Indoor Rowers - Concept2 - Resistance

[cwfreake]

Hi, new to the board, howvere been using the Concept 2 Rower Logbook for the last year.

In terms of rankings, do we give any consideration to the resisitance on the Concept 2 rowers? It makes a difference in my mind for sure re: time/speed. All of my records have been on resistance 10!

Thanks

[PaulH]

The resistance makes no difference to the record books. Generally if you get your best times for distances above 500m on 10 it means one of two things; either your machine needs cleaning, or your technique needs work.

[cwfreake]

Some of my best times have been achieved at resis 10. In regards to my technique, ALL is correct. Only way to test my theory is get on the erg for 1, 2, & 5 k meters with no resistance and see what difference it makes ..

Cheers

[PaulH]

Glad to hear your technique is so good - many people here would say that after years on the erg theirs still isn't quite right, myself included, so you've done well. Your assertion about testing with no resistance, however, is wrong in two ways:

1. 'No' resistance isn't necessarily better than max resistance - you'd do better to drop it a little at a time as you get used to it, and to go no lower than 3-5 depending on what suits you.
2. You've already said that at the moment 10 suits you best, so I'm pretty sure going to 1 will result in worse times. That won't have proved anything useful.

Neither of us is a world-class rower, and I doubt I'm even the best rower on my street, but those who are tend to row around 3-5. Just because they do that doesn't mean that you should, but it does mean it's worth considering.

[Citroen]

Some of my best times have been achieved at resis 10. In regards to my technique, ALL is correct. Only way to test my theory is get on the erg for 1, 2, & 5 k meters with no resistance and see what difference it makes ..

Cheers

That's 100% meaningless. Damper ten on your machine could be equivalent to 10 on mine or it could be equivalent to 1. It primarily depends on two factors 1) how much dust and cruft is in the fan cage and 2) how far above sea-level you're at (doesn't count for us flat-landers unless we take an ergo up Ben Nevis).

If you want to brag about perfect technique you need to brag about your drag factor for your perfect technique.
http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38

[Carl Watts]

The Drag Factor is quite complex if you want to optimise it to suit you. It changes between the 500M and other distances if you want your best time. There are some very expeienced OTW rowers and Indoor rowers on this forum and if you are relatively new you have alot to learn. Beginners all have the same problem, drag to high and rating (spm) to fast. You probably need to include some information about yourself and define some of your actual times and ratings. The Resistance as you call it is actually what is refered to as the "Drag Factor" this is actually a number on the monitor that is displayed when you row rather than the damper position used to set it.

[hjs]

Hi, new to the board, howvere been using the Concept 2 Rower Logbook for the last year.

In terms of rankings, do we give any consideration to the resisitance on the Concept 2 rowers? It makes a difference in my mind for sure re: time/speed. All of my records have been on resistance 10!

Thanks

Simple answer, which cyclist does more work. Lance Armstrong gets up the mountain in a light gear, versus Ulrich using a big gear? The one that finishes the line first, gear does not matter.

[SirWired]

cwfreake,

To answer your actual question: yes. The rower takes the current flywheel resistance into account when calculating your pace, so your resistance setting is already "baked in" to your speed, no matter what you set the damper to. This value, called the "drag factor" is re-calculated on every stroke and is C2's "secret sauce". It's what makes competition between erg users possible. Any PM-equipped C2 B/C/D/E static erg, any condition, any damper setting, any altitude, any time, and they all produce scores that are nearly 100% comparable. (There are minor variations due to shock cord tension.)

Most users here don't even refer to the damper setting, they refer to the drag factor directly. On the PM3/4, you can display the drag factor by going to More Options -> Drag Factor. For most rowers, the optimum setting for anything but a short (i.e. 500m) sprint is usually anywhere from 100 - 140. Generally lighter and/or taller rowers will be better off with a low factor, while heavier and/or shorter rowers will use a higher one.

The reason you are getting flack about your damper setting is because if you have a clean erg, very few, if any, experienced rowers will use a damper setting of 10 except for very occasional strength-based sprints. The drag that puts on the flywheel can be damaging to the back if kept up for long or done too frequently and it makes it hard to develop a quick, powerful, stroke. Most users, once they develop their technique will produce their best 2k times on a much lower damper setting / Drag Factor.

If you find your best times are with drag factors much higher than 140, it would probably be a good idea to post a video of your rowing on the training forum. The users there can look at your technique and try and figure out why you cannot develop better times on a more typical (and back-friendly) drag factor.