Water vs Erg

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » October 13th, 2008, 3:56 am

Rockin Roland wrote: Rowpro 2X & 4X could be just the kind of thing I'm looking for to create more interest in erg time trials amoungst our members at the rowing club.

You can do that in C2 Venue Racing. If you have four ergs wired they can be raced as two * two.

Assuming a 2K race, then all ergs start with 2K on the clock. Each rower rows approximately the total distance. The faster rower goes further. When the total distance rowed divided by the number of ergs is more than the target distance the race ends.

C2 have used that at BIRC.

RowPro adds some lipstick on that pig to make the display have more bling.

Rockin Roland · Post by **Rockin Roland** » October 13th, 2008, 10:32 pm

Citroen wrote:
Rockin Roland wrote: Rowpro 2X & 4X could be just the kind of thing I'm looking for to create more interest in erg time trials amoungst our members at the rowing club.
You can do that in C2 Venue Racing. If you have four ergs wired they can be raced as two * two.

Assuming a 2K race, then all ergs start with 2K on the clock. Each rower rows approximately the total distance. The faster rower goes further. When the total distance rowed divided by the number of ergs is more than the target distance the race ends.

C2 have used that at BIRC.

RowPro adds some lipstick on that pig to make the display have more bling.

So the software isn't as smart as I thought. I was kind of hoping that each pair rowed the same distance and the software would be capable of calculating an average 500m split for each pair and show only one boat per pair on the computer monitor. So if the stroke of the pair was rowing at 1:40 pace and the bow person in that pair was only doing 1:42 then the boat on the computer monitor would only move at 1:41 pace. Sounds simple, so why can't someone write some software to do that?

tomhz · Post by **tomhz** » October 14th, 2008, 2:39 pm

Rockin Roland wrote: So the software isn't as smart as I thought. I was kind of hoping that each pair rowed the same distance and the software would be capable of calculating an average 500m split for each pair and show only one boat per pair on the computer monitor. So if the stroke of the pair was rowing at 1:40 pace and the bow person in that pair was only doing 1:42 then the boat on the computer monitor would only move at 1:41 pace. Sounds simple, so why can't someone write some software to do that?

Rowpro in multierg mode does exactly this. There is one boat for each pair (or 4 or 8) and the boat on the screen goes at average pace and stroke rate of the ergs that are "in the boat". But when the boat reach the finish all rowers that are in the boat are finished. So the rowers of a boat will row the same time (their boat time) but there will be a small difference in individual distance.

I can't think of a better alternative: when all rowers of a boat row 2k instead of the same time they can't finish at the same time so what should the 4x boat do when all rowers but one are ready?

Tom

tomhz · Post by **tomhz** » October 14th, 2008, 2:50 pm

Rockin Roland wrote: Please tell me more? How do you create a double scull or quad with Rowpro Gym edition? Does the software average the output of each crew to show only one reading for each crew or does it still show each rower as an individual on the monitor and in the results/report? It would be excellent if it showed combined crew efforts pitting one crew against another.

It does.

I think the multierg mode of Rowpro school edition is included in the evaluation license. Or maybe you can get a short-time license from Digital Rowing. You should try it yourself. Make sure you have USB cable for each erg and use an USB hub. Use version 2.302. My experience with the multi erg mode is from Beta 2.205.
I will do a 2x double scull race next december on Rowpro. Please keep me informed about your findings.

Digitalrowing announced for a future version to enable multierg mode in online races. So we could form a 2x and row against a pair from the UK+USA!

There is more than lipstick on the pig: I don't care for the graphics but I do care about the accuracy. I have seen several races at the BIRC where the outcome is uncertain in the final 10 strokes and the winner still has a comfortable 1-2 sec lead over 2nd place at the finish. With Rowpro one might see a 1-2meter distance between both rowers in the final strokes and the winner has about the expected 0.5sec lead at the finish. Rowpro is just much more accurate during the race while C2's venue software is only accurate at the finish.

Tom

Rockin Roland · Post by **Rockin Roland** » October 14th, 2008, 10:52 pm

tomhz wrote:
Rockin Roland wrote: So the software isn't as smart as I thought. I was kind of hoping that each pair rowed the same distance and the software would be capable of calculating an average 500m split for each pair and show only one boat per pair on the computer monitor. So if the stroke of the pair was rowing at 1:40 pace and the bow person in that pair was only doing 1:42 then the boat on the computer monitor would only move at 1:41 pace. Sounds simple, so why can't someone write some software to do that?
Rowpro in multierg mode does exactly this. There is one boat for each pair (or 4 or 8) and the boat on the screen goes at average pace and stroke rate of the ergs that are "in the boat". But when the boat reach the finish all rowers that are in the boat are finished. So the rowers of a boat will row the same time (their boat time) but there will be a small difference in individual distance.

I can't think of a better alternative: when all rowers of a boat row 2k instead of the same time they can't finish at the same time so what should the 4x boat do when all rowers but one are ready?

Tom

I've ordered some slides which should arrive next month. My aim is to set up two double sculls so that 4 ergs(rowers) are connected to Rowpro (Gym edition). The beauty of this set up is that pair partners are forced to row together at the same stroke rate. Power output could still be different for each but a weaker athlete sitting in bow could be helped along to achieving a higher work rate by the momentum of the stronger athlete in stroke seat. That's my idea anyway in helping our club crews train together when not on the water.

I'll let you know how it all works out. My only concern is the cost of annual subscriptions to home edition as opposed to the one payment for home edition.

tomhz · Post by **tomhz** » October 15th, 2008, 2:47 pm

Rockin Roland wrote: My only concern is the cost of annual subscriptions to home edition as opposed to the one payment for home edition.

I can understand that. Maybe that the annual subscription becomes acceptable when you setup becomes a succes. I can imagine it will!

Maybe this way you will find other OTW-rowers that like ergs

You can try to contact DigitalRowing to buy a cheaper license for a shorter period

Tom