Concept2 Forum

I've been using the ski erg (1 of 4) at my club the past month and notice the 2 white nylon pulleys that guide the ropes on either side seem to get slightly gummed up from the rope (not sure how the ropes get dirty, but they obviously do). I seem to have to clean the pulleys once per week and wonder if other users are noticing this same issue and how the ropes and pulleys are best cleaned (so rope isn't affected). I notice both the ropes are starting to get slightly discolored from their original white (and developing a slight twist in their inner core which I'm imagining I can feel during my downward pulls). Is this usual and if not, how best to clean?

Unless the gunk on the pulleys is interfering with the operation of the SkiErg, you probably don’t need to worry about it. The rope that connects the two handles is a polyethylene cord that is treated with lanolin which makes the rope much more resistant to wear. One downside of lanolin is that it can be a little sticky and attracts dirt. Discolored or dirty ropes shouldn’t affect the functionality of the machine, it’s best to just let the rope get dirty.

As for the twisting and lumpiness, it sounds like you may want to give the untwisting procedure a try.
Taken from the SkiErg User Manual:
"As you grasp the handles to use your SkiErg, you may be inadvertently twisting the cords, much like
what would happen to the cord on a telephone hand set. Over time, this may cause the cords to twist
around each other inside the SkiErg resulting in a “lumpy” feeling when you pull on the handles. This
may cause premature wear of the cord.
Follow this procedure periodically to untwist the cords. This is easiest done with two people.
1. Pull out both handles as far as they go.
2. Hold the cords at the top bracket allowing the handles to dangle and spin freely.
3. Run your hand down the length of each cord to untwist the cord.
4. Return the handles to the top position.
5. Repeat the process starting at step #1 at least two times."

Trevor