Backside pain / impact rower vs bike.

[JN.V]

Hi all
I'm a new member, I'm considering buying a rower to help me lose weight and get in to shape.

I'm a blind person, one of the main reasons for considering Concept2 is for the accessibility the PM5 provides along with ERGData on Apple iOS, being able to choose workout programs etc. will be a great feature for me.

I was a member of a gym quite a few years ago and really enjoyed rowing, though I'm currently limited to what I have at home which is a stationary bike.

Though I enjoy the bike, one thing I can't stand with it is the backside pain it gives me, to the point where I don't look forward to bike workouts at all anymore.
Halfway threw a 30 minute bike workout keeping my heartrate above 140 BPM average over the 30 minutes, my but will be hurting so badly that I just want to get off the bike. The lungs will be fine, the legs will feel like I can go for another 30 minutes, but the but will be yelling get off, get off. I tried gel covers for the bike seat and even a different seat which offers more padding, but it didn't make much of a difference. Just also want to say chafing isn't the problem, it's my sitting bones for lack of a better word. I guess sitting in a office chair for 8 hours a day and then trying to sit on a bike for a hour soon after also doesn't help things, but at least I have a good office chair.

I'm sure my heavy weight around 130 kg contributes to this, but long story short, for those with experience having both a bike and rower, would you say the rower hurts your but less than the bike?

Unfortunately I don't have a place close bye where I can try out the RowERG for a couple of sessions, so this will have to be a blind purchase (no pun intended).
Is my thinking correct that a rower seat should in theory be easier on the backside since it offers more surface area so a bit more support?

Thanks

Nick

[RayOfSunshine]

Welcome!

For me, it's a huge difference and one of the reasons I enjoy the C2 so much.

Additionally, you could add a seat bad to the rower if you wanted. See the thread below.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=204146

[Ombrax]

JN, welcome to the forum. : )

I came to rowing from a cycling background, and in general I've found that rowing is a lot easier on the butt / sit bone area than cycling. As you suggested, I think it's due to the total area involved. Plus, a bike saddle has to accommodate more complex leg motion than on an erg. Finally, I think most rower workouts are significantly shorter than a bike ride. You can easily do a tough rowing workout in 30 minutes, or even less, but tough bike rides go for hours and hours.

I would say that unless you have a specific medical issue at your ischial tuberosity that leads to problems, odds are very high that you'll be able to find something that works on the erg.

Good Luck

[JN.V]

Thanks for the replies, I'm looking for a place which will allow me to do a few sessions on a RowERG just to check it out and be sure.

[Ombrax]

Thanks for the replies, I'm looking for a place which will allow me to do a few sessions on a RowERG just to check it out and be sure.

If you're really worried about this you can take take along a few pad options to check those out too. C2 sells one that isn't very expensive and works well for me on my Model C seat at home. (for some reason the Model E seat at the gym doesn't feel as hard, so I don't need any pad at all there)

Lots of folks use DIY stuff - bubble wrap, various foam pads, a towel folded a few times or not, etc, etc. If you look around here on the forum, or the web as a whole, you'll get lots of ideas, many of which aren't very expensive.

Good Luck