Rowing machine

[mr2haz]

Thinking of getting a rowing machine to use at home and am willing to buy used. So looking for recommendations of makes and models, not looking to spend a fortune but I know if you don't get a good one it will put me off.

[evo4a]

concept 2.

Seriously end of thread........

[mr2haz]

Is there any variations on the concept2? How much is one likely to set me back?

[MacGee]

I have a concept 2 im not using...no more rowing for me. Mint and not too many metres. Havent thought of a price yet.

[mikebradford]

concept 2
had mine 10 years approx
works perfectly

does everything you need
including , you can hook it upto a laptop and race etc

brilliant
and they hold there value , which is unusual for general fitness/gym equipment

[numtumfutunch]

evo4a said:

concept 2.

Seriously end of thread........

Not so fast Nic-o-tine

I went through the same thought process 10y ago and ended up with a brand new C2

Its a hateful piece of kit, really nasty
Your first attempts will end with you sobbing after approx 40 seconds, mine certainly did
In fact I jumped on mine last week after 4 months neglect and managed just 10 minutes through sheer dogged determination, Im actually in good shape but have been exclusively cycling over the summer/autumn. In my rowing prime I can do 30 mins at good pace or 45 mins broken up into various intervals, its currently just hurting me. In the winter months I generally swap bike for ergo so it can only get better from here

Anyway bulletin points would be:

1) Concept 2's cost a bomb but resale is good thus you may as well buy new
2) Its bloody hard and your initial work outs could potentially just demoralise you
3) Buying mine really did turn my beer gut around, its tough but I now enjoy the pain/suffering and can clearly see benefit
4) The Concept2 website is a great resource for setting, and sticking to, training goals
5) A heart rate monitor is an essential tool for doing it properly, most C2's are set up for it just make sure you spec the belt
6) 1980's heavy metal helps for me. A lot
7) Negotiate with the poster above me - if you dont get on with it you can almost certainly sell it for what you paid

Good luck

[mr2haz]

MacGee said:

I have a concept 2 im not using...no more rowing for me. Mint and not too many metres. Havent thought of a price yet.

Have a think and pm me a price and your location although I think these go for more than I was hoping to spend.

[MYOB]

This is what I have - highly recommended and a little cheaper than a Concept:

http://www.kettler.co.uk/fitness/rowing-machines/

[Victor McDade]

I regularly use a concept 2 at the gym and agree that it's in a league of it's own.

However not everyone can afford one or even have the space at home for it. So it's a shame that there isn't something out there around the £300 mark for use at home to supplement gym work.

[barryrs]

Ive done circa 1.5 million meters so far on my Concept 2 and think its a cracking piece of kit.

[Victor McDade]

MYOB said:

This is what I have - highly recommended and a little cheaper than a Concept:

http://www.kettler.co.uk/fitness/rowing-machines/

Which particular model do you have?

[Some Gump]

I've got a horizon oxford 2, superb bit of kit. The fan keeps you cooler than you would be normally, which is always a plus

Edited by Some Gump on Tuesday 12th November 22:04

[EdJ]

I have a C2, but beware how much space they take up. Any spare room quickly becomes the room with the rowing machine in it!

Agree with the points about resale - they are quality pieces of kit so tend to hold their value.

[mr2haz]

To be honest I had in mind to spend around £200 and will need something that will fold away. Am I wasting my time?

Edited by mr2haz on Tuesday 12th November 21:23

[NDT]

Waterower - as expensive as the C2, far quieter and easier to store.
I love mine.

Not sure there's a cheap option.

[mr2haz]

Is the Tunturi R60 any good?

[MYOB]

Victor McDade said:

Which particular model do you have?

I have the Coach. It's has been set up in my dirty and dusty garage for 4 years and is still going strong with absolutely no maintenance.

[LotusMartin]

NDT said:

Waterower - as expensive as the C2, far quieter and easier to store.
I love mine.

Not sure there's a cheap option.

Another happy user of a 'non-concept' rowing machine. I would have have the C2 if it would have easily fitted upright in my garage even though they are ugly. Went for a First Degree Pacific Challenge for around £700 in the end, more than happy with it.

[SimNugget]

I bought a secondhand water rower on eBay a few years ago for about £300. Absolutely solid build quality and I could probably sell it for what it paid for it now.

You can also send the computer board back for them to flash to the latest software free of charge.

Nice and quiet too, and easily stored vertically.

S

Edited by SimNugget on Friday 15th November 07:55

[mattikake]

evo4a said:

concept 2.

Seriously end of thread........

Basically, no. And it couldn't be more "no".

The Concept 2 is a rower based on old, inefficient technology that just happened to find it's way into gym mainstream-ism because no-one came up with something better.

There are many equally priced rowers on the market that do a far better job. In fact, a job that is around 60% better.

Any CV equipment is about maximising workload. This means engaging as many muscles as possible, in this case, per stroke. Now, imagine breaking up the row stroke into thirds. For ANY air rower, after the first few strokes and once you are up to speed (once you have converted your muscular energy into the fan's kinetic energy) you are cruising on minimal effort. All you have to do now keep the momentum of the fan going. So for the 1st third, the fan is spinning at your speed, so you do nothing. The 2nd third the fan loses energy so you need to give it a boost and you do (this is the bit where you actually expend calories). The final third the fan is up to speed, so you do nothing again.

In other words for a full stroke, on a fan you put in effort 1/3 of the time.

For the sam price or LESS ( http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/water_rowing_m... v http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/air_and_hydrau... ), a decent water rower creates more resistance for more of the time, PER STROKE. In each part of the stroke the water is slowing you down much faster. The resistance is instant and constant. The effect is full-range and they are worlds apart in 'feel', core and joint support.

In other words for the full stroke, on a water rower you put in the effort for 100% of the time.

This means you are getting far more calorie burn per £GDP.

It's rowing through air versus rowing through water. Which do you think is going to make things harder? But it doesn't stop there. Some water rowers control the flow of water through a valve which makes sure the water, instead of swilling round, contacts the fan blades at a near-stop, meaning you have to push as if the water was still... just like water in the real world, which doesn't flow with you, if flows at the speed it flows.

Don't be sold by something that seems seem good until you've had a think about it, or more importantly, until you've had a try...