Concept2 Forum

I'm looking to improve my 500m time. I'm at 1.25.8 right now on drag factor 7. haha, sounds like a space ship or something. I'm 6ft tall, 183lbs. What is the average drag used for great 500 rowers?

7 is NOT your drag factor, it's just the damper setting.

You need to click on the "More Option" button at the bottom of the main PM4 screen then click "Display Drag Factor" at the top. For training purposes some one your size should probably use a drag of 130-135. You can change the drag by adjusting the damper. Each machine will be slightly different depending upon how cleanthe fly wheel and vents are. For racing or going for a new PR, it's totally up to you how much drag you have. Some rowers keep it at training levels, others have no drag at all.

If what you want is the maximum possible pace on the monitor for a given piece, erg it at the maximum drag factor you can handle at the maximum rating you can handle without either of those things compromising your stroke or risking injury.

That doesn't necessarily mean you should train that way all the time, or for that matter for protracted periods of time. But other things equal, the higher the drag factor the faster the displayed pace will be. IMO the only way to find out for sure what maximum drag will do for your flat-out 500m time is to try one. Just be prepared to bail out if you feel your back stiffening or twinging, or notice other signs of deteriorating form.

Running the same Drag Factor for the 500M as everything else at present although it may not be the optimum for shorter events.

Certainly for the 100M I would drop it as you cannot afford the time to accellerate the flywheel but currently my DF is 147. The Damper setting on a clean Model C with a C-Breeze fitted is position 5 on the damper setting.

Carl Watts wrote:Certainly for the 100M I would drop it as you cannot afford the time to accellerate the flywheel but currently my DF is 147. The Damper setting on a clean Model C with a C-Breeze fitted is position 5 on the damper setting.

I row everything on 120df. The 17.9 100M I did was done on 160df. Like everyone else I raise the drag for short course sprints - what you lose on the first stroke you gain on the other nine strokes.

Hi guys, thanks so much for the replies. It shows that I'm an amateur. What I meant was damper. What are most people using in regards to damper, when they do a 500?

Plunkan wrote:Hi guys, thanks so much for the replies. It shows that I'm an amateur. What I meant was damper. What are most people using in regards to damper, when they do a 500?

damper = drag

but that is not constant, if you use your machine it collects dust and the same damper setting will give a lower drag(factor), so the damper setting in itself says nothing. On a dirty machine can the damper on 10 be lower than the damper on 5 on a clean machine.

And you have had your anwser, as high a possible for you, that means being able to use a good technique and don,t get injured. In the gym you often people use the max setting, but with a technique that brings tears in your eyes....

Plunkan wrote:Hi guys, thanks so much for the replies. It shows that I'm an amateur. What I meant was damper. What are most people using in regards to damper, when they do a 500?

Read this: http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38

On my old model B, I use duct tape to cover parts of the grill to get the correct drag factor for me, 78kg/5'10'.