortizone ointment (not cream) will help it heal and provide some protection against further abrasion. Switched over to compression shorts and this helped alot though occasionally I would get some irritation still. It wasn't until I used the C2 seat pad that I ordered when I got my machine that this problem went away totally! At $3 and some change its worth every penny!

Disgusting question, but I am so glad you asked. I am new to this (less than one month) and had been wondering. Is this also a newbie problem? Yes the cortisone helps. I have also switched to biking shorts with nothing under. Today was the first day like that and I had no irritation. Sounds kind of gross, but it worked for me.

I would sometimes have the same issue if I rowed in regular shorts. Sometimes a seam would end up in bad place, and rub my tusch, but I wouldn't really notice until the end of row, when it was too late . I now use some smooth exercise shorts. They wick way sweat, but they aren't tight fitting, like bike shorts, and the are no seams in back. I haven't had any instances of the problem since I have used them.

David

d6105 wrote:I've had the same issue...

It wasn't until I used the C2 seat pad that I ordered when I got my machine that this problem went away totally! At $3 and some change its worth every penny!

The C2 seat pad was still a little too firm for me, so I replaced it with a piece of one inch thick medium density foam rubber. It works very well. It's the same size and shape as the C2 pad and includes the rear cutout. The store selling the foam cuts it with a saw that does a neat job, but if necessary, you can cut it yourself using a pair of fairly large scissors. It won't look quite as good, but it'll work. It provides a very comfortable cushion and the total cost shouldn't be much more than the C2 seat pad.

I've had these before, and it lasted for a long time. I found my problem was that I tended to sit too far up on the seat. To remedy the problem, I sat far back enough so as I leaned back, that area didn't rub with the seat. Took some getting used to.

Those kinds of things are pretty normal... I've never really found it necessary to take care of it because it never got that bad, but I have a few friends who have had this problem more seriously. The only thing I can suggest that has made a difference for my friends is to just always wear underwear underneath of your shorts/unisuit. No thongs... just normal underwear. If that doesn't help, I guess I don't really know what else to say. Rowing/erging isn't really meant to be fun or painless... or else everyone would do it.

I've had this problem for quite a while, and have mostly tried different shorts, underwear vs. no undewear, etc. I have a few pairs of older, slightly looser spandex that don't cause as much of an issue as compared to newer, tighter spandex. I've found no underwear is slightly better for me, but not a huge difference so that might be a matter of preference.
The best solution I've found for prevention is vaseline - it feels a little gross, but does the job well. I have yet to try a seat pad though, it'd be nice if that does the trick!