RowPro App?

[mdpfirrman1]

Anyone use RowPro app and if so, what's your feedback on it? Appreciate any feedback.

[Carl Watts]

Well as far as i can see you now have to use it if you want to setup your own online rows.

I like it but its not complete. Pretty much use it to join rows and for the results. Obviously pretty handy when your running late and cannot make a row you can withdraw so others don't have to wait for you.

Does what I need it to do remotely without the PC or laptop

[mitchel674]

About the best thing out there right now is RowPro. It's a little bit clunky because you need to connect the PM5 with a cable to your computer running RowPro. I then cast my screen to a large TV in front of my rower for better viewing.

You can opt into online rows scheduled by others or you can create your own rows and hope others will join you. I find these rows quite motivating, and it can be a lot of fun to row with folks from all over the world. Not a lot of activity on most days, but I typically join a 30 minute row once a week for fun.

I believe they have a 30 day trial if you are curious.

[Carl Watts]

It's a little bit clunky because you need to connect the PM5 with a cable to your computer running RowPro.

Never really complain about a USB cable myself because it works 99.9% of the time. Beats a wireless set-up anyday for connectivity.

RowPro is still the best option currently, but I have to be honest if Zwift finally gets the native USB PM5 working for the rower then its going to take over purely based on the number of people online at any time of the day, even if the graphic is a cyclist and not a rower all they need is a decent power conversion calc and I'm in.

Never really been able to work out specifically why RowPro did not become more popular, I think it came down to a combination of several factors in the end. Should have started a post years ago on why people tried it then stopped using it.

[mdpfirrman1]

Thanks Carl and Mitchell! Cheers Mitchell, good to see you around still!

Yeah, I was going to get RowPro but being in AZ now I'm actually dragging the rower out into the middle of the yard now and looking out at the mountains as I row (not complaining, it's been like 60 to 70 and sunny, with a nice breeze!). Not wanting to drag a laptop out into the yard currently -- why I was thinking about RowPro App, which they just came out with. I have a phone cradle.

I have used Zwift before with Painsled (what you have to use as an intermediate conversion device and the algorithm is questionable). It was fun, even being a cyclist. The setup isn't easy as you have to have two Apple devices -- I was using my Apple phone for the Painsled and an I-Pod for the Zwift. Many use Apple TV along with an I-Phone. Yeah, if Zwift beats RowPro to the punch on rowing (and they have hinted they will), it will be a Zwift end to RowPro.

Thanks you two! I was mainly curious about the functionality of RowPro App versus RowPro. I'm guessing very minimal features.

[Carl Watts]

Well of course Digital Rowing should have spent zero time on developing RP for the Mac and gone straight into the Android and iOS for the smartphones.

Its a no brainer, just put your phone on the $5 cradle on top of the PM5 monitor, Bluetooth over ultra short range and RowPro on your smartphone.

In the meantime, ErgData came along and did just that. RP now needs to be just another swipe left as part of ErgData with Online rowing only and you have the perfect set-up to just roll outside when the weather is good.

I refuse to use Apple products and wouldn't even use any separate device to form a "Bridge", just to much hassle.

Thinking more about the Zwift Algorithm its almost a doubling of power produced on the Erg and then give the "bike rider" and auto gear change at the optimum cadence for the power being produced to cover the hills. Must be some lookup tables available that can be devised with X hill incline/decline and power from the Erg and gear your in at optimum cadence equating to equivalent road speed. Its a fiddle factor but with enough work done on the conversion it would work really well. Half the work must already be done for the virtual bike, its just the gear changes are not auto and you have to manually adjust your own cadence to optimize the power output to equal roadspeed.

[mitchel674]

Thanks Carl and Mitchell! Cheers Mitchell, good to see you around still!

Yeah, I was going to get RowPro but being in AZ now I'm actually dragging the rower out into the middle of the yard now and looking out at the mountains as I row (not complaining, it's been like 60 to 70 and sunny, with a nice breeze!). Not wanting to drag a laptop out into the yard currently -- why I was thinking about RowPro App, which they just came out with. I have a phone cradle.

I have used Zwift before with Painsled (what you have to use as an intermediate conversion device and the algorithm is questionable). It was fun, even being a cyclist. The setup isn't easy as you have to have two Apple devices -- I was using my Apple phone for the Painsled and an I-Pod for the Zwift. Many use Apple TV along with an I-Phone. Yeah, if Zwift beats RowPro to the punch on rowing (and they have hinted they will), it will be a Zwift end to RowPro.

Thanks you two! I was mainly curious about the functionality of RowPro App versus RowPro. I'm guessing very minimal features.

Glad to see you survived your move!

I tried Zwift twice with the rower but just found the machinations necessary to make it work not really worth my while. I did enjoy my row through NYC Central Park on a bicycle. The novelty wore off quickly and I returned to the ease and "reality" of Rowpro. Give it a try and let me know when you are up for a 30 minute row.

[mdpfirrman1]

Thanks Carl and Mitchell! Cheers Mitchell, good to see you around still!

Yeah, I was going to get RowPro but being in AZ now I'm actually dragging the rower out into the middle of the yard now and looking out at the mountains as I row (not complaining, it's been like 60 to 70 and sunny, with a nice breeze!). Not wanting to drag a laptop out into the yard currently -- why I was thinking about RowPro App, which they just came out with. I have a phone cradle.

I have used Zwift before with Painsled (what you have to use as an intermediate conversion device and the algorithm is questionable). It was fun, even being a cyclist. The setup isn't easy as you have to have two Apple devices -- I was using my Apple phone for the Painsled and an I-Pod for the Zwift. Many use Apple TV along with an I-Phone. Yeah, if Zwift beats RowPro to the punch on rowing (and they have hinted they will), it will be a Zwift end to RowPro.

