Beginner: What is a decent drive length?

[kaesler]

I've recently started using a Concept 2 rower at home. I had a bad year and have become rather unfit. I am 58 years old. My goal is general fitness and I hope some weight loss. I've started using the interactive 2k training plan. My initial test row took 8:16 producing 183watts, making 29 strokes per minute. I'm trying to concentrate on getting an efficient technique and I see from the ErgData display that my drive length is fairly consistently 1.03 meters. Was wondering if that is long enough? I am 5'11" or 180cm tall, and way 90kg.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

I'd say post a video for commentary, I've never heard of people measuring the length of their drive before.

[jamesg]

If that 103 cm is the overall length of the stroke, i.e total handle travel (which I doubt), it's short. If it's the net length from where the freewheel engages (a point in midair, difficult to identify), to release, it looks normal for your height. You can adjust the drag to get the length you want: low drag lets us pull a long fast stroke and then take a slow recovery, but the catch has to be very quick to catch up with the flywheel. High drag on the other hand is slow and tends to make us pull short and then rush to the next catch.

Rating 29 is a bit high for 183 W, tho' if unfit that power for a 2k is nothing to complain about.

I pull an overall stroke length of 125-135, which is 66-72% of my height, 188: I guess the net length of this stroke is about 105-110cm, 56-58% of height.

[kaesler]

Thanks for the comments. The only reason I noticed the drive length metric was because it was made visible when I connected my Ipad (running Ergdata app) to the PM3. I think I read the definition as James guessed it: from engagement to release of the freewheel.

BTW thanks to James for his generous and informative posts. I have been reading lots of past posts and found them very helpful in learning how to get started.

[Carl Watts]

Have never measured mine but its not on the list of whats important to focus on. To start with get the right drag factor on the monitor and focus on a smooth technique and breathing. Once this is going well work on reducing your rating or smp as your flying up and down the slide and going nowhere fast.

[comictimes]

My drive length is generally between 1.42 and 1.45m, according to my iphone. To put that in perspective however, I am 25 years old and 6'4", so I would expect it would be longer.