You are correct that Concept2 rowing machines self-calibrate each stroke.
Being closer to a wall will effect airflow, but the self-calibration (drag factor calculation) should take that into account.


I'd recommend looking the drag factor on each of the machines:
https://www.concept2.com/service/monitors/pm5/how-to-use/viewing-drag-factor
The drag factor range is usually between 100 and 200. If it's out of that range, there may be a bad sensor or something like that.

Dev , not sure on the ERG discrepancies but as a relative newcomer (3 month) user of the Concept 2 do you have any tips on slowing your stroke down to become more efficient .I seem to be stuck in the 29/30 range .

I go 7-10 seconds faster at the gym when people are watching. :)

You can't really go by damper setting - to compare apples to apples you need to display the drag factor for each, then adjust the damper setting so that you have the same drag factor on both ergs. If the pace (and watts) then don't line up at the same stroke rate, maybe one of the ergs is somehow miscalibrated (the C2 forums get into corner cases where this can happen). Are the two ergs the same model and same PM? Also, is it possible you're just going harder in the gym without realizing it? My own efforts can vary by 7-10s per 500 depending on fatigue levels.

Ian

If you are in the 28, 29, 30 SPM, the best way to "slow down" is to watch a YouTube video while rowing. I like to watch Austin, also called the Tall Guy. He has a bunch of workouts and one is the stair climber, 20, 22, 24,26,28, 26, 24, 22, 20. If my memory isn't failing me today, I believe that this is a 30 minute workout. If you "row along" with Austin, then he lets you know the pace and talks thru the workout. Pull when he pulls, recover at the same speed and then you don't have to worry about counting your strokes.

I set up a 50 inch tv, did the HDMI cable connection from my laptop, and it really feels like you are rowing with the dude on the screen.

Hope this helps,

Thx for that tip.

Between damper settings, and self calibration on recovery, my understanding is that drag factor is irrelevant to the end user. The machine self calibration takes into account the drag factor (from what I read). Therefore I am wondering if it is just miscalbration on the self calibration? Or my personal calibration of perceived effort at a given stroke rate is way off, 2:15 is 180W, 2:05 is 140W, so I can't see myself being that much off in personal calibration on perceived exertion!!! Which is why I suspect the gym machine is giving me waaay too much credit. At my advanced broken down age, even 180W on the bike feels hard. Its not a cruise anymore, so forget about cruising at 180W on the erg....cruising at 140W on the erg, that seems OK as that feels like nothing on the bike

Drag factor isn’t irrelevant to the end user - it’s essentially your rowing version of gear inches. It’s consistent erg to erg whereas damper setting isn’t.

Anyway, if you’re consistently 40W higher in the gym at similar RPE, yeah, I’d be suspicious of that particular erg.

Dev,

When I replaced the ancient, distinctly lower tension bungee on my old Concept II with a new, obviously higher tension bungee, efforts at specific watts became noticeably harder. Perhaps I'm wrong but I don't believe that the self calibration takes the bungee tension into account.

YMMV,

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

The bungee tension at home is snappiest for sure compared to those at any gym, since my unit gets used by me only for maybe 25 hrs per year over the last 5 years (so not really much....I don't use it for most of the year, and then for part of the year, I may use it 1-2 hrs per week as a warmup before I get on the bike trainer, or for 20 min off a run to help stretch my calves etc). I would imagine the one at the gyms get at least 365 hrs per year of usage (mainly unused, until they are).

I've got to think a snappier tension does have a measurable influence. I especially notice it when using a single blade paddle adapter mounted on the erg. With the paddle adapter the seat is fixed and the vast majority of output comes from upper body. As a result one's output is on the order of 1/2 to 5/8 the wattage you can produce while rowing at the same heart rate.

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Also I just thought of an additonal factor. I keep my home in the winter fairly warm, because I am a cold wimp and I don't mind paying for heat as it is a luxury I can afford and don't want to skimp on that.

The gym is FREEZING (intentionally) . At the gym I barely sweat on the treadmills, at a given pace (say 10kph) and at home at 10kph, I start to sweat. So perhaps the cooling at gym also adds to the discrepency, but its not going to be 40W!!!!

I do my 15,000 to 20,000km per day with the windows open in winter and two 35mph blowers directly blowing on me.When things warm up in the spring my I suffer mightily to output the same amount of power and my heart rate is way higher.

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

While it has been a few years since I've been on one, I have logged a lot of meters and early on had to focus on slowing my SPM. But it was worth it. I remember literally just 'waiting' between strokes at first to get the timing down. The better I got, the more I realized the stroke was longer than I was thinking. Meaning, the stronger my core got, the better my posture, and the longer the stroke became.

I agree with looking around online for experienced athletes and coaches for tips. I seemed to do it by simply sticking to the 22-23 SPM. I had it on the monitor and just focused on keeping it there.

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

Two questions Dev:
1. Is your RPE the same for each machine?
2. Have you looked at the drag factor as others have mentioned? Are they similar between machines? I get people say that it is irrelevant to the end user, I guess I have not found that. Previously I have used the drag factor to check I am working at a similar level between my machine at home and at the gym as dust etc in the machine means that the damper setting is not comparable across machines. This is how I set up the erg between locations…..