Thanks you two! I was mainly curious about the functionality of RowPro App versus RowPro. I'm guessing very minimal features.

Glad to see you survived your move!

I tried Zwift twice with the rower but just found the machinations necessary to make it work not really worth my while. I did enjoy my row through NYC Central Park on a bicycle. The novelty wore off quickly and I returned to the ease and "reality" of Rowpro. Give it a try and let me know when you are up for a 30 minute row.

Thanks Mitchell! The move was fine. It was the 9 months recovering from a Thoracic disk injury that wasn't great! While I was able to do the Assault Bike, the strength/power went in the crapper. My paces are 8 to 9 seconds off my best paces. Did a 2K TT recently and could only muster a 7:55 (worse than my first year rowing six years ago). I'm back to doing around 10K a day, but sometimes very slow. Working toward 200K a month again.

Let me figure it out a bit and I'll let you know. I'd be happy to eat your dust (or I guess in the this case wake). My 5K paces are probably like 2:19 on SS work right now. Nothing like the 2:06/2:07s that I used to do easily.

[mitchel674]

Thanks Carl and Mitchell! Cheers Mitchell, good to see you around still!

Yeah, I was going to get RowPro but being in AZ now I'm actually dragging the rower out into the middle of the yard now and looking out at the mountains as I row (not complaining, it's been like 60 to 70 and sunny, with a nice breeze!). Not wanting to drag a laptop out into the yard currently -- why I was thinking about RowPro App, which they just came out with. I have a phone cradle.

I have used Zwift before with Painsled (what you have to use as an intermediate conversion device and the algorithm is questionable). It was fun, even being a cyclist. The setup isn't easy as you have to have two Apple devices -- I was using my Apple phone for the Painsled and an I-Pod for the Zwift. Many use Apple TV along with an I-Phone. Yeah, if Zwift beats RowPro to the punch on rowing (and they have hinted they will), it will be a Zwift end to RowPro.

Thanks you two! I was mainly curious about the functionality of RowPro App versus RowPro. I'm guessing very minimal features.

Glad to see you survived your move!

I tried Zwift twice with the rower but just found the machinations necessary to make it work not really worth my while. I did enjoy my row through NYC Central Park on a bicycle. The novelty wore off quickly and I returned to the ease and "reality" of Rowpro. Give it a try and let me know when you are up for a 30 minute row.

Thanks Mitchell! The move was fine. It was the 9 months recovering from a Thoracic disk injury that wasn't great! While I was able to do the Assault Bike, the strength/power went in the crapper. My paces are 8 to 9 seconds off my best paces. Did a 2K TT recently and could only muster a 7:55 (worse than my first year rowing six years ago). I'm back to doing around 10K a day, but sometimes very slow. Working toward 200K a month again.

Let me figure it out a bit and I'll let you know. I'd be happy to eat your dust (or I guess in the this case wake). My 5K paces are probably like 2:19 on SS work right now. Nothing like the 2:06/2:07s that I used to do easily.

Sadly, you're at my current pace with no explanation on my part. It would be fun to row with you on Rowpro if you try it out. I'm currently training for a marathon and have stopped doing interval training for the past 3 months with my focus on long SS rows typically at 2:17.

[mdpfirrman1]

That's still likely faster than me Mitchell -- my longer SS work is more like 2:20s. You'd be pushing me for sure! Depending on how long that is, 2:17 is a good pace for SS.

[ukaserex]

My rower is in my garage, and my computer is in my living room. So, I'd like to try it - but I don't have a cable 100 feet long to do so. Hopefully, they'll come up with an app for android so I can give it a try.

[Citroen]

My rower is in my garage, and my computer is in my living room. So, I'd like to try it - but I don't have a cable 100 feet long to do so. Hopefully, they'll come up with an app for android so I can give it a try.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a phone app, it took Digital Rowing an excessively long time to get an IOS version and they've never made a Linux version.

[Carl Watts]

My rower is in my garage, and my computer is in my living room. So, I'd like to try it - but I don't have a cable 100 feet long to do so. Hopefully, they'll come up with an app for android so I can give it a try.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a phone app, it took Digital Rowing an excessively long time to get an IOS version and they've never made a Linux version.

Unfortunately they wasted time on the Mac version because a couple of people bleated they wanted it and still probably never bought it when it finally did come out. Certainly don't need a Linux version. Should have skipped the Mac version, its a non existent OS in terms of world market share (what its like 7% or something) and gone straight to Android and iOS which are now huge and was always going to be huge since the introduction of the smartphone. If you then factor in people in the same position as you or that don't even own a rower and want to use the Erg at the Gym then the market for RowPro is instantly over 10x greater than the current options available to run it

[Frederik1948]

Using a MacBook with Catalina (MacOS 10.15.3) connected to the PM3 monitor of a Concept II rowing ergo
Installed RowPro 5.4 for Mac. Rowing alone works fine
Online rowing does not work. After selecting Online Rowing/Row Online one gets a window with online rowing sessions of which some upper ones are open for joining. However a click on "Join" does not do anything. For approx half a second the mouse arrow changes shape, but that is all. Nothing happens. Thus unable to join an "open" training. Tried this numerous times.
Good apps would detect such errors and instruct the user how to solve this issue.
Disappointed.

[Carl Watts]

Have you got the latest firmware on that PM3 ?

Sorry to hear your having problems. Try and sort it the online rows are great.