contemplating a rower

[sjohnson2843]

I'm 51 and have never used a rower. However, i do maintain an active exercise regimen but would like to add rowing. I have been considering a model d and even found a d3 for $575 on craigslist. However, on doing more reading i've now come across lots of discussion on dynamic rowers. Even stumbled across rowperfect but am not willing to spend an extra $2,300. Looking at the concept 2 line, the price difference for a dynamic is not all that much more than a new model D. What am i better off doing, buy a used D3 for $575 or a new dynamic c2 for $1,250 or some other option ?Money is not the real issue here. What will i be most satisfied with over the long term in your opinion?

Thanks,
Steve

[Bob S.]

I'm 51 and have never used a rower. However, i do maintain an active exercise regimen but would like to add rowing. I have been considering a model d and even found a d3 for $575 on craigslist. However, on doing more reading i've now come across lots of discussion on dynamic rowers. Even stumbled across rowperfect but am not willing to spend an extra $2,300. Looking at the concept 2 line, the price difference for a dynamic is not all that much more than a new model D. What am i better off doing, buy a used D3 for $575 or a new dynamic c2 for $1,250 or some other option ?Money is not the real issue here. What will i be most satisfied with over the long term in your opinion?

Thanks,
Steve

If you have the space, a D on slides is a good option. I have a dynamic now, but I was happy with the D on slides, except that it took up too much room for my situation.

Bob S.

[gregsmith01748]

I agree with Bob. A D on slides gives you the ability to most of your training in a Dynamic mode, but you can still fix the erg in place to prep for indoor racing which is all on static machines.

Best of both worlds if you have the room.

[sjohnson2843]

I like that idea of putting a static rower on the sliders. Can you tell me if the D3 I'm looking at which is about 7 years old is any different than a new model D? I've only seen pictures of this used D3 and the owner says it hasn't been used much. As the lifespan of a concept 2 seems to be very long and has a reputation for good quality, I presume I would be safe in buying a used model.

thanks
Steve

[Bob S.]

I like that idea of putting a static rower on the sliders. Can you tell me if the D3 I'm looking at which is about 7 years old is any different than a new model D? I've only seen pictures of this used D3 and the owner says it hasn't been used much. As the lifespan of a concept 2 seems to be very long and has a reputation for good quality, I presume I would be safe in buying a used model.

thanks
Steve

There was a frame crack with one set of Model Ds. Here are the details as put out by Concept 2:

http://concept2.co.uk/rower/strength_up ... escription

You need to checkout the serial number or the date of manufacture to find out if the machine you are interested in is one of those. Note that C2 sends a free upgrade kit if it is. Incidentally D3 in not a model designation, but I assume that you were referring to a Model D indoor rower with a PM3 monitor (as opposed to PM4 monitor, which can also be put on a Model D).

Bob S.

[Bob S.]

I agree with Bob. A D on slides gives you the ability to most of your training in a Dynamic mode, but you can still fix the erg in place to prep for indoor racing which is all on static machines.

Best of both worlds if you have the room.

That's a good point Greg, i.e. the flexibility of switching to static for competition preparation. I should have remembered that; I did it myself for the month of January, 2010, in preparation for the Long Beach and Boston regattas. Now that I have the dynamic model, I no longer have that option - but at least I am allowed to use it in the house instead of being banned to the garage.

Bob S.

[sjohnson2843]

Why did you have to use it in the garage? Was it noisy or something else? As for the D3 designation, that's what the seller listed it as on Craigslist. I will ask him about the frame crack issue. Thanks for bringing that up.

Steve

[sjohnson2843]

One more thing...I did quickly look over that article about the fatigue crack but I didn't see anything in there that would help me communicate that issue to the seller in terms of a serial number or something else. The seller did tell me previously that the unit is about 7 years old. Is there someplace else I should look for that information?

Steve

[Bob S.]

One more thing...I did quickly look over that article about the fatigue crack but I didn't see anything in there that would help me communicate that issue to the seller in terms of a serial number or something else. The seller did tell me previously that the unit is about 7 years old. Is there someplace else I should look for that information?

Steve

The date on that URL was May, 2007. Other than that your best bet it to call or e-mail C2 to get the specifics. They are generally cooperative with these matters.

Bob S.

[Bob S.]

Why did you have to use it in the garage? Was it noisy or something else? As for the D3 designation, that's what the seller listed it as on Craigslist. I will ask him about the frame crack issue. Thanks for bringing that up.

Steve

Strictly a matter of space. The footprint for the slides is 11' in length. Also the room that I used inside the house is quite narrow - 9' wide with a sofa bed on one side and filing cabinets and a Gorilla metal shelf rack on the other. The slides are a bit over 2' wide and it was difficult to get past them without tripping over them. Also, when we needed to use the sofa bed for guests and when my wife wanted to vacuum the room, it was easy enough to just wheel the plain model D out of the room, but after I started using it on slides, moving everything was a much harder job. In the interest of domestic tranquillity, the only convenient way to do it at the time was to set it all up in the garage. It is a 2 car garage with only one small sedan in it, so there was plenty of room to leave the rower and slides set up more or less permanently. This was fine in the spring and fall, but the garage gets much too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. So I sold the D and bought a new dynamic (with PM4).

Bob S.

P.S. Re noise: The Model D is the quietest of all the C2 models (except possibly the E which is probably about the same). The slides did not contribute any additional sound. My new dynamic is considerably louder, since the chain box acts as a resonator of the chain noise.