Concept2 Forum

Hi, I love being outdoors to work out; even at -15below in a winter morning... daft as it is as I walk in with frosty beard in January at 5:50 am! Sooo, I want to put the concept 2 rower in my detached unheated garage/barn. What's this gonna do to the unit? Also, I've had the unit since 1990 so its pretty old. Recommendations? Thanks, Salmo

As long as it's dry there should be no problems. Cold air is more dense than warm air so you may get a slight change in drag.

Once you warm up (you may need to wear a sweatshirt for your warm up/cool down), then rowing in a cold outbuilding should be just fine.

Salmo wrote:Hi, I love being outdoors to work out; even at -15below in a winter morning... daft as it is as I walk in with frosty beard in January at 5:50 am! Sooo, I want to put the concept 2 rower in my detached unheated garage/barn. What's this gonna do to the unit? Also, I've had the unit since 1990 so its pretty old. Recommendations? Thanks, Salmo

1990 would mean a model B. Those were super heavy duty and should last forever with proper maintenance. They do rust, however, so you have to protect them against moisture and watch carefully for signs of rust.

Bob S.

The very low temperatures are going to be a problem for the LCD Display.

There is no temperature compensation in the LCD Contrast control circuit so your probably going to loose the LCD, it will probably be faded or non existant at low temp.

Cannot think of anything else that may be a problem, perhaps the bunge cord may get a bit stiffer at this temp and your arse may stick to the seat !

Salmo wrote:Hi, I love being outdoors to work out; even at -15below in a winter morning... daft as it is as I walk in with frosty beard in January at 5:50 am! Sooo, I want to put the concept 2 rower in my detached unheated garage/barn. What's this gonna do to the unit? Also, I've had the unit since 1990 so its pretty old. Recommendations? Thanks, Salmo

I always rowed in the garage, most of that on a modelB, though it rarely if ever got below 40 degrees.
The big pluses are you are sheltered, out of the rain, wind, and don't have the too hot polluted air of a house.

What is the usual temp in the garage at the times that you row?

That's too bad you'd lose the LCD though. Any more info on this?

The lcd will be slow to respond- I suppose you could warm the monitor up with a light bulb to solve that. Bungee return will also be slow initially, but in my experience it warms up on its own with a few minutes of easy rowing. The clutch engagement may be compromised at first (possible big slip at the catch), but again a few minutes of easy rowing should warm up the internal lubricant enough to achieve normal function. C2JonW

Just chucked a spare PM2 in the frezzer and left it there for a few hours.

Still works okay. I think I'm thinking of excessivly high temps that cause the LCD to fade away.

Hi folks! Holy Cow! I really appreciate the replies! I also use a bike trainer and was told NOT to ride my road bike at low temps largely due to the possibility that the lubricants might break down or be compromised. It sounds from the posts that with the Model B it shouldn't be a problem. I think I'll have to cover it to protect from rust but this baby has some already but certainly I don't want to make it worse. I'll put a light bulb under the display with a timer so the display can get warmed up before I go out. Anything else you rowers would recommend? Much Obliged, Salmo

Salmo wrote:Hi folks! Holy Cow! I really appreciate the replies! I also use a bike trainer and was told NOT to ride my road bike at low temps largely due to the possibility that the lubricants might break down or be compromised. It sounds from the posts that with the Model B it shouldn't be a problem. I think I'll have to cover it to protect from rust but this baby has some already but certainly I don't want to make it worse. I'll put a light bulb under the display with a timer so the display can get warmed up before I go out. Anything else you rowers would recommend? Much Obliged, Salmo

It would help to remove as much of the rust as you can and to keep a light film of oil on those spots to keep them from getting worse.

Bob S.

The only problem I've had with rowing in a cold garage is the motivation to get out there! But it sounds like you've got that one under control. My LCD only fades if the batteries get weak, and cold temps make for weaker batteries.

Curious, though, about your road bike lubricants breaking down in cold temps - I've never heard that one, and I know guys in cold places that ride all year round (including me on occasion). Do you have a reference for that? Thanks!

Salmo wrote:Hi folks! Holy Cow! I really appreciate the replies! I also use a bike trainer and was told NOT to ride my road bike at low temps largely due to the possibility that the lubricants might break down or be compromised.

I've heard of tires cracking due to the extreme cold (sub-zero Fahrenheit), but never lubricants failing. When I raced, I used to ride my bike on an old air trainer in the garage with temps down to about 20 and never had any problems. And this was 20 years ago - I'm guessing modern bikes are better suited for low temps.